Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code § 7300

(a) It shall be the policy of the department to make available to all persons admitted to a state hospital prior to July 1, 1969, and to all persons judicially committed or remanded to its jurisdiction all of the facilities under the control of the department. Whenever, in the opinion of the Director of State Hospitals, it appears that a person admitted prior to July 1, 1969, or that a person judicially committed or remanded to the State Department of State Hospitals for placement in an institution would be benefited by a transfer from that institution to another institution under the department’s jurisdiction, the director may cause the transfer of the patient. Preference shall be given in any such transfer to an institution in an adjoining rather than a remote district. (b) However, before an inmate of a correctional school may be transferred to a state hospital, he or she shall first be returned to a court of competent jurisdiction, and, if subject to commitment, after hearing, may be committed to a state hospital in accordance with law. (c) The expense of the transfers is chargeable to the state, and the bills for the same, when approved by the Director of State Hospitals, shall be paid by the Treasurer on the warrant of the Controller, out of moneys provided for the care or support of the patients or out of the moneys provided for the support of the department, in the discretion of the department.