(a) For purposes of this section:

(1) “Determinable charitable interest” means a charitable interest that is a right to a mandatory distribution currently, periodically, on the occurrence of a specified event, or after the passage of a specified time and that is unconditional or will be held solely for charitable purposes.

Need help with a review of a will?
Have it reviewed by a lawyer, get answers to your questions and move forward with confidence.
Connect with a lawyer now

Terms Used In California Probate Code 19514

  • Instrument: means a will, a document establishing or modifying a trust, a deed, or any other writing that designates a beneficiary or makes a donative transfer of property. See California Probate Code 45
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • State: includes any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any territory or possession subject to the legislative authority of the United States. See California Probate Code 74
  • Trust: includes the following:

    California Probate Code 82

  • Will: includes codicil and any testamentary instrument which merely appoints an executor or revokes or revises another will. See California Probate Code 88

(2) “Unconditional” means not subject to the occurrence of a specified event that is not certain to occur, other than a requirement in a trust instrument that a charitable organization be in existence or qualify under a particular provision of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986 on the date of the distribution, if the charitable organization meets the requirement on the date of determination.

(b) If a first trust contains a determinable charitable interest, the Attorney General has the rights of a qualified beneficiary and may represent and bind the charitable interest.

(c) If a first trust contains a charitable interest, the second trust or trusts may not do any of the following:

(1) Diminish the charitable interest.

(2) Diminish the interest of an identified charitable organization that holds the charitable interest.

(3) Alter any charitable purpose stated in the first trust instrument.

(4) Alter any condition or restriction related to the charitable interest.

(d) If there are two or more second trusts, the second trusts shall be treated as one trust for purposes of determining whether the exercise of the decanting power diminishes the charitable interest or diminishes the interest of an identified charitable organization for purposes of subdivision (c).

(e) If a first trust contains a determinable charitable interest, the second trust or trusts that include a charitable interest pursuant to subdivision (c) shall be administered under the law of this state unless any of the following occur:

(1) The Attorney General, after receiving notice under Section 19507, fails to object in a signed writing delivered to the authorized fiduciary within the notice period.

(2) The Attorney General consents in a signed writing to the second trust or trusts being administered under the law of another jurisdiction.

(3) The court approves the exercise of the decanting power.

(f) This part does not limit the powers and duties of the Attorney General under law of this state other than this part.

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