Article 3. Fiscal Provisions of California Water Code >> Division 7. >> Chapter 16. >> Article 3.

Bonds in the total amount of seventy-five million dollars ($75,000,000), exclusive of refunding bonds issued pursuant to Section 14039, 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 be used to reimburse the General Obligation Bond Expense Revolving Fund pursuant to Section 16724.5 of the Government Code. All bonds herein authorized, which shall have been duly sold and delivered as herein provided, shall constitute valid and legally binding general obligations of the State of California, and the full faith and credit of the State of California are hereby pledged for the punctual payment of both principal and interest thereof.

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 apply to the bonds and to this chapter and are hereby incorporated in this chapter as though set forth in full in this chapter.

(a) Solely for the purpose of authorizing the issuance and sale, pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law, of the bonds authorized by this chapter, the California Safe Drinking Water Finance Committee is hereby created. For purposes of this chapter, the California Safe Drinking Water Finance Committee is "the committee" as that term is used in the State General Obligation Bond Law. The committee consists of the Governor, the Treasurer, the Director of Finance, the Director of Water Resources, and the State Director of Health Services, or their designated representatives. A majority of the committee may act for the committee.
  (b) For purposes of the State General Obligation Bond Law, the Department of Water Resources is designated the "board."

The committee shall determine whether or not it is necessary or desirable to issue bonds authorized pursuant to this chapter in order to carry out the actions specified in Section 14011, and, if so, the amount of bonds to be issued and sold. Successive issues of bonds may be authorized and sold to carry out those actions progressively, and it is not necessary that all of the bonds authorized to be issued be sold at any 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 maturing each year, and it is hereby made 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 shall be necessary to collect the 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 which is necessary to carry out the provisions of Section 14036, appropriated without regard to fiscal years.

For the purposes of carrying out this chapter, the Director of Finance may, by written order, authorize the withdrawal from the General Fund of an amount or amounts not to exceed the amount of the unsold bonds which the committee has, by resolution, authorized to be sold for the purpose of carrying out this chapter. Any amounts withdrawn shall be deposited in the fund to be allocated by the board in accordance with this chapter. Any money made available under this section shall be returned by the board to the General Fund, plus the interest that the amounts would have earned in the Pooled Money Investment Account from money received from the sale of bonds for the purpose of carrying out this chapter.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this bond act, or of 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), if the Treasurer sells bonds pursuant to this bond act that include a bond counsel opinion to the effect that the interest on the bonds is excluded from gross income for federal tax purposes under designated conditions, the Treasurer may maintain separate accounts for the bond proceeds invested and the investment earnings on those proceeds, and 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, as may be required or desirable under federal law in order 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.

All money deposited in the fund which 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 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 disbursement of these proceeds is not subject to the limitations imposed by that article.

Any bonds issued and sold pursuant to this chapter may be refunded by the issuance of refunding bonds in accordance with Article 6 (commencing with Section 16780) of Chapter 4 of Part 3 of Division 2 of Title 2 of the Government Code. Approval by the electors of the state for the issuance of these bonds shall include the approval of any bonds issued to refund any bonds originally issued or previously issued refunding bonds.

The board may request the Pooled Money Investment Board to make a loan from the Pooled Money Investment Account, in accordance with Section 16312 of the Government Code, for the purposes of carrying out the provisions of this chapter. The amount of the request shall not exceed the amount of the unsold bonds which the committee has by resolution authorized to be sold for the purpose of carrying out this chapter. The board shall execute such documents as are 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.