Article 5.5. Collection Of Amounts Imposed By A Court of California Revenue And Taxation Code >> Division 2. >> Part 10.2. >> Chapter 5. >> Article 5.5.

(a) (1) Fines, state or local penalties, bail, forfeitures, restitution fines, restitution orders, or any other amounts imposed by a juvenile or superior court of the State of California upon a person or any other entity that are due and payable in an amount totaling no less than one hundred dollars ($100), in the aggregate, for criminal offenses, including all offenses involving a violation of the Vehicle Code, and any amounts due pursuant to Section 903.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code may, no sooner than 90 days after payment of that amount becomes delinquent, be referred by the juvenile or superior court, the county, or the state to the Franchise Tax Board for collection under guidelines prescribed by the Franchise Tax Board. Unless the victim of the crime notifies the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation or county to the contrary, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation or county may refer a restitution order to the Franchise Tax Board, in accordance with subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2), for any person subject to the restitution order who is or has been under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation or county.
  (2) For purposes of this subdivision:
  (A) The amounts referred by the juvenile or superior court, the county, or the state under this section may include an administrative fee and any amounts that a government entity may add to the court-imposed obligation as a result of the underlying offense, trial, or conviction. For purposes of this article, those amounts shall be deemed to be imposed by the court.
  (B) Restitution orders may be referred to the Franchise Tax Board only by a government entity, as agreed upon by the Franchise Tax Board, provided that all of the following apply:
  (i) The government entity has the authority to collect on behalf of the state or the victim.
  (ii) The government entity shall be responsible for distributing the restitution order collections, as appropriate.
  (iii) The government entity shall ensure, in making the referrals and distributions, that it coordinates with any other related collection activities that may occur by superior courts, counties, or other state agencies.
  (iv) The government entity shall ensure compliance with laws relating to the reimbursement of the State Restitution Fund.
  (C) The Franchise Tax Board shall establish criteria for referral that shall include setting forth a minimum dollar amount subject to referral and collection.
  (b) The Franchise Tax Board, in conjunction with the Judicial Council, shall seek whatever additional resources are needed to accept referrals from all 58 counties or superior courts.
  (c) Upon written notice to the debtor from the Franchise Tax Board, any amount referred to the Franchise Tax Board under subdivision (a) and any interest thereon, including any interest on the amount referred under subdivision (a) that accrued prior to the date of referral, shall be treated as final and due and payable to the State of California, and shall be collected from the debtor by the Franchise Tax Board in any manner authorized under the law for collection of a delinquent personal income tax liability, including, but not limited to, issuance of an order and levy under Article 4 (commencing with Section 706.070) of Chapter 5 of Division 2 of Title 9 of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure in the manner provided for earnings withholding orders for taxes.
  (d) (1) Part 10 (commencing with Section 17001), this part, Part 10.7 (commencing with Section 21001), and Part 11 (commencing with Section 23001) shall apply to amounts referred under this article in the same manner and with the same force and effect and to the full extent as if the language of those laws had been incorporated in full into this article, except to the extent that any provision is either inconsistent with this article or is not relevant to this article.
  (2) Any information, information sources, or enforcement remedies and capabilities available to the court or the state referring to the amount due described in subdivision (a) shall be available to the Franchise Tax Board to be used in conjunction with, or independent of, the information, information sources, or remedies and capabilities available to the Franchise Tax Board for purposes of administering Part 10 (commencing with Section 17001), this part, Part 10.7 (commencing with Section 21001), or Part 11 (commencing with Section 23001).
  (e) The activities required to implement and administer this part shall not interfere with the primary mission of the Franchise Tax Board to administer Part 10 (commencing with Section 17001) and Part 11 (commencing with Section 23001).
  (f) For amounts referred for collection under subdivision (a), interest shall accrue at the greater of the rate applicable to the amount due being collected or the rate provided under Section 19521. When notice of the amount due includes interest and is mailed to the debtor and the amount is paid within 15 days after the date of notice, interest shall not be imposed for the period after the date of notice.
  (g) A collection under this article is not a payment of income taxes imposed under Part 10 (commencing with Section 17001) or Part 11 (commencing with Section 23001).

(a) The Legislature finds that it is essential for fiscal purposes that the program authorized by this part be expeditiously implemented. Accordingly, Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code shall not apply to any standard, criteria, procedure, determination, rule, notice, or guideline established or issued by the Franchise Tax Board or Controller in implementing and administering the program required by this article.
  (b) Except as provided in subdivision (a), any standard, criteria, procedure, determination, rule, notice, or guideline that otherwise would be subject to Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code shall be approved by a majority vote of the Franchise Tax Board.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (e), amounts collected under this article shall be transmitted to the Treasurer and deposited in the State Treasury to the credit of the Court Collection Account in the General Fund, which is hereby created. Amounts deposited in the Court Collection Account shall, less an amount that is equal to the costs incurred by the Franchise Tax Board in administering the program authorized by this article, be transferred by the Controller either to the county or to the state fund to which the amount due was originally owing or as otherwise directed by contractual agreement. If the amount collected is not sufficient to satisfy the amounts referred for collection pursuant to Section 19280 that are to be paid by an offender, then the amount paid shall be allocated for distribution on a pro rata basis, as defined in subdivision (d), except in counties where the board of supervisors has established a priority of payment for amounts collected under this article pursuant to Section 1203.1d of the Penal Code. The amount that is equal to the costs incurred by the Franchise Tax Board in administering the program authorized by this article shall be transferred by the Controller to the General Fund for the purpose of recovering the amount expended by the Franchise Tax Board from General Fund appropriations for the purpose of implementing and administering the program authorized by this article, and related statutes as added or amended by the act adding this article.
  (b) It is the intent of the Legislature that costs to the Franchise Tax Board to administer this article for the 1997-98 fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter not exceed 15 percent of the amount it collects pursuant to this article.
  (c) Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, all moneys deposited in the Court Collection Account pursuant to this section are hereby continuously appropriated, without regard to fiscal years, for purposes of making distributions pursuant to subdivision (a).
  (d) For purposes of this section, "pro rata basis" means a distribution determined as follows: the sum of the amounts referred for collection pursuant to Section 19280 to be paid by an offender shall be allocated and distributed in the same proportion that each of the elements has to the sum.
  (e) For amounts collected pursuant to a restitution fine or restitution order, subdivision (a) is modified to require the deposit and disbursement of funds collected under this article to be in accordance with the laws relating to reimbursement of the State Restitution Fund.

The Department of Justice, in consultation with the Franchise Tax Board, shall examine ways to enhance the use and effectiveness of this article through integration with the Department of Justice's Wanted Persons System and shall report the findings and recommendations to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2002.