(a) In addition to all other powers granted elsewhere in this chapter, and subject to the express provisions of its certificate of incorporation, an authority shall have the following powers, together with all powers incidental thereto or necessary to the discharge thereof in corporate form:
(1) To have succession by its corporate name for the duration of time, which may be in perpetuity, specified in its certificate of incorporation, or until dissolved as provided in Section 11-101A-24.
(2) To sue and be sued in its own name in civil suits and actions, and to defend suits and actions against it, subject, however, to Chapter 93 of this title, which chapter is hereby made applicable to the authority.
(3) To adopt, alter, amend, and repeal bylaws, regulations, and rules for the regulation and conduct of its affairs and business.
(4) To adopt and make use of a corporate seal and to alter the same at pleasure.
(5) To acquire, whether by purchase, construction, exchange, gift, lease, or otherwise and to improve, maintain, equip, and furnish one or more projects, including all real and personal properties which the board deems necessary in connection therewith, regardless of whether any projects are then in existence, at such place or places, within and without the boundaries of its authorizing subdivisions, as it considers necessary or advisable.
(6) To lease or otherwise make available its projects or other of its properties or assets, with or without charge, to the United States or to one or more of its authorizing subdivisions, for sublease to the United States, on such terms as the board deems appropriate, to charge and collect rent or other fees or charges therefor, if any, and to terminate any lease or other agreement upon the failure of the lessee or other party to comply with any of its obligations thereunder.
(7) To receive, acquire, take, and hold, whether by purchase, gift, transfer, foreclosure, lease, devise, option, or otherwise, real and personal property of every description, or any interest therein, and to manage, improve, and dispose of the same by any form of legal conveyance or transfer. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the authority shall not, without the prior approval of the governing body of each authorizing subdivision, dispose of all or substantially all its assets. The foregoing provision shall not be construed to require the prior approval of any governing body for the mortgage or pledge of all or substantially all its assets or for the foreclosure of any mortgage or sale or for any sale or other disposition thereunder.
(8) To mortgage, pledge, or otherwise convey its property and its revenues from any source, including, without limitation, any amounts payable to the authority by an authorizing subdivision in accordance with an agreement entered into pursuant to Section 11-101A-10.
(9) To borrow money in order to provide funds for any lawful corporate function, use, or purpose and, in evidence of such borrowing, to sell and issue interest-bearing securities in the manner provided and subject to the limitations set forth in this chapter.
(10) To pledge for payment of any of its securities its revenues from any source, including, without limitation, any amounts payable to the authority by an authorizing subdivision in accordance with an agreement entered into pursuant to Section 11-101A-10, and to mortgage or pledge any or all of its projects or other assets or properties or any part or parts thereof, whether then owned or thereafter acquired, as security for the payment of the principal of and the interest and premium, if any, on any securities so issued and any agreements made in connection therewith.
(11) To enter into agreements with any person, firm, or corporation for the management by the person, firm, or corporation on behalf of the authority of any of its projects or other properties or for the more efficient or economical performance of clerical, accounting, administrative, and other functions relating to its projects or other properties.
(12) To make all needful or appropriate rules and regulations for the conduct of any properties owned or operated by it and to alter those rules and regulations.
(13) To provide for any insurance the business of the authority requires.
(14) To receive and accept from any source aid or contributions in the form of money, property, labor, or other things of value, to be held, used, and applied to carry out the purposes of this chapter, subject to any lawful condition upon which any aid or contributions may be given or made.
(15) To enter into contracts with, to accept aid, loans, and grants from, to cooperate with, and to do any and all things not specifically prohibited by this chapter or the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, that may be necessary to avail itself of the aid and cooperation of the United States of America, the state, any county or municipality, or any agency, instrumentality, or political subdivision of any of the foregoing in furtherance of the purposes of this chapter; to give such assurances, contractual or otherwise, to or for the benefit of any of the foregoing as may be required in connection with, or as conditions precedent to the receipt of, any such aid, loan, or grant; and to take other action not in violation of law necessary to qualify the authority to receive funds appropriated by any of the foregoing.
(16) To give assurances, contractual or otherwise, and to make commitments and agreements necessary or desirable to preclude the exercise of any rights of recovery with respect to, or the forfeiture of title to, any of its projects or other property or any project or other property proposed to be acquired by it.
(17) To assume any obligations of any entity that conveys and transfers to the authority any project or other property, or interest therein, provided that those obligations appertain to the project, property, or interest so conveyed and transferred to the authority.
(18) To appoint, employ, contract with, and provide for the compensation of, such employees and agents, including, but not limited to, architects, attorneys, consultants, engineers, accountants, financial experts, fiscal agents, and other advisers, consultants, and agents as the business of the authority may require.
(19) To invest, in any trust fund established under and subject to the general laws of the state for investment or self-insurance purposes with investment authority as may be authorized by law for such trusts, any funds of the authority available therefor.
(20) To the extent permitted by its contracts with the holders of its securities, to purchase securities out of any of its funds or moneys available therefor and to hold, cancel, or resell those securities.
(21) To make any expenditure of any moneys under its control that would, if the authority were generally subject to state corporate income taxation, be considered an ordinary and necessary expense of the authority within the meaning of Section 40-18-35, and applicable regulations promulgated thereunder.
(22) To enter into such contracts, agreements, leases, and other instruments, and to take such other actions, as may be necessary or convenient to accomplish any purpose for which the authority was organized or to exercise any power expressly granted hereunder.
(23) To expend funds in support of federal facilities located in Alabama including support for the promotion of such facilities and support for the growth of such facilities and the activities performed at those facilities.
(b) The Legislature declares that no expenditure permitted by subdivision (21) of subsection (a) to be made by or on behalf of an authority shall be considered to be a lending of credit or a granting of public money or thing of value to or in aid of any individual, association, or corporation within the meaning of any constitutional or statutory provision. Nothing herein contained shall be construed as prohibiting or rendering unlawful any otherwise lawful expenditure made by or on behalf of an authority, solely because that expenditure is not expressly permitted by the terms of subdivision (21) of subsection (a).