Section 42405.1 Of Article 3. Penalties From California Health And Safety Code >> Division 26. >> Part 4. >> Chapter 4. >> Article 3.
42405.1
. (a) Any person who provides information that materially
contributes to the imposition of a civil penalty or criminal fine
against any person for violating any provision of this part or any
rule, regulation, or order of a district pertaining to mobile source
emission regulations or limitations shall be paid a reward pursuant
to regulations adopted by the district under subdivision (f). The
reward shall not exceed 10 percent of the amount of the civil penalty
or criminal fine collected by the district, district attorney, or
city attorney. The district shall pay the reward to the person who
provides information that results in the imposition of a civil
penalty, and the city or the county shall pay the reward to the
person who provides information that results in the imposition of a
criminal fine. No reward paid pursuant to this subdivision shall
exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000).
(b) No informant shall be eligible for a reward for a violation
known to the district, unless the information materially contributes
to the imposition of criminal or civil penalties for a violation
specified in this section.
(c) If there is more than one informant for a single violation,
the first notification received by the district shall be eligible for
the reward. If the notifications are postmarked on the same day or
telephoned notifications are received on the same day, the reward
shall be divided equally among those informants.
(d) Public officers and employees of the United States, the State
of California, or districts, counties, and cities in California are
not eligible for the reward pursuant to subdivision (a), unless
reporting of those violations does not relate in any manner to their
responsibilities as public officers or employees.
(e) An informant who is an employee of a business and who provides
information that the business violated this part is not eligible for
a reward if the employee intentionally or negligently caused the
violation or if the employee's primary and regular responsibilities
included investigating the violation, unless the business knowingly
caused the violation.
(f) The district shall adopt regulations that establish procedures
for a determination of the accuracy and validity of information
provided and for the receipt and review of claims for payment of
rewards. All decisions concerning the eligibility for a reward and
the materiality of the provided information shall be made pursuant to
these regulations. In each case brought under subdivision (a), the
district, the office of the city attorney, or the district attorney,
whichever office brings the action, shall determine whether the
information materially contributed to the imposition of civil or
criminal penalties for violating any provision of this part or any
rule, regulation, or order of a district pertaining to emission
regulations or limitations.
(g) The district shall continuously publicize the availability of
the rewards pursuant to this section for persons who provide
information pursuant to this section.
(h) Claims may be submitted only for those referrals made on or
after January 1, 1989.