Section 3318.26. Issuing obligations of state

(A) The provisions of this section apply only to obligations issued by the issuing authority prior to December 1, 1999.

(B) Subject to the limitations provided in section 3318.29 of the Revised Code, the issuing authority, upon the certification by the Ohio school facilities commission to the issuing authority of the amount of moneys or additional moneys needed in the school building program assistance fund for the purposes of sections 3318.01 to 3318.20 and sections 3318.40 to 3318.45 of the Revised Code, or needed for capitalized interest, for funding reserves, and for paying costs and expenses incurred in connection with the issuance, carrying, securing, paying, redeeming, or retirement of the obligations or any obligations refunded thereby, including payment of costs and expenses relating to letters of credit, lines of credit, insurance, put agreements, standby purchase agreements, indexing, marketing, remarketing and administrative arrangements, interest swap or hedging agreements, and any other credit enhancement, liquidity, remarketing, renewal, or refunding arrangements, all of which are authorized by this section, shall issue obligations of the state under this section in the required amount. The proceeds of such obligations, except for obligations issued to provide moneys for the school building program assistance fund shall be deposited by the treasurer of state in special funds, including reserve funds, as provided in the bond proceedings. The issuing authority may appoint trustees, paying agents, and transfer agents and may retain the services of financial advisors and accounting experts and retain or contract for the services of marketing, remarketing, indexing, and administrative agents, other consultants, and independent contractors, including printing services, as are necessary in the issuing authority's judgment to carry out this section. The costs of such services are payable from the school building program assistance fund or any special fund determined by the issuing authority.

(C) The holders or owners of such obligations shall have no right to have moneys raised by taxation obligated or pledged, and moneys raised by taxation shall not be obligated or pledged, for the payment of bond service charges. Such holders or owners shall have no rights to payment of bond service charges from any money or property received by the commission, treasurer of state, or the state, or from any other use of the proceeds of the sale of the obligations, and no such moneys may be used for the payment of bond service charges, except for accrued interest, capitalized interest, and reserves funded from proceeds received upon the sale of the obligations and except as otherwise expressly provided in the applicable bond proceedings pursuant to written directions by the treasurer of state. The right of such holders and owners to payment of bond service charges shall be limited to all or that portion of the pledged receipts and those special funds pledged thereto pursuant to the bond proceedings in accordance with this section, and each such obligation shall bear on its face a statement to that effect.

(D) Obligations shall be authorized by resolution or order of the issuing authority and the bond proceedings shall provide for the purpose thereof and the principal amount or amounts, and shall provide for or authorize the manner or agency for determining the principal maturity or maturities, not exceeding the limits specified in section 3318.29 of the Revised Code, the interest rate or rates or the maximum interest rate, the date of the obligations and the dates of payment of interest thereon, their denomination, and the establishment within or without the state of a place or places of payment of bond service charges. Sections 9.98 to 9.983 of the Revised Code are applicable to obligations issued under this section, subject to any applicable limitation under section 3318.29 of the Revised Code. The purpose of such obligations may be stated in the bond proceedings in terms describing the general purpose or purposes to be served. The bond proceedings shall also provide, subject to the provisions of any other applicable bond proceedings, for the pledge of all, or such part as the issuing authority may determine, of the pledged receipts and the applicable special fund or funds to the payment of bond service charges, which pledges may be made either prior or subordinate to other expenses, claims, or payments, and may be made to secure the obligations on a parity with obligations theretofore or thereafter issued, if and to the extent provided in the bond proceedings. The pledged receipts and special funds so pledged and thereafter received by the state are immediately subject to the lien of such pledge without any physical delivery thereof or further act, and the lien of any such pledges is valid and binding against all parties having claims of any kind against the state or any governmental agency of the state, irrespective of whether such parties have notice thereof, and shall create a perfected security interest for all purposes of Chapter 1309. of the Revised Code, without the necessity for separation or delivery of funds or for the filing or recording of the bond proceedings by which such pledge is created or any certificate, statement or other document with respect thereto; and the pledge of such pledged receipts and special funds is effective and the money therefrom and thereof may be applied to the purposes for which pledged without necessity for any act of appropriation, except as required by section 3770.06 of the Revised Code. Every pledge, and every covenant and agreement made with respect thereto, made in the bond proceedings may therein be extended to the benefit of the owners and holders of obligations authorized by this section, and to any trustee therefor, for the further security of the payment of the bond service charges.

(E) The bond proceedings may contain additional provisions as to:

(1) The redemption of obligations prior to maturity at the option of the issuing authority at such price or prices and under such terms and conditions as are provided in the bond proceedings;

(2) Other terms of the obligations;

(3) Limitations on the issuance of additional obligations;

(4) The terms of any trust agreement or indenture securing the obligations or under which the same may be issued;

(5) The deposit, investment and application of special funds, and the safeguarding of moneys on hand or on deposit, without regard to Chapter 131., 133., or 135. of the Revised Code, but subject to any special provisions of sections 3318.21 to 3318.29 of the Revised Code, with respect to particular funds or moneys, provided that any bank or trust company that acts as depository of any moneys in the special funds may furnish such indemnifying bonds or may pledge such securities as required by the issuing authority;

(6) Any or every provision of the bond proceedings being binding upon such officer, board, commission, authority, agency, department, or other person or body as may from time to time have the authority under law to take such actions as may be necessary to perform all or any part of the duty required by such provision;

(7) Any provision that may be made in a trust agreement or indenture;

(8) The lease or sublease of any interest of the school district or the state in one or more projects as defined in division (C) of section 3318.01 of the Revised Code, or in one or more permanent improvements, to or from the issuing authority, as provided in one or more lease or sublease agreements between the school or the state and the issuing authority;

(9) Any other or additional agreements with the holders of the obligations, or the trustee therefor, relating to the obligations or the security therefor.

(F) The obligations may have the great seal of the state or a facsimile thereof affixed thereto or printed thereon. The obligations and any coupons pertaining to obligations shall be signed or bear the facsimile signature of the issuing authority. Any obligations or coupons may be executed by the person who, on the date of execution, is the proper issuing authority although on the date of such bonds or coupons such person was not the issuing authority. In case the issuing authority whose signature or a facsimile of whose signature appears on any such obligation or coupon ceases to be the issuing authority before delivery thereof, such signature or facsimile is nevertheless valid and sufficient for all purposes as if the issuing authority had remained the issuing authority until such delivery; and in case the seal to be affixed to obligations has been changed after a facsimile of the seal has been imprinted on such obligations, such facsimile seal shall continue to be sufficient as to such obligations and obligations issued in substitution or exchange therefor.

(G) All obligations are negotiable instruments and securities under Chapter 1308. of the Revised Code, subject to the provisions of the bond proceedings as to registration. The obligations may be issued in coupon or in registered form, or both, as the issuing authority determines. Provision may be made for the registration of any obligations with coupons attached thereto as to principal alone or as to both principal and interest, their exchange for obligations so registered, and for the conversion or reconversion into obligations with coupons attached thereto of any obligations registered as to both principal and interest, and for reasonable charges for such registration, exchange, conversion, and reconversion.

(H) Obligations may be sold at public sale or at private sale, as determined in the bond proceedings.

(I) Pending preparation of definitive obligations, the issuing authority may issue interim receipts or certificates which shall be exchanged for such definitive obligations.

(J) In the discretion of the issuing authority, obligations may be secured additionally by a trust agreement or indenture between the issuing authority and a corporate trustee which may be any trust company or bank having a place of business within the state. Any such agreement or indenture may contain the resolution or order authorizing the issuance of the obligations, any provisions that may be contained in any bond proceedings, and other provisions that are customary or appropriate in an agreement or indenture of such type, including, but not limited to:

(1) Maintenance of each pledge, trust agreement, indenture, or other instrument comprising part of the bond proceedings until the state has fully paid the bond service charges on the obligations secured thereby, or provision therefor has been made;

(2) In the event of default in any payments required to be made by the bond proceedings, or any other agreement of the issuing authority made as a part of the contract under which the obligations were issued, enforcement of such payments or agreement by mandamus, the appointment of a receiver, suit in equity, action at law, or any combination of the foregoing;

(3) The rights and remedies of the holders of obligations and of the trustee, and provisions for protecting and enforcing them, including limitations on rights of individual holders of obligations;

(4) The replacement of any obligations that become mutilated or are destroyed, lost, or stolen;

(5) Such other provisions as the trustee and the issuing authority agree upon, including limitations, conditions, or qualifications relating to any of the foregoing.

(K) Any holder of obligations or a trustee under the bond proceedings, except to the extent that the holder's or trustee's rights are restricted by the bond proceedings, may by any suitable form of legal proceedings, protect and enforce any rights under the laws of this state or granted by such bond proceedings. Such rights include the right to compel the performance of all duties of the issuing authority, the commission, or the director of budget and management required by sections 3318.21 to 3318.29 of the Revised Code or the bond proceedings; to enjoin unlawful activities; and in the event of default with respect to the payment of any bond service charges on any obligations or in the performance of any covenant or agreement on the part of the issuing authority, the commission, or the director of budget and management in the bond proceedings, to apply to a court having jurisdiction of the cause to appoint a receiver to receive and administer the pledged receipts and special funds, other than those in the custody of the treasurer of state or the commission, which are pledged to the payment of the bond service charges on such obligations or which are the subject of the covenant or agreement, with full power to pay, and to provide for payment of bond service charges on, such obligations, and with such powers, subject to the direction of the court, as are accorded receivers in general equity cases, excluding any power to pledge additional revenues or receipts or other income or moneys of the issuing authority or the state or governmental agencies of the state to the payment of such principal and interest and excluding the power to take possession of, mortgage, or cause the sale or otherwise dispose of any permanent improvement. Each duty of the issuing authority and the issuing authority's officers and employees, and of each governmental agency and its officers, members, or employees, undertaken pursuant to the bond proceedings or any agreement or loan made under authority of sections 3318.21 to 3318.29 of the Revised Code, and in every agreement by or with the issuing authority, is hereby established as a duty of the issuing authority, and of each such officer, member, or employee having authority to perform such duty, specifically enjoined by the law resulting from an office, trust, or station within the meaning of section 2731.01 of the Revised Code. The person who is at the time the issuing authority, or the issuing authority's officers or employees, are not liable in their personal capacities on any obligations issued by the issuing authority or any agreements of or with the issuing authority.

(L) Obligations issued under this section are lawful investments for banks, societies for savings, savings and loan associations, deposit guarantee associations, trust companies, trustees, fiduciaries, insurance companies, including domestic for life and domestic not for life, trustees or other officers having charge of sinking and bond retirement or other special funds of political subdivisions and taxing districts of this state, the commissioners of the sinking fund of the state, the administrator of workers' compensation, the state teachers retirement system, the public employees retirement system, the school employees retirement system, and the Ohio police and fire pension fund, notwithstanding any other provisions of the Revised Code or rules adopted pursuant thereto by any governmental agency of the state with respect to investments by them, and also are acceptable as security for the deposit of public moneys.

(M) Unless otherwise provided in any applicable bond proceedings, moneys to the credit of or in the special funds established by or pursuant to this section may be invested by or on behalf of the issuing authority only in notes, bonds, or other obligations of the United States, or of any agency or instrumentality of the United States, obligations guaranteed as to principal and interest by the United States, obligations of this state or any political subdivision of this state, and certificates of deposit of any national bank located in this state and any bank, as defined in section 1101.01 of the Revised Code, subject to inspection by the superintendent of financial institutions. If the law or the instrument creating a trust pursuant to division (J) of this section expressly permits investment in direct obligations of the United States or an agency of the United States, unless expressly prohibited by the instrument, such moneys also may be invested in no front end load money market mutual funds consisting exclusively of obligations of the United States or an agency of the United States and in repurchase agreements, including those issued by the fiduciary itself, secured by obligations of the United States or an agency of the United States; and in collective investment funds established in accordance with section 1111.14 of the Revised Code and consisting exclusively of any such securities, notwithstanding division (B)(1)(c) of that section. The income from such investments shall be credited to such funds as the issuing authority determines, and such investments may be sold at such times as the issuing authority determines or authorizes.

(N) Provision may be made in the applicable bond proceedings for the establishment of separate accounts in the bond service fund and for the application of such accounts only to the specified bond service charges on obligations pertinent to such accounts and bond service fund and for other accounts therein within the general purposes of such fund. Unless otherwise provided in any applicable bond proceedings, moneys to the credit of or in the several special funds established pursuant to this section shall be disbursed on the order of the treasurer of state, provided that no such order is required for the payment from the bond service fund when due of bond service charges on obligations.

(O) The issuing authority may pledge all, or such portion as the issuing authority determines, of the pledged receipts to the payment of bond service charges on obligations issued under this section, and for the establishment and maintenance of any reserves, as provided in the bond proceedings, and make other provisions therein with respect to pledged receipts as authorized by this chapter, which provisions shall be controlling notwithstanding any other provisions of law pertaining thereto.

(P) The issuing authority may covenant in the bond proceedings, and any such covenants shall be controlling notwithstanding any other provision of law, that the state and applicable officers and governmental agencies of the state, including the general assembly, so long as any obligations are outstanding, shall:

(1) Maintain statutory authority for and cause to be operated the state lottery, including the transfers to and from the lottery profits education fund created in section 3770.06 of the Revised Code so that the pledged receipts shall be sufficient in amount to meet bond service charges, and the establishment and maintenance of any reserves and other requirements provided for in the bond proceedings;

(2) Take or permit no action, by statute or otherwise, that would impair the exclusion from gross income for federal income tax purposes of the interest on any obligations designated by the bond proceeding as tax-exempt obligations.

(Q) There is hereby created the school building program bond service fund, which shall be in the custody of the treasurer of state but shall be separate and apart from and not a part of the state treasury. All moneys received by or on account of the issuing authority or state agencies and required by the applicable bond proceedings, consistent with this section, to be deposited, transferred, or credited to the school building program bond service fund, and all other moneys transferred or allocated to or received for the purposes of the fund, shall be deposited and credited to such fund and to any separate accounts therein, subject to applicable provisions of the bond proceedings, but without necessity for any act of appropriation, except as required by section 3770.06 of the Revised Code. During the period beginning with the date of the first issuance of obligations and continuing during such time as any such obligations are outstanding, and so long as moneys in the school building program bond service fund are insufficient to pay all bond service charges on such obligations becoming due in each year, a sufficient amount of the moneys from the lottery profits education fund included in pledged receipts, subject to appropriation for such purpose as provided in section 3770.06 of the Revised Code, are committed and shall be paid to the school building program bond service fund in each year for the purpose of paying the bond service charges becoming due in that year. The school building program bond service fund is a trust fund and is hereby pledged to the payment of bond service charges solely on obligations issued to provide moneys for the school building program assistance fund to the extent provided in the applicable bond proceedings, and payment thereof from such fund shall be made or provided for by the treasurer of state in accordance with such bond proceedings without necessity for any act of appropriation except as required by section 3770.06 of the Revised Code.

(R) The obligations, the transfer thereof, and the income therefrom, including any profit made on the sale thereof, at all times shall be free from taxation within the state.

Effective Date: 03-14-2003; 2007 HB119 09-29-2007