Round Up: Initial Reimbursement Process Initiated for Two Newly Approved State-Mandated Programs 

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By
Jessica Sankus
Date Published
June 11, 2026

Initial Reimbursement Process
When the State Controller’s Office (SCO) publishes the claiming instructions for a new state-mandated program, counties must submit claims for costs incurred during the “initial fiscal years” to the SCO within 120 days of the issuance of the claiming instructions (Government Code Section 17561). The “initial reimbursement claim process” is for costs to be reimbursed for the fiscal years specified in the claiming instructions and the program’s Parameters and Guidelines. 

Two New State-Mandated Local Programs 
The SCO published the final claiming instructions (linked below) for two recently adopted state-mandated reimbursable programs, initiating the Initial Reimbursement Process for both programs:

Criminal Procedure: Discrimination – SCO Program No. 393 

  • AB 256 (Chapter 739, Statutes of 2022) expanded the provisions of AB 2542 (Chapter 317, Statutes of 2020), the original Racial Justice Act, and made these requirements both retroactive and prospective. The Racial Justice Act provides that individuals charged with or convicted of a crime may file habeas corpus petitions to raise issues of bias or discrimination based on race, ethnicity, or national origin in their cases. 
  • Parameters and Guidelines for reimbursable activities to comply with this program.  
  • Claiming Instructions for reimbursement.  
  • Initial reimbursement of costs incurred for compliance with this mandate for the period beginning July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2025, must be filed with the SCO and be delivered or postmarked on or before September 16. 

Internet Websites and Email Addresses – SCO Program No. 394 

  • AB 1637 (Chapter 586, Statutes of 2023) requires cities and counties to ensure that their Internet website utilizes a “.gov” or a “.ca.gov” domain, and to ensure that each email address provided to its employees utilizes a “.gov” or a “.ca.gov” domain name by January 1, 2029.  
  • Parameters and Guidelines for reimbursable activities to comply with this program.  
  • Claiming Instructions for reimbursement.  
  • Initial reimbursement of costs incurred for compliance with this mandate for the period beginning January 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025, must be filed with the SCO and be delivered or postmarked on or before September 16. 

Submitting Initial Reimbursement Claims: Resources  

Questions?
Submit specific questions about the Initial Reimbursement Process to the SCO at LRSLGPSD@sco.ca.gov. For questions about reimbursable state-mandated programs generally, please contact Emma Jungwirth (ejungwirth@counties.org) or Jessica Sankus (jsankus@counties.org).