BILL NUMBER: AB 485 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 22, 2015
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 26, 2015
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Williams
(Principal coauthor: Senator Allen)
FEBRUARY 23, 2015
An act to add and repeal Article 23 (commencing with Section
18901) of Chapter 3 of Part 10.2 of Division 2 of the Revenue and
Taxation Code, relating to taxation.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 485, as amended, Williams. Personal income taxes: voluntary
contributions: Prevention of Animal Homelessness and Cruelty Fund.
Existing law allows an individual taxpayer to contribute amounts
in excess of his or her personal income tax liability for the support
of specified funds.
This bill would allow an individual to designate on his or her tax
return that a specified amount in excess of his or her tax liability
be transferred to the Prevention of Animal Homelessness and Cruelty
Fund, which would be created by this bill. The bill would require the
Franchise Tax Board to revise the tax return form to include a space
for the designation of contributions to the fund when another
voluntary designation is removed from the form or there is space,
whichever occurs first.
This bill would require money contributed to the fund, upon
appropriation by the Legislature, to be allocated to the Franchise
Tax Board and the Controller for reimbursement of costs, as provided,
and to the Department of Food and Agriculture for the distribution
of grants on a competitive basis to a city or county
city, county, or city and county animal control
agency or shelter, as specified, for the purposes of, among other
things, funding programs designed to prevent and eliminate cat and
dog homelessness.
The bill would provide that these provisions would remain in
effect only until January 1 of the 5th taxable year following the
first appearance of the Prevention of Animal Homelessness and Cruelty
Fund on the tax return, or January 1, 2022, whichever occurs first,
but would further provide for an earlier repeal if the Franchise Tax
Board determines that the amount of contributions estimated to be
received during a calendar year will not at least equal the minimum
contribution amount, as defined, for that calendar year, in which
case these provisions would be repealed on December 1 of that year.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Article 23 (commencing with Section 18901) is added to
Chapter 3 of Part 10.2 of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation
Code, to read:
Article 23. Prevention of Animal Homelessness and Cruelty Fund
18901. (a) An individual may designate on the tax return that a
contribution in excess of the tax liability, if any, be made to the
Prevention of Animal Homelessness and Cruelty Fund established by
Section 18901.1. That designation is to be used as a voluntary
contribution on the tax return.
(b) The contributions shall be in full dollar amounts and may be
made individually by each signatory on a joint return.
(c) A designation under subdivision (a) shall be made for a
taxable year on the initial original
return for that taxable year and once made is irrevocable. If
payments and credits reported on the return, together with any other
credits associated with the taxpayer's account, do not exceed the
taxpayer's liability, the return shall be treated as though no
designation has been made. If a contribution is specified,
but a designee is not specified, the contribution shall be
transferred to the General Fund after reimbursement of the direct
actual costs of the Franchise Tax Board for the collection and
administration of funds under this article.
(d) If an individual designates a contribution to more than one
account or fund listed on the tax return, and the amount available is
insufficient to satisfy the total amount designated, the
contribution shall be allocated among the designees on a pro rata
basis.
(e)
(d) When another voluntary contribution designation is
removed from the tax return, or as soon as space is available,
whichever occurs first, the Franchise Tax Board shall revise the form
of the return to include a space labeled the "Prevention of Animal
Homelessness and Cruelty Fund" to allow for the designation
permitted. The form shall also include in the instructions
information that the contribution may be in the amount of one dollar
($1) or more and that the contribution shall be used to fund all of
the following:
(1) Programs designed to prevent and eliminate cat and dog
homelessness.
(2) Research that explores novel approaches to preventing and
eliminating pet homelessness.
(3) Prevention, investigation, and prosecution of animal cruelty
and neglect.
(f)
(e) A deduction shall be allowed under Article 6
(commencing with Section 17201) of Chapter 3 of Part 10 for any
contribution made pursuant to subdivision (a).
18901.1. There is hereby established in the State Treasury the
Prevention of Animal Homelessness and Cruelty Fund to receive
contributions made pursuant to Section 18901. The Franchise Tax Board
shall notify the Controller of both the amount of money paid by
taxpayers in excess of their tax liability and the amount of refund
money that taxpayers have designated pursuant to Section 18901 to be
transferred to the Prevention of Animal Homelessness and Cruelty
Fund. The Controller shall transfer from the Personal Income Tax Fund
to the Prevention of Animal Homelessness and Cruelty Fund an amount
not in excess of the sum of the amounts designated by individuals
pursuant to Section 18901 for payment into that fund.
18901.2. (a) All money transferred to the Prevention of Animal
Homelessness and Cruelty Fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature,
shall be allocated as follows:
(1) To the Franchise Tax Board and the Controller for
reimbursement of all costs incurred by the Franchise Tax Board and
the Controller in connection with their duties under this article.
(2) To the Department of Food and Agriculture for the distribution
of grants to a city or county city,
county, or city and county animal control agency or
shelter that is current on its reporting requirements to the State
Department of Public Health, Veterinary Public Health Section. Funds
obtained by a municipality city, county, or
city and county under a grant from the Prevention of Animal
Homelessness and Cruelty Fund may be used to pay for the following:
(A) Programs designed to prevent and eliminate cat and dog
homelessness.
(B) Research that explores novel approaches to preventing and
eliminating pet homelessness.
(C) Prevention, investigation, and prosecution of animal cruelty
and neglect.
(b) Grants distributed pursuant to this article may be paid to
outside agencies that are under contract or in a demonstrated
partnership with that municipality city,
county, or city and county to conduct these activities.
(c) The Department of Food and Agriculture shall award grants
through a competitive, project-specific grant process and shall be
responsible for overseeing that grant program. A grantee shall not
use a grant award for administrative expenses or for any purposes
outside of California.
18901.3. (a) Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (b),
this article shall remain in effect only until January 1 of the fifth
taxable year following the first appearance of the Prevention of
Animal Homelessness and Cruelty Fund on the tax return, or January 1,
2022, whichever occurs first, and is repealed as of December 1 of
that year.
(b) (1) By September 1 of the second calendar year and by
September 1 of each subsequent calendar year that the Prevention of
Animal Homelessness and Cruelty Fund appears on the tax return, the
Franchise Tax Board shall do all of the following:
(A) Determine the minimum contribution amount required to be
received during the next calendar year for the fund to appear on the
tax return for the taxable year that includes that next calendar
year.
(B) Provide written notification to the Department of Food and
Agriculture of the amount determined in subparagraph (A).
(C) Determine whether the amount of contributions estimated to be
received during the calendar year will equal or exceed the minimum
contribution amount determined by the Franchise Tax Board for the
calendar year pursuant to subparagraph (A). The Franchise Tax Board
shall estimate the amount of contributions to be received by using
the actual amounts received and an estimate of the contributions that
will be received by the end of that calendar year.
(2) If the Franchise Tax Board determines that the amount of the
contributions estimated to be received during a calendar year will
not at least equal the minimum contribution amount for the calendar
year, this article shall be inoperative with respect to taxable years
beginning on or after January 1 of that calendar year and shall be
repealed on December 1 of that year.
(3) For purposes of this section, the minimum contribution amount
for a calendar year means two hundred fifty thousand dollars
($250,000) for the second calendar year after the first appearance of
the Prevention of Animal Homelessness and Cruelty Fund on the
personal income tax return or the adjusted minimum contribution
amount adjusted pursuant to subdivision (c).
(c) For each calendar year, beginning with the third calendar year
after the first appearance of the Prevention of Animal Homelessness
and Cruelty Fund on the tax return, the Franchise Tax Board shall
adjust, on or before September 1 of that calendar year, the minimum
estimated contribution amount specified in subdivision (b) as
follows:
(1) The minimum contribution amount for the calendar year shall be
an amount equal to the product of the minimum contribution amount
for the prior calendar year, multiplied by the inflation factor
adjustment as specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (h) of
Section 17041, rounded off to the nearest dollar.
(2) The inflation factor adjustment used for the calendar year
shall be based on the figures for the percentage change in the
California Consumer Price Index received on or before August 1 of the
calendar year pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (h) of
Section 17041.
(d) Notwithstanding the repeal of this article, any contribution
amounts designated pursuant to this article prior to its repeal shall
continue to be transferred and disbursed in accordance with this
article as in effect immediately prior to that repeal.