Government Code section 12100.162
(a)
(1)There is hereby created in the State Treasury the California Civic Media Fund to be administered by the office. Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, all moneys deposited in the fund, including state General Fund appropriations and private bequeaths, donations, gifts, or grants, are continuously appropriated to the office for purposes of this article. Public moneys shall be accounted for separately from private moneys in the fund.(2)
(A)The office may accept contributions from private sources, including private for-profit and nonprofit organizations.(B)
All contributions provided pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall be deposited in the fund.(b)
The office shall direct the expenditure of public moneys in the fund, consistent with the purposes and subject to the restrictions set forth in this article.(c)
The office may solicit recommendations from the advisory board, but shall retain sole discretion and control over the expenditure of public moneys in the fund, consistent with the requirements of this article.(d)
(1)The advisory board shall make recommendations to the office on allocations of funds contributed by a private party. If the private funds are held by a third-party administrator designated by the donor, the office shall provide instructions to the administrator for the expenditure of those funds.(2)
In considering the allocation of moneys from private sources, the advisory board may seek to allocate moneys to publishers on a pro rata basis based on the number of journalists employed by a publisher in the state, with the goal of increasing the total number of journalists employed in the state.(e)
(1)No more than 7.5 percent of the fund may be used for the administration of this article.(2)
Public moneys in the fund shall be expended in furtherance of the purposes of this article.(3)
The office may enter into an agreement with third parties for purposes of administering programs funded, in whole or in part, with public moneys allocated from the fund.(4)
In expending public moneys in the fund, the office shall prioritize allocations to support local and community news organizations.(5)
In any fiscal year, the total expenditure of public money from the California Civic Media Fund shall not exceed the total aggregate expenditure of funds from private sources, whether contributed to the Fund, or contributed to a third-party administrator that holds and disburses those funds pursuant to an agreement with the office.
Source:
Section 12100.162, https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=12100.162. (updated Oct. 11, 2025; accessed Nov. 10, 2025).
