Chapter 6. Border Region Toll Facilities of California Streets And Highways Code >> Division 17. >> Chapter 6.

(a) Tolls may be imposed by the commission on segments of newly constructed state highway routes, as described in subdivision (b), if transportation facilities, including, but not limited to, additional highways and capacity enhancing improvements to existing highways, are needed to accommodate additional commercial traffic resulting from the North American Free Trade Agreement, and federal funds have not been made available to the state for those purposes. In addition, for state highway routes and transportation facilities constructed on or after January 1, 1997, the cost may be borne by a combination of tolls, toll-backed bonds, and any other state and federal funds that may be available for those purposes, on a project-by-project basis.
  (b) The imposition of tolls pursuant to subdivision (a) is limited to Route 7, from the new international border crossing near Calexico to Route 8 near El Centro in Imperial County.
  (c) Tolls imposed on any route described in this section shall be discontinued upon the happening of either of the following: (1) federal funds are received for the cost of the improvements to that route, which funds are in addition to the normal apportionment of federal funds to California and are for the specific purpose of mitigating the impacts of the North American Free Trade Agreement, or (2) the cost of those improvements is fully paid.

The department shall be responsible for the collection of tolls imposed by the commission pursuant to Section 31300. The department shall transmit the toll revenues to the Controller for deposit in the Highway Toll Revenue Account, which is hereby created in the State Transportation Fund.

Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, funds in the Highway Toll Revenue Account required to meet the obligations assumed by the commission under any bond resolution adopted pursuant to Section 31306 are continuously appropriated to the commission for that purpose. Upon appropriation by the Legislature, the commission shall allocate the remaining funds to the department for the purpose of constructing additional highways or making capacity enhancing improvements to existing highways to accommodate additional commercial traffic resulting from the North American Free Trade Agreement.

The commission may issue revenue bonds for the purpose of obtaining funds for constructing additional highways or for making capacity enhancing improvements to existing highways to accommodate additional commercial traffic resulting from the North American Free Trade Agreement. The sole security for the payment of principal and interest on the bonds shall be revenues derived from the tolls imposed pursuant to Section 31300. In authorizing and issuing bonds pursuant to this chapter, the commission and the department shall, to the fullest extent feasible, follow the procedures and requirements of Article 5 (commencing with Section 30200) of Chapter 1 of Division 17.