(a)
As approved annually by the Legislature in the Budget Act, the department, notwithstanding Section 14022, may expend money repaid to the state pursuant to any contract executed under Section 14011 as necessary for the administration of contracts entered into by the department under this chapter, but those expenditures may not in any year exceed 1.5 percent of the amount repaid to the state in that year. Charges incurred by the Attorney General in protecting the state’s interest in the use and repayment of grant and loan funds under this chapter may be paid by the department from these funds, but those charges may not exceed one-half of 1 percent of the amount repaid to the state in that year. Any of the above sums approved by the Legislature, but unexpended by the department at the end of any year, shall automatically revert to the General Fund.
(b)
Except as provided in subdivision (a), all money repaid to the state pursuant to any contract executed under Section 14011 shall be deposited in the General Fund and, when so deposited, shall be applied as a reimbursement to the General Fund on account of principal and interest on bonds issued pursuant to this chapter which has been paid from the General Fund.
(c)
The department may enter into contracts with suppliers of water for grants or short-term loans for the purpose of investigating and identifying alternatives for system improvements. Any loans or grants pursuant to this section shall be made from the fund. No supplier may receive for a single investigation more than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) in the form of a loan or grant pursuant to this section. The State Department of Health Services shall review all proposed investigations and shall determine if they are necessary and appropriate.
(d)
Any contract entered into pursuant to this section shall include terms and conditions consistent with this chapter, and any loan contract shall provide for a repayment period not to exceed 24 months.
(e)
Not more than six million dollars ($6,000,000) may be expended for the purposes of this section, of which not more than two million dollars ($2,000,000) may be used for grants to public agencies. A loan or grant made for the purposes of this section shall not decrease the maximum amount of any other loan or grant which may be made under this chapter, Chapter 10.2 (commencing with Section 13810), Chapter 10.5 (commencing with Section 13850), Chapter 10.6 (commencing with Section 13880), or Chapter 10.7 (commencing with Section 13895).