DATE: August 19, 2025
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Joe Prado, Interim Director, Department of Public Health
SUBJECT: Retroactive Submittal of Grant Application to the Office of the Attorney
General, California Department of Justice, for the Tobacco Grant Program
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Retroactively approve and authorize the Director of the Department of Public Health’s previous submittal of a grant application to the Office of the Attorney General, California Department of Justice for the Tobacco Grant Program Fiscal Year 2025-26 for the period of January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2028 ($2,030,869).
REPORT
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. Approval of the recommended action will retroactively authorize the submission of a competitive grant application to the Office of the Attorney General, California Department of Justice (DOJ) for the Tobacco Grant Program to protect the public health, safety, and welfare of our youth by supporting local enforcement efforts to reduce illegal retail sales of tobacco products to minors, limiting exposure to tobacco products, and increasing compliance among tobacco retailers with existing local, state, and federal tobacco control laws. It should be noted that the California DOJ published a request for proposals for applications on April 21, 2025. To meet the grant application deadline of June 20, 2025, the Department of Public Health (DPH) submitted the application on June 18, 2025, contingent upon your Board’s approval. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Should your Board not approve the recommended action, the grant application would be withdrawn.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. DPH submitted a grant application in the amount of $2,030,869 to the Office of the Attorney General, California DOJ for a 36-month term, beginning January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2028. Selected public agencies will be notified in October 2025 of acceptance and award amounts at which time DPH will return to your Board to accept award and request approval of a budget resolution to Org 5620 FY 2025-26 Recommended Budget to align appropriations and revenues with the amount awarded.
DISCUSSION:
The Office of the Attorney General, California DOJ, Tobacco Grant Program is available to support local enforcement efforts to reduce illegal retail sales and marketing of tobacco products to minors and youth. The state funding comes from the increased taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products starting in 2017. The increased taxes were passed following voter approved Proposition 56 in 2016 that allocates a portion of annual revenue to the California DOJ. Under California’s DOJ Proposition 56 funds, awards will go to public agencies who can support enforcement to combat illegal tobacco and e-cigarette retail sales and marketing to minors.
Under the State Budget Act and Proposition 56, any California local government or agency with the authority to enforce state tobacco laws or local ordinances is eligible to apply for funding. This includes agencies that enforce laws and ordinances on illegal retail sales and marketing to minors, conduct compliance checks, investigate violations, and prosecute retail offenders. DPH has developed a proposed local tobacco retail licensing (TRL) ordinance program that is scheduled to be presented to your Board in November 2025. Contingent on your Board’s approval of both the TRL ordinance and DOJ funding this would offset the fee structure to support these activities in both the Sheriff’s department and DPH.
In collaboration with the Fresno County Sherriff’s Office, DPH submitted an application that will address priority tobacco grant activities that include:
• Enforcing state tobacco laws and local ordinances, through retailer inspections and enforcement operations (e.g. minor decoy buys in stores)
• Compliance checks and inspections of tobacco retailers
• Education for enforcement officers regarding state tobacco laws and local ordinances
• Regional task force coordination
• Retailer enforcement related activities
Should DPH be awarded the California DOJ tobacco grant, we will return to your Board to request acceptance of the grant award and budget resolution.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Tobacco Grant application
CAO ANALYST:
Ron Alexander