Public Utilities Code, 1951

The board must issue a written decision with written findings of fact within 30 days after the case is submitted, and send copies to petitioners and intervenors by registered mail.

The petitioner may apply for a writ of mandate within 40 days after the decision is mailed, and the district must prepare and deliver the record within 30 days after a request, if the preparation and certification costs are paid.

The district must follow Public Utilities Commission safety regulations and reimburse commission costs in certain regulatory situations.

“Legislative body” means a city or municipal governing body such as a board of supervisors, municipal council, commission, or similar body.

This section defines “powers of control” for municipal corporations regulating public utilities, and excludes certain general-public safety matters and common-carrier speed.

Claims for money or damages against the district are handled under specified Government Code provisions, unless those provisions or other applicable statutes or regulations provide otherwise.

This section says several utility-related terms have the same meanings they are given in Part 1, starting with Section 201.

The district may accept federal contributions or loans, enter related contracts and cooperation arrangements, and do what is necessary to use federal aid for transit facilities, subject to Chapter 8 procedures and limits.

The district may make agreements with the State or public agencies for transit facilities, and the State or a public agency may make contributions or assist the district.

The district may invest surplus money in its treasury in listed investment types, unless an agreement or covenant limits the kinds of investments.

The district may make investments by directly purchasing bonds, treasury notes, or other obligations, including at the original sale or later on the secondary market.

The district may sell certain investment securities it holds and reinvest the proceeds in similar securities.

The district must sell its purchased bonds, treasury notes, or obligations from time to time in season, so the proceeds can be used for the purposes tied to the original purchase money.

The board must adopt an ordinance imposing transactions and use taxes under the Revenue and Taxation Code rules, for the purposes stated elsewhere in the chapter.

A district must contract with the State Board of Equalization to administer and operate the ordinance, and the ordinance becomes operative on a specified later date tied to the effective date or contract execution.

The district must use specified tax revenues for listed transit-system purposes, may issue limited bonds under conditions, and the board must set bond terms by resolution.

After administrative costs are deducted, the collected tax revenue must be split 75% to the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District and 25% to be allocated by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission among listed transit operators.

Funds cannot be allocated unless the transit operator meets listed coordination, fare, and compliance conditions, and the commission may give a limited credit in some cases.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission may count certain excess local support as fare revenues if it finds this will help an operator maintain or improve vital transit within a coordinated fare structure.

If the Metropolitan Transportation Commission determines an operator has met the conditions in Section 29142.4, the commission must notify the State Board of Equalization, and the Board must then send the operator its share of the transaction and use taxes as soon as feasible.

Certain unallocated transit tax revenues must be invested through the Surplus Money Investment Fund, and the resulting amount and interest are available for allocation by the commission.

The district is authorized to finance itself by issuing revenue bonds and related notes, borrowing in advance of expected revenues, and pledging certain district income.

The district may borrow money, issue bonded debt, and levy taxes to pay principal and interest, but its bonded debt cannot exceed 15% of the assessed value of taxable property in the district.

Before seeking bonded indebtedness, the district must hire needed experts to prepare plans, estimates, and specifications for the proposed projects.

Engineers, economists, fiscal experts, and others must make reports to the district.

After receiving reports, the board must decide by resolution whether the proposed work plan is feasible and the project is necessary, and if so set the bond amount.

After the board adopts the reports made under Section 29152, it must send those reports to the county boards of supervisors for approval.

Each board of supervisors must set a public hearing after receiving the reports, and the hearing date must be between 30 and 60 days after the reports were received.

Each board of supervisors must, within 15 days after the public hearing, decide whether it approves the reports and file an executed copy of its resolution with the district secretary.

If the supervisors do not approve the reports, the district may revise and resubmit them. If no agreement is reached within six months, a county that did not approve the reports may withdraw. If it does not withdraw within 30 days after that six-month period, that is treated the same as approval, unless the district has already withdrawn the reports.

If the board finds the existing authorized bonded debt is not enough to cover facility costs, it must order the amount of additional bonds needed. Certain bond-election provisions do not apply after the district has issued all or part of its first authorized bond issue.

If the required approvals or order have been made, the board must call a special election and submit the bonded-indebtedness proposition to the district’s qualified voters.

A special bond election resolution must include specified bond, cost, tax, and election details, and the district may not call another substantially similar indebtedness election within 6 months after a failed vote.

The district must follow and is bound by the repayment rules in Section 37.5 of the 1949 Act.

A bond election under this section may be held separately or combined with another authorized election.

When a special bond election is called and is not consolidated with another election, the board must include specified precinct, polling place, and election-officer details in its resolution.

A special bond election notice must be published in newspapers before the election, with an alternative posting method if no newspaper is published in a county.

The district must bear the expenses of holding the election, unless the election is consolidated with another election.

Minor errors, irregularities, or omissions in a special bond election do not invalidate the election or the bonds if they do not affect substantial rights.

County elections officials must canvass election returns and certify the county election result to the district board within 30 days after the election.

Qualified district residents who meet California general-election qualifications may vote in a special bond election; the board must set poll hours, and the polls must stay open at least four hours between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.

At a special bond election, multiple indebtedness propositions may be submitted together, votes on each are counted separately, and a proposition is adopted if three-fifths of the qualified electors voting on it support it.

If three-fifths of votes at a special bond election support the debt proposal, the board may authorize and issue bonds by resolution.

The district may issue bearer bonds with coupons, make them subject to registration, appoint a registration agent, and set rules for registration and exchange.

The district may issue coupon bonds in $1,000 denominations or multiples of $1,000, and may set the terms for exchanging different denominations into other coupon bonds or registered bonds.

The district may issue registered bonds, but each bond must be in $1,000 denominations or multiples of $1,000.

Bonds must bear interest at no more than 8% per year, paid semiannually, with a special rule for the first year.

The district may redeem bonds before maturity, but the redemption premium cannot exceed 6% of principal, and early call or redemption must be stated on the bond face.

The district may choose where to pay bond principal and interest, and the bonds must state the payment place. Payment must be in U.S. coin or currency that is legal tender when payment is made.

Bonds must bear dates prescribed by the district.

The district may choose the bond form and set the maturities and annual amounts when authorizing the bonds.

A bond may not mature more than 50 years after its own date.

The district may split an authorized bond issue into multiple series or divisions and set different dates and maturity dates for each one.

The district may set the form of its bonds and coupons, and specified officers must sign, countersign, and authenticate them.

The district may issue temporary or interim bonds, certificates, or receipts before the actual issuance or delivery of bonds.

The district may allow bond interest to be paid from bond sale proceeds during project construction and for up to three years after.

The district must arrange to pay bond principal and interest by levying and collecting district taxes, unless available designated funds reduce or eliminate the need to levy those taxes.

General obligation bonds issued under this part are treated as lawful investments for specified funds and may also be used as security in the same situations as certain local government bonds.