(a) The California Central Coast State Veterans Cemetery at Fort Ord Endowment Fund is hereby created in the State Treasury. Moneys in the Endowment Fund shall be allocated, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the department for the nonreimbursable costs of design and construction and the annual operations and maintenance costs of the veterans cemetery for the next 10 years.
(b) Moneys in the fund may be invested to generate earnings to offset annual operations and maintenance costs associated with the veterans cemetery.
(c) (1) The Endowment Fund may consist of donations from public and private entities, partnerships between public and private entities, fees, cash advances, and transfers from the state General Fund as may be specified by law.
(2) The department may enter into any financial agreement to receive cash advances in the Endowment Fund, provided that the agreement does not require the state to repay or make payments on cash advances and the agreement is reviewed and approved by the Department of Finance.
(d) To the extent possible, donations made in-kind to the Endowment Fund shall be monetized so as to offset the ongoing operations and maintenance costs under Sections 1452 and 1453.
(e) Earnings generated by the Endowment Fund shall be retained by the fund.
(f) Moneys deposited in the Endowment Fund are exempt from the requirements of Article 2 (commencing with Section 11270) of Chapter 3 of Part 1 of Division 3 of the Government Code.
(g) Moneys in the Endowment Fund shall be invested by the Treasurer, after consultation with the department, in a manner that best meets the goals of the fund.
(h) If, through changes in state or federal law, additional revenues are identified for the operations and maintenance of the cemetery, including increases in federal burial allowances, so that the amount of annual revenue exceeds the annual operations and maintenance costs, the excess revenues shall be deposited in the Endowment Fund.
(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 92, Sec. 163. (SB 1289) Effective January 1, 2019.)