The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) The ability of the state and local governments to issue bonds is essential to their ability to finance public improvements and other projects and programs which serve important public purposes and have major social and economic consequences to the people of California.

(b) The exemption of interest on these bonds from federal income taxation has been a major feature of this financing, reducing interest costs to the state and local government issuers and enhancing the marketability of the bonds.

(c) Proposed federal tax legislation would substantially curtail the purposes for, and conditions under which, bonds may be issued with interest exempt from federal income taxation, with the result that in order to provide financing for those purposes or under those conditions state and local governments will in some instances be required, or elect, to issue bonds which bear interest not exempt from federal income taxation. These bonds often have different terms and structural features and are sold and traded in a different market than bonds the interest on which is exempt from federal income taxation.

(d) The state and local governments have the power to issue bonds bearing interest subject to federal income taxation, but the state and local governments may lack clear authority to structure this financing for the applicable market or otherwise to achieve the lowest effective borrowing cost or terms most suitable to the state or local government issuer, the project, or the financing program.

(Added by Stats. 1986, Ch. 1389, Sec. 1. Effective September 30, 1986.)