(a) The Special Fund for Economic Uncertainties is hereby created in the State Treasury and is continuously appropriated for the purposes of this section. The contingency reserve for economic uncertainties established within the General Fund by Section 12.3 of the Budget Act of 1980 is hereby discontinued, and any balance in that reserve shall be transferred to the Special Fund for Economic Uncertainties. This special fund represents a reserve fund within the meaning of Section 5 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution. Notwithstanding Sections 16310 and 16314, the Controller may transfer as necessary from the Special Fund for Economic Uncertainties or from the special accounts in the General Fund to the General Fund amounts that are needed to meet cash needs of the General Fund. The Controller shall return all of the moneys so transferred without payment of interest as soon as there are sufficient moneys in the General Fund.

(b) The Controller shall transfer from the Special Fund for Economic Uncertainties to the unappropriated balance of the General Fund an amount necessary to eliminate any General Fund deficit as of the end of each fiscal year, commencing as of June 30, 1985. The amount of transfer for each fiscal year shall be determined on the basis of the State of California Preliminary Annual Report—Accrual Basis, for that fiscal year. Any subsequent adjustments shall be determined jointly by the Controller and the Director of Finance.

(c) Notwithstanding Section 13340, moneys in the Special Fund for Economic Uncertainties are hereby continuously appropriated without regard to fiscal years to the Director of Finance for the purpose of allocating funds for disaster relief pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 194) and Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 197) of Part 1 of Division 1 of the Revenue and Taxation Code. However, any allocation made by the director pursuant to this subdivision shall not be made sooner than 30 days after notification in writing of the necessity therefor is provided to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee.

(d) For budgeting and accounting purposes, any appropriations heretofore or hereafter made specifically from the Special Fund for Economic Uncertainties, other than appropriations contained in this section, shall be deemed an appropriation from the General Fund. For year-end reporting purposes, the Controller shall add the balance in the Special Fund for Economic Uncertainties to the balance in the General Fund so as to show the total moneys then available for General Fund purposes.

(e) (1) Notwithstanding Section 13340, there is hereby appropriated from the General Fund, without regard to fiscal years, for transfer by the Controller to the Special Fund for Economic Uncertainties as of the end of each fiscal year the unencumbered balance in the General Fund.

(2) If, at the end of any fiscal year in which it has been determined that there are revenues in excess of the amount that may be appropriated, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 2 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution, the transfer pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be reduced by the amount of these excess revenues. The estimates of the transfer shall be made jointly by the Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst’s Office.

(Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 69, Sec. 10. Effective July 12, 2006.)