1. (a) Except where additional definitions are provided here, all meanings of the terms defined in Section 18997.51 of the Welfare and Institutions Code (“WIC”) apply wherever the same terms are used throughout this Chapter, including “Account,” “trust account,” “HOPE trust account,” “Board,” “Department,” “Eligible Child,” “Eligible Youth,” “Family household income,” “Fund,” “HOPE Trust Account Program,” “Program,” and “Program Enrollee.”
2. (b) “Consequence of COVID-19 or Long-Term COVID” means an illness, condition, or affliction that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the California Department of Public Health has recognized as being a result of COVID-19 or Long-Term COVID.
3. (c) “COVID-19” means the illness caused by any variants of the virus SARS-CoV-2 recognized by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the California Department of Public Health.
4. (d) “Decedent” means the Eligible Child's parent, Indian custodian, or legal guardian, who died during the federally declared COVID-19 public health emergency and their cause of death is listed as COVID-19 on their death certificate or they died as a medically recognized consequence of having Long-Term COVID.
5. (e) “Domicile” means the place where an individual has a true, fixed, permanent home and principal establishment, and to which place the individual has, whenever they are absent, the intention of returning. It is the place in which an individual has voluntarily fixed the habitation of themselves and family, not for a mere special or limited purpose, but with the present intention of making a permanent home, until some unexpected event shall occur to induce the individual to adopt some other permanent home. Another definition of “Domicile” consistent with the above is the place where an individual has fixed their habitation and has a permanent residence without any present intention of permanently removing therefrom.
6. (f) “Eligible Child” means a minor resident of California who is under 18 years of age, is not emancipated from their parent, Indian custodian, or legal guardian, and meets one of the eligibility qualifications set forth in WIC Section 18997.51(d)(1) or (2).
7. (g) “Family Household Income” means the income of the family household, prior to the death of the Decedent, defined in WIC Section 18997.51(d)(1) as the income of parents, Indian custodian, or legal guardian, which was equal to or less than the amount that made the child in that household eligible for Medi-Cal benefits under WIC Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 14000) of Part 3 (“Medi-Cal for Children”).
8. (h) “Financial Education and Money Management Training Services” means to teach Program Enrollees how to develop financial skills and practices, through efforts such as workshops, classes, seminars, coaching, and mentoring, that maximize economic autonomy, including, but not limited to, how to build wealth, budgeting for short and long-term goals, identifying opportunity costs, saving, establishing, using, and maintaining credit, investing and managing investments, protecting and insuring assets for future benefit, and applying for and navigating government, nonprofit, and other programs that support building their income and wealth.
9. (i) “Long-Term COVID” means the long-term effects caused by any variants of SARS-CoV-2, also known by terms including post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), chronic COVID, Long-COVID, long haul COVID, long hauler COVID, post-acute sequelae SARS-CoV-2 infection, post COVID, post COVID syndrome, post COVID condition (PCC), or any variation thereof that has been recognized by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the California Department of Public Health.
10. (j) “Medi-Cal for Children” means California's Medicaid health care program under the Welfare and Institutions Code, Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 14000) of Part 3.
11. (k) “Program Enrollee” means an Eligible Child who has been enrolled in the program and an Eligible Youth who was enrolled as an Eligible Child in the Program and has not terminated their participation.
12. (l) “Residency in California” means an individual who is Domiciled in the State.

Note: Authority cited: Sections 18997.5 and 18997.52, Welfare and Institutions Code. Reference: Sections 300, 601, 602, 1400, 11400, 11403, 14000, 14005.64, 18997.5, 18997.51, 18997.52, 18997.58 and 18997.59, Welfare and Institutions Code; Section 9902, Title 42 of the United States Code; and Section 17014, Title 18 California Code of Regulations.

History

1. New chapter 16 (sections 10500-10509) and section filed 8-26-2025; operative 10-1-2025 (Register 2025, No. 35).