Article 2. Kindergarten Through 12th Grade School Facilities Fiscal Provisions of California Education Code >> Division 14. >> Title 3. >> Part 68. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 2.

(a) Bonds in the total amount of six billion seven hundred million dollars ($6,700,000,000), not including the amount of any refunding bonds issued in accordance with Section 100444, or so much thereof as is necessary, may be issued and sold to provide a fund to be used for carrying out the purposes expressed in this chapter and to reimburse the General Obligation Bond Expense Revolving Fund pursuant to Section 16724.5 of the Government Code. The bonds, when sold, shall be and constitute a valid and binding obligation of the State of California, and the full faith and credit of the State of California is hereby pledged for the punctual payment of the principal of, and interest on, the bonds as the principal and interest become due and payable.
  (b) Pursuant to this section, the Treasurer shall sell the bonds authorized by the State School Building Finance Committee established pursuant to Section 15909 at any different times necessary to service expenditures required by the apportionments.

The State School Building Finance Committee, established by Section 15909 and composed of the Governor, the Controller, the Treasurer, the Director of Finance, and the Superintendent of Public Instruction, or their designated representatives, all of whom shall serve thereon without compensation, and a majority of whom shall constitute a quorum, is continued in existence for the purpose of this chapter. The Treasurer shall serve as chairperson of the committee. Two Members of the Senate appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, and two Members of the Assembly appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, shall meet with and provide advice to the committee to the extent that the advisory participation is not incompatible with their respective positions as Members of the Legislature. For the purposes of this chapter, the Members of the Legislature shall constitute an interim investigating committee on the subject of this chapter and, as that committee, shall have the powers and duties imposed upon those committees by the Joint Rules of the Senate and the Assembly. The Director of Finance shall provide the assistance to the committee as it may require. The Attorney General of the state is the legal adviser of the committee.

(a) The bonds authorized by this chapter shall be prepared, executed, issued, sold, paid, and redeemed as provided in the State General Obligation Bond Law (Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 16720) of Part 3 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code), and all of the provisions of that law, except Section 16727 of the Government Code, apply to the bonds and to this chapter and are hereby incorporated in this chapter as though set forth in full in this chapter.
  (b) For purposes of the State General Obligation Bond Law, the State Allocation Board is designated the "board" for purposes of administering the 1998 State School Facilities Fund.

Upon request of the State Allocation Board from time to time, supported by a statement of the apportionments made and to be made for the purposes described in Sections 100415 and 100420, the State School Building Finance Committee shall determine whether or not it is necessary or desirable to issue bonds authorized pursuant to this chapter in order to fund the apportionments and, if so, the amount of bonds to be issued and sold. Successive issues of bonds may be authorized and sold to fund those apportionments progressively, and it is not necessary that all of the bonds authorized to be issued be sold at any one time.

There shall be collected each year and in the same manner and at the same time as other state revenue is collected, in addition to the ordinary revenues of the state, a sum in an amount required to pay the principal of, and interest on, the bonds each year. It is the duty of all officers charged by law with any duty in regard to the collection of the revenue to do and perform each and every act which is necessary to collect that additional sum.

Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, there is hereby appropriated from the General Fund in the State Treasury, for the purposes of this chapter, an amount that will equal the total of the following:
  (a) The sum annually necessary to pay the principal of, and interest on, bonds issued and sold pursuant to this chapter, as the principal and interest become due and payable.
  (b) The sum necessary to carry out Section 100440, appropriated without regard to fiscal years.

The State Allocation Board may request the Pooled Money Investment Board to make a loan from the Pooled Money Investment Account or any other approved form of interim financing, in accordance with Section 16312 of the Government Code, for the purpose of carrying out this chapter. The amount of the request shall not exceed the amount of the unsold bonds that the committee, by resolution, has authorized to be sold for the purpose of carrying out this chapter. The board shall execute any documents required by the Pooled Money Investment Board to obtain and repay the loan. Any amounts loaned shall be deposited in the fund to be allocated by the board in accordance with this chapter.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, or of the State General Obligation Bond Law, if the Treasurer sells bonds pursuant to this chapter that include a bond counsel opinion to the effect that the interest on the bonds is excluded from gross income for federal tax purposes, subject to designated conditions, the Treasurer may maintain separate accounts for the investment of bond proceeds and for the investment earnings on those proceeds. The Treasurer may use or direct the use of those proceeds or earnings to pay any rebate, penalty, or other payment required under federal law or take any other action with respect to the investment and use of those bond proceeds required or desirable under federal law to maintain the tax-exempt status of those bonds and to obtain any other advantage under federal law on behalf of the funds of this state.

For the purposes of carrying out this chapter, the Director of Finance may authorize the withdrawal from the General Fund of an amount not to exceed the amount of the unsold bonds that have been authorized by the State School Building Finance Committee to be sold for the purpose of carrying out this chapter. Any amounts withdrawn shall be deposited in the 1998 State School Facilities Fund consistent with this chapter. Any money made available under this section shall be returned to the General Fund, plus an amount equal to the interest that the money would have earned in the Pooled Money Investment Account, from proceeds received from the sale of bonds for the purpose of carrying out this chapter.

All money deposited in the 1998 State School Facilities Fund, that is derived from premium and accrued interest on bonds sold shall be reserved in the fund and shall be available for transfer to the General Fund as a credit to expenditures for bond interest.

The bonds may be refunded in accordance with Article 6 (commencing with Section 16780) of Chapter 4 of Part 3 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code, which is a part of the State General Obligation Bond Law. Approval by the voters of the state for the issuance of the bonds described in this chapter includes the approval of the issuance of any bonds issued to refund any bonds originally issued under this chapter or any previously issued refunding bonds.

The Legislature hereby finds and declares that, inasmuch as the proceeds from the sale of bonds authorized by this chapter are not "proceeds of taxes" as that term is used in Article XIII B of the California Constitution, the disbursement of these proceeds is not subject to the limitations imposed by that article.