(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, a mutual water company may enter into a joint powers agreement with any public agency for the purpose of jointly exercising any power common to the contracting parties.
(b) (1) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, a mutual water company and a public agency may enter into a joint powers agreement for the purpose of risk-pooling in accordance with Section 990.8, provided that the agreement shall ensure that no participating public agency becomes responsible for the underlying debts or liabilities of the joint powers agency, and shall indemnify any participating public agency against those debts and liabilities.
(2) A joint powers agency established pursuant to this subdivision shall solely utilize any revenues it generates through the insurance provided to its members under this section for its necessary operating expenses, and to provide technical support, continuing education, safety engineering, operational and managerial advisory assistance to its members for the purpose of reducing risk liabilities and furthering the technical managerial and financial capacity of those members.
(c) For purposes of this section, “mutual water company” has the same meaning as the term does in Section 14300 of the Corporations Code.
(Amended by Stats. 2015, Ch. 250, Sec. 2. (AB 656) Effective January 1, 2016.)