Welf. & Inst. Code, § 7281

There is at each institution under the jurisdiction of the State Department of State Hospitals and at each institution under the jurisdiction of the State Department of Developmental Services, a fund known as the patients’ personal deposit fund. Any funds coming into the possession of the superintendent, belonging to any patient in that institution, shall be deposited in the name of that patient in the patients’ personal deposit fund, except that if a guardian or conservator of the estate is appointed for the patient then the guardian or conservator shall have the right to demand and receive the funds. Only for patients at an institution under the jurisdiction of the State Department of Developmental Services, whenever the sum belonging to any one patient, deposited in the patients’ personal deposit fund, exceeds the sum of five hundred dollars ($500), the excess may be applied to the payment of the care, support, maintenance, and medical attention of the patient. After the death of the patient, any sum remaining in the patient’s personal deposit account in excess of burial costs may be applied for payment of care, support, maintenance, and medical attention. Any of the funds belonging to a patient deposited in the patients’ personal deposit fund may be used for the purchase of personal incidentals for the patient or may be applied in an amount not exceeding five hundred dollars ($500) to the payment of the patient’s burial expenses.