(a) The department shall act as agent for the payment of possessory interest taxes due from persons to whom the department leases property of a type described in subdivision (e).

(b) The department shall annually provide a current list of all such property located in each county to the assessor of the county. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the assessor shall submit the possessory interest tax bill for each property directly to the department, and the department shall be responsible for the payment of the tax in the manner described in subdivision (c).

(c) All funds distributed to a county pursuant to Section 104.10 shall be deemed to be in full or partial payment on the total possessory interest taxes due on the property described in subdivision (e) located in the county. If the amount transferred to a county pursuant to Section 104.10 in any year is less than the total possessory interest tax due on all the property located in the county, the department shall promptly forward to the county the amount of the balance due.

(d) In lieu of the information required by Section 107.6 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, all leases of property of a type described in subdivision (e) shall contain a statement that the department will pay all possessory interest taxes arising from the lease and that the amount of rent charged reflects the cost of this added responsibility of the department.

(e) This section shall apply only to real property held for future state highway needs and to real property originally held for that purpose, which the department has determined is no longer needed for that purpose, prior to its sale or exchange by the department.

(Repealed and added by Stats. 1983, Ch. 213, Sec. 2.)