5922
. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all of the
following apply:
(a) (1) In connection with, or incidental to, the issuance or
carrying of bonds, or acquisition or carrying of any investment or
program of investment, the state or any local government may enter
into any contracts that the state or local government determines to
be necessary or appropriate to place the obligation or investment of
the state or local government, as represented by the bonds,
investment or program of investment and the contract or contracts, in
whole or in part, on the interest rate, currency, cashflow, or other
basis desired by the state or local government, including, without
limitation, contracts commonly known as interest rate swap
agreements, currency swap agreements, forward payment conversion
agreements, futures, or contracts providing for payments based on
levels of, or changes in, interest rates, currency exchange rates,
stock or other indices, or contracts to exchange cashflows or a
series of payments, or contracts, including, without limitation,
interest rate floors or caps, options, puts or calls to hedge
payment, currency, rate, spread, or similar exposure. These contracts
or arrangements may also be entered into by the state or by local
governments in connection with, or incidental to, entering into or
maintaining any agreement that secures bonds, including bonds issued
by private entities. These contracts and arrangements shall be
entered into with the parties, selected by the means, and contain the
payment, security, default, remedy, and other terms and conditions,
determined by the state or the local government, after giving due
consideration for the creditworthiness of the counterparties, where
applicable, including any rating by a nationally recognized rating
agency or any other criteria as may be appropriate.
(2) No local government shall enter into any of the contracts or
arrangements pursuant to this subdivision, unless its governing body
first determines that the contract or arrangement or program of
contracts is designed to reduce the amount or duration of payment,
currency, rate, spread, or similar risk or result in a lower cost of
borrowing when used in combination with the issuance of bonds or
enhance the relationship between risk and return with respect to the
investment or program of investment in connection with, or incident
to, the contract or arrangement which is to be entered into.
(b) Bonds issued by the state or by a local government may be
payable in accordance with their terms, in whole or in part, in
currency other than lawful money of the United States of America,
provided that the state or the local government enters into a
currency swap or similar agreement for payments in lawful money of
the United States of America, which covers the entire amount of the
debt service payment obligation of the state or the local government
with respect to the bonds payable in other currency, and provided
further that if the term of that agreement is less than the term of
the bonds, the state or the local government shall covenant to enter
into additional agreements as may be necessary to cover the entire
amount of the debt service payment obligation. An issuer shall
include in its written notice to the California Debt Advisory
Commission pursuant to subdivision (g) of Section 8855 a statement of
its intent to issue bonds payable in a currency other than lawful
money of the United States of America.
(c) In connection with, or incidental to, the issuance or carrying
of bonds, or entering into any of the contracts or arrangements
referred to in subdivision (a), the state or a local government may
enter into credit enhancement or liquidity agreements, with payment,
interest rate, currency, security, default, remedy, and other terms
and conditions as the state or the local government determines.
(d) Proceeds of bonds and any moneys set aside and pledged to
secure payment of the bonds or any of the contracts entered into
pursuant to this section, may be invested in securities or
obligations described in the ordinance, resolution, indenture,
agreement, or other instrument providing for the issuance of the
bonds or the contract and may be pledged to and used to service any
of the contracts or agreements entered into pursuant to this section.