HLS 17RS-663 ENGROSSED
2017 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 3
BY REPRESENTATIVE ABRAMSON
CAPITAL OUTLAY: Provides for the Omnibus Bond Act
1 AN ACT
2To enact the Omnibus Bond Authorization Act of 2017, relative to the implementation of
3 a five-year capital improvement program; to provide for the repeal of certain prior
4 bond authorizations; to provide for new bond authorizations; to provide for
5 authorization and sale of such bonds by the State Bond Commission; and to provide
6 for related matters.
7Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. The legislature hereby recognizes that the Constitution of Louisiana
9provides in Article VII, Section 11, that the governor shall present to the legislature a five-
10year Capital Outlay Program and request implementation of the first year of such program,
11and that the capital outlay projects approved by the legislature are to be made part of the
12comprehensive state capital budget which shall, in turn, be adopted by the legislature.
13Further, all projects in such budget adopted by the legislature requiring bond funds must be
14authorized as provided in Article VII, Section 6 of the Constitution of Louisiana. The
15legislature finds that over a period of years the legislature has enacted numerous bond
16authorizations, but due to inflation and the requirements of specificity of amount for each
17project, impossibility, or impracticability, many of the projects cannot be undertaken. All
18of the unissued bonds must be listed in the financial statements of the state prepared from
19time to time and in connection with the marketing of bonds, and are taken into account by
20rating agencies, prospective purchasers, and investors in evaluating the investment quality
21and credit worthiness of bonds being offered for sale. The continued carrying of the
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1aforesaid unissued bonds on the financial statements of the state under the above described
2circumstances operates unnecessarily to the financial detriment of the state. Accordingly, the
3legislature deems it necessary and in the best financial interest of the state to repeal all Acts,
4except any Act authorizing the issuance of refunding bonds and Act 41 of the 2006 First
5Extraordinary Session, providing for the issuance of general obligation bonds in the state
6which cannot be issued for the projects contemplated, and in their stead to reauthorize
7general obligation bonds of the state for those projects deemed to be essential, and to
8authorize new projects.
9 Section 2. It is the intent of the legislature that this Act shall constitute the Omnibus
10Bond Authorization Act of 2017 and, together with any Act authorizing the issuance of
11refunding bonds and Act 41 of the 2006 First Extraordinary Session, shall provide bond
12authorization, as required by Article VII, Section 6 of the Constitution of Louisiana, for
13those projects to be funded totally or partially by the sale of general obligation bonds and
14included in House Bill No. 2 of the 2017 Regular Session as finally enacted into law (2017
15Capital Outlay Act). It is the further intent of the legislature that in this year and each year
16hereafter an Omnibus Bond Authorization Act shall be enacted providing for the repeal of
17state general obligation bond authorizations for projects no longer found feasible or
18desirable, the reauthorization of those bonds not sold during the prior fiscal year for projects
19deemed to be of such priority as to warrant such reauthorization, and to enact new
20authorization for projects found to be needed for capital improvements.
21 Section 3. Except as hereinafter provided, all prior Acts of the legislature authorizing
22the issuance of general obligation bonds of the state of Louisiana shall be and the same are
23hereby repealed in their entirety, including without limitation House Bill No. 3 of the 2016
24Second Extraordinary Session of the Louisiana Legislature as finally enacted into law (2016
25Omnibus Bond Authorization Act) and any Acts heretofore repealed with such Act. This
26repeal shall not be applicable to any Act providing for the issuance of refunding bonds nor
27to Act 41 of the 2006 First Extraordinary Session, and such Acts shall remain in full force
28and effect and shall not be affected by the provisions of this Act. In addition, the repeal shall
29not in any manner affect the validity of any bonds heretofore issued pursuant to any of the
30bond authorizations repealed hereby.
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1 Section 4. To provide funds for certain capital improvement projects the State Bond
2Commission is hereby authorized pursuant to Article VII, Section 6 of the Constitution of
3Louisiana to issue general obligation bonds or other general obligations of the state for
4capital improvements for the projects, and subject to any terms and conditions set forth on
5the issuance of bonds or the expenditure of monies for each project as is provided for in the
62017 Capital Outlay Act.
7 Section 5.(A) To provide funds for certain capital improvement projects authorized
8prior to this Act and by this Act, which projects are designed to provide for reimbursement
9of debt service on general obligation bonds, the State Bond Commission is hereby authorized
10pursuant to Article VII, Section 6 of the Constitution of Louisiana, to issue general
11obligation bonds of the state, hereinafter referred to as "project bonds", for capital
12improvements for the projects and subject to any terms and conditions set forth on the
13issuance of bonds or the expenditure of monies for each such project as provided in the 2017
14Capital Outlay Act the terms of which require such reimbursement of debt service.
15 (B) Without affecting, restricting, or limiting the pledge herein made of the full faith
16and credit of the state of Louisiana to the payment of the general obligation bonds authorized
17by this Section and without affecting, restricting, or limiting the obligation of the state to pay
18the same from monies pledged and dedicated to and paid into the Bond Security and
19Redemption Fund, but in order to decrease the possible financial burden on the general funds
20of the state resulting from this pledge and obligation, the applicable management board,
21governing body, or state agency for which any of such project bonds are issued, in the fiscal
22year in which such project bonds are issued and in each fiscal year thereafter until such
23project bonds and the interest thereon are paid, shall transfer and make available to the state
24treasury, for deposit in the Bond Security and Redemption Fund, designated student fees or
25revenues or other revenues in an amount equal to the debt service on such project bonds in
26such fiscal year. In addition, the applicable management board, governing body, or state
27agency, in the fiscal year in which such project bonds are issued and in each of the nine
28immediately succeeding fiscal years thereafter, shall transfer and make available to the state
29treasury from designated student fees or revenues or other revenues, for credit to a
30reimbursement reserve account for such project bonds which shall be established in an
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1account designated in the reimbursement contract hereafter provided for, monies in an
2amount equal to one-tenth of the average annual debt service on such project bonds, and
3each such reimbursement reserve account thereafter shall be maintained in said minimum
4amount by further transfers, if necessary, from designated student fees or revenues or other
5revenues by the applicable management board, governing body, or state agency to the state
6treasury. Each such reimbursement reserve account shall be used, if necessary, solely to
7make the reimbursement payments herein obligated to be made to the state treasury. When
8the general obligation bonds and the interest thereon issued hereunder have been paid, any
9amount remaining in the reimbursement reserve account, as prorated to such authorized
10project, shall be transferred by the state treasurer to the applicable management board,
11governing body, or state agency.
12 (C) No project bonds authorized by this Section shall be issued for any authorized
13project unless and until a reimbursement contract has been entered into and executed
14between the applicable management board, governing body, or state agency and the State
15Bond Commission pertaining to the reimbursement payment and reimbursement reserve
16account payments for such project. The contract shall require payment into the state treasury
17of designated student fees or revenues or other revenues in an amount sufficient to reimburse
18the cost to the state of the principal, interest, and premium, if any, obligated to be paid by
19the state on such project bonds. The State Bond Commission shall not be required to execute
20any such reimbursement contract unless the estimates and projections of the designated
21student fees or revenues or other revenues available for payment into the state treasury
22thereunder for the authorized projects are sufficient to reimburse the costs of the principal,
23interest, and premium, if any, on the project bonds. A reimbursement contract hereunder
24shall be authorized by resolution of the applicable management board, governing body, or
25state agency, or board or by act of the chief executive officer if no governing board exists.
26 This authorization shall provide for the dates, amounts, and other details for the
27payments required to be made to the state treasury and for the reserve account. The
28authorization may contain such covenants with the State Bond Commission regarding the
29fixing of rates for fees and charges or revenues and such other covenants and agreements
30with the State Bond Commission as will assure the required payments to the state treasury.
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1The contract shall be subject to approval by the Office of the Attorney General and the State
2Bond Commission and, when so accepted and approved, shall conclusively constitute and
3be the reimbursement contract for an authorized project, as required hereunder.
4 (D) The obligation to make the reimbursement payments as required by a
5reimbursement contract may be represented by the issuance by the applicable management
6board, governing body, or state agency of its nonnegotiable revenue obligation in the form
7of a bond or other evidence of indebtedness, hereinafter referred to as "reimbursement
8bond". The reimbursement bond shall be issued in a single bond form, without coupons, in
9the principal amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of project bonds, shall be
10registered in principal and interest in the name of and be payable to the State Bond
11Commission, shall bear interest at a rate or rates equal to the interest rate or rates payable
12on the project bonds, and shall be payable as to principal and interest at such times, in such
13manner, from designated student fees or revenues, or other revenues, and be subject to such
14terms and conditions as shall be provided in the authorizing resolution or document executed
15by a chief executive officer, where applicable. This authorization shall be subject to approval
16by the State Bond Commission and the Office of the Attorney General, and when so
17accepted and approved, the authorization shall constitute and be the reimbursement contract
18for such authorized project, as required hereunder. The reimbursement bonds authorized
19under the provisions of this Section may be issued on a parity with outstanding
20reimbursement bonds of the applicable management board, governing body, or state agency,
21or issued on a subordinate lien basis to outstanding bonds, or a combination thereof, and may
22include and contain such covenants with the State Bond Commission for the security and
23payment of the reimbursement bonds and such other customary provisions and conditions
24for their issuance by the applicable management board, governing body, or state agency as
25are authorized and provided for by general law and by this Section. Until project bonds for
26an authorized project have been paid, the applicable management board, governing body,
27or state agency shall impose fees and charges in an amount sufficient to comply with the
28covenants securing outstanding bonds and to make the payments required by the
29reimbursement contract.
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1 (E) In addition to the other payments herein required, reimbursement contracts shall
2provide for the setting aside of sufficient student fees or revenues or other revenues in a
3reserve fund, so that within a period of not less than ten years from date of issuance of
4project bonds there shall be accumulated in a reserve fund monies equal to a sum not less
5than the average annual debt service requirements on such project bonds. Monies in the
6reserve fund shall be used for the purpose of remedying or preventing a default in making
7the required payments under a reimbursement contract. The reserve fund required hereunder
8may consist of a reserve fund heretofore or hereafter established to secure payments for
9reimbursement bonds of the applicable management board, governing body, or state agency,
10provided that (1) payments from said reserve fund to secure the payments required to be
11made under a reimbursement contract shall be on a parity with the payments to be made
12securing outstanding bonds and additional parity bonds and (2) no additional parity
13reimbursement bonds shall be issued except pursuant to the establishment and maintenance
14of an adequate reserve fund as approved by the State Bond Commission.
15 (F) When the balance of reimbursement bond proceeds, for a project, are allocated
16to another project, the State Bond Commission is authorized to make the appropriate
17amendment to the reimbursement contract with the agency making the reimbursement
18payments.
19 Section 6. The bonds authorized to be sold by the State Bond Commission pursuant
20to this Act shall be issued and sold in conformity with the provisions of Article VII, Section
216 of the Louisiana Constitution, R.S. 39:1361 through R.S. 39:1367, and R.S. 39:1401
22through R.S. 39:1430.1, and any amendments thereto adopted prior to, at the same time as,
23or subsequent to, the effective date of this Act. However, the provisions of R.S. 39:1365(9)
24shall not apply to any bonds issued hereunder in the form of variable rate and/or tender
25option bonds and that said bonds need not be issued in serial form and may mature in such
26year or years as may be specified by the State Bond Commission. Should any provision of
27this Act be inconsistent with any provision of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, the
28provision of this Act shall govern. In connection with the issuance of the bonds authorized
29hereby, the State Bond Commission may, without regard to any other laws of the state
30relating to the procurement of services, insurance, or facilities, enter into contracts upon such
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1terms as it deems advantageous to the state for (1) the obtaining of credit enhancement or
2liquidity devices designed to improve the marketability of the bonds and (2) if the bonds are
3structured as variable rate and/or tender option bonds to provide the services and facilities
4required for or deemed appropriate by the State Bond Commission for such type of bonds,
5including those of tender agents, placement agents, indexing agents, remarketing agents,
6and/or standby bond purchase facilities. The cost of obtaining credit enhancement or
7liquidity devices and fees for other services set forth in this Section shall, if authorized by
8the State Bond Commission, be paid from the Bond Security and Redemption Fund as a
9requirement with respect to the issuance of the bonds authorized hereby. The bonds shall be
10general obligations of the state of Louisiana, to the payment of which, as to principal,
11premium, if any, and interest, as and when the same become due, the full faith and credit of
12the state is hereby irrevocably pledged. These bonds shall be secured by monies in the Bond
13Security and Redemption Fund and shall be payable on a parity with bonds and other
14obligations heretofore and hereafter issued which are secured by that fund. The maximum
15interest rate or rates on such bonds, and their maturities, shall be determined by the State
16Bond Commission. The state treasurer shall invest all bond proceeds until disbursed.
17 Section 7. Unless specifically repealed, this Act shall expire, and be considered null
18and void and of no further effect on June 30, 2018, except as to any bonds authorized herein
19(1) which have been sold, (2) to which lines of credit have been issued, or (3) for which
20contracts for construction have been signed.
21 Section 8. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
22signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
23by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
24vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
25effective on the day following such approval.
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DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 3 Engrossed 2017 Regular Session Abramson
Abstract: Provides for the implementation of a five-year capital improvement program.
Provides for the implementation of a five-year capital improvement program; provides for
the repeal of certain prior bond authorizations; provides for new bond authorizations;
provides for authorization and sale of such bonds by the State Bond Commission; and
provides for related matters.
Effective upon signature of governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
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