Chapter 11. Fiscal Provisions of California Water Code >> Division 26.5. >> Chapter 11.

Bonds in the total amount of three billion four hundred forty million dollars ($3,440,000,000), not including the amount of any refunding bonds issued in accordance with Section 79588, or so much thereof as is necessary, may be issued and sold to be used for carrying out the purposes set forth in this division and to be used to reimburse the General Obligation Bond Expense Revolving Fund pursuant to Section 16724.5 of the Government Code. The bond proceeds shall be deposited in the Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Fund of 2002 created by Section 79510. The bonds shall, when sold, be and constitute a valid and binding obligation of the State of California, and the full faith and credit of the State of California is hereby pledged for the punctual payment of both principal of and interest on the bonds as they become due and payable.

The bonds authorized by this division 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 provisions of that law shall apply to the bonds and to this division and are hereby incorporated in this division by this reference as though fully set forth in this division.

(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 division, the Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Act of 2002 Finance Committee is hereby created. For purposes of this division, the Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Act of 2002 Finance Committee is "the committee" as that term is used by the State General Obligation Bond Law. The committee shall consist of the Controller, the Director of Finance, and the Treasurer, or their designated representatives. The Treasurer shall serve as chairperson of the committee. A majority of the committee may act for the committee.
  (b) For purposes of this chapter and the State General Obligation Bond Law, the secretary is designated as "the board."

The committee shall determine whether or not it is necessary or desirable to issue bonds authorized pursuant to this division in order to carry out the actions specified in this division 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 one time.

There shall be collected annually 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 the duty of all officers charged by law with any duty in regard to the collection of the revenue to do so and perform each and every act that is necessary to collect that additional sum.

Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, there is hereby appropriated from the General Fund, for purposes of this division, 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 division, as the principal and interest become due and payable.
  (b) The sum which is necessary to carry out the provisions of Section 79586, appropriated without regard to fiscal years.

For the purposes of carrying out this division, the Director of Finance may authorize the withdrawal from the General Fund of an amount or amounts not to exceed the amount of the unsold bonds that have been authorized to be sold for the purpose of carrying out this division. Any amounts withdrawn shall be deposited in the fund. Any money made available under this section shall be returned 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 that would otherwise be deposited in that fund.

All money derived from premium and accrued interest on bonds sold shall be reserved and shall be available for transfer to the General Fund as a credit to expenditures for bond interest.

Any bonds issued or sold pursuant to this division 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 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code. Approval by the electors of the state for the issuance of the bonds shall include approval of the issuance of any bonds issued to refund any bonds originally issued or any previously issued refunding bonds.

The people of California hereby find and declare that inasmuch as the proceeds from the sale of bonds authorized by this division are not "proceeds of taxes" as that term is used in Article XIII B of the California Constitution, the disbursement of these proceeds is not subject to the limitation imposed by that article.

Pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 16720) of Part 3 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code, the cost of bond issuance shall be paid out of the bond proceeds. These costs shall be shared proportionally by each program funded under this division. Actual costs incurred in connection with administering programs authorized under the categories specified in this division shall be paid by the funds authorized for those purposes by this division.

Notwithstanding any other law, ninety-five million dollars ($95,000,000) of the unissued bonds authorized for the purposes of this division are reallocated for the purposes of, and shall be authorized, issued, and appropriated in accordance with, Division 26.7 (commencing with Section 79700). The funds available for reallocation shall be made on a pro-rata basis from each bond allocation of this division.