§ 63049.4. — 63049.4. (Amended by Stats. 2009, Ch. 28, Sec. 2.)

(a)
On and after the effective date of each sale of tobacco assets, the state shall have no right, title, or interest in or to the tobacco assets sold, and the tobacco assets so sold shall be property of the special purpose trust and not of the state, the bank board, the State Public Works Board, or the bank, and shall be owned, received, held, and disbursed by the special purpose trust or the trustee for the financing. None of the tobacco assets sold by the state pursuant to this article shall be subject to garnishment, levy, execution, attachment, or other process, writ, including, but not limited to, a writ of mandate, or remedy in connection with the assertion or enforcement of any debt, claim, settlement, or judgment against the state, the bank board, the State Public Works Board, or the bank.
On or before the effective date of any sale, the state, acting through its Attorney General, upon direction of the bank, shall notify the California escrow agent under the Master Settlement Agreement and the California escrow agreement that the sold tobacco assets have been sold to the special purpose trust and irrevocably instruct the California escrow agent that, as of the applicable effective date, the tobacco assets sold are to be paid directly to the trustee for the applicable bonds of the special purpose trust. The state pledges to and agrees with the holders of any bonds issued by the special purpose trust that it will not amend the Master Settlement Agreement, the memorandum of understanding, or the California escrow agreement, or take any other action, in any way that would materially adversely alter, limit, or impair the rights to receive tobacco assets sold to the special purpose trust pursuant to this article, nor in any way materially impair the rights and remedies of bondholders or the security for their bonds until those bonds, together with the interest thereon and costs and expenses in connection with any action or proceeding on behalf of the bondholders, are fully paid and discharged. The state further pledges and agrees that it shall enforce its rights to collect all moneys due from the participating tobacco products manufacturers under the Master Settlement Agreement and, in addition, shall diligently enforce the model statute as contemplated in the Master Settlement Agreement (Article 3 (commencing with Section 104555) of Chapter 1 of Part 3 of Division 103 of the Health and Safety Code) against all tobacco product manufacturers selling tobacco products in the state and that are not signatories to the Master Settlement Agreement, in each case in the manner and to the extent necessary in the judgment of the Attorney General to collect all moneys to which the state is entitled under the Master Settlement Agreement. The special purpose trust may include these pledges and undertakings in its bonds. Notwithstanding these pledges and undertaking by the state, the Attorney General may in his or her discretion enforce any and all provisions of the Master Settlement Agreement, without limitation.
(b)
Bonds issued pursuant to this article shall not be deemed to constitute a debt of the state or a pledge of the faith or credit of the state, and all bonds shall contain on the face thereof a statement to the effect that neither the faith and credit nor the taxing power nor any other assets or revenues of the state or of any political subdivision thereof, other than the special purpose trust, is or shall be pledged to the payment of the principal of or the interest on the bonds.
(c)
Whether or not the bonds are of a form and character as to be negotiable instruments under the terms of the Uniform Commercial Code, the bonds are hereby made negotiable instruments for all purposes, subject only to the provisions of the bonds for registration.
(d)
The special purpose trust and the bank shall be treated as public agencies for purposes of Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 860) of Title 10 of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure, and any action or proceeding challenging the validity of any matter authorized by this article shall be brought in accordance with, and within the time specified in, that chapter.
(e)
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the exclusive means to obtain review of a superior court judgment entered in an action brought pursuant to Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 860) of Title 10 of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure to determine the validity of any bonds to be issued, or any other contracts to be entered into, or any other matters authorized by this article, shall be by petition to the Supreme Court for writ of review. Any petition shall be filed within 15 days following the notice of entry of the superior court judgment, and no extension of that period may be allowed. If no petition is filed within the time allowed therefor, or the petition is denied, with or without opinion, the decision of the superior court shall be final and enforceable as provided in subdivision (a) of Section 870 of the Code of Civil Procedure. In any case in which a petition has been filed within the time allowed therefor, the Supreme Court shall make any orders, as it may deem proper in the circumstances. If no answering party appeared in the superior court action, the only issues that may be raised in the petition are those related to the jurisdiction of the superior court.
(f)
The Attorney General may negotiate amendments to the Master Settlement Agreement, the memorandum of understanding, and the California escrow agreement, provided that those amendments do not materially adversely alter, limit, or impair the rights to receive tobacco assets sold to the special purpose trust pursuant to this article, nor in any way materially impair the rights and remedies of bondholders or the security for their bond until those bonds, together with the interest on the bonds and costs and expenses in connection with any action or proceeding on behalf of the bondholders, are fully paid and discharged.

Legislative History

Amended by Stats. 2009, Ch. 28, Sec. 2. Effective August 6, 2009.