(a) The Legislature finds and declares that many public entities that provide public utility service have imposed capital facilities fees applicable to users of public utility facilities in order to equitably apportion the cost of capital facilities construction or expansion required by all public and private users of the facilities. In the recent decision in San Marcos Water Dist. v. San Marcos Unified School Dist., 42 Cal. 3d 154, the California Supreme Court held that public entities cannot be made subject to these fees without statutory authorization. As a result, the fiscal stability and service capabilities of the affected public utility service agencies which have in good faith collected and spent these fees for capital improvements are seriously impaired as is the ability to finance essential future facilities.

(b) The Legislature further finds that the holding in the San Marcos Water Dist. v. San Marcos Unified School Dist., 42 Cal. 3d 154, should be revised to authorize payment and collection of capital facilities fees subject to the limitations set forth in this chapter, and in furtherance of this finding the Legislature hereby enacts the following provisions.

(Added by Stats. 1988, Ch. 53, Sec. 1. Effective March 24, 1988.)