Connecticut 2019 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB07348 Latest Draft

Bill / Comm Sub Version Filed 04/15/2019

                             
 
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General Assembly  Raised Bill No. 7348  
January Session, 2019  
LCO No. 5460 
 
 
Referred to Committee on ENVIRONMENT  
 
 
Introduced by:  
(ENV)  
 
 
 
AN ACT CONCERNING BONDI NG AUTHORIZATIONS FO R CLEAN 
WATER FUND PROJECTS.  
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General 
Assembly convened: 
 
Section 1. Section 22a-483 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1 
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 2 
(a) For the purposes of sections 22a-475 to 22a-483, inclusive, the 3 
State Bond Commission shall have the power, from time to time to 4 
authorize the issuance of bonds of the state in one or more series and 5 
in principal amounts, not exceeding in the aggregate one billion [seven 6 
hundred fifteen] eight hundred ninety-five million one hundred 7 
twenty-five thousand nine hundred seventy-six dollars, provided 8 
[eighty-five] ninety million dollars of said authorization shall be 9 
effective July 1, [2018] 2020. 10 
(b) The proceeds of the sale of any bonds, state bond anticipation 11 
notes or state grant anticipation notes issued pursuant to sections 22a-12 
475 to 22a-483, inclusive, shall be deposited in the Clean Water Fund 13 
and not less than [fifty] one hundred million dollars of such proceeds 14 
shall be deposited in the Long Island Sound clean-up account of said 15  Raised Bill No. 7348 
 
 
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fund, not less than five million dollars of such proceeds shall be made 16 
available for physical improvements to coves, embayments, coastal 17 
wetlands and salt marshes in physical proximity to Long Island Sound 18 
and not less than twenty million dollars of such proceeds shall be 19 
made available for the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental 20 
Protection to provide grants on a competitive basis for demonstration 21 
projects to reduce nonpoint source pollution of Long Island Sound, 22 
following establishment by the commissioner of criteria for the 23 
awarding of such grants. 24 
(c) All provisions of section 3-20, or the exercise of any right or 25 
power granted thereby which are not inconsistent with the provisions 26 
of sections 22a-475 to 22a-483, inclusive, are hereby adopted and shall 27 
apply to all bonds authorized by the State Bond Commission pursuant 28 
to said sections, and temporary notes in anticipation of the money to 29 
be derived from the sale of any such bonds so authorized may be 30 
issued in accordance with said section 3-20 and from time to time 31 
renewed. None of said bonds shall be authorized except upon a 32 
finding by the State Bond Commission that there has been filed with it 33 
a request for such authorization, which is signed by or on behalf of the 34 
Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management and states such 35 
terms and conditions as said commission, in its discretion, may 36 
require. Said bonds issued pursuant to sections 22a-475 to 22a-483, 37 
inclusive, may be general obligations of the state and in such case the 38 
full faith and credit of the state of Connecticut are pledged for the 39 
payment of the principal of and interest on said bonds as the same 40 
become due, and accordingly and as part of the contract of the state 41 
with the holders of said bonds, appropriation of all amounts necessary 42 
for punctual payment of such principal and interest is hereby made, 43 
and the Treasurer shall pay such principal and interest as the same 44 
become due. Such general obligation bonds shall mature at such time 45 
or times not exceeding twenty years from their respective dates as may 46 
be provided in or pursuant to the resolution or resolutions of the State 47 
Bond Commission authorizing such general obligation bonds. The 48 
state, acting by and through the State Bond Commission, is hereby 49  Raised Bill No. 7348 
 
 
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authorized to issue from time to time general obligation bonds in such 50 
sums as is appropriate and necessary to meet the state's matching 51 
requirement for eligibility pursuant to the federal Water Quality Act of 52 
1987 or the federal Safe Drinking Water Act or other similar federal act, 53 
provided such sums shall not exceed the aggregate principal amounts 54 
of bonds authorized pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. 55 
Whenever such bonds are so authorized, the state's obligations shall be 56 
issued on such terms and conditions as shall be determined and 57 
established by the Treasurer. Such bonds shall bear such rate of 58 
interest as the treasurer shall determine, by reference to such open 59 
market indices for obligations having similar terms and characteristics 60 
as the Treasurer shall determine relevant, in order to arrive at a taxable 61 
rate of interest on the obligations of the state issued and sold to the 62 
Clean Water Fund. The Treasurer shall deliver such bonds to the Clean 63 
Water Fund upon the receipt of evidence from the Environmental 64 
Protection Agency evidencing satisfaction by the state of its federal 65 
matching requirement pursuant to the federal Water Quality Act of 66 
1987 or the federal Safe Drinking Water Act or other similar federal act. 67 
(d) Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall preclude 68 
the State Bond Commission from authorizing the issuance of revenue 69 
bonds, in principal amounts not exceeding in the aggregate [three] 70 
four billion [eight] two hundred eighty-four million eighty thousand 71 
dollars, provided three hundred fifty million three hundred thousand 72 
dollars of said authorization shall be effective July 1, [2018] 2020, that 73 
are not general obligations of the state of Connecticut to which the full 74 
faith and credit of the state of Connecticut are pledged for the payment 75 
of the principal and interest. Such revenue bonds shall mature at such 76 
time or times not exceeding thirty years from their respective dates as 77 
may be provided in or pursuant to the resolution or resolutions of the 78 
State Bond Commission authorizing such revenue bonds. The revenue 79 
bonds, revenue state bond anticipation notes and revenue state grant 80 
anticipation notes authorized to be issued under sections 22a-475 to 81 
22a-483, inclusive, shall be special obligations of the state and shall not 82 
be payable from nor charged upon any funds other than the revenues 83  Raised Bill No. 7348 
 
 
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or other receipts, funds or moneys pledged therefor as provided in 84 
said sections 22a-475 to 22a-483, inclusive, including the repayment of 85 
municipal loan obligations; nor shall the state or any political 86 
subdivision thereof be subject to any liability thereon except to the 87 
extent of such pledged revenues or the receipts, funds or moneys 88 
pledged therefor as provided in said sections 22a-475 to 22a-483, 89 
inclusive. The issuance of revenue bonds, revenue state bond 90 
anticipation notes and revenue state grant anticipation notes under the 91 
provisions of said sections 22a-475 to 22a-483, inclusive, shall not 92 
directly or indirectly or contingently obligate the state or any political 93 
subdivision thereof to levy or to pledge any form of taxation whatever 94 
therefor or to make any appropriation for their payment. The revenue 95 
bonds, revenue state bond anticipation notes and revenue state grant 96 
anticipation notes shall not constitute a charge, lien or encumbrance, 97 
legal or equitable, upon any property of the state or of any political 98 
subdivision thereof, except the property mortgaged or otherwise 99 
encumbered under the provisions and for the purposes of said sections 100 
22a-475 to 22a-483, inclusive. The substance of such limitation shall be 101 
plainly stated on the face of each revenue bond, revenue state bond 102 
anticipation note and revenue state grant anticipation note issued 103 
pursuant to said sections 22a-475 to 22a-483, inclusive, shall not be 104 
subject to any statutory limitation on the indebtedness of the state and 105 
such revenue bonds, revenue state bond anticipation notes and 106 
revenue state grant anticipation notes, when issued, shall not be 107 
included in computing the aggregate indebtedness of the state in 108 
respect to and to the extent of any such limitation. As part of the 109 
contract of the state with the owners of such revenue bonds, revenue 110 
state bond anticipation notes and revenue state grant anticipation 111 
notes, all amounts necessary for the punctual payment of the debt 112 
service requirements with respect to such revenue bonds, revenue 113 
state bond anticipation notes and revenue state grant anticipation 114 
notes shall be deemed appropriated, but only from the sources 115 
pledged pursuant to said sections 22a-475 to 22a-483, inclusive. The 116 
proceeds of such revenue bonds or notes may be deposited in the 117 
Clean Water Fund for use in accordance with the permitted uses of 118  Raised Bill No. 7348 
 
 
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such fund. Any expense incurred in connection with the carrying out 119 
of the provisions of this section, including the costs of issuance of 120 
revenue bonds, revenue state bond anticipation notes and revenue 121 
state grant anticipation notes may be paid from the accrued interest 122 
and premiums or from any other proceeds of the sale of such revenue 123 
bonds, revenue state bond anticipation notes or revenue state grant 124 
anticipation notes and in the same manner as other obligations of the 125 
state. All provisions of subsections (g), (k), (l), (s) and (u) of section 126 
3-20 or the exercise of any right or power granted thereby which are 127 
not inconsistent with the provisions of said sections 22a-475 to 22a-483, 128 
inclusive, are hereby adopted and shall apply to all revenue bonds, 129 
state revenue bond anticipation notes and state revenue grant 130 
anticipation notes authorized by the State Bond Commission pursuant 131 
to said sections 22a-475 to 22a-483, inclusive. For the purposes of 132 
subsection (o) of section 3-20, "bond act" shall be construed to include 133 
said sections 22a-475 to 22a-483, inclusive. 134 
(e) Any pledge made by the state pursuant to sections 22a-475 to 135 
22a-483, inclusive, is a statutory pledge and shall be valid and binding 136 
from the time when the pledge is made, and any revenues or other 137 
receipts, funds or moneys so pledged and thereafter received by the 138 
state shall be subject immediately to the lien of such pledge without 139 
any physical delivery thereof or further act. The lien of any such 140 
pledge shall be valid and binding as against all parties having claims 141 
of any kind in tort, contract or otherwise against the state, irrespective 142 
of whether such parties have notice thereof. Neither the resolution nor 143 
any other instrument by which a pledge is created need be recorded. 144 
Any pledge made by the state pursuant to sections 22a-475 to 22a-483, 145 
inclusive, to secure revenue bonds issued to finance eligible water 146 
quality projects shall secure only revenue bonds issued for such 147 
purpose and any such pledge made by the state to secure revenue 148 
bonds issued to finance eligible drinking water projects shall secure 149 
only revenue bonds issued for such purpose. 150 
(f) Whenever the General Assembly has authorized the State Bond 151  Raised Bill No. 7348 
 
 
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Commission to authorize bonds of the state for clean water projects 152 
and uses and has found that such projects and uses are for any of the 153 
purposes set forth in sections 22a-475 to 22a-483, inclusive, and 154 
whenever the State Bond Commission finds that the authorization of 155 
such bonds will be in the best interests of the state, the State Bond 156 
Commission shall authorize the issuance of such bonds from time to 157 
time in one or more series and in principal amounts not exceeding the 158 
aggregate amount authorized by the General Assembly. 159 
(g) Whenever the state has a written commitment to receive a grant-160 
in-aid or similar form of assistance with respect to a project or program 161 
for which the issuance of bonds has been authorized pursuant to 162 
sections 22a-475 to 22a-483, inclusive, the Treasurer may issue state 163 
grant anticipation notes in anticipation of the issuance of such a grant-164 
in-aid or other assistance provided (1) the total amount of such notes 165 
shall not exceed the amount of the grant commitment which has not 166 
been paid to the state and (2) all grant payments with respect to such 167 
project or program received by the state, to the extent required, shall 168 
be applied promptly toward repayment of such temporary notes as the 169 
same shall become due and payable, or shall be deposited in trust for 170 
such purpose. Notes evidencing such borrowings shall be signed by 171 
the manual or facsimile signature of the Treasurer or his deputy. The 172 
principal of and interest on any state grant anticipation notes issued 173 
pursuant to this subsection may be repaid from the proceeds of 174 
renewals thereof, from grants-in-aid or other assistance pledged for the 175 
payment thereof, or from the proceeds of a credit facility including, but 176 
not limited to, a letter of credit or policy of bond insurance. 177 
(h) Bonds, state bond anticipation notes and state grant anticipation 178 
notes issued pursuant to sections 22a-475 to 22a-483, inclusive, are 179 
hereby made securities in which public officers and public bodies of 180 
the state and its political subdivisions, all insurance companies, credit 181 
unions, building and loan associations, investment companies, 182 
banking associations, trust companies, executors, administrators, 183 
trustees and other fiduciaries and pension, profit-sharing and 184  Raised Bill No. 7348 
 
 
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retirement funds may properly and legally invest funds, including 185 
capital in their control or belonging to them. Such bonds, state bond 186 
anticipation notes and state grant anticipation notes are hereby made 187 
securities which may properly and legally be deposited with and 188 
received by any state or municipal officer or any agency or political 189 
subdivision of the state for any purpose for which the deposit of 190 
bonds, state bond anticipation notes, state grant anticipation notes or 191 
other obligations of the state is now or may hereafter be authorized by 192 
law. 193 
(i) The proceedings under which bonds are authorized to be issued 194 
may, subject to the provisions of the general statutes, contain any or all 195 
of the following: (1) Provisions respecting custody of the proceeds 196 
from the sale of the bonds and any bond anticipation notes, including 197 
any requirements that such proceeds be held separate from or not be 198 
commingled with other funds of the state; (2) provisions for the 199 
investment and reinvestment of bond proceeds utilized to pay project 200 
costs and for the disposition of any excess bond proceeds or 201 
investment earnings thereon; (3) provisions for the execution of 202 
reimbursement agreements or similar agreements in connection with 203 
credit facilities, including, but not limited to, letters of credit or policies 204 
of bond insurance, remarketing agreements and agreements for the 205 
purpose of moderating interest rate fluctuations, and of such other 206 
agreements entered into pursuant to section 3-20a; (4) provisions for 207 
the collection, custody, investment, reinvestment and use of the 208 
pledged revenues or other receipts, funds or moneys pledged therefor 209 
as provided in sections 22a-475 to 22a-483, inclusive; (5) provisions 210 
regarding the establishment and maintenance of reserves, sinking 211 
funds and any other funds and accounts as shall be approved by the 212 
State Bond Commission in such amounts as may be established by the 213 
State Bond Commission, and the regulation and disposition thereof, or 214 
the establishment of a reserve fund of the state into which may be 215 
deposited any moneys appropriated and made available by the state 216 
for such fund, any proceeds of the sale of bonds or notes, to the extent 217 
provided in the resolution of the state authorizing the issuance thereof, 218  Raised Bill No. 7348 
 
 
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and any other moneys which may be made available to the state for 219 
the purpose of such fund from any source whatever and, in lieu of the 220 
deposit of any such moneys, evidence by the state of the satisfaction of 221 
a federal matching requirement on the part of the state pursuant to the 222 
federal Water Quality Act of 1987 or the federal Safe Drinking Water 223 
Act or other related federal act, as applicable, including requirements 224 
that any such funds and accounts be held separate from or not be 225 
commingled with other funds of the state; (6) covenants for the 226 
establishment of pledged revenue coverage requirements for the bonds 227 
and state bond anticipation notes; (7) provisions for the issuance of 228 
additional bonds on a parity with bonds theretofore issued, including 229 
establishment of coverage requirements with respect thereto as herein 230 
provided; (8) provisions regarding the rights and remedies available in 231 
case of a default to bondowners, noteowners or any trustee under any 232 
contract, loan agreement, document, instrument or trust indenture, 233 
including the right to appoint a trustee to represent their interests 234 
upon occurrence of an event of default, as defined in said proceedings, 235 
provided that if any bonds or state bond anticipation notes shall be 236 
secured by a trust indenture, the respective owners of such bonds or 237 
notes shall have no authority except as set forth in such trust indenture 238 
to appoint a separate trustee to represent them; (9) provisions for the 239 
payment of rebate amounts; and (10) provisions or covenants of like or 240 
different character from the foregoing which are consistent with 241 
sections 22a-475 to 22a-483, inclusive, and which the State Bond 242 
Commission determines in such proceedings are necessary, convenient 243 
or desirable in order to better secure the bonds or state bond 244 
anticipation notes, or will tend to make the bonds or state bond 245 
anticipation notes more marketable, and which are in the best interests 246 
of the state. Any provision which may be included in proceedings 247 
authorizing the issuance of bonds hereunder may be included in an 248 
indenture of trust duly approved in accordance with sections 22a-475 249 
to 22a-483, inclusive, which secures the bonds and any notes issued in 250 
anticipation thereof, and in such case the provisions of such indenture 251 
shall be deemed to be a part of such proceedings as though they were 252 
expressly included therein. 253  Raised Bill No. 7348 
 
 
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(j) Whether or not any bonds, state bond anticipation notes or state 254 
grant anticipation notes issued pursuant to sections 22a-475 to 22a-483, 255 
inclusive, are of such form and character as to be negotiable 256 
instruments under the terms of title 42a, such bonds, state bond 257 
anticipation notes and state grant anticipation notes are hereby made 258 
negotiable instruments within the meaning of and for all purposes of 259 
title 42a, subject only to the provisions of such bonds, state bond 260 
anticipation notes and state grant anticipation notes for registration. 261 
(k) The state covenants with the purchasers and all subsequent 262 
owners and transferees of bonds, state bond anticipation notes and 263 
state grant anticipation notes issued by the state pursuant to sections 264 
22a-475 to 22a-483, inclusive, in consideration of the acceptance of and 265 
payment for the bonds, state bond anticipation notes and state grant 266 
anticipation notes, that such bonds, state bond anticipation notes and 267 
state grant anticipation notes shall be free at all times from taxes levied 268 
by any municipality or political subdivision or special district having 269 
taxing powers of the state and the principal and interest of any bonds, 270 
state bond anticipation notes and grant anticipation notes issued under 271 
the provisions of sections 22a-475 to 22a-483, inclusive, their transfer 272 
and the income therefrom, including revenues derived from the sale 273 
thereof, shall at all times be free from taxation of every kind by the 274 
state of Connecticut or under its authority, except for estate or 275 
succession taxes. The Treasurer is authorized to include this covenant 276 
of the state in any agreement with the owner of any such bonds, state 277 
bond anticipation notes or state grant anticipation notes. 278 
(l) Pending the use and application of any bond proceeds, such 279 
proceeds may be invested by, or at the direction of the State Treasurer, 280 
in obligations listed in section 3-20 or in investment agreements rated 281 
within the top rating categories of any nationally recognized rating 282 
service or in investment agreements secured by obligations, of or 283 
guaranteed by, the United States or agencies or instrumentalities of the 284 
United States. 285 
(m) Any revenue bonds issued under the provisions of sections 22a-286  Raised Bill No. 7348 
 
 
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475 to 22a-483, inclusive, and at any time outstanding may, at any time 287 
and from time to time, be refunded by the state by the issuance of its 288 
revenue refunding bonds in such amounts as the State Bond 289 
Commission may deem necessary, but not to exceed an amount 290 
sufficient to refund the principal of the revenue bonds to be so 291 
refunded, to pay any unpaid interest thereon and any premiums and 292 
commissions necessary to be paid in connection therewith and to pay 293 
costs and expenses which the Treasurer may deem necessary or 294 
advantageous in connection with the authorization, sale and issuance 295 
of refunding bonds. Any such refunding may be effected whether the 296 
revenue bonds to be refunded shall have matured or shall thereafter 297 
mature. All revenue refunding bonds issued hereunder shall be 298 
payable solely from the revenues or other receipts, funds or moneys 299 
out of which the revenue bonds to be refunded thereby are payable 300 
and shall be subject to and may be secured in accordance with the 301 
provisions of this section. 302 
(n) The Treasurer shall have power, out of any funds available 303 
therefor, to purchase revenue bonds, state revenue bond anticipation 304 
notes and state revenue grant anticipation notes of the state issued 305 
pursuant to sections 22a-475 to 22a-483, inclusive. The Treasurer may 306 
hold, pledge, cancel or resell such bonds or notes, subject to and in 307 
accordance with agreements with bondholders or noteholders, as 308 
applicable.  309 
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following 
sections: 
 
Section 1 from passage 22a-483 
 
ENV Joint Favorable