Section 80130 Of Chapter 2.5. Bonds From California Water Code >> Division 27. >> Chapter 2.5.
80130
. (a) The department may incur indebtedness and issue bonds as
evidence thereof, provided that bonds may not be issued in an amount
the debt service on which, to the extent payable from the fund, is
estimated by the department to exceed the amounts estimated to be
available in the fund for their payment.
(b) The department may authorize the issuance of bonds (excluding
notes issued in anticipation of the issuance of bonds and retired
from the proceeds of those bonds) in an aggregate amount up to the
greater of thirteen billion four hundred twenty-three million dollars
($13,423,000,000) or the amount calculated by multiplying by a
factor of four the annual revenues generated by the California
Procurement Adjustment, as determined by the commission pursuant to
Section 360.5 of the Public Utilities Code if the aggregate amount
does not exceed thirteen billion four hundred twenty-three million
dollars ($13,423,000,000).
(c) This section does not prohibit the department from issuing
bonds prior to the effective date of this bill based upon the
authorization granted to the department by the provisions of Chapter
4 of the Statutes of 2001-02 First Extraordinary Session.
(d) (1) Refunding bonds for any of the following purposes shall
not be included in the calculation of the aggregate amount:
(A) Refunding bonds to obtain a lower interest rate.
(B) Refunding bonds bearing a variable interest rate with bonds
bearing interest at a fixed interest rate.
(C) Refunding bonds if any nationally recognized rating agency
reduces or withdraws, or proposes to reduce or withdraw, the rating
assigned to securities that are secured by bond insurance policies,
credit or liquidity facilities issued by the provider of a bond
insurance policy, or a credit or liquidity facility securing the
bonds being refunded.
(2) All refunding bonds issued by the department under this
chapter before January 1, 2010, shall be deemed to have been issued
for one or more purposes described in this subdivision and shall not
be included in the calculation of the aggregate amount.
(e) In addition, before the issuance of bonds in a public
offering, the department shall establish a mechanism to ensure that
the bonds will be sold at investment grade ratings and repaid on a
timely basis from pledged revenues. This mechanism may include, but
is not limited to, an agreement between the department and the
commission as described in Section 80110.