CHAPTER 3.11. Financing of County Jail Facilities [15820.90. - 15820.907.]

Cal. Government Code - GOV 3.11.

in effect

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 15820.90. Section 15820.90.

For the purposes of this chapter, “participating county” means any county, or regional consortium of counties, within the state that has been certified to the State Public Works Board (SPWB) by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) as having satisfied all of the requirements set forth in Section 15820.906 for financing a local jail facility pursuant to this chapter.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 15820.901. Section 15820.901.

(a) The CDCR, a participating county, and the SPWB are authorized to acquire, design, and construct, a local jail facility approved by the Corrections Standards Authority (CSA) pursuant to Section 15820.906, or a site or sites owned by, or subject to a lease or option to purchase held by a participating county. The ownership interest of a participating county in the site or sites for a local jail facility must be determined by the SPWB to be adequate for purposes of its financing in order to be eligible under this chapter. (b) Notwithstanding Section 15815 of the Government Code, a participating county may acquire, design, or construct the local jail facility in accordance with its local contracting authority. Notwithstanding Section 14951, the participating county may assign an inspector during the construction of the project. (c) The CDCR, a participating county and the SPWB shall enter into a construction agreement for these projects that shall provide, at a minimum, performance expectations of the parties related to the acquisition, design, construction, or renovation of the local jail facility, guidelines and criteria for use and application of the proceeds of revenue bonds, notes, or bond anticipation notes issued by the SPWB to pay for the cost of the approved local jail facility project and ongoing maintenance and staffing responsibilities for the term of the financing. (d) The construction agreement shall include a provision that the participating county agrees to indemnify, defend, and save harmless the State of California for any and all claims and losses arising out of the acquisition, design, and construction of the project. The construction agreement may also contain additional terms and conditions that facilitate the financing by the SPWB. (e) The scope and cost of these approved local jail facility projects shall be subject to approval and administrative oversight by the SPWB. (f) For purposes of compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 of the Public Resources Code (commencing with Section 210000)), neither the SPWB nor the CDCR shall be deemed a lead or responsible agency; the participating county is the lead agency.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 15820.902. Section 15820.902.

Upon a participating county’s receipt of responsive construction bids, the SPWB and the CDCR may borrow funds for project costs after the project has been certified pursuant to Section 15820.90 from the Pooled Money Investment Account pursuant to Sections 16312 and 16313, or from any other appropriate source. In the event any of the revenue bonds, notes or bond anticipation notes authorized by this chapter are not sold, the CDCR shall commit a sufficient amount of its support appropriation to repay any loans made for an approved project.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 15820.903. Section 15820.903.

(a) The SPWB may issue up to three hundred forty million eight hundred sixty-six thousand dollars ($340,866,000) in revenue bonds, notes, or bond anticipation notes, pursuant to Chapter 5 of Part 10b of Division 3 of Title 2 (commencing with Section 15830) to finance the acquisition, design, or construction, and a reasonable construction reserve, of approved local jail facilities described in Section 15820.901, and any additional amount authorized under Section 15849.6 to pay for the cost of financing. (b) Proceeds from the revenue bonds, notes, or bond anticipation notes may be utilized to reimburse a participating county for the costs of acquisition, preliminary plans, working drawings, and construction for approved projects. (c) Notwithstanding Section 13340, funds derived pursuant to this section and Section 15820.902 are continuously appropriated for purposes of this chapter. (d) This section shall become inoperative on June 30, 2017, and no project may be commenced after that date; however, projects that have already commenced by that date may be completed and financed with bonds issued pursuant to this chapter.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 15820.904. Section 15820.904.

In support of this state funding, the Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) The county jail system needs more capacity. (b) Without increased capacity, public safety throughout the state may be jeopardized by offenders who either remain in the community or are released early due to lack of jail capacity. (c) By expanding jail capacity, this funding will serve a critical state purpose by promoting public safety. (d) This purpose represents valuable consideration in exchange for this state action.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 15820.905. Section 15820.905.

With the consent of the SPWB, the CDCR, and a participating county are authorized to enter into leases or subleases, as lessor or lessee, for any property or approved project and are further authorized to enter into contracts or other agreements for the use, maintenance, and operation of the local jail facility in order to facilitate the financing authorized by this chapter. In those leases, subleases, or other agreements, the participating county shall agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the State of California for any and all claims and losses accruing and resulting from or arising out of the participating county’s use and occupancy of the local jail facility.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 15820.906. Section 15820.906.

(a) The CSA shall adhere to its duly adopted regulations for the approval or disapproval of local jail facilities. The CSA shall also consider cost-effectiveness in determining approval or disapproval. No state moneys shall be encumbered in contracts let by a participating county until either final architectural plans and specifications have been approved by the CSA, and subsequent construction bids have been received, or documents prepared by a participating county pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) of Section 20133 of the Public Contract Code have been approved by the CSA, and a design-build contract has been awarded pursuant to that section. The review and approval of plans, specifications, or other documents by the CSA are for the purpose of ensuring proper administration of moneys and determination of whether the project specifications comply with law and regulation. The CSA may require changes in construction materials to enhance safety and security if materials proposed at the time of final plans and specifications are not essential and customary as used statewide for facilities of the same security level. Participating counties are responsible for the acquisition, design, construction, staffing, operation, repair, and maintenance of the project. (b) The CSA shall establish minimum standards, funding schedules, and procedures, which shall take into consideration, but not be limited to, the following: (1) Certification by a participating county of project site control through either fee simple ownership of the site or comparable long-term possession of the site, and right of access to the projects sufficient to assure undisturbed use and possession. (2) Documentation of need for the project. (3) A written project proposal. (4) Submittal of a staffing plan for the project, including operational cost projections and documentation that the local jail facility will be able to be safety staffed and operated within 90 days of completion. (5) Submittal of architectural drawings, which shall be approved by the CSA for compliance with minimum adult detention facility standards and which shall also be approved by the State Fire Marshal for compliance with fire safety and life safety requirements. (6) Documentation evidencing the filing by a participating county of a final notice of determination on its environmental impact report. (7) Provisions intended to maintain the tax-exempt status of the bonds, notes, or bond anticipation notes issued by the SPWB.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 15820.907. Section 15820.907.

(a) Participating county matching funds for projects funded under this chapter shall be a minimum of 25 percent of the total project costs. The CSA may reduce matching fund requirements for participating counties with a general population below 200,000 upon petition by a participating county to the CSA requesting a lower level of matching funds. (b) The CDCR and CSA shall give funding preference to counties that assist the state in siting reentry facilities, pursuant to Section 6270. The CSA shall, to the extent possible, ensure that funds for the construction of new jail beds be coordinated with CDCR’s efforts to site new reentry facilities. (c) The CDCR and CSA shall give funding preference to counties that assist the state in siting mental health day treatment and crisis care, pursuant to Section 3073 of the Penal Code, and to counties that provide a continuum of care so that parolees with mental health and substance abuse needs can continue to receive services at the conclusion of their period of parole.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026