As used in this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings:

Notwithstanding Section 13340, there is hereby appropriated from the General Fund in the State Treasury, for the purposes of this chapter, an amount that will equal the total of the following:

The board may request the Pooled Money Investment Board to make a loan from the Pooled Money Investment Account, in accordance with Section 16312, for purposes of this chapter. The amount of the request shall not exceed the amount of the unsold bonds which the committee has, by resolution, authorized to be sold for the purpose of this chapter, less any amount withdrawn pursuant to Section 8879.12. The board shall execute any documents as required by the Pooled Money Investment Board to obtain and repay the loan. Any amount loaned shall be deposited in the fund to be allocated by the California Transportation Commission in accordance with this chapter.

For the purpose of carrying out this chapter, the Director of Finance may, by executive order, authorize the withdrawal from the General Fund of any amount or amounts not to exceed the amount of the unsold bonds which the committee has, by resolution, authorized to be sold for the purpose of carrying out this chapter. Any amounts withdrawn shall be deposited in the Seismic Retrofit Bond Fund of 1996. Any money made available under this section shall be returned to the General Fund, plus the interest that the amounts would have earned in the Pooled Money Investment Account, from money received from the sale of bonds which would otherwise be deposited in that fund.

The bonds may be refunded in accordance with Article 6 (commencing with Section 16780) of the State General Obligation Bond Law. Approval by the electors of this act shall constitute approval of any refunding bonds issued pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law.

Notwithstanding anything in the State General Obligation Bond Law, the maximum maturity of any bonds authorized by this chapter shall not exceed 30 years from the date of each respective series. The maturity of each series shall be calculated from the date of each series.

The Legislature hereby finds and declares that, inasmuch as the proceeds from the sale of bonds authorized by this chapter are not “proceeds of taxes” as that term is used in Article XIII B of the California Constitution, the disbursement of these proceeds is not subject to the limitations imposed by that article.

Notwithstanding any provision of the State General Obligation Bond Law with regard to the proceeds from the sale of bonds authorized by this chapter that are subject to investment under Article 4 (commencing with Section 16470) of Chapter 3 of Part 2 of Division 4, the Treasurer may maintain a separate account for investment earnings, order the payment of those earnings to comply with any rebate requirement applicable under federal law, and may otherwise direct the use and investment of those proceeds so as to maintain the tax-exempt status of those bonds and to obtain any other advantage under federal law on behalf of the funds of this state.