The following terms shall have the following meanings:

(a) “Administrative budget” means the budget for administrative costs of the successor agencies as provided in Section 34177.

(b) (1) “Administrative cost allowance” means the maximum amount of administrative costs that may be paid by a successor agency from the Redevelopment Property Tax Trust Fund in a fiscal year.

(2) The administrative cost allowance shall be 5 percent of the property tax allocated to the successor agency on the Recognized Obligation Payment Schedule covering the period January 1, 2012, through June 30, 2012. The administrative cost allowance shall be up to 3 percent of the property tax allocated to the Redevelopment Obligation Retirement Fund for each fiscal year thereafter ending on June 30, 2016. However, the administrative cost allowance shall not be less than two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) in any fiscal year, unless this amount is reduced by the oversight board or by agreement with the successor agency.

(3) Commencing July 1, 2016, and for each fiscal year thereafter, the administrative cost allowance shall be up to 3 percent of the actual property tax distributed to the successor agency by the county auditor-controller in the preceding fiscal year for payment of approved enforceable obligations, reduced by the successor agency’s administrative cost allowance and loan repayments made to the city, county, or city and county that created the redevelopment agency that it succeeded pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 34191.4 during the preceding fiscal year. However, the administrative cost allowance shall not be less than two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) in any fiscal year, unless this amount is reduced by the oversight board or by agreement between the successor agency and the department.

(4) Notwithstanding paragraph (3), commencing July 1, 2016, a successor agency’s annual administrative costs shall not exceed 50 percent of the total Redevelopment Property Tax Trust Fund distributed to pay enforceable obligations in the preceding fiscal year, which latter amount shall be reduced by the successor agency’s administrative cost allowance and loan repayments made to the city, county, or city and county that created the redevelopment agency that it succeeded pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 34191.4 during the preceding fiscal year. This limitation applies to administrative costs whether paid within the administrative cost allowance or not, but does not apply to administrative costs paid from bond proceeds or grant funds, or, in the case of a successor agency that is a designated local authority, from sources other than property tax.

(5) The administrative cost allowance shall be approved by the oversight board and shall be the sole funding source for any legal expenses related to civil actions brought by the successor agency or the city, county, or city and county that created the former redevelopment agency, including writ proceedings, contesting the validity of this part or Part 1.8 (commencing with Section 34161) or challenging acts taken pursuant to these parts. Employee costs associated with work on specific project implementation activities, including, but not limited to, construction inspection, project management, or actual construction, shall be considered project-specific costs and shall not constitute administrative costs.

(c) “Designated local authority” shall mean a public entity formed pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 34173.

(d) (1) “Enforceable obligation” means any of the following:

(A) Bonds, as defined by Section 33602 and bonds issued pursuant to Chapter 10.5 (commencing with Section 5850) of Division 6 of Title 1 of the Government Code, including the required debt service, reserve set-asides, and any other payments required under the indenture or similar documents governing the issuance of the outstanding bonds of the former redevelopment agency. A reserve may be held when required by the bond indenture or when the next property tax allocation will be insufficient to pay all obligations due under the provisions of the bond for the next payment due in the following half of the calendar year.

(B) Loans of moneys borrowed by the redevelopment agency for a lawful purpose, to the extent they are legally required to be repaid pursuant to a required repayment schedule or other mandatory loan terms.

(C) Payments required by the federal government, preexisting obligations to the state or obligations imposed by state law, other than passthrough payments that are made by the county auditor-controller pursuant to Section 34183, or legally enforceable payments required in connection with the agencies’ employees, including, but not limited to, pension payments, pension obligation debt service, unemployment payments, or other obligations conferred through a collective bargaining agreement. Costs incurred to fulfill collective bargaining agreements for layoffs or terminations of city employees who performed work directly on behalf of the former redevelopment agency shall be considered enforceable obligations payable from property tax funds. The obligations to employees specified in this subparagraph shall remain enforceable obligations payable from property tax funds for any employee to whom those obligations apply if that employee is transferred to the entity assuming the housing functions of the former redevelopment agency pursuant to Section 34176. The successor agency or designated local authority shall enter into an agreement with the housing entity to reimburse it for any costs of the employee obligations.

(D) Judgments or settlements entered by a competent court of law or binding arbitration decisions against the former redevelopment agency, other than passthrough payments that are made by the county auditor-controller pursuant to Section 34183. Along with the successor agency, the oversight board shall have the authority and standing to appeal any judgment or to set aside any settlement or arbitration decision.

(E) Any legally binding and enforceable agreement or contract that is not otherwise void as violating the debt limit or public policy. However, nothing in this act shall prohibit either the successor agency, with the approval or at the direction of the oversight board, or the oversight board itself from terminating any existing agreements or contracts and providing any necessary and required compensation or remediation for such termination. Titles of or headings used on or in a document shall not be relevant in determining the existence of an enforceable obligation.

(F) (i) Contracts or agreements necessary for the administration or operation of the successor agency, in accordance with this part, including, but not limited to, agreements concerning litigation expenses related to assets or obligations, settlements and judgments, and the costs of maintaining assets prior to disposition, and agreements to purchase or rent office space, equipment and supplies, and pay-related expenses pursuant to Section 33127 and for carrying insurance pursuant to Section 33134. Beginning January 1, 2016, any legal expenses related to civil actions, including writ proceedings, contesting the validity of this part or Part 1.8 (commencing with Section 34161) or challenging acts taken pursuant to these parts shall only be payable out of the administrative cost allowance.

(ii) A sponsoring entity may provide funds to a successor agency for payment of legal expenses related to civil actions initiated by the successor agency, including writ proceedings, contesting the validity of this part or Part 1.8 (commencing with Section 34161) or challenging acts taken pursuant to these parts. If the successor agency obtains a final judicial determination granting the relief requested in the action, the funds provided by the sponsoring entity for legal expenses related to successful causes of action pled by the successor agency shall be deemed an enforceable obligation for repayment under the terms set forth in subdivision (h) of Section 34173. If the successor agency does not receive a final judicial determination granting the relief requested, the funds provided by the sponsoring entity shall be considered a grant by the sponsoring entity and shall not qualify for repayment as an enforceable obligation.

(G) Amounts borrowed from, or payments owing to, the Low and Moderate Income Housing Fund of a redevelopment agency, which had been deferred as of the effective date of the act adding this part; provided, however, that the repayment schedule is approved by the oversight board. Repayments shall be transferred to the Low and Moderate Income Housing Asset Fund established pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 34176 as a housing asset and shall be used in a manner consistent with the affordable housing requirements of the Community Redevelopment Law (Part 1 (commencing with Section 33000)).

(2) For purposes of this part, “enforceable obligation” does not include any agreements, contracts, or arrangements between the city, county, or city and county that created the redevelopment agency and the former redevelopment agency. However, written agreements entered into (A) at the time of issuance, but in no event later than December 31, 2010, of indebtedness obligations, and (B) solely for the purpose of securing or repaying those indebtedness obligations may be deemed enforceable obligations for purposes of this part. Additionally, written agreements entered into (A) at the time of issuance, but in no event later than June 27, 2011, of indebtedness obligations solely for the refunding or refinancing of other indebtedness obligations that existed prior to January 1, 2011, and (B) solely for the purpose of securing or repaying the refunded or refinanced indebtedness obligations may be deemed enforceable obligations for purposes of this part. Notwithstanding this paragraph, loan agreements entered into between the redevelopment agency and the city, county, or city and county that created it, within two years of the date of creation of the redevelopment agency, may be deemed to be enforceable obligations. Notwithstanding this paragraph, an agreement entered into by the redevelopment agency prior to June 28, 2011, is an enforceable obligation if the agreement relates to state highway infrastructure improvements to which the redevelopment agency committed funds pursuant to Section 33445. Notwithstanding this paragraph, an agreement between the city, county, or city and county that created the former redevelopment agency and the former redevelopment agency is an enforceable obligation if that agreement requires the former redevelopment agency to repay or fulfill an outstanding loan or development obligation imposed by a grant or loan awarded or issued by a federal agency, including the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, to the city, county, or city and county which subsequently loaned or provided those funds to the former redevelopment agency.

(3) Contracts or agreements between the former redevelopment agency and other public agencies, to perform services or provide funding for governmental or private services or capital projects outside of redevelopment project areas that do not provide benefit to the redevelopment project and thus were not properly authorized under Part 1 (commencing with Section 33000) shall be deemed void on the effective date of this part; provided, however, that such contracts or agreements for the provision of housing properly authorized under Part 1 (commencing with Section 33000) shall not be deemed void.

(e) “Indebtedness obligations” means bonds, notes, certificates of participation, or other evidence of indebtedness, issued or delivered by the redevelopment agency, or by a joint exercise of powers authority created by the redevelopment agency, to third-party investors or bondholders to finance or refinance redevelopment projects undertaken by the redevelopment agency in compliance with the Community Redevelopment Law (Part 1 (commencing with Section 33000)).

(f) “Oversight board” shall mean each entity established pursuant to Section 34179.

(g) “Recognized obligation” means an obligation listed in the Recognized Obligation Payment Schedule.

(h) “Recognized Obligation Payment Schedule” means the document setting forth the minimum payment amounts and due dates of payments required by enforceable obligations for each six-month fiscal period until June 30, 2016, as provided in subdivision (m) of Section 34177. On and after July 1, 2016, “Recognized Obligation Payment Schedule” means the document setting forth the minimum payment amounts and due dates of payments required by enforceable obligations for each fiscal year as provided in subdivision (o) of Section 34177.

(i) “School entity” means any entity defined as such in subdivision (f) of Section 95 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.

(j) “Successor agency” means the successor entity to the former redevelopment agency as described in Section 34173.

(k) “Taxing entities” means cities, counties, a city and county, special districts, and school entities, as defined in subdivision (f) of Section 95 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, that receive passthrough payments and distributions of property taxes pursuant to the provisions of this part.

(l) “Property taxes” include all property tax revenues, including those from unitary and supplemental and roll corrections applicable to tax increment.

(m) “Department” means the Department of Finance unless the context clearly refers to another state agency.

(n) “Sponsoring entity” means the city, county, or city and county, or other entity that authorized the creation of each redevelopment agency.

(o) “Final judicial determination” means a final judicial determination made by any state court that is not appealed, or by a court of appellate jurisdiction that is not further appealed, in an action by any party.

(p) From July 1, 2014, to July 1, 2018, inclusive, “housing entity administrative cost allowance” means an amount of up to 1 percent of the property tax allocated to the Redevelopment Obligation Retirement Fund on behalf of the successor agency for each applicable fiscal year, but not less than one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) per fiscal year.

(1) If a local housing authority assumed the housing functions of the former redevelopment agency pursuant to paragraph (2) or (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 34176, then the housing entity administrative cost allowance shall be listed by the successor agency on the Recognized Obligation Payment Schedule. Upon approval of the Recognized Obligation Payment Schedule by the oversight board and the department, the housing entity administrative cost allowance shall be remitted by the successor agency on each January 2 and July 1 to the local housing authority that assumed the housing functions of the former redevelopment agency pursuant to paragraph (2) or (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 34176.

(2) If there are insufficient moneys in the Redevelopment Obligations Retirement Fund in a given fiscal year to make the payment authorized by this subdivision, the unfunded amount may be listed on each subsequent Recognized Obligation Payment Schedule until it has been paid in full. In these cases the five-year time limit on the payments shall not apply.

(Amended by Stats. 2015, Ch. 325, Sec. 2. (SB 107) Effective September 22, 2015.)