(a) The board shall increase each of the annual license fees fixed by Sections 6140 and 6141 by an additional forty-five dollars ($45), to be allocated only for the purposes established pursuant to Section 6033 and subdivision (b), except to the extent that a licensee elects not to support those activities.

(b) (1) Five dollars ($5) of the forty-five-dollar ($45) fee shall be allocated to qualified legal services projects or qualified support centers, as defined in Section 6213, to fund law student summer fellowships for the purpose of supporting law students interested in pursuing a career in legal services for indigent persons. The State Bar shall not make any deductions from the five dollars ($5) for any reason, including, but not limited to, administrative fees, costs, or expenses of the State Bar.

Terms Used In California Business and Professions Code 6140.03

  • board: means any entity listed in Section 101, the entities referred to in Sections 1000 and 3600, the State Bar, the Department of Real Estate, and any other state agency that issues a license, certificate, or registration authorizing a person to engage in a business or profession. See California Business and Professions Code 31
  • license: means license, certificate, registration, or other means to engage in a business or profession regulated by this code or referred to in Section 1000 or 3600. See California Business and Professions Code 23.7
  • Licensee: means any person authorized by a license, certificate, registration, or other means to engage in a business or profession regulated by this code or referred to in Sections 1000 and 3600. See California Business and Professions Code 23.8
  • State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Business and Professions Code 21
  • Subdivision: means a subdivision of the section in which that term occurs, unless some other section is expressly mentioned. See California Business and Professions Code 15

(2) Except as provided in paragraphs (4) and (5), funds shall be allocated pursuant to a competitive grant process administered by the Legal Services Trust Fund Commission and not through the formula set forth in Section 6216.

(3) In awarding these grants, preference shall be given to fund proposals for fellowships serving rural or underserved communities and that serve clients regardless of immigration or citizenship status.

(4) Any funds under paragraph (1) not allocated as of January 1, 2025, shall be distributed to qualified legal services projects and support centers pursuant to the formula set forth in Section 6216.

(5) The allocation described in this subdivision shall remain in effect until December 31, 2024, and after that date, the entire forty-five dollars ($45) shall be allocated only for the purposes established pursuant to Section 6033.

(c) The invoice provided to licensees for payment of the annual license fee shall provide each licensee the option of deducting forty-five dollars ($45) from the annual license fee if the licensee elects not to have this amount allocated for the purposes established pursuant to Section 6033.

(d) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2023.

(Amended (as added by Stats. 2020, Ch. 360, Sec. 8) by Stats. 2022, Ch. 419, Sec. 6. (AB 2958) Effective September 18, 2022.)