§ 34A-501 — Power to issue Bonds

(a) The Authority may incur indebtedness by the issuance of its negotiable full faith and credit general obligation bonds (the "Bonds") in an amount not to exceed at any time the sum of $695,000,000 (excluding Bonds to be issued to refund outstanding Bonds) for the purpose of providing the Board with moneys for ordinary and necessary expenditures for educational purposes, maintenance of school facilities, and other operational needs of the Board; payment of outstanding debt obligations of the Board and of the City, the proceeds of which were used to provide financing for the Board; providing or increasing a working cash fund as provided by paragraph (d) of this Section 34A-501; providing the Board with moneys for school construction and rehabilitation purposes as provided by paragraph (e) of this Section; payment of fees for arrangements as provided by paragraph (c) of Section 34A-502; payment of interest on Bonds; establishment of reserves to secure Bonds; the payment of costs of issuance of Bonds; payment of principal of or interest or redemption premium on any Bonds or notes of the Authority; and all other expenditures of the Authority incidental to and necessary or convenient for carrying out its corporate purposes and powers, and in an additional amount not to exceed at any time the sum of $427,000,000 (excluding Bonds to be issued to refund outstanding Bonds) for the purpose of providing the Board with moneys for ordinary and necessary expenditures for educational purposes, maintenance of school facilities, and other operational needs of the Board; payment of fees for arrangements as provided by paragraph (c) of Section 34A-502; payment in connection with agreements or contracts entered into as provided for in Section 7 of the Bond Authorization Act; payment of interest on Bonds; establishment of reserves to secure Bonds; the payment of costs of issuance of Bonds; payment of principal of or interest or redemption premium on any Bonds or notes of the Authority; and all other expenditures of the Authority incidental to and necessary or convenient for carrying out its corporate purposes and powers. No more than $40,000,000 of proceeds of Bonds of the Authority shall be deposited in a working cash fund as provided by paragraph (d) of this Section 34A-501. No more than $95,000,000 of proceeds of Bonds of the Authority shall be provided to the Board for school construction and rehabilitation purposes; provided that not less than $32,000,000 nor more than $37,000,000 of such proceeds shall be used by the Board for constructing new school buildings or providing additions to school buildings. (b) The Authority may from time to time (i) issue Bonds to refund any outstanding Bonds or notes of the Authority whether the Bonds or notes to be refunded have or have not matured or become redeemable and (ii) issue Bonds partly to refund Bonds or notes then outstanding and partly for any other purpose hereinabove set forth. (c) Bonds issued in accordance with paragraph (a) of this Section may be issued in excess of any statutory limitation as to debt, and may be issued without referendum. (d) The Authority may create a working cash fund to provide working cash for the Board. Amounts in the working cash fund shall be used by the Authority to make loans from time to time to the Board to enable the Board to cover anticipated cash flow deficiencies which it may experience within the fiscal year of the Board in which the loan is made, all as and to the extent determined by the Authority. The loans shall be made in such amounts and upon such terms as the Board and the Authority shall agree. The Authority shall not under any circumstance be obligated to make any such loan. No interest need be charged on any such loan. The Board may pledge and assign to the repayment of such loans and may apply to that repayment any particular receipts of the Board which have not been pledged to the payment of any of the Board's bonds, notes, tax anticipation warrants or state aid anticipation certificates. Each loan shall be required to be repaid in full by the Board within the fiscal year of the Board in which the loan was made and, in any event, within 11 months from the date on which it was made. Interest and other investment earnings on the working cash fund shall be deposited in and shall be part of that fund. Whenever the Authority shall determine that all or part of the working cash fund is no longer needed for making loans to the Board as provided in this paragraph, the Authority shall reduce the amount of the fund so that the amount in the fund does not exceed the amount which the Authority determines is necessary for use for making future loans to the Board as provided in this paragraph. Upon any such reduction in the amount of the working cash fund and upon its abolition, all amounts in excess of the amounts to remain in the fund shall be deposited in the debt service fund established by the Authority for the Bonds for use for paying principal of Bonds at their maturity or on earlier redemption dates, redemption premium and any interest accruing on those Bonds, all as the Authority shall determine and direct. (e) For purposes of this Section, "school construction and rehabilitation purposes" means constructing new school buildings and rehabilitating and accomplishing the deferred maintenance existing as of August 31, 1984, of school buildings, including, without limitation, repairing, modernizing, providing additions to and facilities in, altering and reconstructing school buildings and equipment. Any interest or other investment earnings on proceeds of Bonds issued for the purpose of providing the Board with moneys for school construction and rehabilitation purposes shall be applied as provided in the resolution authorizing such Bonds, which resolution shall require those earnings to be used for the same purpose as the proceeds of those Bonds or for the payment of principal of or interest or redemption premium on any Bonds, either at maturity or an earlier redemption date. Application by the Authority of any proceeds of Bonds issued for the purpose of providing the Board with moneys for school construction and rehabilitation purposes, or interest or other investment earnings thereon, shall be in the sole judgment and discretion of the Authority, but no such moneys shall be so provided unless the Authority shall have found and determined, in its sole judgment and discretion, that such moneys are to be used for those purposes and not for providing the Board with moneys for its ordinary and necessary expenditures for educational purposes, maintenance of school facilities or other operational needs. The Authority may, in making its findings and determinations, rely upon information provided by or on behalf of the Board. The Authority may from time to time make and amend regulations and issue directives with respect to the use and application of such moneys. The Authority may, at any time, in its sole judgment and discretion, deposit unexpended proceeds of Bonds issued for the purpose of providing the Board with moneys for school construction and rehabilitation purposes or interest or other investment earnings thereon solely in a debt service fund for any Bonds and shall apply such moneys to the payment of principal of or interest or redemption premium on Bonds, at maturity or an earlier redemption date. In the resolution authorizing Bonds, the Authority may make commitments or covenants to holders of Bonds with respect to such use of such unexpended proceeds and interest or other investment earnings.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 88-511.)