(a) The Toll Bridge Seismic Retrofit Account is hereby created in the State Transportation Fund. The money in the account is hereby appropriated, without regard to fiscal years, to the department for the purpose of funding seismic retrofit or replacement of the bridges listed in Section 188.5. Notwithstanding Section 11012 of the Government Code, the department, in consultation with the Department of Finance and the Office of the State Treasurer, may authorize the investment of bond proceeds or commercial paper proceeds deposited into the account in obligations permitted by the Treasurer. Those invested amounts may be held by a trustee who is either the Treasurer or who is selected by the Treasurer. Authorized investments made pursuant to this section shall be included as cash balance for purposes of reporting the condition of the account in the Governor’s proposed budget or pursuant to the reporting requirement contained in subdivision (b) of Section 14556.9 of the Government Code.

(b) The Department of Finance shall provide notification to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and to the transportation policy committee in each house in the form of a financing plan or pro forma at least 60 days prior to the initial issuance of any commercial paper or the issuance of any bonds for purposes of the toll bridge seismic retrofit program. The financing plan or pro forma shall include all of the following components:

(1) The amount and form of the debt issuance or issuances, the term of the issuance or issuances, repayment and security provisions, the amount and structure of any reserve funds, and all other details of the proposed financing.

(2) All necessary information with respect to the sources and uses of funds to construct the projects identified in the toll bridge seismic retrofit program and the timing of expenditures by each fund source by fiscal year.

(3) An assessment of funding available for the Bay Area Toll Authority for authorized projects as a result of the financing.

(c) The Department of Finance is not required to provide additional notification to the Legislature after meeting the requirements of subdivision (b) unless additional bonds are issued or changes are made to existing bonds that alter the content of the financing plan it submitted under subdivision (b). The Department of Finance shall notify the Legislature within 60 days of the closing of a refunding or an advance refunding of an existing bond but is not required to include this information in its report under subdivision (b).

(d) No interest income earned as a result of investments made pursuant to subdivision (a), or from reserve funds created to support the financing, shall be used to pay project costs that are in excess of four billion six hundred thirty-seven million dollars ($4,637,000,000). No reserve funds, other than a required debt service reserve fund, shall be in place subsequent to the completion of the seismic retrofit projects.

(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Department of Finance may adjust the budgeting, accounting, and reporting system for the account so that unliquidated encumbrances are not reflected in the fund balance or financial statements.

(Amended by Stats. 2005, Ch. 76, Sec. 8. Effective July 19, 2005.)