ARTICLE 3. California Children and Families Trust Fund Account [30131. - 30131.6.]

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC 3.

in effect

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 30131. Section 30131.

Notwithstanding Section 30122, the California Children and Families Trust Fund is hereby created in the State Treasury for the exclusive purpose of funding those provisions of the California Children and Families Act of 1998 that are set forth in Division 108 (commencing with Section 130100) of the Health and Safety Code.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 30131.1. Section 30131.1.

The following definitions apply for purposes of this article: (a) “Cigarette” has the same meaning as in Section 30003, as it read on January 1, 1997. (b) “Tobacco products” shall have the same meaning as in subdivision (b) of Section 30121, as amended by the California Healthcare, Research and Prevention Tobacco Tax Act of 2016.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 30131.2. Section 30131.2.

(a) In addition to the taxes imposed upon the distribution of cigarettes by Article 1 (commencing with Section 30101) and Article 2 (commencing with Section 30121) and any other taxes in this chapter, there shall be imposed an additional surtax upon every distributor of cigarettes at the rate of twenty-five mills ($0.025) for each cigarette distributed. (b) In addition to the taxes imposed upon the distribution of tobacco products by Article 1 (commencing with Section 30101) and Article 2 (commencing with Section 30121), and any other taxes in this chapter, there shall be imposed an additional tax upon every distributor of tobacco products, based on the wholesale cost of these products, at a tax rate, as determined annually by the State Board of Equalization, which is equivalent to the rate of tax imposed on cigarettes by subdivision (a). (c) The wholesale cost used to calculate the amount of tax due under subdivision (b) does not include the wholesale cost of tobacco products that were returned by a customer during the same reporting period in which the tobacco products were distributed, when the distributor refunds the entire amount the customer paid for the tobacco products either in cash or credit. For purposes of this subdivision, refund or credit of the entire amount shall be deemed to be given when the purchase price less rehandling and restocking costs is refunded or credited to the customer. The amount withheld for rehandling and restocking costs may be a percentage of the sales price determined by the average cost of rehandling and restocking returned merchandise during the previous accounting cycle.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 30131.3. Section 30131.3.

Except for payments of refunds made pursuant to Article 1 (commencing with Section 30361) of Chapter 6, reimbursement of the State Board of Equalization for expenses incurred in the administration and collection of the taxes imposed by Section 30131.2, and transfers of funds in accordance with subdivision (c) of Section 130105 of the Health and Safety Code, all moneys raised pursuant to the taxes imposed by Section 30131.2 shall be deposited in the California Children and Families Trust Fund and are continuously appropriated for the exclusive purpose of the California Children and Families Program established by Division 108 (commencing with Section 130100) of the Health and Safety Code.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 30131.4. Section 30131.4.

(a) All moneys raised pursuant to taxes imposed by Section 30131.2 shall be appropriated and expended only for the purposes expressed in the California Children and Families Act, and shall be used only to supplement existing levels of service and not to fund existing levels of service. No moneys in the California Children and Families Trust Fund shall be used to supplant state or local General Fund money for any purpose. (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law and the designation of the California Children and Families Trust Fund as a trust fund, the Controller may use the money raised pursuant to Section 30131.2 for the California Children and Families Trust Fund and all accounts created pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 130105 of the Health and Safety Code for loans to the General Fund as provided in Sections 16310 and 16381 of the Government Code. Any such loan shall be repaid from the General Fund with interest computed at 110 percent of the Pooled Money Investment Account rate, with the interest commencing to accrue on the date the loan is made from the fund or account. This subdivision does not authorize any transfer that will interfere with the carrying out of the object for which this fund or those accounts were created.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 30131.5. Section 30131.5.

The annual determination required of the State Board of Equalization pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 30131.2 shall be made based on the wholesale cost of tobacco products as of March 1, and shall be effective during the state’s next fiscal year.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 30131.6. Section 30131.6.

The taxes imposed by Section 30131.2 shall be imposed on every cigarette and on tobacco products in the possession or under the control of every dealer and distributor on and after 12:01 a.m. on January 1, 1999, pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the State Board of Equalization.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026