Proposition 57

TEXT OF PROPOSED LAW

      This law proposed by Assembly Bill 9 of the 2003—2004 Fifth Extraordinary Session (Chapter 2, 2003—2004 Fifth Extraordinary Session) is submitted to the people in accordance with the provisions of Article XVI of the California Constitution.

      This proposed law adds sections to the Government Code; therefore, new provisions proposed to be added are printed in italic type to indicate that they are new.

PROPOSED LAW

      SEC. 3. Title 18 (commencing with Section 99050) is added to the Government Code, to read:

TITLE 18. THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY BOND ACT

CHAPTER 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS

      99050. (a) This title shall be known and may be cited as the Economic Recovery Bond Act.

      (b) The Legislature finds and declares that it is essential to the public welfare that an efficient, equitable, and alternative source of funding be established in order to preserve public education and critical health and safety programs that otherwise could not be funded in light of the accumulated state budget deficit, and that securing the availability of the proceeds of the bonds proposed to be issued and sold pursuant to this title is the most efficient, equitable, and economical means available.

      99051. As used in this title, the following terms have the following meanings:

      (a) (1)"Accumulated state budget deficit" has the same meaning as in Section 1.3 of Article XVI of the California Constitution.

      (2) The amount referred to in paragraph (1) shall be as certified by the Director of Finance.

      (b)"Ancillary obligation" means an obligation of the state entered into in connection with any bonds issued under this title, including the following:

      (1) A credit enhancement or liquidity agreement, including any credit enhancement or liquidity agreement in the form of bond insurance, letter of credit, standby bond purchase agreement, reimbursement agreement, liquidity facility, or other similar arrangement.

      (2) A remarketing agreement.

      (3) An auction agent agreement.

      (4) A broker-dealer agreement or other agreement relating to the marketing of the bonds.

      (5) An interest rate or other type of swap or hedging contract.

      (6) An investment agreement, forward purchase agreement, or similar structured investment contract.

      (c)"Committee" means the Economic Recovery Financing Committee created pursuant to Section 99055.

      (d)"Fund" means the Economic Recovery Fund created pursuant to Section 99060.

      (e)"Resolution" means any resolution, trust agreement, indenture, certificate, or other instrument authorizing the issuance of bonds pursuant to this title and providing for their security and repayment.

      (f)"Trustee" means the Treasurer or a bank or trust company within or without the state acting as trustee for any issue of bonds under this title and, if there is more than one issue of bonds, the term means the trustee for each issue of bonds, respectively. If there are cotrustees for an issue of bonds,"trustee" means those cotrustees collectively.

CHAPTER 2. ECONOMIC RECOVERY
FINANCING COMMITTEE

      99055. (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 title and the making of those determinations and the taking of other actions as are authorized by this title, the Economic Recovery Financing Committee is hereby created. For purposes of this title, the Economic Recovery Financing Committee is"the committee" as that term is used in the State General Obligation Bond Law (Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 16720) of Part 3 of Division 4 of Title 2).

      (b) The committee consists of all of the following members:

      (1) The Governor or his or her designee.

      (2) The Director of Finance.

      (3) The Treasurer.

      (4) The Controller.

      (5) The Secretary of Business, Transportation and Housing.

      (6) The Director of General Services.

      (7) The Director of Transportation.

      (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any member may designate a deputy to act as that member in his or her place and stead for all purposes, as though the member were personally present.

      (d) The Legislature finds and declares that each member of the committee has previously acted as a member of a similar finance committee.

      (e) A majority of the members of the committee shall constitute a quorum of the committee and may act for the committee.

      (f ) The Director of Finance shall serve as chairperson of the committee.

CHAPTER 3. ECONOMIC RECOVERY FUND

      99060. (a) The proceeds of bonds issued and sold pursuant to this title shall be deposited in the Economic Recovery Fund, which is hereby established in the State Treasury.

      (b) Moneys in the fund shall be invested in the Surplus Money Investment Fund, and any income from that investment shall be credited to the fund.

      (c) Except for amounts necessary to pay costs of issuance, administrative costs, and any other costs payable in connection with the bonds, and to retire or refund bonds issued and sold pursuant to this title or bonds issued and sold under Title 17 (commencing with Section 99000), the remaining balance of the fund, as determined by the committee, shall be transferred to the General Fund to fund the purposes set forth in this title.

      99062. Out of the first money realized from the sale of bonds as provided in this chapter, there shall be redeposited in the General Obligation Bond Expense Revolving Fund, established by Section 16724.5, the amount of all expenditures made for purposes specified in that section, and this money may be used for the same purpose and repaid in the same manner whenever additional bond sales are made.

      99064. The proceeds of the bonds issued and sold pursuant to this chapter shall be available for the purpose of providing an efficient, equitable, and economical means of doing both of the following:

      (a) Funding the accumulated state budget deficit, which may be accomplished in part by refunding or repaying bonds issued pursuant to Title 17 (commencing with Section 99000).

      (b) Paying costs relating to the issuance of bonds under this title, including, but not limited to, providing reserves, capitalized interest, and the costs of obtaining or entering into any ancillary obligation, costs associated with the repayment or refunding of the fiscal recovery bonds issued pursuant to Title 17 (commencing with Section 99000), and administrative and other costs associated with implementing the purposes of this title.

CHAPTER 4. BOND PROVISIONS

      99065. (a) Subject to subdivision (b), bonds in the total amount of fifteen billion dollars ($15,000,000,000), not including the amount of any refunding bonds issued in accordance with Section 99075, 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 title and to reimburse the General Obligation Bond Expense Revolving Fund, pursuant to Section 16724.5. The bonds, when sold, shall 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 the principal and interest become due and payable. Additionally, the bonds, when sold, shall be secured by a pledge of revenues and any other amounts in the Fiscal Recovery Fund created pursuant to Section 99008. The bonds may be secured by different lien priorities on amounts in the Fiscal Recovery Fund.

      (b) The amount of bonds that may be issued and sold pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be reduced by the amount of bonds issued pursuant to Title 17 (commencing with Section 99000), and by the amount of bonds issued pursuant to the California Pension Obligation Financing Act (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 16910) of Part 3 of Division 4 of Title 2), except to the extent those bonds will be retired, defeased, or redeemed with the proceeds of bonds authorized by this title.

      (c) Pursuant to this section, the Treasurer shall sell the bonds authorized by the committee. The bonds shall be sold upon the terms and conditions specified in a resolution to be adopted by the committee pursuant to Section 16731 and Section 99070. Whenever the committee deems it necessary for an effective sale of the bonds, the committee may authorize the Treasurer to sell any issue of bonds at less than their par value. Notwithstanding Section 16754.3, the discount with respect to any issue of the bonds shall not exceed 3 percent of the par value thereof, net of any premium.

      99066. The bonds authorized by this title 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), and all of the provisions of that law, except subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 16727 or any other provision in that law that is inconsistent with the terms of this title, apply to the bonds and to this title and are hereby incorporated in this title as though set forth in full in this title.

      99067. For purposes of this title, the Department of Finance is designated the"board" as that term is used in the State General Obligation Bond Law.

      99069. Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, or of the State General Obligation Bond Law, if the Treasurer sells bonds pursuant to this title that include a bond counsel opinion to the effect that the interest on the bonds is excluded from gross income for federal tax purposes subject to designated conditions, the Treasurer may maintain separate accounts for the bond proceeds invested and for 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 that is 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.

      99070. (a) (1) The committee shall determine whether or not it is necessary or desirable to issue bonds authorized pursuant to this title in order to carry out the purposes of this title and, if so, the amount of bonds to be issued and sold, the times at which the proceeds of the bonds authorized by this title shall be required to be available, and those other terms and conditions for the bonds authorized by this title as it shall determine necessary or desirable.

      (2) In addition to all other powers specifically granted in this title and the State General Obligation Bond Law, the committee may do all things necessary or convenient to carry out the powers and purposes of this title, including the approval of any indenture and any ancillary obligation relating to those bonds, and the delegation of necessary duties to the chairperson, and to the Treasurer as agent for sale of the bonds.

      (3) The committee shall determine the amount of the bonds to be issued so that the net proceeds of the bonds issued to fund the accumulated budget deficit, when added to the net proceeds of any bonds issued pursuant to Title 17 (commencing with Section 99000) for that purpose, exclusive of bonds issued pursuant to this title for the purpose of refunding bonds issued pursuant to this title or Title 17 (commencing with Section 99000), will not exceed fifteen billion dollars ($15,000,000,000) in the aggregate. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the ability of the committee to authorize the issuance of any amount of bonds that it shall determine necessary or appropriate to accomplish the purposes of this title, including the refunding or redemption of the bonds issued pursuant to Title 17 (commencing with Section 99000), subject to the limit on the total amount of bonds set forth in Section 99065.

      (b) 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. In addition to all other powers specifically granted in this title and the State General Obligation Bond Law, the committee may do all things necessary or convenient, including the delegation of necessary duties to the chairperson and to the Treasurer as agent for sale of the bonds, to carry out the powers and purposes of this title.

      99071. The principal of and interest on the bonds and the payment of any ancillary obligations shall be payable from and secured by a pledge of all state sales and use tax revenues in the Fiscal Recovery Fund established pursuant to Section 99008 and any earnings thereon. To the extent that moneys in the Fiscal Recovery Fund are deemed insufficient to make these payments, pursuant to an estimate certified by the Director of Finance and approved by the committee, 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 and the payment of any ancillary obligations for which payment is authorized by this title and for which the full faith and credit of the state has been pledged. It is 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 that is necessary to collect that additional sum.

      99072. (a) Notwithstanding Section 13340, there is hereby continuously appropriated from the Fiscal Recovery Fund established pursuant to Section 99008 an amount that will equal the total of the following:

      (1) The sum annually necessary to pay the principal of, and interest on, bonds issued and sold as described in Section 99070, as the principal and interest become due and payable, together with any amount necessary to satisfy any reserve and coverage requirements in the resolution.

      (2) The sum necessary to pay any ancillary obligations entered into in connection with the bonds.

      (3) Any trustee and other administrative costs incurred in connection with servicing the bonds and ancillary obligations.

      (4) Redemption, retirement, defeasance or purchase of any bonds as authorized by the committee prior to their stated maturity dates.

      (b) Notwithstanding Section 13340, if the funds appropriated by subdivision (a) are estimated to be insufficient to meet the requirement specified in paragraphs (1) to (4), inclusive, of subdivision (a), as approved pursuant to Section 99071, there is hereby continuously appropriated from the General Fund, for the purposes of this chapter, an amount that will provide sufficient revenues to meet whatever requirements specified in paragraphs (1) to (4), inclusive, of subdivision (a) cannot be met from revenues appropriated from the Fiscal Recovery Fund.

      (c) The sales and use tax revenues received pursuant to Sections 6051.5 and 6201.5 of the Revenue and Taxation Code and deposited into the Fiscal Recovery Fund are hereby irrevocably pledged to the payment of principal and interest on the bonds issued pursuant to this title, to payment of any ancillary obligations, and to costs necessary for servicing and administering the bonds and ancillary obligations. The Legislature may elect to deposit additional revenues in the Fiscal Recovery Fund. The pledge of this subdivision shall vest automatically upon execution and delivery of any resolution or agreement relating to ancillary obligations, without the need for any notice or filing in any office or location.

      99074. All money deposited in the Economic Recovery Fund that is derived from accrued interest on bonds sold shall be reserved in that fund and shall be available for transfer to the Fiscal Recovery Fund as a credit to expenditures for bond interest.

      99075. The bonds may be refunded in accordance with Article 6 (commencing with Section 16780) of Chapter 4 of Part 3 of Division 4 of Title 2, which is a part of the State General Obligation Bond Law. Approval by the electors of the state for the issuance of the bonds described in this title shall include approval of the issuance of any bonds issued to refund any bonds originally issued under this title or any previously issued refunding bonds.

      99076. The Legislature hereby finds and declares that, inasmuch as the proceeds from the sale of bonds authorized by this title 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 limitations imposed by that article.

      99077. The state hereby pledges and agrees with the holders of any bonds issued pursuant to this title that it will not reduce the rate of imposition of either of the taxes imposed pursuant to Sections 6051.5 and 6201.5 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, which generate the revenue deposited in the Fiscal Recovery Fund.

      SEC. 8. Sections 1 to 4.20, inclusive, of this act shall become operative only if both of the following occur:

      (a) ACA 5 of the 2003—04 Fifth Extraordinary Session is submitted to and approved by the voters at the March 2, 2004, statewide primary election.

      (b) The voters adopt the Economic Recovery Bond Act, as set forth in Section 3 of this act.

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