(a) There is hereby created in the State Treasury the Child Health and Safety Fund for the purposes specified in this section.

(b) Moneys for this fund shall be derived from the license plate program provided for pursuant to § 5072 of the Vehicle Code and from civil penalties on child daycare facility providers.

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(c) Moneys in the fund shall be expended, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the purposes specified in subdivisions (d), (e), and (f).

(d) Fifty percent of moneys derived from the license plate program pursuant to § 5072 of the Vehicle Code shall be available, upon appropriation, to the State Department of Social Services for the purpose of administering provisions of Sections 1596.816, 1596.87, 1596.872b, 1596.893b 1596.895, 1596.95, 1597.091, 1597.54, 1597.541, 1597.542, 1597.55b and 1597.62 of the Health and Safety Code. Upon appropriation by the Legislature, an additional five hundred one thousand dollars ($501,000), in excess of the 50 percent derived from the license plate program, also shall be made available for these purposes. The State Department of Social Services shall allocate these special funds according to the following priorities:

(1) Site visits performed pursuant to Sections 1597.091 and 1597.55b of the Health and Safety Code.

(2) The monitoring responsibility of the childcare advocate program.

(3) Training for investigative and licensing field staff.

(4) Other aspects of the childcare advocate program performed pursuant to Section 1596.872b of the Health and Safety Code.

(5) The salary of the chief of the childcare licensing branch.

In order to implement the list of priorities set forth in this subdivision, and to complete implementation of subdivision (a) of § 1596.816 of the Health and Safety Code, the State Department of Social Services may, as necessary, fund appropriate administrative support costs.

(e) The balance of funds remaining after the appropriations specified in subdivision (d) derived from the license plate program pursuant to § 5072 of the Vehicle Code shall be available, upon appropriation, for programs that address any of the following child health and safety concerns and that are either to be carried out within a two-year period or whose implementation is dependent upon one-time initial funding:

(1) Child abuse prevention, except that not more than 25 percent of the moneys in this fund shall be used for this purpose. Ninety percent of the 25 percent shall be deposited in the county children’s trust fund, established pursuant to § 18966 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, for the support of child abuse prevention services in the community, and 10 percent of the 25 percent shall be deposited in the State Children’s Trust Fund, established pursuant to Section 18969, for public education, training, and technical assistance.

(2) Vehicular safety, including restraint, warnings, and education programs.

(3) Drowning prevention.

(4) Playground safety standards.

(5) Pedestrian Safety.

(6) Bicycle safety.

(7) Gun safety.

(8) Fire safety.

(9) Poison control and safety.

(10) In-home safety.

(11) Childhood poisoning, including from prescription medications, lead, and other toxic substances.

(12) Sleep suffocation and sudden infant death syndrome.

(13) Children left in parked cars and children run over by cars moving forward or backward.

(14) Sports-related concussions, heat stroke, and spinal injury safety.

(f) Moneys derived from civil penalties imposed on daycare facility providers shall be made available, upon appropriation, to the State Department of Social Services exclusively for the technical assistance, orientation, training, and education of child daycare facility providers.

(Amended by Stats. 2020, Ch. 370, Sec. 291. (SB 1371) Effective January 1, 2021.)