§11-92A-23. Special reserve funds and applications for appropriations.

(a) In addition to all other powers at any time conferred upon an authority by law, an authority may, in connection with the issuance of any bonds hereunder, create and establish one or more special debt service reserve funds (a "debt service reserve fund"), and may pay or cause to be paid into each debt service reserve fund (i) proceeds from bonds issued pursuant hereto to the extent provided by the authority authorizing the issuance thereof; (ii) any moneys appropriated and made available by the Legislature for the purpose of such fund; and (iii) any other moneys that may be made available to the authority from any other source for the purpose of such fund. All moneys held in a debt service reserve fund shall be used solely for the payment of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on bonds secured, in whole or in part, by that fund when and as the same become due and payable as provided in the proceedings pursuant to which such bonds are issued.

(b) Any authority may, prior to the issuance of any bonds hereunder to be secured by a debt service reserve fund, apply in writing to the Legislature, or the Governor and Director of Finance, for designation of such fund as a "special benefit project fund" for purposes of this section, and in connection therewith may provide such information as such authority shall deem appropriate to demonstrate the expected economic benefit to accrue to the state as a result of the project to be financed by the bonds secured by such fund. The Legislature, or the Governor and the Director of Finance, as the case may be, shall, as soon as practicable after such application shall have been made, determine and inform such authority in writing whether any such fund shall be so designated hereunder. The determination of the Legislature, or the Governor and the Director of Finance, as the case may be, in such matters shall be made in the sole discretion thereof, shall be conclusive and final, and shall not be subject to review or appeal. The Legislature does hereby, upon due consideration of such economic and other factors as the Legislature considers appropriate, designate as a special benefit project fund for all purposes hereof any debt service reserve fund created hereunder by the East Central Alabama Industrial Development Authority in connection with the issuance of bonds hereunder to finance improvements to and services for certain real estate in Talladega County, Alabama, upon which American Honda Motor Co., Inc., or any affiliate, successor or assign thereof, will construct and operate an automobile assembly plant.

(c) At any time the chairman of any authority which has a special benefit project fund may deliver to the Governor and Director of Finance a certificate (i) stating the difference, if any, between the minimum reserve requirement, as hereinafter defined, for such fund and the balance on deposit in such fund, and the dates on which, and the amounts in which, payments are required from such fund during the period ending on the first anniversary of the date of such certificate, and (ii) requesting the Legislature to appropriate and pay to or for such authority such amounts by such dates as shall provide the minimum reserve requirement in such fund and enable such authority to pay therefrom the amounts on the dates required therefor during said period. As soon as possible thereafter, the Governor and Director of Finance shall submit each such certificate to the Legislature prior to or during each legislative session, regular or special. The Legislature may, in its sole discretion, appropriate and pay for the benefit of any authority amounts sufficient to provide the minimum reserve requirement in any such special benefit project fund for such authority by such dates as shall be stated in the certificate of such authority. The Legislature may, in its sole discretion, appropriate funds for any special benefit project fund of any authority without appropriating any funds for any other such special benefit project fund of the same or any other authority. All sums, if any, appropriated by the Legislature and paid to an authority for the purposes hereof shall be forthwith deposited by such authority in the applicable special benefit project fund of the authority. The "minimum reserve requirement" as used herein shall mean, for each special benefit project fund for each authority, an amount not exceeding the lesser of (i) the maximum amount of principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the bonds of an authority secured, in whole or in part, by such fund which are scheduled to be paid, by maturity or redemption, in any year or (ii) the maximum amount permitted by contract or law to be on deposit in any such fund.

(d) All amounts paid to or for the benefit of an authority by the state pursuant to the provisions of this section shall constitute and be accounted for as advances by the state to such authority and, subject to the rights of the holders of any bonds or obligation of such authority, shall be repaid to the state without interest from all available operating revenues of such authority in excess of amounts required, by law or contract, for the payment of bonds or other obligations of the authority, the amounts required to be deposited in any funds of such authority, and amounts required for the payment of operating expenses.

(e) Any authority may create and establish any other fund or funds as may be necessary or desirable for its purposes.

(f) Any authority may from time to time issue bonds to carry out the purposes of this chapter without establishing a debt service reserve fund pursuant to this section for such bonds.

(g) The Legislature shall have no obligation or liability for the appropriation or payment of any funds for any authority pursuant to this chapter. The provisions hereof, the creation and establishment of any debt service reserve fund by any authority, the designation of any such fund by the Legislature, or the Governor and Director of Finance, as a special benefit project fund, and the submission of any certificate under subsection (c), shall never operate or be construed to constitute or create (1) an obligation of the Legislature to make any appropriation therefor or (2) an indebtness, pecuniary liability, or charge against the general credit or taxing powers of the state.

(h) If this section or any subsection or the application thereof to any authority or person shall be determined by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, unenforceable, or unconstitutional to any extent, the remainder of this section or the application of such section or subsection to any person other than that which is determined to be invalid or unenforceable, shall not be affected thereby.

(i) The provisions of this section shall apply only to debt service reserve funds created after May 25, 2000.

(Act 2000-769, p. 1763, §1.)