CHAPTER 6. Attorney General [12500. - 12661.]
Chapter 6 added by Stats. 1945, Ch. 111.
§§ 12500–12661 · 133 sections
ARTICLE 1. General §§ 12500–12504 · 4 sections
- § 12500 The annual salary of the Attorney General includes all services rendered ex officio as member of any board or commission.
- § 12502 (a) The Attorney General may appoint and fix the salaries of Assistant Attorneys General, Deputy Attorneys General, service agents, experts, and technical and…
- § 12503 No person shall be eligible to the office of Attorney General unless that person has been admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the state for a…
- § 12504 The Attorney General shall not engage in the private practice of law, nor shall the Attorney General be associated directly or indirectly with any attorney in…
ARTICLE 2. General Powers and Duties §§ 12510–12536 · 39 sections
- § 12510 The Attorney General is head of the Department of Justice.
- § 12511 The Attorney General has charge, as attorney, of all legal matters in which the State is interested, except the business of The Regents of the University of…
- § 12511.5 The Attorney General may defend a public or private provider of health care, as defined in Section 56.05 of the Civil Code, and its officers, employees,…
- § 12511.7 Defense of the California Legislature Transparency Act. If an action is brought challenging, in whole or in part, the validity of the California Legislature…
- § 12512 The Attorney General shall attend the Supreme Court and prosecute or defend all causes to which the state, or any state officer, is a party in the state…
- § 12513 After judgment in any of the causes referred to in Section 12512, the Attorney General shall direct the issuing of such process as may be necessary to carry…
- § 12513.1 Any person who fails to pay on a timely basis any liability or penalty imposed by or on behalf of any state agency or official, the People of the State of…
- § 12514 The Attorney General shall keep a docket of all causes in which the Attorney General is required to appear. The docket shall be open to the inspection of the…
- § 12515 The Attorney General shall bid upon and purchase, in the name of the state and under the direction of the Department of General Services, any property offered…
- § 12516 Whenever the property of a judgment debtor in any judgment in favor or for the use of the state has been sold under a prior judgment, or is subject to any…
- § 12517 When in the Attorney General’s opinion it may be necessary for the collection or enforcement of any judgment in favor or for the use of the state, the Attorney…
- § 12518 Whenever any action is brought against the state or any state agency involving the title, or right to possession or the boundaries of any lands belonging to…
- § 12519 The Attorney General shall give the Attorney General’s opinion in writing to any Member of the Legislature, the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of…
- § 12520 (a) The Attorney General may not employ special counsel in any case except pursuant to either of the following: (1) Article 3 (commencing with Section 12540).…
- § 12521 The Attorney General shall account for and pay over to the proper officer all money which may come into the Attorney General’s possession belonging to the…
- § 12522 On or before the 15th day of September in each even-numbered year, the Attorney General shall report to the Governor the condition of the affairs of the…
- § 12523 The Attorney General may appear for and represent the Indians of the State of California before the Indian Claims Commission created by an act of Congress…
- § 12524 The Attorney General may, from time to time, and as often as occasion may require, call into conference the district attorneys and sheriffs of the several…
- § 12525 (a) In any case in which a person dies while in the custody of any law enforcement agency or while in custody in a local or state correctional facility in this…
- § 12525.2 (a) Each law enforcement agency shall monthly furnish to the Department of Justice, in a manner defined and prescribed by the Attorney General, a report of all…
- § 12525.3 (a) For purposes of this subdivision, the following definitions apply: (1) “Deadly weapon” includes, but it not limited to, any loaded weapon from which a…
- § 12525.5 (a) (1) Each state and local agency that employs peace officers shall annually report to the Attorney General data on all stops conducted by that agency’s…
- § 12526 The Attorney General antitrust account is hereby created in the General Fund. All money in the account is available to the Department of Justice for…
- § 12527 (a) This section applies to every action brought in the name of the people of the State of California by the Attorney General. (b) The court may appoint a…
- § 12527.5 For purposes of this article, any property which is obtained in connection with any deceptive or misleading statements or conduct shall be deemed obtained…
- § 12527.6 (a) The court may, in an action brought by the Attorney General under the unfair competition laws (Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 17200) of Part 2 of…
- § 12528 (a) There is in the Office of the Attorney General the Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse, which shall implement Sections 1903(a)(6), 1903(b)(3), and…
- § 12528.1 (a) An agent, investigator, or auditor of the Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse within the office of the Attorney General shall have the authority to…
- § 12529 (a) There is in the Department of Justice the Health Quality Enforcement Section. The primary responsibility of the section is to investigate and prosecute…
- § 12529.5 (a) All complaints or relevant information concerning licensees that are within the jurisdiction of the Medical Board of California, the California Board of…
- § 12529.7 By March 1, 2016, the Medical Board of California, in consultation with the Department of Justice and the Department of Consumer Affairs, shall report and make…
- § 12530 The Public Rights Law Enforcement Special Fund is hereby established in the State Treasury, to be administered by the Department of Justice. Moneys in the…
- § 12530.5 (a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply: (1) “Forced labor or services” means labor or services that are performed or provided by a…
- § 12531 (a) The Legislature finds and declares that California, represented by the California Attorney General, entered a national multistate settlement with the…
- § 12532 (a) Until July 1, 2027, the Attorney General, or the Attorney General’s designee, shall engage in reviews of county, local, or private locked detention…
- § 12532.5 (a) (1) On or before July 1, 2026, in consultation with appropriate stakeholders, the Attorney General shall publish model policies for state and local…
- § 12533 (a) The Attorney General may accept an assurance of voluntary compliance, in lieu of a stipulated judgment, to resolve an action brought in the name of the…
- § 12534 (a) The Opioid Settlements Fund is hereby created in the State Treasury. (b) Upon order of the Director of Finance, the Controller shall transfer funds…
- § 12536 (a) The Electronic Cigarette Settlements Fund is hereby created in the State Treasury. (b) The State Department of Public Health shall administer the…
ARTICLE 3. Escheated Property §§ 12540–12544 · 5 sections
- § 12540 The Attorney General shall institute investigations for the discovery of all real and personal property to which the state may be entitled by escheat. For that…
- § 12541 The Attorney General shall commence and prosecute actions on behalf of the State pursuant to Title 10, Part 3, of the Code of Civil Procedure, for the purpose…
- § 12542 The Attorney General may employ counsel to act in the Attorney General’s place and stead for the investigation for discovery and the recovery of any such…
- § 12543 The compensation for services of such counsel shall be determined by the Department of General Services and paid only out of the sums found to be escheated and…
- § 12544 If an escheat proceeding is prosecuted by the staff of the Attorney General’s office, the Attorney General shall recover, by presenting a claim to the…
ARTICLE 4. Supervision of District Attorneys §§ 12550–12553 · 3 sections
- § 12550 The Attorney General has direct supervision over the district attorneys of the several counties of the state and may require of them written reports as to the…
- § 12552 The powers and duties of the Attorney General with respect to grand juries are prescribed in Sections 913 and 923 of the Penal Code. The Attorney General may…
- § 12553 If a district attorney is disqualified to conduct any criminal prosecution within the county, the Attorney General may employ special counsel to conduct the…
ARTICLE 5. Supervision of Sheriffs §§ 12560–12561 · 2 sections
- § 12560 The Attorney General has direct supervision over the sheriffs of the several counties of the state, and may require of them written reports concerning the…
- § 12561 Whenever the Attorney General deems it necessary in the public interest, the Attorney General may appoint some competent person to perform the duties of…
ARTICLE 6. Special Agents and Investigators §§ 12570–12574 · 5 sections
- § 12570 For the purpose of enabling the Attorney General to perform the duties imposed by Section 13 of Article V of the Constitution the Attorney General may appoint…
- § 12571 When serving under the direction of the Attorney General each special agent or investigator is a peace officer of this State.
- § 12572 Whenever the Attorney General deems it advisable to keep secret the identity of any special agent or investigator, claims for compensation and expenses of the…
- § 12573 Upon the completion of each secret investigation and, in any event, within not more than one year after the payment of any claim, the Attorney General shall…
- § 12574 The Attorney General may employ additional special agents and investigators not exceeding 10 in number, to enable the Attorney General to carry out the…
ARTICLE 7. Supervision of Trustees and Fundraisers for Charitable Purposes Act §§ 12580–12599.10 · 36 sections
- § 12580 This article may be cited as the Supervision of Trustees and Fundraisers for Charitable Purposes Act.
- § 12581 This article applies to all charitable corporations, unincorporated associations, trustees, and other legal entities holding property for charitable purposes,…
- § 12581.2 As used in this article, “solicitation” or “soliciting” for charitable purposes means any request, plea, entreaty, demand, or invitation, or attempt thereof,…
- § 12582 “Trustee” means (a) any individual, group of individuals, corporation, unincorporated association, or other legal entity holding property in trust pursuant to…
- § 12582.1 “Charitable corporation” means any nonprofit corporation organized under the laws of this State for charitable or eleemosynary purposes and any similar foreign…
- § 12583 The filing, registration, and reporting provisions of this article do not apply to the United States, any state, territory, or possession of the United States,…
- § 12584 The Attorney General shall establish and maintain a register of charitable corporations, unincorporated associations, and trustees subject to this article and…
- § 12585 (a) Every charitable corporation, unincorporated association, and trustee subject to this article shall file with the Attorney General an initial registration…
- § 12586 (a) Except as otherwise provided and except corporate trustees which are subject to the jurisdiction of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions of the State…
- § 12586.1 In addition to a registration fee, a charitable corporation or trustee, commercial fundraiser, fundraising counsel, coventurer, charitable fundraising…
- § 12586.2 All fines, penalties, attorney’s fees, if any, as authorized by law, and costs of investigation paid to the Attorney General pursuant to Section 12598 shall be…
- § 12587 The Attorney General may make additional rules and regulations necessary for the administration of this article, provided that any assessment of an annual…
- § 12587.1 (a) The Registry of Charities and Fundraisers Fund is hereby established in the State Treasury, to be administered by the Department of Justice. (b)…
- § 12588 The Attorney General may investigate transactions and relationships of corporations and trustees subject to this article for the purpose of ascertaining…
- § 12589 When the Attorney General requires the attendance of any person, as provided in Section 12588, the Attorney General shall issue an order setting forth the time…
- § 12590 Subject to reasonable rules and regulations adopted by the Attorney General, the register, copies of instruments, and the reports filed with the Attorney…
- § 12591 The Attorney General may institute appropriate proceedings to secure compliance with this article and to invoke the jurisdiction of the court. The powers and…
- § 12591.1 (a) Any person who violates any provision of this article with intent to deceive or defraud any charity or individual is liable for a civil penalty not…
- § 12591.2 In any case in which the Attorney General has authority to institute an action or proceeding under this article, the Attorney General may accept an assurance…
- § 12592 This article shall apply regardless of any contrary provisions of any instrument.
- § 12593 Every person who offers for probate any instrument which establishes a testamentary trust of property for charitable purposes or who records in any county or…
- § 12594 Every officer, agency, board, or commission of this State receiving applications for exemption from taxation of any corporation, charitable trust or similar…
- § 12595 This act shall be so construed as to effectuate its general purpose to make uniform the law of those states which enact it.
- § 12596 (a) A civil action brought by the Attorney General against trustees or other persons holding property in trust for charitable purposes or against any…
- § 12597 In any proceeding brought by the Attorney General to secure compliance with the provisions of Sections 12584 to 12587, inclusive, or any regulation issued…
- § 12598 (a) The primary responsibility for supervising charitable trusts in California, for ensuring compliance with trusts and articles of incorporation, and for…
- § 12599 (a) “Commercial fundraiser for charitable purposes” means any individual, corporation, unincorporated association, or other legal entity who for compensation…
- § 12599.1 (a) “Fundraising counsel for charitable purposes” is defined as any individual, corporation, unincorporated association, or other legal entity who is described…
- § 12599.2 (a) “Commercial coventurer” is defined as any person or entity who, for profit, is regularly and primarily engaged in trade or commerce other than in…
- § 12599.3 (a) A contract between a charitable organization and a commercial fundraiser for charitable purposes or fundraising counsel for charitable purposes shall be…
- § 12599.5 Each application for registration or renewal of registration under subdivision (b) of Section 12599 shall be accompanied by a cash deposit or by a bond issued…
- § 12599.6 (a) Charitable organizations and commercial fundraisers for charitable purposes shall not misrepresent the purpose of the charitable organization or the nature…
- § 12599.7 (a) A commercial fundraiser for charitable purposes shall maintain during each solicitation campaign and for not less than 10 years following the completion of…
- § 12599.8 For any year that the balance sheet of a charitable organization shows that it holds restricted net assets, while reporting negative unrestricted net assets,…
- § 12599.9 (a) For purposes of this section: (1) “Charitable fundraising platform” means any person, corporation, unincorporated association, or other legal entity that…
- § 12599.10 (a) The Attorney General shall establish rules and regulations necessary for the administration of Section 12599.9, which shall include, but are not limited…
ARTICLE 8. Environmental Actions §§ 12600–12613 · 14 sections
- § 12600 The Legislature finds and declares as follows: (a) It is the policy of this state to conserve, protect, and enhance its environment. It is the policy of this…
- § 12601 The provisions of this article are not exclusive, and the remedies provided for in this article shall be in addition to any other remedies provided for in any…
- § 12602 If any provision of this article or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held to be unconstitutional, the remainder of the chapter and the…
- § 12603 This article shall be liberally construed and applied to promote its underlying purposes.
- § 12604 As used in this article, “person” includes any person, firm, association, organization, partnership, business trust, corporation, limited liability company,…
- § 12605 As used in this article, “natural resource” includes land, water, air, minerals, vegetation, wildlife, silence, historic or aesthetic sites, or any other…
- § 12606 The Attorney General shall be permitted to intervene in any judicial or administrative proceeding in which facts are alleged concerning pollution or adverse…
- § 12607 The Attorney General may maintain an action for equitable relief in the name of the people of the State of California against any person for the protection of…
- § 12608 In any action maintained under Section 12607, the defendant may also show, by way of an affirmative defense, that there is no more feasible and prudent…
- § 12609 Any action brought pursuant to Section 12607 to review, set aside, void or annul any decision in any zoning matter of an administrative body or of a…
- § 12610 In granting temporary and permanent equitable relief, the court may impose such conditions upon the defendant as are required to protect the natural resources…
- § 12611 (a) Whenever proceedings before an administrative agency are pending or available to determine the legality of the defendants’ conduct, program, or product,…
- § 12612 (a) In any administrative, licensing, or other such proceeding or in any proceeding for judicial review thereof which is made available by law, the Attorney…
- § 12613 There is continued in existence in the Department of Justice a Bureau of Environmental Justice.
ARTICLE 8.2. International Student Exchange Visitor Placement Organizations §§ 12620–12630 · 11 sections
- § 12620 This article shall be known and may be cited as the Uniform Supervision of International Student Exchange Visitor Placement Organizations Act of 1994.
- § 12621 For the purposes of this article, the following terms shall have the following meaning unless the context clearly requires otherwise: (a) “International…
- § 12622 The Attorney General shall establish and maintain a register of organizations subject to this article. The registry shall be known as the Registry of…
- § 12623 (a) Each organization shall, prior to arranging the placement of any international student exchange visitor in any school in California, register with the…
- § 12624 The Registry of International Student Exchange Visitor Placement Organizations Fund is hereby created in the State Treasury. All fees collected by the Attorney…
- § 12625 Subject to reasonable rules and regulations adopted by the Attorney General, the registry and copies of instruments and the documents filed with the Attorney…
- § 12626 (a) An application for registration pursuant to this article shall be submitted in the manner and on the forms prescribed by the Attorney General. The…
- § 12627 The Attorney General shall adopt regulations pursuant to the portion of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1…
- § 12628 Each organization shall provide an informational document, in English, to each student, host family, and designated school official in which the student is…
- § 12629 (a) If the Attorney General has probable cause to believe that the organization is not complying with this article, the Attorney General may conduct whatever…
- § 12630 Any person or organization who violates any provision of this article or who willfully and knowingly provides false or incorrect information to the Attorney…
ARTICLE 9. False Claims Actions §§ 12650–12656 · 9 sections
- § 12650 (a) This article shall be known and may be cited as the False Claims Act. (b) For purposes of this article: (1) “Claim” means any request or demand, whether…
- § 12651 (a) Any person who commits any of the following enumerated acts in this subdivision shall have violated this article and shall be liable to the state or to the…
- § 12652 (a) (1) The Attorney General shall diligently investigate violations under Section 12651 involving state funds. If the Attorney General finds that a person has…
- § 12652.5 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the University of California shall be considered a political subdivision, and the General Counsel of the University…
- § 12653 (a) Any employee, contractor, or agent shall be entitled to all relief necessary to make that employee, contractor, or agent whole, if that employee,…
- § 12654 (a) A civil action under Section 12652 shall not be filed more than six years after the date on which the violation of Section 12651 is committed, or more than…
- § 12654.5 For statute of limitations purposes as provided herein, any pleading filed by the Attorney General or prosecuting authority pursuant to this article shall…
- § 12655 (a) The provisions of this article are not exclusive, and the remedies provided for in this article shall be in addition to any other remedies provided for in…
- § 12656 (a) If a violation of this article is alleged or the application or construction of this article is in issue in any proceeding in the Supreme Court of…
ARTICLE 10. Securities and Commodities §§ 12657–12661 · 5 sections
- § 12657 For purposes of this article, the following terms shall have the following meanings: (a) “Securities law” shall mean the Corporate Securities Law of 1968…
- § 12658 (a) Whenever it appears to the Attorney General that any person has engaged or is about to engage in any act or practice constituting a violation of the…
- § 12659 (a) The Attorney General, in their discretion, (1) may make public or private investigations within or outside of this state that the Attorney General deems…
- § 12660 (a) Any person who violates any provision of the securities law or the commodities law shall be liable for a civil penalty not to exceed twenty-five thousand…
- § 12661 (a) The Attorney General may take any actions as are authorized by Section 6d of the federal Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. Sec. 1 et seq.) as amended before…