(a) For purposes of this section:

(1) “Beneficiary with a disability” means a beneficiary of a first trust who the special needs fiduciary believes may qualify for governmental benefits based on disability, whether or not the beneficiary currently receives those benefits or is an individual who has been adjudicated legally incompetent.

(2) “Governmental benefits” means financial aid or services from a state, federal, or other public agency.

(3) “Special needs fiduciary” means, with respect to a trust that has a beneficiary with a disability, any of the following:

(A) A trustee or other fiduciary, other than a settlor, that has discretion to distribute part or all of the principal of a first trust to one or more current beneficiaries.

(B) If no trustee or fiduciary has discretion under subparagraph (A), a trustee or other fiduciary, other than a settlor, that has discretion to distribute part or all of the income of the first trust to one or more current beneficiaries.

(C) If no trustee or fiduciary has discretion under subparagraphs (A) and (B), a trustee or other fiduciary, other than a settlor, that is required to distribute part or all of the income or principal of the first trust to one or more current beneficiaries.

(4) “Special needs trust” means a trust the trustee believes would not be considered a resource for purposes of determining whether a beneficiary with a disability is eligible for governmental benefits.

(b) A special needs fiduciary may exercise the decanting power under Section 19511 over the principal of a first trust as if the fiduciary had authority to distribute principal to a beneficiary with a disability subject to expanded distributive discretion if both of the following conditions are satisfied:

(1) A second trust is a special needs trust that benefits the beneficiary with a disability.

(2) The special needs fiduciary determines that exercise of the decanting power will further the purposes of the first trust.

(c) In an exercise of the decanting power under this section, all of the following rules apply:

(1) Notwithstanding paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) of Section 19511, the interest in the second trust of a beneficiary with a disability may fulfill either of the following:

(A) Be a pooled trust as defined by Medicaid law for the benefit of the beneficiary with a disability under Section 1396p(d)(4)(C) of the Public Health and Welfare Code (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1396p(d)(4)(C)).

(B) Contain payback provisions complying with reimbursement requirements of Medicaid law under Section 1396p(d)(4)(A) of the Public Health and Welfare Code (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1396p(d)(4)(A)).

(2) Paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) of Section 19511 does not apply to the interests of the beneficiary with a disability.

(3) Except as affected by any change to the interests of the beneficiary with a disability, the second trust, or if there are two or more second trusts, the second trusts in the aggregate, shall grant each other beneficiary of the first trust beneficial interests in the second trusts which are substantially similar to the beneficiary’s beneficial interests in the first trust.

(Added by Stats. 2018, Ch. 407, Sec. 1. (SB 909) Effective January 1, 2019.)