(a) It is the intention of the Legislature in enabling the construction of the California State Prison-Fresno County, as authorized by Chapter 981 of the Statutes of 1990, to ensure that the City of Coalinga and the Department of Corrections actively endeavor to encourage the development of affordable accommodations and transportation at locations and times to afford access to all visitors of prisoners, including the infirm, the aged, the poor, and children.

(b) The necessary funding for the construction of the California State Prison-Fresno County, authorized by Chapter 981 of the Statutes of 1990, may be obtained through lease-purchase financing arrangements. Sections 15819.1 to 15819.13, inclusive, and Section 15819.15, shall apply for this purpose, provided that the following apply:

(1) “Prison facility,” as used in Section 15819.1, includes the California State Prison-Fresno County.

(2) Notwithstanding the limitation imposed by Section 15819.3 regarding the amount of bonds to be issued for construction, acquisition, and financing of prison facilities, the State Public Works Board may issue additional bonds in order to pay the costs of acquiring and constructing or refinancing the California State Prison-Fresno County.

(c) Notwithstanding Section 13340, funds derived from the lease-purchase financing methods for the California State Prison-Fresno County, deposited in the State Treasury, are hereby continuously appropriated to the State Public Works Board on behalf of the Department of Corrections for the purpose of acquiring and constructing or refinancing the prison facility so financed.

The sum of two hundred seven million three hundred thousand dollars ($207,300,000) shall be available for capital outlay for the California State Prison-Fresno County from funds derived from lease-purchase financing methods. This amount shall be available as necessary for site acquisition, site studies and suitability reports, environmental studies, master planning, architectural programming, schematics, preliminary plans, working drawings, construction, and long lead and equipment items.

(d) The State Public Works Board may authorize the augmentation of the cost of the construction of the projects set forth in this section pursuant to the board’s authority under Section 13332.11. In addition, the State Public Works Board may authorize any additional amounts necessary to pay the costs of financing, including the payment of interest during construction of the project, any additional amount as may be authorized by the board to pay the cost of financing a reserve fund, and the cost of issuance of permanent financing for the project. This additional amount may include interest during acquisition or construction of the facility, interest payable on any interim loan for the facility from the Pooled Money Investment Account pursuant to Section 16312, a reasonably required reserve fund, and the costs of issuance of permanent financing of the facility.

(Amended by Stats. 1991, Ch. 1091, Sec. 53.)