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. (a) The Transportation Revolving Account in the State
Transportation Fund is hereby created. With the approval of the
Department of Finance, there shall be transferred to, or deposited
in, the account all money appropriated, contributed, or made
available from any source, including sources other than state
appropriations, for expenditure on work within the powers and duties
of the Department of Transportation, including, but not limited to,
services, surveys, reports, major and minor construction,
maintenance, improvements, and equipment as authorized by the state
agency for which such an appropriation is made or, as to funds from
sources other than state appropriations, as may be authorized by
written agreement between the contributor of such funds and the
Department of Transportation when approved by the Department of
Finance.
(b) Money so transferred or deposited is continuously appropriated
for expenditure by the Department of Transportation for the purposes
for which appropriated, contributed, or made available without
regard to fiscal years and Section 16304 of the Government Code. The
Department of Transportation may withdraw from the account for use in
work for other public agencies, local, state, or federal, such sums
as may be necessary for such work where the money to be paid by such
other agencies is not deposited in the account in advance of the work
being done.
(c) The Department of Transportation shall file against the
account all claims covering expenditures incurred, including
expenditures incurred prior to the effective date of the act enacting
this section, in connection with services, surveys, reports, major
and minor construction, maintenance, improvements, and equipment, and
the State Controller shall draw his warrant therefor against the
account.
(d) The Department of Transportation shall keep a record of all
expenditures chargeable against each specific portion of the account,
and any unused balance in any portion of the account shall, on
approval by the Department of Finance, be withdrawn from the account
and transferred to the credit of the appropriation from which it was
transferred or, as to funds from other than state appropriations, be
paid out or refunded as provided in the agreement relating to the
contribution.
(e) The Director of Transportation may authorize the refund of
money received or collected by the department in payment of fees,
licenses, permits, tolls, or for rentals, property, or services,
wherein the license, permit, rental, property, or service cannot
lawfully be issued, furnished, or transferred to the person making
the payment, or in cases where the payment, in whole or in part,
represents overpayment or payment in duplicate.
(f) The provisions of this section shall only be operative during
those fiscal years in which funds in the State Highway Account in the
State Transportation Fund are appropriated by the Budget Act for
such fiscal years.
(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Controller may
use the funds in the Transportation Revolving Account in the State
Transportation Fund for cashflow loans to the General Fund as
provided in Sections 16310 and 16381 of the Government Code. Any such
loan shall be exempt from paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of
Section 16310 of the Government Code. Interest shall be paid on all
moneys loaned to the General Fund and shall be computed at a rate
determined by the Pooled Money Investment Board to be the current
earning rate of the fund from which the money is loaned. This
subdivision does not authorize any transfer that would interfere with
the carrying out of the object for which these funds were created.