ARTICLE 21. State Parks Protection Fund [18900.1. - 18900.4.]

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC 21.

in effect

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 18900.1. Section 18900.1.

(a) For taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2012, the Franchise Tax Board shall revise the individual taxpayer return form to allow an individual to designate a contribution in excess of tax liability, if any, be made to the State Parks Protection Fund established by Section 18900.2. (b) A contribution shall be in a full dollar amount and may be made individually by each signatory on a joint return. (c) A designation made under subdivision (a) shall be made for any taxable year on the original return for that taxable year, and once made shall be irrevocable. In the event that payments and credits reported on the return, together with any other credits associated with the taxpayer’s account, do not exceed the taxpayer’s tax liability, if any, the return shall be treated as though no designation had been made. In the event that no designee is specified, the contribution shall, after reimbursement of the direct actual costs of the Franchise Tax Board for the collection and administration of funds under the article, be transferred to the General Fund. (d) If an individual designates a contribution to more than one account or fund listed on the tax return, and the amount available is insufficient to satisfy the total amount designated, the contribution shall be allocated among the designated accounts on a pro rata basis. (e) A taxpayer making a designation under subdivision (a) shall be entitled to receive a single state parks day use annual pass from the Department of Parks and Recreation if the price of a single state parks day use annual pass, as determined by the Department of Parks and Recreation, is less than or equal to the amount of the taxpayer’s contribution. (f) The state parks day use annual pass that an individual is entitled to receive pursuant to this section shall provide the passholder with unlimited day use access to the California state parks that are accessible with a vehicle day use annual pass, as those parks are listed on the Department of Parks and Recreation’s Internet Web site, and shall be valid for one year beginning on the date of issuance. (g) The Franchise Tax Board shall revise the form of the return to include a space labeled the “State Parks Protection Fund/Parks Pass Purchase” to allow for the designation permitted under subdivision (a). The form shall also include in the instructions information that the contribution may be in the amount of one dollar ($1) or more and that if the contribution amount is equal to or exceeds the price of a single state parks day use annual pass, as determined by the Department of Parks and Recreation, the taxpayer will be entitled to a single state parks day use annual pass from the Department of Parks and Recreation. The instructions shall also include information indicating that the contribution shall be used by the Department of Parks and Recreation to cover the costs of the issuance of state parks day use annual passes to individual taxpayers who made a designation for that purpose pursuant to this section, and for purposes related to the protection and preservation of state parks. (h) Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 2 (commencing with Section 19542) of Chapter 7, the Franchise Tax Board shall provide necessary information, including the names and addresses of individual taxpayers who contributed to the State Parks Protection Fund, to the Department of Parks and Recreation so that the department may contact the individuals entitled to a state parks day use annual pass under this section and implement a procedure for the distribution of a state parks day use annual pass to those individuals. (i) A deduction shall be allowed under Article 6 (commencing with Section 17201) of Chapter 3 of Part 10 for any contribution made pursuant to subdivision (a), but only with respect to the amount contributed in excess of the price of the state parks day use annual pass received, if any, pursuant to this section.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 18900.2. Section 18900.2.

There is hereby established in the State Treasury the State Parks Protection Fund to receive contributions made pursuant to Section 18900.1. The Franchise Tax Board shall notify the Controller of both the amount of money paid by taxpayers in excess of their tax liability and the amount of refund money that taxpayers have designated pursuant to Section 18900.1 to be transferred to the State Parks Protection Fund. The Controller shall transfer from the Personal Income Tax Fund to the State Parks Protection Fund an amount not in excess of the sum of the amounts designated by individuals pursuant to Section 18900.1 for payment into that fund.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 18900.3. Section 18900.3.

All moneys transferred to the State Parks Protection Fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature, shall be allocated as follows: (a) To the Franchise Tax Board and the Controller only for reimbursement of all costs incurred by the Franchise Tax Board and the Controller in connection with their duties under this article. (b) To the Department of Parks and Recreation to cover the costs of the issuance of state parks day use annual passes to individual taxpayers who made a designation for that purpose pursuant to Section 18900.1, and for purposes related to the protection and preservation of state parks.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 18900.4. Section 18900.4.

(a) (1) By September 1 of the second calendar year and each subsequent calendar year that the State Parks Protection Fund appears on the tax return, the Franchise Tax Board shall do all of the following: (A) Determine the minimum contribution amount required to be received during the next calendar year for the fund to appear on the tax return for the taxable year that includes that next calendar year. (B) Determine whether the amount of contributions estimated to be received during the calendar year will equal or exceed the minimum contribution amount determined by the Franchise Tax Board for the calendar year pursuant to subparagraph (A). The Franchise Tax Board shall estimate the amount of contributions to be received by using the actual amounts received and an estimate of the contributions that will be received by the end of that calendar year. (2) If the Franchise Tax Board determines that the amount of the contributions estimated to be received during a calendar year will not at least equal the minimum contribution amount for the calendar year, this article is repealed with respect to taxable years beginning on or after January 1 of that calendar year. (3) For purposes of this section, the minimum contribution amount for a calendar year means two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) for the second calendar year after the first appearance of the State Parks Protection Fund on the personal income tax return or the minimum contribution amount as adjusted pursuant to subdivision (b). (b) For each calendar year, beginning with the third calendar year after the first appearance of the State Parks Protection Fund on the personal income tax return, the Franchise Tax Board shall adjust, on or before September 1 of that calendar year, the minimum contribution amount specified in subdivision (a) as follows: (1) The minimum contribution amount for the calendar year shall be an amount equal to the product of the minimum contribution amount for the prior calendar year multiplied by the inflation factor adjustment as specified in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (h) of Section 17041, rounded off to the nearest dollar. (2) The inflation factor adjustment used for the calendar year shall be based on the figures for the percentage change in the California Consumer Price Index for all items received on or before August 1 of the calendar year pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (h) of Section 17041. (c) Notwithstanding the repeal of this article, any contribution amounts designated pursuant to this article prior to its repeal shall continue to be transferred and disbursed in accordance with this article as in effect immediately prior to that repeal.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026