44548
. (a) (1) Subject to any prior contractual obligations to any
of its bondholders, the authority may establish one or more small
business assistance funds in order to do any of the following:
(A) Assist small businesses to achieve financing of pollution
control facilities.
(B) Assist with the financing of the costs of, among other things,
assessment, remedial planning and reporting, technical assistance,
cleanup, remediation, and development of brownfield sites, and with
other similar or related costs, by providing loans pursuant to
subdivision (h) of Section 44526.
(C) Fund a capital access program for small businesses pursuant to
Article 8 (commencing with Section 44559).
(2) For the purpose of establishing and maintaining small business
assistance funds as it determines to be necessary or desirable to
secure its bonds or any issuance thereof or for other authorized
purposes, the authority, pursuant to its contracts with participating
parties, may levy fees or other charges on, or require deposits
from, participating parties receiving financing for a project under
this division. The total amount of these fees, charges, and deposits
with respect to a single issue of bonds shall not exceed 3 percent of
the principal amount of that issue of bonds.
(3) Prior to levying any fees or charges or requiring deposits,
the authority shall adopt regulations for the operation of the small
business assistance funds, the amounts and any payment schedule for
the fees, charges, or deposits, eligibility standards for small
businesses desiring to use or benefit from the small business
assistance funds, and any other matters the authority determines to
be necessary for the establishment and maintenance of small business
assistance funds. The regulations may provide for differential fees
from participating parties based upon the size of a project financed
by the authority or other factors determined to be relevant by the
authority, and the regulations may restrict any benefits to those
eligible small businesses specified in the regulations.
(4) The authority may transfer any funds available to it or set
aside for its administrative expenses to any small business
assistance fund established under this section.
(b) (1) The forms of financial assistance that the authority may
provide under this section include, but are not limited to all of the
following:
(A) Payments to reduce, but not eliminate, the interest rate on
loans.
(B) Payments of part or all of the cost of acquiring letters of
credit.
(C) Payments of part or all of the cost of acquiring insurance.
(D) Payments of part or all of the cost of acquiring guarantees.
(E) Payments of part or all of the cost of acquiring other forms
of credit support.
(F) Payments of part or all of the authority's expenses in issuing
revenue bonds or providing other assistance.
(2) The authority may also pledge any small business assistance
fund, on an individual or pooled basis, to repay, directly or
indirectly, the principal of, or interest or premium on, any issue of
bonds of the authority or any loan made or acquired pursuant to this
section.
(3) The authority may also use moneys in a small business
assistance fund to assist in the financing of the costs of assessment
of, remedial planning and reporting for, technical assistance for,
and the cleanup, remediation or development of, brownfield sites, and
of other similar or related costs, by providing loans, pursuant to,
and under the terms permitted by, subdivision (h) of Section 44526.
(4) In addition to other purposes set forth in this section, the
authority may use moneys in a small business assistance fund to make
or acquire loans or guarantee commercial loans to participating
parties eligible for assistance from those funds.
(5) Any moneys repaid or returned to the authority in connection
with or as a result of any loan or financial assistance made pursuant
to this section shall be deposited in the small business assistance
fund from which the loan or assistance was originally provided.
(6) The authority may contract with qualified financial
institutions, including, but not limited to, banks, investment and
mortgage bankers, insurance companies, sureties, and guarantors, to
provide any necessary assistance in the granting of credit for these
purposes.
(c) Each small business assistance fund established pursuant to
this section shall be deposited in a special account that the
Controller shall create. Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
and subject to any requirements of federal tax law or regulations
relative to maintaining the tax-exempt status of the obligations of
the authority, all interest or other gains earned by investment or
deposit of money in the special account pursuant to any provision of
Part 2 (commencing with Section 16300) of Division 4 of Title 2 of
the Government Code or pursuant to any other provision of law shall
be credited to, and deposited in, the account.
(d) In carrying out this section, the authority shall participate
with the air pollution control districts and air quality management
districts in providing financial assistance in its lending programs.