Article 1. Corporate Powers of California Public Utilities Code >> Division 7. >> Chapter 4. >> Article 1.

A district has perpetual succession.

Except as otherwise provided, a district may sue and be sued in all actions and proceedings, in all courts and tribunals of competent jurisdiction.

(a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), any judicial action or proceeding against a district that provides electric utility service, to attack, review, set aside, void, or annul an ordinance, resolution, or motion fixing or changing a rate or charge for an electric commodity or an electric service furnished by a district and adopted on or after July 1, 2000, shall be commenced within 120 days of the effective date of that ordinance, resolution, or motion.
  (b) This section does not apply to any judicial action or proceeding filed pursuant to Chapter 13.7 (commencing with Section 54999) of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code to protest or challenge a rate or charge or to seek the refund of a capital facilities fee if the notice and disclosure requirements of Section 54999.35 of the Government Code have not been followed.

A district may adopt a seal and alter it at pleasure.

A district may exercise the right of eminent domain to take any property necessary or convenient to the exercise of the powers granted in this division.

A district has the same powers with reference to improvement districts as are conferred upon irrigation districts by Division 11, Part 7 of the Water Code and as are conferred upon municipal water districts by Part 7 (commencing with Section 71851) and Part 8 (commencing with Section 72000) of Division 20 of the Water Code. As used in this section, all references to districts in the adopted acts shall refer to public utility districts and all words relating to irrigation or municipal water district officers and matters refer to the corresponding officers of a public utility district and matters under this division.

Improvement districts also may be formed of land proposed to be annexed to the district, contingent upon the annexation being completed. The petition for annexation may request that the land to be annexed shall be included in and form a part of any improvement district existing within the district or shall constitute a new improvement district within the district when annexed or the board of directors of the district may determine, as one of the terms and conditions for the annexation, that the land shall be included in and form a part of any improvement district then existing within the district or shall constitute a new improvement district when annexed.

For the purpose of obtaining and supplying water for domestic, irrigation, and fire protection purposes, a district may cooperate and contract with the United States and borrow or procure money from the United States in the same manner and under the same procedures as irrigation districts under Division 11, Part 6, Chapter 2 of the Water Code. Any district, in order to make payments to the United States under any contract between the district and the United States, may, in lieu, in whole or in part of levying assessments, fix and collect charges for the service of water by the district to any land. A district may charge higher rates for service of water to any landowner in the amount required to pay any interest costs charged to the district on any United States Bureau of Reclamation loan by reason of land held by such owner in excess of 160 acres.