Report 2019-046 Recommendation 18 Responses

Report 2019-046: Proposition 56 Tobacco Tax: State Agencies' Weak Administration Reduced Revenue by Millions of Dollars and Led to the Improper Use and Inadequate Disclosure of Funds (Release Date: January 2021)

Recommendation #18 To: Tax and Fee Administration, California Department of

To provide public accountability for the Proposition 56 funds it receives, CDTFA should publish on its website information about the Proposition 56 funds that it receives and spends in a manner that allows the public to easily find the information and that does not restrict the public's access.

60-Day Agency Response

While the CDTFA has fulfilled the disclosure requirement of publishing Proposition 56 fund information in its Annual Report and more detailed fund information in its data portal, as required by Revenue and Taxation Code section 30130.56(c), the CDTFA has 1) removed the terms of use agreement from the data portal, and 2) created a separate webpage at www.cdtfa.ca.gov/taxes-and-fees/prop-56-summary-rev-and-exp.htm specifically to publish Proposition 56 funds. These improvements remove all barriers, restrictions and limitations to the public's ability to easily find and access the amount of Proposition 56 funds received and spent.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Fully Implemented

All Recommendations in 2019-046

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.