Except as otherwise provided by law, the amount of any judgment, award, or settlement relating to a medical condition for which treatment services have been provided under the California Children’s Services Program shall be subject to a claim by the state department and the designated county agency for reimbursement of the costs of the benefits provided, and to any lien filed against that judgment, award, or settlement. The department or the county designated agency, through its civil legal adviser, may, to enforce this right, institute and prosecute legal proceedings against the person who has received benefits under this article, his or her guardian, conservator, or other personal representative, or his or her estate. In the event of a judgment, award, or settlement in a suit or claim against a third person who is liable for the medical condition for which treatment services have been provided under the California Children’s Services Program, the court or other agency shall first order paid from the judgment, award, or settlement the actual costs of the care and treatment furnished, or to be furnished, under the California Children’s Services Program.
Cal. Health & Safety Code § 123982
California Children’s Services
Known as the Robert W. Crown California Children’s Services Act
The act spans §§ 123800–123995 (45 sections).
Applied in 3 court decisions — leading case 75 Cal. App. 4th 196 - McLaughlin v. State Board of Education (1999)
Most recently applied in 92 Cal. App. 4th 672 - Mares v. Baughman (September 2001)
Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 8
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
Official source: California Legislative Information. Reproduced from public-domain California statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.