(a) The commission shall review and approve with or without amendments, wholly, partially, or conditionally, or disapprove proposals for the establishment of new or different functions or class of services, or the divestiture of the power to provide particular functions or class of services, within all or part of the jurisdictional boundaries of a special district, after a public hearing called and held for that purpose. The commission shall not approve a proposal for the establishment of new or different functions or class of services within the jurisdictional boundaries of a special district unless the commission determines that the special district will have sufficient revenues to carry out the proposed new or different functions or class of services except as specified in paragraph (1).

(1) The commission may approve a proposal for the establishment of new or different functions or class of services within the jurisdictional boundaries of a special district where the commission has determined that the special district will not have sufficient revenue to provide the proposed new or different functions or class of services, if the commission conditions its approval on the concurrent approval of sufficient revenue sources pursuant to Section 56886. In approving a proposal, the commission shall provide that if the revenue sources pursuant to Section 56886 are not approved, the authority of the special district to provide new or different functions or class of services shall not be established.

(2) Unless otherwise required by the principal act of the subject special district, or unless otherwise required by Section 57075, the approval by the commission for establishment of new or different functions or class of services, or the divestiture of the power to provide particular functions or class of services, shall not be subject to an election.

(b) At least 21 days prior to the date of that hearing, the executive officer shall give mailed notice of the hearing to each affected local agency or affected county, and to any interested party who has filed a written request for notice with the executive officer. In addition, at least 21 days prior to the date of that hearing, the executive officer shall cause notice of the hearing to be published in accordance with Section 56153 in a newspaper of general circulation that is circulated within the territory affected by the proposal proposed to be adopted.

(c) The commission may continue from time to time any hearing called pursuant to this section. The commission shall hear and consider oral or written testimony presented by any affected local agency, affected county, or any interested person who appears at any hearing called and held pursuant to this section.

(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 89, Sec. 3. (SB 938) Effective January 1, 2023.)