SB 523 Text

Senate Bill No. 523
(By Senator Oliverio and McKenzie)
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[Introduced February 6, 2002; referred to the Committee
on Education; and then to the Committee on Finance

.]
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A BILL to amend and reenact section six, article nine-d, chapter eighteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to authorizing the sale of bonds; designating moneys from the state excess lottery revenue fund and the state lottery fund to be used for the debt service; and giving money in the state excess lottery revenue fund designated for debt service highest priority.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That section six, article nine-d, chapter eighteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:

ARTICLE 9D. SCHOOL BUILDING AUTHORITY.

§18-9D-6. School building capital improvements fund in state treasury; school construction fund in state treasury; school building debt service fund in state treasury; school improvement fund in state treasury; collections to be paid into special funds; authority to pledge such collections as security for refunding revenue bonds; authority to finance projects on a cash basis.

(a) There is continued in the state treasury a school building capital improvements fund to be expended by the authority as provided in this article. The school building capital improvements fund shall be an interest bearing account with interest credited to and deposited in the school building capital improvements fund and expended in accordance with the provisions of this article.

The school building authority has authority to pledge all or such part of the revenues paid into the school building capital improvements fund as may be needed to meet the requirements of any revenue bond issue or issues authorized by this article prior to the twentieth day of July, one thousand nine hundred ninety-three, or revenue bonds issued to refund revenue bonds issued prior to that date, including the payment of principal of, interest and redemption premium, if any, on the revenue bonds and the establishing and maintaining of a reserve fund or funds for the payment of the principal of, interest and redemption premium, if any, on the revenue bond issue or issues when other moneys pledged may be insufficient for the payment of the principal, interest and redemption premium, including such additional protective pledge of revenues as the authority in its discretion has provided by resolution authorizing the issuance of the bonds or in any trust agreement made in connection with the bond issue. The authority may further provide in the resolution and in the trust agreement for ~~such~~ priorities on the revenues paid into the school building capital improvements fund as may be necessary for the protection of the prior rights of the holders of bonds issued at different times under the provisions of this article.

Any balance remaining in the school building capital improvements fund after the authority has issued bonds authorized by this article, and after the requirements of all funds including reserve funds established in connection with the bonds issued prior to the twentieth day of July, one thousand nine hundred ninety-three, pursuant to this article have been satisfied, may be used for the redemption of any of the outstanding bonds issued under this article which by their terms are then redeemable, or for the purchase of the bonds at the market price, but not exceeding the price, if any, at which the bonds are in the same year redeemable, and all bonds redeemed or purchased shall immediately be canceled and ~~shall~~ may not again be issued.

The school building authority, in its discretion, may use the moneys in the school building capital improvements fund to finance the cost of projects on a cash basis. Any pledge of moneys in the fund for revenue bonds issued prior to the twentieth day of July, one thousand nine hundred ninety-three, is a prior and superior charge on the fund over the use of any of the moneys in the fund to pay for the cost of any project on a cash basis: Provided, That any expenditures from the fund, other than for the retirement of revenue bonds, may only be made by the authority in accordance with the provisions of this article.

(b) There is hereby continued in the state treasury a special revenue fund named the school building debt service fund into which shall be deposited on and after the first day of April, one thousand nine hundred ninety-four, the amounts specified in section eighteen, article twenty-two, chapter twenty-nine of this code. All amounts deposited in the fund shall be pledged to the repayment of the principal, interest and redemption premium, if any, on any revenue bonds or refunding revenue bonds authorized by this article: Provided, That deposited moneys may not be pledged to the repayment of any revenue bonds issued prior to the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred ninety-four, or with respect to revenue bonds issued for the purpose of refunding revenue bonds issued prior to the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred ninety-four. The authority may further provide in the resolution and in the trust agreement for priorities on the revenues paid into the school building debt service fund as may be necessary for the protection of the prior rights of the holders of bonds issued at different times under the provisions of this article. On or prior to the first day of May of each year, commencing the first day of May, one thousand nine hundred ninety-four, the authority shall certify to the state lottery director the principal and interest and coverage ratio requirements for the following fiscal year on any revenue bonds issued on or after the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred ninety-four, and for which moneys deposited in the school building debt service fund have been pledged, or will be pledged, for repayment pursuant to this section.

After the authority has issued bonds authorized by this article, and after the requirements of all funds have been satisfied, including coverage and reserve funds established in connection with the bonds issued pursuant to this article, any balance remaining in the school building debt service fund may be used for the redemption of any of the outstanding bonds issued under this article which, by their terms, are then redeemable or for the purchase of the outstanding bonds at the market price, but not to exceed the price, if any, at which the bonds are redeemable, and all bonds redeemed or purchased shall be immediately canceled and ~~shall~~ may not again be issued.

The authority is authorized to issue bonds prior to the first day of January, two thousand three, and to pay debt service on the bonds. The first two debt service payments, during the fiscal years two thousand three and two thousand four, shall be paid from the state excess lottery revenue fund, established in section eighteen-a, article twenty-two, chapter twenty-nine of this code . The remaining debt service payments, beginning in the fiscal year two thousand five, shall be paid from the state lottery fund, established in section eighteen, article twenty-two, chapter twenty-nine of this code. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, whenever any part of the state excess lottery revenue fund, established in section eighteen-a, article twenty- two, chapter twenty-nine of this code, is designated for the actual purpose of paying debt service on bonds, the moneys of the fund established in section eighteen-a, article twenty-two, chapter twenty-nine of this code, first shall be used for the purpose of paying the debt service, and only then, may be used for any of the other purposes set forth in section eighteen-a, article twenty-two, chapter twenty-nine of this code.

(c) There is hereby continued in the state treasury a special revenue fund named the school construction fund into which shall be deposited on and after the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred ninety-four, the amounts specified in section thirty, article fifteen, chapter eleven of this code, together with any moneys appropriated thereto by the Legislature. Expenditures from the school construction fund shall be for the purposes set forth in this article, including lease-purchase payments under agreements made pursuant to subsection (e), section fifteen of this article and section nine, article five of this chapter and are authorized from collections in accordance with the provisions of article three, chapter twelve of this code and from other revenues annually appropriated by the Legislature from lottery revenues as authorized by section eighteen, article twenty-two, chapter twenty-nine of this code, pursuant to the provisions set forth in article two, chapter five-a of this code. Amounts collected which are found from time to time to exceed the funds needed for purposes set forth in this article may be transferred to other accounts or funds and redesignated for other purposes by appropriation of the Legislature. The school construction fund shall be an interest bearing account, with the interest credited to and deposited in the school construction fund and expended in accordance with the provisions of this article. Deposits to and expenditures from the school construction fund are subject to the provisions of subsection (i), section fifteen of this article.

(d) There is hereby continued in the state treasury a special revenue fund named the school major improvement fund into which shall be deposited on and after the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred ninety-four, the amounts specified in section thirty, article fifteen, chapter eleven of this code, together with any moneys appropriated to the fund by the Legislature. Expenditures from the school major improvement fund shall be for the purposes set forth in this article and are authorized from collections in accordance with the provisions of article three, chapter twelve of this code and from other revenues annually appropriated by the Legislature from lottery revenues as authorized by section eighteen, article twenty-two, chapter twenty-nine of this code, pursuant to the provisions set forth in article two, chapter five-a of this code. Amounts collected which are found from time to time to exceed the funds needed for purposes set forth in this article may be transferred to other accounts or funds and redesignated for other purposes by appropriation of the Legislature. The school major improvement fund shall be an interest bearing account, with interest being credited to and deposited in the school major improvement fund and expended in accordance with the provisions of this article.

(e) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the supreme court of appeals of West Virginia has held that the issuance of additional revenue bonds authorized under the school building authority act, as enacted in this article prior to the twentieth day of July, one thousand nine hundred ninety-three, constituted an indebtedness of the state in violation of section 4, article X of the constitution of West Virginia, but that revenue bonds issued under this article prior to the twentieth day of July, one thousand nine hundred ninety-three, are not invalid. The Legislature further finds and declares that the financial capacity of a county to construct, lease and improve school facilities depends upon the county's bonding capacity (local property wealth), voter willingness to pass bond issues and the county's ability to reallocate other available county funds instead of criteria related to educational needs or upon the ability of the school building authority created in this article to issue bonds that comply with the holding of the West Virginia supreme court of appeals or otherwise assist counties with the financing of facilities construction and improvement. The Legislature hereby further finds and declares that this section, as well as section eighteen, article twenty-two, chapter twenty-nine of this code, have been reenacted during the first extraordinary session of the West Virginia Legislature in the year one thousand nine hundred ninety-four, in an attempt to comply with the holding of the supreme court of appeals of West Virginia.

The Legislature hereby further finds and declares that it intends, through the reenactment of this section and section eighteen, article twenty-two, chapter twenty-nine of this code, to dedicate a source of state revenues to special revenue funds for the purposes of paying the debt service on bonds and refunding bonds issued subsequent to the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred ninety-four, the proceeds of which will be utilized for the construction and improvement of school building facilities. The Legislature hereby further finds and declares that it intends, through the reenactment of this section and section thirty, article fifteen, chapter eleven of this code and section eighteen, article twenty-two, chapter twenty-nine of this code, to appropriate revenues to two special revenue funds for the purposes of construction and improvement of school building facilities. Furthermore, the Legislature intends to encourage county boards of education to maintain existing levels of county funding for construction, improvement and maintenance of school building facilities and to generate additional county funds for such purposes through bonds and special levies whenever possible. The Legislature further encourages the school building authority, the state board of education and county boards of education to propose uniform project specifications for comparable projects whenever possible to meet county needs at the lowest possible cost.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to authorize the sale of bonds this year; pay the debt service for two years from the state excess lottery revenue fund; pay the debt service after the first two years from the state lottery fund; and give money designated for debt service from the state excess lottery revenue fund during the first two years the highest priority.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.

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