(a) Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, all money transferred to the Suicide Prevention Voluntary Tax Contribution Fund shall be continuously appropriated and allocated as follows:

(1) To the Franchise Tax Board, the Controller, and the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission for reimbursement of all costs incurred by the Franchise Tax Board, the Controller, and the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission in connection with their duties under this article.

(2) To the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission for disbursement to crisis centers located in the state that are active members of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in the following manner:

(A) Fifty percent of the funds disbursed pursuant to this paragraph shall be awarded through a project-specific grant process to crisis centers to fund programs that are designed to provide suicide prevention services to rural and desert communities. Crisis centers applying for the grants shall submit an application to the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission in the manner prescribed by the commission.

(B) Fifty percent of the funds disbursed pursuant to this paragraph shall be disbursed to crisis centers for the sole purpose of providing suicide prevention services. When disbursing funds pursuant to this subparagraph, the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission shall, to the extent feasible, consult with Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services. The Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission shall disburse to each crisis center, from the disbursements required by this subparagraph, an amount proportional to the proportion that the annual number of calls the crisis center answers bears to the annual number of calls answered by all crisis centers located in the state that are active members of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

(b) The Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission shall report on its internet website information on the process for awarding money, the amount of money spent on administration, and an itemization of how program funds were awarded, including, but not limited to, the recipients of grants made with funds.

(c) Money in the Suicide Prevention Voluntary Tax Contribution Fund shall not be used to supplant state General Fund money for any purpose.

(Added by Stats. 2019, Ch. 445, Sec. 1. (AB 984) Effective January 1, 2020. Inoperative on date prescribed in Section 18917. Repealed pursuant to Section 18917, on December 1 following the inoperative date.)