(a) The Legislature finds that it is in the best interest of the communities on the Monterey Peninsula that any joint exercise of powers authority formed under this article to which the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District and one or more other public agencies are members is authorized to issue water rate relief bonds, hereafter “agency bonds,” the proceeds of which will be used to purchase water rate relief bonds that are authorized to be issued by an affiliate of a qualifying water utility in a financing order issued pursuant to Article 5.7 (commencing with Section 849) of Chapter 4 of Part 1 of Division 1 of the Public Utilities Code, to fund any necessary reserves and to pay the costs of issuance of the agency bonds. The agency bonds may be issued only if the commission finds in a financing order that the issuance, due to the availability of a federal or state income tax exemption, will provide savings to water customers on the Monterey Peninsula.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the joint powers agency may issue bonds pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 6540) or Article 4 (commencing with Section 6584). If the agency issues bonds under this section, the agency, notwithstanding Article 5 (commencing with Section 53760) of Chapter 4 of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5, shall not be eligible to file for bankruptcy pursuant to Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 901) of Title 11 of the United States Code as long as the bonds and any related financing costs are outstanding and unpaid and shall remain ineligible for a period of one year and one day after repayment of the bonds and any related financing costs.

(Added by Stats. 2014, Ch. 482, Sec. 5. (SB 936) Effective January 1, 2015.)