Section 905.2.

(a) This section shall apply to claims against the state filed with the California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board.

(b) There shall be presented in accordance with Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 900) and Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 910) all claims for money or damages against the state:

(1) For which no appropriation has been made or for which no fund is available but the settlement of which has been provided for by statute or constitutional provision.

(2) For which the appropriation made or fund designated is exhausted.

(3) For money or damages on express contract, or for an injury for which the state is liable.

(4) For which settlement is not otherwise provided for by statute or constitutional provision.

(c) Claimants shall pay a filing fee of twenty-five dollars ($25) for filing a claim described in subdivision (b). This fee shall be deposited into the General Fund and may be appropriated in support of the board as reimbursements to Item 1870-001-0001 of Section 2.00 of the annual Budget Act.

(1) The fee shall not apply to the following persons:

(A) Persons who are receiving benefits pursuant to the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and State Supplemental Payments (SSP) programs (Section 12200 to 12205, inclusive, of the Welfare and Institutions Code), the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids Act (CalWORKs) program (Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code), the Food Stamp program (7 U.S.C. Sec. 2011 et seq.), or Section 17000 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

(B) Persons whose monthly income is 125 percent or less of the current monthly poverty line annually established by the Secretary of California Health and Human Services pursuant to the federal Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 (Public Law 97-35), as amended.

(C) Persons who are sentenced to imprisonment in a state prison or confined in a county jail, or who are residents in a state institution and, within 90 days prior to the date the claim is filed, have a balance of one hundred dollars ($100) or less credited to the inmate's or resident's trust account. A certified copy of the statement of the account shall be submitted.

(2) Any claimant who requests a fee waiver shall attach to the application a signed affidavit requesting the waiver and verification of benefits or income and any other required financial information in support of the request for the waiver.

(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an applicant shall not be entitled to a hearing regarding the denial of a request for a fee waiver.

(d) The time for the board to determine the sufficiency, timeliness, or any other aspect of the claim shall begin when any of the following occur:

(1) The claim is submitted with the filing fee.

(2) The fee waiver is granted.

(3) The filing fee is paid to the board upon the board's denial of the fee waiver request, so long as payment is received within 10 calendar days of the mailing of the notice of the denial.

(e) Upon approval of the claim by the board, the fee shall be reimbursed to the claimant, except that no fee shall be reimbursed if the approved claim was for the payment of an expired warrant. Reimbursement of the filing fee shall be paid by the state entity against which the approved claim was filed. If the claimant was granted a fee waiver pursuant to this section, the amount of the fee shall be paid by the state entity to the board. The reimbursement to the claimant or the payment to the board shall be made at the time the claim is paid by the state entity, or shall be added to the amount appropriated for the claim in an equity claims bill.

(f) The board may assess a surcharge to the state entity against which the approved claim was filed in an amount not to exceed 15 percent of the total approved claim. The board shall not include the refunded filing fee in the surcharge calculation. This surcharge shall be deposited into the General Fund and may be appropriated in support of the board as reimbursements to Item 1870-001-0001 of Section 2.00 of the annual Budget Act.

(1) The surcharge shall not apply to approved claims to reissue expired warrants.

(2) Upon the request of the board in a form prescribed by the Controller, the Controller shall transfer the surcharges and fees from the state entity's appropriation to the appropriation for the support of the board. However, the board shall not request an amount that shall be submitted for legislative approval pursuant to Section 13928.

(g) The filing fee required by subdivision (c) shall apply to all claims filed after June 30, 2004, or the effective date of this statute. The surcharge authorized by subdivision (f) may be calculated and included in claims paid after June 30, 2004, or the effective date of the statute adding this subdivision.

(Amended by Stats. 2005, Ch. 184, Sec. 1. Effective September 6, 2005. Applicable from July 11, 2005, pursuant to Sec. 7 of Ch. 184.)