The “State Highway Fund” is continued in existence as the State Highway Account in the State Transportation Fund. Any reference in any law or regulation to the State Highway Fund shall be deemed to refer to the State Highway Account in the State Transportation Fund.
There shall be transferred to, or deposited in, the State Highway Account all money appropriated, contributed, or made available from any source, including sources other than state appropriations, for expenditure on work within the powers and duties of the department, including, but not limited to, services, investigations, surveys, experiments, reports, right-of-way acquisitions, major and minor construction, maintenance, improvements, and equipment, as authorized
by the state agency for which such an appropriation is made, or as to funds from sources other than state appropriations, as may be authorized by written agreement between the contributor of such funds and the department.
Money so transferred or deposited is available for expenditure by the department for the purposes for which appropriated, contributed, or made available without regard to fiscal years and Section 16304 of the Government Code. The department may withdraw from the account for use in work for other public agencies, local, state, or federal, such sums as may be necessary for such work where the money to be paid by such other agencies is not deposited in the account in advance of the work being done.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Controller may use the funds in the State Highway Account in the State Transportation Fund for cashflow loans to the General Fund as provided in Sections 16310 and
16381 of the Government Code. Any such loan shall be exempt from paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 16310 of the Government Code. Interest shall be paid on all moneys loaned to the General Fund and shall be computed at a rate determined by the Pooled Money Investment Board to be the current earning rate of the fund from which the money is loaned. This subdivision does not authorize any transfer that would interfere with the carrying out of the object for which these funds were created.