Senate Bill No. 1029

Introduced by Senator Hertzberg

February 12, 2016

An act to amend Section 8855 of the Government Code, relating to state government.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 1029, as introduced, Hertzberg. California Debt and Investment Advisory Commission: accountability reports.

Existing law establishes the California Debt and Investment Advisory Commission to, among other things, maintain contact with state and municipal bond issuers, underwriters, investors, and credit rating agencies to improve the market for state and local government debt issues, and assist state and local governments to prepare, market, and sell its debt issues. Existing law requires the commission to collect, maintain, and provide comprehensive information on all state and all local debt authorization and issuance, and serve as a statistical clearinghouse for all state and local debt issuance.

This bill would additionally require the commission to track and report on all state and local outstanding debt until fully repaid or redeemed.

Existing law requires the issuer of debt of state or local government to submit reports to the commission, within specified time frames, of the proposed issuance of debt and of final sale, as provided.

This bill would require that the report of proposed debt include a certification by the issuer that it has adopted local debt policies, which include specified provisions, concerning the use of debt and that the contemplated debt issuance is consistent with those local debt policies.

This bill would also require the issuer of any debt issue of state or local government that has either outstanding debt or debt that has been authorized by voter approval or by action of the issuer but not yet issued as of the end of the prior fiscal year to, no later than January 1 of each year, provide a debt accountability report to the commission that includes specified information with respect to each authorized debt issue as of the end of the prior fiscal year.

By adding to the duties of local officials with respect to reports to the commission, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 8855 of the Government Code is amended
to read:

8855.  

(a) There is created the California Debt and Investment
Advisory Commission, consisting of nine members, selected as
follows:

(1) The Treasurer, or his or her designee.

(2) The Governor or the Director of Finance.

(3) The Controller, or his or her designee.

(4) Two local government finance officers appointed by the
Treasurer, one each from among persons employed by a county
and by a city or a city and county of this state, experienced in the
issuance and sale of municipal bonds and nominated by
associations affiliated with these agencies.

(5) Two Members of the Assembly appointed by the Speaker
of the Assembly.

(6) Two Members of the Senate appointed by the Senate
Committee on Rules.

(b) (1) The term of office of an appointed member is four years,
but appointed members serve at the pleasure of the appointing
power. In case of a vacancy for any cause, the appointing power
shall make an appointment to become effective immediately for
the unexpired term.

(2) Any legislators appointed to the commission shall meet with
and participate in the activities of the commission to the extent
that the participation is not incompatible with their respective
positions as Members of the Legislature. For purposes of this
chapter, the Members of the Legislature shall constitute a joint
interim legislative committee on the subject of this chapter.

(c) The Treasurer shall serve as chairperson of the commission
and shall preside at meetings of the commission.

(d) Appointed members of the commission shall not receive a
salary, but shall be entitled to a per diem allowance of fifty dollars
($50) for each day’s attendance at a meeting of the commission
not to exceed three hundred dollars ($300) in any month, and
reimbursement for expenses incurred in the performance of their
duties under this chapter, including travel and other necessary
expenses.

(e) The commission may adopt bylaws for the regulation of its
affairs and the conduct of its business.

(f) The commission shall meet on the call of the chairperson,
at the request of a majority of the members, or at the request of
the Governor. A majority of all nonlegislative members of the
commission constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business.

(g) The office of the Treasurer shall furnish all administrative
assistance required by the commission.

(h) The commission shall do all of the following:

(1) Assist all state financing authorities and commissions in
carrying out their responsibilities as prescribed by law, including
assistance with respect to federal legislation pending in Congress.

(2) Upon request of any state or local government units, to assist
them in the planning, preparation, marketing, and sale of debt
issues to reduce cost and to assist in protecting the issuer’s credit.

(3) Collect, maintain, and provide comprehensive information
on all state and all local debt authorization and issuance, begin insert end insert begin insert track and
report on all state and local outstanding debt until fully repaid or
redeemed, end insert and serve as a statistical clearinghouse for all state and
local begin delete debt issues. end delete begin insert debt. end insert This information shall be begin delete readily end delete available
begin delete upon request by any public official or any member of end delete begin insert to end insert the public.

(4) Maintain contact with state and municipal bond issuers,
underwriters, credit rating agencies, investors, and others to
improve the market for state and local government debt issues.

(5) Undertake or commission studies on methods to reduce the
costs and improve credit ratings of state and local issues.

(6) Recommend changes in state laws and local practices to
improve the sale and servicing of state and local debts.

(7) Establish a continuing education program for local officials
having direct or supervisory responsibility over municipal
investments and debt issuance. The commission shall undertake
these and any other activities necessary to disclose investment and
debt issuance practices and strategies that may be conducive for
oversight purposes.

(8) Collect, maintain, and provide information on local agency
investments of public funds for local agency investment.

(9) Publish a monthly newsletter describing and evaluating the
operations of the commission during the preceding month.

(i) The issuer of any proposed debt issue of state or local
government shall, no later than 30 days prior to the sale of any
debt issue, submit a report of the proposed issuance to the
commission by any method approved by the commission. This
subdivision shall also apply to any nonprofit public benefit
corporation incorporated for the purpose of acquiring student loans.
The commission may require information to be submitted in the
report of proposed debt issuance that it considers appropriate.
Failure to submit the report shall not affect the validity of the sale.
begin insert The report of proposed debt issuance shall include a certification
by the issuer that it has adopted local debt policies concerning the
use of debt and that the contemplated debt issuance is consistent
with those local debt policies. A local debt policy shall include all
of the following: end insert

begin insert

(1) The purposes for which the debt proceeds may be used or
are prohibited.

end insert begin insert

(2) The types of debt that may be issued or prohibited.

end insert begin insert

(3) The relationship of the debt to, and integration with, the
issuer’s capital improvement program or budget.

end insert begin insert

(4) Policy goals related to the issuer’s planning goals and
objectives.

end insert begin insert

(5) The internal control procedures that the issuer has
implemented, or will implement, to ensure that the proceeds of the
proposed debt issuance will be directed to the intended use upon
completion of the issuance.

end insert

(j) The issuer of any debt issue of state or local government,
not later than 21 days after the sale of the debt, shall submit a report
of final sale to the commission by any method approved by the
commission. A copy of the final official statement for the issue
shall accompany the report of final sale. If there is no official
statement, the issuer shall provide each of the following documents,
if they exist, along with the report of final sale:

(1) Other disclosure document.

(2) Indenture.

(3) Installment sales agreement.

(4) Loan agreement.

(5) Promissory note.

(6) Bond purchase contract.

(7) Resolution authorizing the issue.

(8) Bond specimen.

The commission may require information to be submitted in the
report of final sale that it considers appropriate. The issuer may
redact confidential information contained in the documents if the
redacted information is not information that is otherwise required
to be reported to the commission.

begin insert

(k) (1) The issuer of any debt issue of state or local government
that has either outstanding debt or debt that has been authorized
by voter approval or by action of the issuer but not yet issued as
of the end of the prior fiscal year shall, no later than January 1 of
each year, provide a debt accountability report to the commission
that includes the following information with respect to each
authorized debt issue as of the end of the prior fiscal year:

end insert begin insert

(A) The principal amount of the issue then outstanding.

end insert begin insert

(B) The amount of proceeds of the issue that remain unspent.

end insert begin insert

(C) The amount of debt authorized by the bond act or other
appropriate authorization relevant to the issue that remains
authorized but not issued.

end insert begin insert

(D) A list of the purposes for which the debt has been issued
and the amounts expended for each purpose in the prior fiscal
year from the proceeds of the issue.

end insert begin insert

(E) Any additional information the commission deems
appropriate to fulfill its statutory duties, to be provided in a format
prescribed by the commission.

end insert begin insert

(2) The requirements of subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive, of
paragraph (1) may be satisfied by submitting to the commission
a certified copy of the issuer’s annual report of financial
transactions for the immediately preceding fiscal year submitted
to the Controller, as required by Section 12463, in the form and
manner prescribed by the commission.

end insert

SEC. 2.  

If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.