BILL REQ. #: S-0636.2
State of Washington | 62nd Legislature | 2011 Regular Session |
Read first time 01/21/11. Referred to Committee on Economic Development, Trade & Innovation.
AN ACT Relating to authorizing the economic development finance authority to continue issuing bonds; and amending RCW 43.163.130.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1 RCW 43.163.130 and 2005 c 137 s 1 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) The authority may issue its nonrecourse revenue bonds in order
to obtain the funds to carry out the programs authorized in this
chapter. The bonds ((shall)) must be special obligations of the
authority, payable solely out of the special fund or funds established
by the authority for their repayment.
(2) Any bonds issued under this chapter may be secured by a
financing document between the authority and the purchasers or owners
of such bonds or between the authority and a corporate trustee, which
may be any trust company or bank having the powers of a trust company
within or without the state.
(a) The financing document may pledge or assign, in whole or in
part, the revenues and funds held or to be received by the authority,
any present or future contract or other rights to receive the same, and
the proceeds thereof.
(b) The financing document may contain such provisions for
protecting and enforcing the rights, security, and remedies of
bondowners as may be reasonable and proper, including, without limiting
the generality of the foregoing, provisions defining defaults and
providing for remedies in the event of default which may include the
acceleration of maturities, restrictions on the individual rights of
action by bondowners, and covenants setting forth duties of and
limitations on the authority in conduct of its programs and the
management of its property.
(c) In addition to other security provided in this chapter or
otherwise by law, bonds issued by the authority may be secured, in
whole or in part, by financial guaranties, by insurance or by letters
of credit issued to the authority or a trustee or any other person, by
any bank, trust company, insurance or surety company or other financial
institution, within or without the state. The authority may pledge or
assign, in whole or in part, the revenues and funds held or to be
received by the authority, any present or future contract or other
rights to receive the same, and the proceeds thereof, as security for
such guaranties or insurance or for the reimbursement by the authority
to any issuer of such letter of credit of any payments made under such
letter of credit.
(3) Without limiting the powers of the authority contained in this
chapter, in connection with each issue of its obligation bonds, the
authority ((shall)) must create and establish one or more special
funds, including, but not limited to debt service and sinking funds,
reserve funds, project funds, and such other special funds as the
authority deems necessary, useful, or convenient.
(4) Any security interest created against the unexpended bond
proceeds and against the special funds created by the authority ((shall
be)) is immediately valid and binding against the money and any
securities in which the money may be invested without authority or
trustee possession. The security interest ((shall)) must be prior to
any party having any competing claim against the moneys or securities,
without filing or recording under Article 9A of the Uniform Commercial
Code, Title 62A RCW, and regardless of whether the party has notice of
the security interest.
(5) The bonds may be issued as serial bonds, term bonds or any
other type of bond instrument consistent with the provisions of this
chapter. The bonds shall bear such date or dates; mature at such time
or times; bear interest at such rate or rates, either fixed or
variable; be payable at such time or times; be in such denominations;
be in such form; bear such privileges of transferability,
exchangeability, and interchangeability; be subject to such terms of
redemption; and be sold at public or private sale, in such manner, at
such time or times, and at such price or prices as the authority
((shall)) determines. The bonds ((shall)) must be executed by the
manual or facsimile signatures of the authority's chair and either its
secretary or executive director, and may be authenticated by the
trustee (if the authority determines to use a trustee) or any registrar
which may be designated for the bonds by the authority.
(6) Bonds may be issued by the authority to refund other
outstanding authority bonds, at or prior to maturity of, and to pay any
redemption premium on, the outstanding bonds. Bonds issued for
refunding purposes may be combined with bonds issued for the financing
or refinancing of new projects. Pending the application of the
proceeds of the refunding bonds to the redemption of the bonds to be
redeemed, the authority may enter into an agreement or agreements with
a corporate trustee regarding the interim investment of the proceeds
and the application of the proceeds and the earnings on the proceeds to
the payment of the principal of and interest on, and the redemption of,
the bonds to be redeemed.
(7) The bonds of the authority may be negotiable instruments under
Title 62A RCW.
(8) Neither the members of the authority, nor its employees or
agents, nor any person executing the bonds ((shall be)) is personally
liable on the bonds or be subject to any personal liability or
accountability by reason of the issuance of the bonds.
(9) The authority may purchase its bonds with any of its funds
available for the purchase. The authority may hold, pledge, cancel or
resell the bonds subject to and in accordance with agreements with
bondowners.
(10) The authority ((shall)) may not exceed one billion five
hundred million dollars in total outstanding debt at any time.
(11) The state finance committee ((shall)) must be notified in
advance of the issuance of bonds by the authority in order to promote
the orderly offering of obligations in the financial markets.