§33-2-8. General provisions relative to inland waterways improvement bonds and temporary loans.

In order to provide funds for the purposes herein authorized, the Governor is hereby empowered to execute, with the concurrence of the director of state docks, and to sell the state's bonds in such amounts, not exceeding in the aggregate the sum of $3,000,000.00 as may be necessary for said purposes, all under and subject to the following provisions: Said bonds shall be appropriately designated as inland waterways improvement bonds of the state. The bonds may be issued from time to time in one or more series and the bonds of each series shall be payable in substantially equal annual installments of principal and interest at such times as may be designated by the State Docks Department with approval of the Governor; provided, that the first installment of principal of the bonds of each series must mature not later than 10 years from the date of such series and the last installment of principal of the bonds of any series must mature not later than 50 years from such date; provided, that the determination by the State Docks Department that the requirements of this sentence have been complied with shall be conclusive of such compliances, and the purchasers of any of the bonds and all subsequent holders thereof shall be fully protected by such determination. Such bonds must be sold only at public sale, either on sealed bids or at public auction, to the bidder whose bid reflects the lowest net interest cost for the bonds being sold, computed to their respective maturities; provided, that if no bid acceptable to the Governor is received, all bids may be rejected; notice of each such sale shall be given by publication in either a financial journal or a financial newspaper published in the City of New York, New York and also by publication in a daily newspaper published in the State of Alabama, each of which notices must be published at least one time not less than 10 days prior to the date fixed for the sale. Such bonds shall be in denominations of $1,000.00, and multiples of $1,000.00, the number of each denomination in each lot of bonds executed to be determined by the State Docks Department with the consent of the Governor. The bonds shall be signed in the name of the state by the Governor, and the Great Seal of the State, or a facsimile thereof, shall be affixed thereto or engraved, lithographed or imprinted thereon and attested by the signature of the Secretary of State; provided, that the signature on any of the bonds of one but not both of said officials may be a facsimile signature. Any interest coupons applicable to the bonds and evidencing the payment of interest thereon shall be signed with the facsimile signature of the State Treasurer imprinted thereon. The bonds may be in either bearer or registered form either as to principal or interest or both, and the State Docks Department, with the approval of the Governor, is authorized to provide terms and conditions under which any of the bonds may be exchanged for like bonds of other denominations and may be converted from bearer bonds into registered bonds, either as to principal or interest or both, and converted from registered bonds into bearer bonds. The bonds of each series may, in the order under which they are issued, be made subject to redemption at the option of the State Docks Department on such dates and on such conditions and upon payment of such premium as may be prescribed in the order under which they are issued; provided, that each series of bonds having an installment of principal maturing more than 10 years after the date thereof shall be made subject to redemption prior to maturity, at the option of the State Docks Department, at the end of the term year following their date and semiannually thereafter, as a whole or in part in the inverse order of the numbers of the bonds of that series; and, provided further, that any redemption price required to be paid in order to effect any redemption of bonds prior to maturity shall not exceed the face value of each bond redeemed plus accrued interest thereon to the date fixed for redemption and a premium equal to one year's interest on such bond. The bonds of each series shall bear interest at such rate or rates as may be fixed at the time of the sale thereof and shall be sold at not less than the face value thereof plus accrued interest thereon to the date of their delivery. The State Treasurer shall keep a complete record of all bonds issued under the authority of this article. Bonds issued in coupon form may be exchanged for fully registered bonds or bonds registered as to principal only. Coupon bonds and registered bonds shall be interchangeable. Upon issuance of a coupon bond for a registered bond, all matured and unearned coupons on said bond shall be by the State Treasurer first clipped from said bond and then cancelled. The Governor is authorized to prescribe regulations for the registration of bonds and the interchange of registered and coupon bonds and to fix reasonable charges for registration of bonds. The director of state docks, with the approval of the Governor, and subject to the requirements of this article, is authorized to prescribe the exact form in which bonds shall be issued and details as to terms. The State Treasurer shall keep a record of all registered bonds, including names and addresses of the respective holders thereof. Registered bonds may be transferred only by an appropriate change of registration in such manner and form as may be prescribed by the director of state docks and approved by the Governor. Interest on all registered bonds shall be payable by check or cash by the State Treasurer mailed to the address shown by the registration records. Interest on all coupon bonds and principal of all bonds shall be made payable in lawful currency of the United States at the state treasury or such other place or places as may be selected and named by the director of state docks with the approval of the Governor. Said bonds shall be emitted and sold only when and as funds are needed for the carrying out and accomplishing of a particular improvement or plan which has been submitted to and approved by the Governor as herein provided, or for the payment of temporary loans and interest under the provisions of this article. Each sale of bonds hereunder shall be for such amount as is reasonably necessary to pay interest and temporary loans as herein provided and to cover the cost of carrying out the plan or plans theretofore submitted to and approved by the Governor, it being intended to so provide that the improvement and development will be accomplished in such units or installments as the Alabama State Docks Department, with the approval of the Governor, shall allot, and to further provide that the obligations of the state hereby authorized shall be emitted only when necessary to supply the funds required for said purposes. The act of the State Docks Department and the Governor in offering any bonds for sale shall be conclusive evidence that the funds to be derived from the bond proceeds are actually needed at the time for the purposes for which bonds are herein authorized to be issued and that the proceeds of such bonds are intended only for the work of internal improvement in promoting, developing, constructing, maintaining and operating facilities along inland waterways of the State of Alabama pursuant to the provisions of the article or for payment of temporary loans and interest pursuant to the provisions of this article. Each issue of bonds shall be designated by a distinctive serial number, letter or other designation. Proceeds of all of said bonds issued and sold under the provisions hereof shall be paid into the State Treasury and kept by the State Treasurer in a separate account and in a separate fund and paid over to the Secretary-Treasurer of the State Docks Department from time to time in such amounts as shall be directed by the Governor as in his judgment the purposes of this article may require, and the money so paid over to the Secretary-Treasurer of the State Docks Department shall be held and used only for the accomplishment of the purposes of this article. The state, at the request of the State Docks Department and on approval by the Governor, may borrow from time to time such sums of money as the Governor may find to be immediately necessary in the general operation of facilities acquired pursuant to this article or in making the developments or improvements hereby authorized or for payment of interest on outstanding bonds or other indebtedness lawfully incurred; and the State Docks Department, subject to the approval of the Governor and acting by and under the director and secretary-treasurer, is hereby empowered to execute notes or like obligations of the state in its own name for all such sums so borrowed. No loans thus obtained shall be for more than six months or bear interest at a greater rate than six percent per annum, but they may be renewed from time to time as may be necessary. The proceeds of all loans so obtained shall be paid to the Secretary-Treasurer of the State Docks Department and be held and used only for the accomplishment of the purposes of this article. All temporary loans so obtained shall be repaid from and out of the proceeds of the next sale of bonds hereby authorized or other funds in the hands of the State Docks Department which may be available. At no time shall the amount of outstanding obligations of the state issued hereunder, including bonds, notes or other evidences of debt, exceed in the aggregate $3,000,000.00. The Secretary-Treasurer of the State Docks Department shall deposit such funds as are received by him as Secretary-Treasurer from time to time in such bank or banks as may be designated by the State Docks Department and approved by the Governor. The State Docks Department shall require that any bank or banks receiving such deposits shall secure the same by deposit of inland waterway improvement bonds authorized by this article or by state bonds of the State of Alabama or United States government securities. The State Docks Department and the Governor shall, if possible, require interest to be paid on such deposits carried in any bank or banks. The aggregate principal of all temporary loans made under the provisions of the article and outstanding at any one time shall not exceed $200,000.00.

(Acts 1957, No. 311, p. 408, §8.)