Notwithstanding any other law, the state may contract with a third-party vendor for services relating to the distribution of payments made pursuant to this chapter in the form and manner best determined to expedite payment and mitigate fraud. A contract for services entered into pursuant to this section may include terms and conditions that are in the state’s best interest, but shall include an expiration date on each form of payment issued of no later than April 30, 2026, and a requirement that any unexpended or unclaimed balance of the payments issued shall, upon expiration, be returned to the state, and all unused balances returned, no later than May 31, 2026.

(Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 51, Sec. 6. (AB 192) Effective June 30, 2022. Repealed as of January 1, 2027, pursuant to Section 8165.)