Article 2. General Powers And Duties of California Government Code >> Division 3. >> Title 2. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 6. >> Article 2.

The Attorney General is head of the Department of Justice.

The Attorney General has charge, as attorney, of all legal matters in which the State is interested, except the business of The Regents of the University of California and of such other boards or officers as are by law authorized to employ attorneys.

The Attorney General may defend a public or private provider of health care, as defined in Section 56.05 of the Civil Code, and its officers, employees, agents, and subcontractors against any claim that the civil rights of a person in state custody were violated in the provision of health care services, where those services were provided under contract with, or under the control of, the Department of Corrections. Defense of the provider of health care is conditioned upon the provider maintaining insurance for professional negligence.

The Attorney General shall attend the Supreme Court and prosecute or defend all causes to which the State, or any State officer is a party in his or her official capacity.

After judgment in any of the causes referred to in Section 12512, the Attorney General shall direct the issuing of such process as may be necessary to carry the judgment into execution.

Any person who fails to pay on a timely basis any liability or penalty imposed by or on behalf of any state agency or official, the People of the State of California, the State of California, or any liability or penalty otherwise imposed in any matter prosecuted by the Attorney General, shall be required to pay, in addition to that liability or penalty, interest, reasonable attorneys' fees, and costs for any collection proceedings to enforce payment.

The Attorney General shall keep a docket of all causes in which he is required to appear. The docket shall be open to the inspection of the public during business hours, and shall show:
  (a) The county, and court in which the causes have been instituted and tried.
  (b) Whether they are civil or criminal.
  (c) The stage of the proceedings.
  (d) If civil, the nature of the demand and judgment, any process issued thereon, and satisfaction of the judgment or the return of the sheriff.
  (e) If criminal, the nature of the crime, the mode of prosecution, the sentence, the execution of the sentence or the reasons for the delay or prevention of execution.

The Attorney General shall bid upon and purchase, in the name of the state and under the direction of the Department of General Services, any property offered for sale under execution issued upon judgments in favor or for the use of the state, and enter satisfaction in whole or in part, of such judgments as the consideration for such purchase.

Whenever the property of a judgment debtor in any judgment in favor or for the use of the state has been sold under a prior judgment, or is subject to any prior judgment, lien, or encumbrance, the Attorney General shall, under the direction of the Department of General Services, redeem the property from the prior judgment, lien, or encumbrance. Upon order of the Department of General Services, the money necessary for redemption shall be paid out of any appropriation for that purpose.

When in his or her opinion it may be necessary for the collection or enforcement of any judgment in favor or for the use of the state, the Attorney General shall institute and prosecute, on behalf of the state, actions or proceedings to set aside and annul all conveyances fraudulently made by judgment debtors. When allowed by the Department of General Services, the necessary cost shall be paid out of any available appropriation.

Whenever any action is brought against the State or any State agency involving the title, or right to possession or the boundaries of any lands belonging to the State or in which it has any interest, the Attorney General may, when in his judgment the public interest so requires, upon his own motion or upon the request of any State agency, appear as attorney in defense of the State or State agency. Upon his own motion or upon the request of any State agency, the Attorney General may institute such an action in the name of the people of the State or on behalf of any State agency.

The Attorney General shall give his or her opinion in writing to any Member of the Legislature, the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Controller, Treasurer, State Lands Commission, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Insurance Commissioner, any state agency, and any county counsel, district attorney, or sheriff when requested, upon any question of law relating to their respective offices. The Attorney General shall give his or her opinion in writing to a city prosecuting attorney when requested, upon any question of law relating to criminal matters.

(a) The Attorney General may not employ special counsel in any case except pursuant to either of the following:
  (1) Article 3 (commencing with Section 12540).
  (2) Article 4 (commencing with Section 12550).
  (b) Subdivision (a) does not affect the right of the Attorney General to employ counsel to represent, or to assist in the representation of, a state agency as defined in Section 11000, including the Attorney General or the Department of Justice, or to represent a state employee if that representation meets any of the standards set forth in paragraph (3), (5), (7), (8), (9), or (10) of subdivision (b) of Section 19130.

The Attorney General shall account for and pay over to the proper officer all money which may come into his possession belonging to the State or to any county.

On or before the fifteenth day of September in each even-numbered year, the Attorney General shall report to the Governor the condition of the affairs of his office and of the reports received by him from district attorneys.

The Attorney General may appear for and represent the Indians of the State of California before the Indian Claims Commission created by an act of Congress approved August 13, 1946 (Public Law 726).

The Attorney General may, from time to time, and as often as occasion may require, call into conference the district attorneys and sheriffs of the several counties and the chiefs of police of the several municipalities of this state, or such of them as he may deem advisable, for the purpose of discussing the duties of their respective offices, with the view of uniform and adequate enforcement of the laws of this state as contemplated by Section 13 of Article V of the Constitution of this state.

In any case in which a person dies while in the custody of any law enforcement agency or while in custody in a local or state correctional facility in this state, the law enforcement agency or the agency in charge of the correctional facility shall report in writing to the Attorney General, within 10 days after the death, all facts in the possession of the law enforcement agency or agency in charge of the correctional facility concerning the death. These writings are public records within the meaning of subdivision (d) of Section 6252 of the California Public Records Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1), are open to public inspection pursuant to Sections 6253, 6256, 6257, and 6258. Nothing in this section shall permit the disclosure of confidential medical information that may have been submitted to the Attorney General's office in conjunction with the report except as provided in Part 2.6 (commencing with Section 56) of Division 1 of the Civil Code.

(a) Beginning January 1, 2017, each law enforcement agency shall annually furnish to the Department of Justice, in a manner defined and prescribed by the Attorney General, a report of all instances when a peace officer employed by that agency is involved in any of the following:
  (1) An incident involving the shooting of a civilian by a peace officer.
  (2) An incident involving the shooting of a peace officer by a civilian.
  (3) An incident in which the use of force by a peace officer against a civilian results in serious bodily injury or death.
  (4) An incident in which use of force by a civilian against a peace officer results in serious bodily injury or death.
  (b) For each incident reported under subdivision (a), the information reported to the Department of Justice shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:
  (1) The gender, race, and age of each individual who was shot, injured, or killed.
  (2) The date, time, and location of the incident.
  (3) Whether the civilian was armed, and, if so, the type of weapon.
  (4) The type of force used against the officer, the civilian, or both, including the types of weapons used.
  (5) The number of officers involved in the incident.
  (6) The number of civilians involved in the incident.
  (7) A brief description regarding the circumstances surrounding the incident, which may include the nature of injuries to officers and civilians and perceptions on behavior or mental disorders.
  (c) Each year, the Department of Justice shall include a summary of information contained in the reports received pursuant to subdivision (a) in its annual crime report issued by the department pursuant to Section 13010 of the Penal Code. This information shall be classified according to the reporting law enforcement jurisdiction. In cases involving a peace officer who is injured or killed, the report shall list the officer's employing jurisdiction and the jurisdiction where the injury or death occurred, if they are not the same. This subdivision does not authorize the release to the public of the badge number or other unique identifying information of the peace officer involved.
  (d) For purposes of this section, "serious bodily injury" means a bodily injury that involves a substantial risk of death, unconsciousness, protracted and obvious disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of the function of a bodily member or organ.

(a) (1) Each state and local agency that employs peace officers shall annually report to the Attorney General data on all stops conducted by that agency's peace officers for the preceding calendar year.
  (2) Each agency that employs 1,000 or more peace officers shall issue its first round of reports on or before April 1, 2019. Each agency that employs 667 or more but less than 1,000 peace officers shall issue its first round of reports on or before April 1, 2020. Each agency that employs 334 or more but less than 667 peace officers shall issue its first round of reports on or before April 1, 2022. Each agency that employs one or more but less than 334 peace officers shall issue its first round of reports on or before April 1, 2023.
  (b) The reporting shall include, at a minimum, the following information for each stop:
  (1) The time, date, and location of the stop.
  (2) The reason for the stop.
  (3) The result of the stop, such as, no action, warning, citation, property seizure, or arrest.
  (4) If a warning or citation was issued, the warning provided or violation cited.
  (5) If an arrest was made, the offense charged.
  (6) The perceived race or ethnicity, gender, and approximate age of the person stopped, provided that the identification of these characteristics shall be based on the observation and perception of the peace officer making the stop, and the information shall not be requested from the person stopped. For motor vehicle stops, this paragraph only applies to the driver, unless any actions specified under paragraph (7) apply in relation to a passenger, in which case the characteristics specified in this paragraph shall also be reported for him or her.
  (7) Actions taken by the peace officer during the stop, including, but not limited to, the following:
  (A) Whether the peace officer asked for consent to search the person, and, if so, whether consent was provided.
  (B) Whether the peace officer searched the person or any property, and, if so, the basis for the search and the type of contraband or evidence discovered, if any.
  (C) Whether the peace officer seized any property and, if so, the type of property that was seized and the basis for seizing the property.
  (c) If more than one peace officer performs a stop, only one officer is required to collect and report to his or her agency the information specified under subdivision (b).
  (d) State and local law enforcement agencies shall not report the name, address, social security number, or other unique personal identifying information of persons stopped, searched, or subjected to a property seizure, for purposes of this section. Notwithstanding any other law, the data reported shall be available to the public, except for the badge number or other unique identifying information of the peace officer involved, which shall be released to the public only to the extent the release is permissible under state law.
  (e) Not later than January 1, 2017, the Attorney General, in consultation with stakeholders, including the Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory Board (RIPA) established pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (j) of Section 13519.4 of the Penal Code, federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and community, professional, academic, research, and civil and human rights organizations, shall issue regulations for the collection and reporting of data required under subdivision (b). The regulations shall specify all data to be reported, and provide standards, definitions, and technical specifications to ensure uniform reporting practices across all reporting agencies. To the best extent possible, such regulations should be compatible with any similar federal data collection or reporting program.
  (f) All data and reports made pursuant to this section are public records within the meaning of subdivision (e) of Section 6252, and are open to public inspection pursuant to Sections 6253 and 6258.
  (g) (1) For purposes of this section, "peace officer," as defined in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Title 3 of Part 2 of the Penal Code, is limited to members of the California Highway Patrol, a city or county law enforcement agency, and California state or university educational institutions. "Peace officer," as used in this section, does not include probation officers and officers in a custodial setting.
  (2) For purposes of this section, "stop" means any detention by a peace officer of a person, or any peace officer interaction with a person in which the peace officer conducts a search, including a consensual search, of the person's body or property in the person's possession or control.

The Attorney General antitrust account is hereby created in the General Fund. All money in the account is available to the Department of Justice for expenditure in carrying out the antitrust activities of the department and for the refund, in accordance with law, of any moneys erroneously paid in to the account. Money in the account shall be available for expenditure only upon appropriation by the Legislature in the annual Budget Bill. Such appropriation may be augmented by executive order issued by the Director of Finance, provided that within 30 days after such augmentation the Director of Finance shall notify the Chairman of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and the chairman of the committee in each house which consider appropriations of any additional allocations. It is the intent of the Legislature that any augmentation shall be limited to the amount required to meet specific unbudgeted workload needs. Any continuing increase in the level of antitrust activity shall be subject to legislative review through the appropriation process. The expenses of the antitrust section in excess of the funds available in the Attorney General antitrust account within the General Fund shall be paid out of the regular appropriation for the support of the Department of Justice. If at any time the Attorney General's antitrust account within the General Fund exceeds three million dollars ($3,000,000), any amount in excess of three million dollars ($3,000,000) shall be transferred from such account to the unallocated funds within the General Fund.

(a) This section applies to every action brought in the name of the people of the State of California by the Attorney General.
  (b) The court may appoint a receiver, in actions in which the appointment of a receiver is authorized by law, upon the application of the Attorney General if the court determines both of the following:
  (1) The Attorney General has a reasonable probability of prevailing on the merits at trial in establishing that the defendant obtained real or personal property by any unlawful means.
  (2) The appointment of a receiver would facilitate the maintenance, preservation, operation, or recovery of that property for any restitutionary purpose.
  (c) The receiver may do any of the following subject to the direction of the court:
  (1) Sue for, collect, receive, and take into possession all the real and personal property derived by any unlawful means, including property with which that property or the proceeds thereof has been commingled if that property or the proceeds thereof cannot be identified in kind because of the commingling.
  (2) Take possession of all books, records, and documents relating to any unlawfully obtained property and the proceeds thereof. In addition, the receiver shall have the same right as a defendant to request, obtain, inspect, copy, and obtain copies of books, records, and documents maintained by third parties that relate to unlawfully obtained property and the proceeds thereof.
  (3) Transfer, encumber, manage, control, and hold all property subject to the receivership, including the proceeds thereof, in the manner directed or ratified by the court.
  (4) Avoid a transfer of any interest in any unlawfully obtained property including the proceeds thereof to any person who committed, aided or abetted, or participated in the commission of unlawful acts or who had knowledge that the property had been unlawfully obtained.
  (5) Avoid a transfer of any interest in any unlawfully obtained property including the proceeds thereof made with the intent to hinder or delay the recovery of that property or any interest in it by the receiver or any person from whom the property was unlawfully obtained.
  (6) Avoid a transfer of any interest in any unlawfully obtained property including the proceeds thereof that was made within one year before the date of the entry of the receivership order if less than a reasonably equivalent value was given in exchange for the transfer, except that a bona fide transferee for value and without notice that the property had been unlawfully obtained may retain the interest transferred until the value given in exchange for the transfer is returned to the transferee.
  (7) Avoid a transfer of any interest in any unlawfully obtained property including the proceeds thereof made within 90 days before the date of the entry of the receivership order to a transferee from whom the defendant unlawfully obtained some property if (A) the receiver establishes that the avoidance of the transfer will promote a fair pro rata distribution of restitution among all people from whom defendants unlawfully obtained property and (B) the transferee cannot establish that the specific property transferred was the same property which had been unlawfully obtained from the transferee.
  (8) Exercise any power authorized by statute or ordered by the court.
  (d) (1) All property in the possession, management, or control of the receiver is in the custody of the court. The court may order that the expenses of the receivership, including receiver's fees, be paid from the property held by the receiver, but neither the state, the Attorney General, nor any state department, agency, or bureau shall be liable for any receivership expense, including receiver's fees, unless otherwise expressly provided by written contract.
  (2) No person with actual or constructive notice of the receivership shall interfere with the discharge of the receiver's duties.
  (3) No person may file any action or enforce or create any lien, or cause to be issued, served, or levied any summons, subpoena, attachment, or writ of execution against the receiver or any property subject to the receivership without first obtaining prior court approval upon motion with notice to the receiver and the Attorney General. Any legal procedure described herein commenced without prior court approval is void except as to a bona fide purchaser or encumbrancer for value and without notice of the receivership. No person without notice of the receivership shall incur any liability for commencing or maintaining any legal procedure described by this paragraph.
  (e) The court may appoint the Attorney General, with the Attorney General's consent, to serve as receiver or as attorney for the receiver.
  (f) The court has jurisdiction of all questions arising in the receivership proceedings and may make any orders and judgments as may be required, including orders after noticed motion by the receiver to avoid transfers as provided in paragraphs (4), (5), (6), and (7) of subdivision (c).
  (g) If the court determines that the Attorney General has a reasonable probability of prevailing on the merits at trial in establishing that the defendant obtained real or personal property by unlawful means but that the appointment of a receiver is not requested or that the conditions for the appointment of a receiver described in subdivision (b) have not been shown, the court shall issue any necessary orders to assure that the defendant does not transfer or encumber any property which may be used to satisfy a judgment in the action.
  (h) This section is cumulative to all other provisions of law.
  (i) If any provision of this section or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, that invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of this section which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this section are severable.
  (j) This section does not provide for the appointment of a receiver in actions in which the appointment of a receiver is not otherwise authorized by law.
  (k) The recordation of a copy of the receivership order imparts constructive notice of the receivership in connection with any matter involving real property located in the county in which the receivership order is recorded.

For purposes of this article, any property which is obtained in connection with any deceptive or misleading statements or conduct shall be deemed obtained through constructive fraud.

(a) There is in the Office of the Attorney General the Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud, which shall implement Sections 1903(a)(6), 1903(b)(3), and 1903(g) of the federal Social Security Act, as amended by the federal Medicare-Medicaid Anti-Fraud and Abuse Amendments ( Public Law 95-124), and is authorized to conduct a statewide program for investigating and prosecuting, and referring for prosecution, violations of all applicable laws pertaining to fraud in the administration of the Medi-Cal program, the provision of medical assistance or medical supplies, or the activities of providers of medical assistance or medical suppliers under the Medi-Cal plan. The investigation of fraud by beneficiaries of the Medi-Cal program is the responsibility of the Audits and Investigations Branch of the State Department of Health Services.
  (b) The bureau shall also review complaints alleging abuse or neglect of patients in health care facilities receiving payments under the Medi-Cal plan and may review complaints of the misappropriation of patient's private funds in such facilities and complaints of discriminatory treatment of Medi-Cal beneficiaries by such facilities.
  (1) If the initial review indicates substantial potential for criminal prosecution, the bureau shall investigate the complaint or refer it to an appropriate criminal investigative or prosecutive authority.
  (2) If the initial review does not indicate a substantial potential for criminal prosecution, the bureau shall inform the referring agency of its determination and may, if appropriate, refer the complaint to the State Department of Health Services.
  (c) Local law enforcement and prosecution agencies shall have concurrent jurisdiction with the bureau to investigate and prosecute violations of law referred to in this section.
  (d) If the bureau, in carrying out its duties and responsibilities under subdivisions (a) and (b), discovers that overpayments have been made to a health care facility or other provider of medical assistance or medical supplies under the Medi-Cal plan, the bureau shall either attempt to collect the overpayment or refer the matter to the State Department of Health Services for collection.
  (e) Where a prosecuting authority other than the bureau elects to prosecute a case reported to the bureau, the bureau shall, upon request of that prosecuting authority, ensure that those responsible for the prosecutive decision and the preparation of the case for trial have the opportunity to participate in the investigation from its inception and will provide all necessary assistance to the prosecuting authority throughout all resulting prosecutions.
  (f) The bureau shall make available to federal investigators or prosecutors all information in its possession concerning fraud in the provision or administration of medical assistance under the Medi-Cal plan and shall cooperate with such officials in coordinating any federal and state investigations or prosecutions involving the same suspects or allegations.
  (g) The bureau shall safeguard the privacy rights of all individuals and shall provide safeguards to prevent the misuse of information under its control, and all agencies which are required to report complaints alleging abuse or neglect of patients shall maintain the confidentiality of those reports until such time as the report becomes a matter of public record.
  (h) The bureau shall offer training programs to local law enforcement and prosecutorial personnel in investigating and prosecuting crimes against elders and dependent adults, and to the State Department of Health Services, the State Department of Social Services, the county adult protective services agencies and to the Long-Term Care Ombudsman in evaluating and documenting criminal abuse against elders and dependent adults.
  (i) The state Long-Term Care Ombudsman, the Licensing and Certification Division in the Department of Health Services, and the Statistical Services Bureau in the State Department of Social Services shall report to the bureau all instances of abuse and neglect of elders and dependent adults, as defined in Section 15610 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, which come to their attention.
  (j) The bureau shall collect information on a statewide basis regarding cases of abuse and neglect of patients in health facilities receiving payments from the Medi-Cal program for the primary purpose of analyzing the information it collects and disseminating its conclusions to local law enforcement agencies and to regulatory and licensing authorities.
  (k) For purposes of this section, "bureau" means the Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud in the Office of the Attorney General.

(a) Any agent, investigator, or auditor of the Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud within the office of the Attorney General shall have the authority to inspect, at any time, the business location of any Medi-Cal provider for the purpose of carrying out the duties of the bureau as set forth in Section 12528. For purposes of this subdivision, "provider" includes an applicant as defined in Section 14043.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code and a billing agent, as defined in Section 14040.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
  (b) The department shall provide all investigators and auditors assigned to lead a facility inspection team of a health facility licensed under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 1250) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code with basic training on the relevant statutes and regulations governing the types of facilities to be inspected. Unless it is impracticable, the training shall include a facility tour, unrelated to an actual inspection, to observe the operations of the type of facilities to be inspected.
  (c) The Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud shall develop protocols to ensure that inspections conducted pursuant to this section are conducted during normal business hours and are completed in the least intrusive manner possible.

(a) There is in the Department of Justice the Health Quality Enforcement Section. The primary responsibility of the section is to investigate and prosecute proceedings against licensees and applicants within the jurisdiction of the Medical Board of California, the California Board of Podiatric Medicine, the Board of Psychology, the Physical Therapy Board of California, or any committee under the jurisdiction of the Medical Board of California.
  (b) The Attorney General shall appoint a Senior Assistant Attorney General of the Health Quality Enforcement Section. The Senior Assistant Attorney General of the Health Quality Enforcement Section shall be an attorney in good standing licensed to practice in the State of California, experienced in prosecutorial or administrative disciplinary proceedings and competent in the management and supervision of attorneys performing those functions.
  (c) The Attorney General shall ensure that the Health Quality Enforcement Section is staffed with a sufficient number of experienced and able employees that are capable of handling the most complex and varied types of disciplinary actions against the licensees of the boards.
  (d) Funding for the Health Quality Enforcement Section shall be budgeted in consultation with the Attorney General from the special funds financing the operations of the Medical Board of California, the California Board of Podiatric Medicine, the Board of Psychology, the Physical Therapy Board of California, and the committees under the jurisdiction of the Medical Board of California, with the intent that the expenses be proportionally shared as to services rendered.

(a) All complaints or relevant information concerning licensees that are within the jurisdiction of the Medical Board of California, the California Board of Podiatric Medicine, the Board of Psychology, or the Physical Therapy Board of California shall be made available to the Health Quality Enforcement Section.
  (b) The Senior Assistant Attorney General of the Health Quality Enforcement Section shall assign attorneys to work on location at the intake unit of the boards described in subdivision (a) to assist in evaluating and screening complaints and to assist in developing uniform standards and procedures for processing complaints.
  (c) The Senior Assistant Attorney General or his or her deputy attorneys general shall assist the boards in designing and providing initial and in-service training programs for staff of the boards, including, but not limited to, information collection and investigation.
  (d) The determination to bring a disciplinary proceeding against a licensee of the boards shall be made by the executive officer of the boards as appropriate in consultation with the senior assistant.

(a) The Legislature finds and declares that the Medical Board of California, by ensuring the quality and safety of medical care, performs one of the most critical functions of state government. Because of the critical importance of the board's public health and safety function, the complexity of cases involving alleged misconduct by physicians and surgeons, and the evidentiary burden in the board's disciplinary cases, the Legislature finds and declares that using a vertical enforcement and prosecution model for those investigations is in the best interests of the people of California.
  (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, as of January 1, 2006, each complaint that is referred to a district office of the board for investigation shall be simultaneously and jointly assigned to an investigator and to the deputy attorney general in the Health Quality Enforcement Section responsible for prosecuting the case if the investigation results in the filing of an accusation. The joint assignment of the investigator and the deputy attorney general shall exist for the duration of the disciplinary matter. During the assignment, the investigator so assigned shall, under the direction but not the supervision of the deputy attorney general, be responsible for obtaining the evidence required to permit the Attorney General to advise the board on legal matters such as whether the board should file a formal accusation, dismiss the complaint for a lack of evidence required to meet the applicable burden of proof, or take other appropriate legal action.
  (c) The Medical Board of California, the Department of Consumer Affairs, and the Office of the Attorney General shall, if necessary, enter into an interagency agreement to implement this section.
  (d) This section does not affect the requirements of Section 12529.5 as applied to the Medical Board of California where complaints that have not been assigned to a field office for investigation are concerned.
  (e) It is the intent of the Legislature to enhance the vertical enforcement and prosecution model as set forth in subdivision (a). The Medical Board of California shall do all of the following:
  (1) Increase its computer capabilities and compatibilities with the Health Quality Enforcement Section in order to share case information.
  (2) Establish and implement a plan to locate its enforcement staff and the staff of the Health Quality Enforcement Section in the same offices, as appropriate, in order to carry out the intent of the vertical enforcement and prosecution model.
  (3) Establish and implement a plan to assist in team building between its enforcement staff and the staff of the Health Quality Enforcement Section in order to ensure a common and consistent knowledge base.

By March 1, 2016, the Medical Board of California, in consultation with the Department of Justice and the Department of Consumer Affairs, shall report and make recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature on the vertical enforcement and prosecution model created under Section 12529.6.

The Public Rights Law Enforcement Special Fund is hereby established in the State Treasury, to be administered by the Department of Justice. Moneys in the fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature, shall be used by the Attorney General to support the investigation and prosecution of any matter within the authority of the Department of Justice's Public Rights Division.

(a) The Legislature finds and declares that California, represented by the California Attorney General, entered a national multistate settlement with the country's five largest loan servicers. This agreement, the National Mortgage Settlement stemmed from successful resolution of federal court action (Consent Judgment, United States v. Bank of America (No. 1:12-cv-00361, Banzr. D.C. Apr. 4, 2012). The National Mortgage Settlement is broad ranging, with California's share of this settlement estimated to be up to eighteen billion dollars ($18,000,000,000). Of this amount, approximately four hundred ten million dollars ($410,000,000) will come directly to the state in costs, fees, and penalty payments.
  (b) There is hereby created in the State Treasury the National Mortgage Special Deposit Fund. Notwithstanding Section 13340, all moneys in the fund are hereby continuously appropriated, and shall be allocated by the Department of Finance.
  (c) Direct payments made to the State of California as civil penalties pursuant to the National Mortgage Settlement shall be deposited in the Unfair Competition Law Fund as required by the settlement.
  (d) Direct payments made to the State of California pursuant to the National Mortgage Settlement, except for those payments made pursuant to subdivision (c), shall be deposited in the National Mortgage Special Deposit Fund.
  (e) Notwithstanding any other law, the Director of Finance may allocate or otherwise use the funds in the National Mortgage Special Deposit Fund to offset General Fund expenditures in the 2011-12, 2012-13, and 2013-14 fiscal years. The Department of Finance and the Controller's office shall recognize this fiscal alignment accordingly for the purpose of the state budget process and legal basis of accounting.
  (f) Not less than 30 days prior to allocating any moneys pursuant to subdivision (e), the Department of Finance shall submit an expenditure plan to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee detailing the proposed use of the moneys in the National Mortgage Special Deposit Fund.
  (g) Notwithstanding any other law, the Controller may use the funds in the National Mortgage Special Deposit Fund for cashflow loans to the General Fund as provided in Sections 16310 and 16381.