(a) The Transportation Revolving Account in the State Transportation Fund is hereby created. With the approval of the Department of Finance, there shall be transferred to, or deposited in, the account all money appropriated, contributed, or made available from any source, including sources other than state appropriations, for expenditure on work within the powers and duties of the Department of Transportation, including, but not limited to, services, surveys, reports, major and minor construction, maintenance, improvements, and equipment as authorized by the state agency for which such an appropriation is made or, as to funds from sources other than state appropriations, as may be authorized by written agreement between the contributor of such funds and the Department of Transportation when approved by the Department of Finance.

(b) Money so transferred or deposited is continuously appropriated for expenditure by the Department of Transportation for the purposes for which appropriated, contributed, or made available without regard to fiscal years and Section 16304 of the Government Code. The Department of Transportation may withdraw from the account for use in work for other public agencies, local, state, or federal, such sums as may be necessary for such work where the money to be paid by such other agencies is not deposited in the account in advance of the work being done.

(c) The Department of Transportation shall file against the account all claims covering expenditures incurred, including expenditures incurred prior to the effective date of the act enacting this section, in connection with services, surveys, reports, major and minor construction, maintenance, improvements, and equipment, and the State Controller shall draw his warrant therefor against the account.

(d) The Department of Transportation shall keep a record of all expenditures chargeable against each specific portion of the account, and any unused balance in any portion of the account shall, on approval by the Department of Finance, be withdrawn from the account and transferred to the credit of the appropriation from which it was transferred or, as to funds from other than state appropriations, be paid out or refunded as provided in the agreement relating to the contribution.

(e) The Director of Transportation may authorize the refund of money received or collected by the department in payment of fees, licenses, permits, tolls, or for rentals, property, or services, wherein the license, permit, rental, property, or service cannot lawfully be issued, furnished, or transferred to the person making the payment, or in cases where the payment, in whole or in part, represents overpayment or payment in duplicate.

(f) The provisions of this section shall only be operative during those fiscal years in which funds in the State Highway Account in the State Transportation Fund are appropriated by the Budget Act for such fiscal years.

(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Controller may use the funds in the Transportation Revolving Account in the State Transportation Fund for cashflow loans to the General Fund as provided in Sections 16310 and 16381 of the Government Code. Any such loan shall be exempt from paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 16310 of the Government Code. Interest shall be paid on all moneys loaned to the General Fund and shall be computed at a rate determined by the Pooled Money Investment Board to be the current earning rate of the fund from which the money is loaned. This subdivision does not authorize any transfer that would interfere with the carrying out of the object for which these funds were created.

(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 1, Sec. 7. (SB 95) Effective February 3, 2012.)