(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this division, federal funds available to the commission pursuant to this chapter may be used by the commission to augment funding for any programs or measures authorized by this division unless otherwise prohibited by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The commission may administer any funds used to augment other programs using the procedures of the augmented program consistent with applicable federal law.

(b) This section shall be liberally construed to maximize the commission’s ability to utilize and award federal funds expeditiously and in accordance with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 or federal acts related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

(c) (1) Of the moneys appropriated to the commission in the 2016–17 fiscal year from the moneys derived from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 in the Federal Trust Fund for purposes authorized by Section 25461, the sum of two million five hundred thousand dollars ($2,500,000) is hereby allocated for purposes consistent with subdivision (l) of Section 3823. No later than February 1, 2017, the commission shall issue a competitive solicitation for projects pursuant to subdivision (l) of Section 3823 to be funded from this allocation.

(2) Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, for the 2017–18 fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter until all moneys in the Federal Trust Fund derived from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 have been encumbered or expended, the sum of two million five hundred thousand dollars ($2,500,000) annually is hereby continuously appropriated to the commission for the purposes authorized by Section 25461.

(Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 539, Sec. 2. (SB 1074) Effective January 1, 2017.)