§41-10-28. Execution of bonds and interest coupons; form, terms, denominations, etc., of bonds; sale; refunding bonds; liability upon bonds; pledges of certain funds as security for payment of principal and interest on bonds generally; bonds to be deemed negotiable instruments; bonds and income therefrom exempt from taxation; use of bonds as security for deposits of funds of state, etc.; investment of certain state funds and private trust funds in bonds; public hearing or consent of Department of Finance, etc., not a prerequisite to issuance of bonds.

The bonds of the authority shall be signed by its president and attested by its secretary, and the seal of the authority shall be affixed thereto, and any interest coupons applicable to such bonds shall be signed by the president; provided, that a facsimile of the signature of one, but not both, of said officers may be printed or otherwise reproduced on any such bonds in lieu of being manually subscribed thereon, a facsimile of the seal of the authority may be printed or otherwise reproduced on any such bonds in lieu of being manually affixed thereto, and a facsimile of the president's signature may be printed or otherwise reproduced on any such interest coupons in lieu of being manually subscribed thereon.

Any bonds of the authority may be executed and delivered by it at any time and from time to time and shall be in such form and denominations and of such tenor and maturities, shall bear such rate or rates of interest, not exceeding five percent per annum, shall be payable at such times and evidenced in such manner and may contain such other provisions not inconsistent with this article as may be provided by the resolution of the board of directors of the authority under which such bonds are authorized to be issued; provided, that no bond of the authority shall have a specified maturity date later than 20 years after its date. Any bond of the authority may be made subject to redemption at the option of the authority at such times and after such notice and on such conditions and at such redemption price or prices as may be provided in the resolution under which it is authorized to be issued; provided, that those bonds of the authority having specified maturity dates more than 10 years after their date shall be made subject to redemption at the option of the authority not later than the end of the tenth year after their date and on any interest payment date thereafter, under such terms and conditions and at such redemption price or prices as may be provided in the resolution under which such bonds are authorized to be issued.

Bonds of the authority may be sold from time to time as the board of directors of the authority may consider advantageous, but bonds of the authority 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 to the authority for the bonds being sold, computed from their date to their respective maturities; provided, that if no bid acceptable to the authority is received, it may reject all bids. 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 not less than five days during each calendar week, each of which notices must be published at least one time not less than 10 days before the date fixed for the sale. The board of directors of the authority may fix the terms and conditions under which such sale may be held; provided, that none of the bonds may be sold for a price less than the face value thereof; provided further, that such terms and conditions shall not conflict with any of the requirements of this article.

Subject to the provisions and limitations contained in this article, the authority may from time to time sell and issue refunding bonds for the purpose of refunding any matured or unmatured bonds of the authority then outstanding. Such refunding bonds shall be subrogated and entitled to all priorities, rights and pledges to which the bonds refunded thereby were entitled.

Approval by the president of the authority of the terms and conditions under which any bonds of the authority may be issued shall be requisite to their validity. Such approval shall be entered on the minutes of the meetings of the board of directors at which the bonds are authorized and shall be signed by the president of the authority.

The authority may pay out of the proceeds of the sale of its bonds attorneys' fees and the expenses of issuance which the said board of directors may deem necessary and advantageous in connection with the issuance of such bonds. No fiscal agents' fees shall be paid in connection with the issuance or sale of any bonds.

Bonds issued by the authority shall not be general obligations of the authority but shall be payable solely out of the funds appropriated and pledged therefor in Section 41-10-30.

As security for the payment of the principal of and interest on the bonds issued by it, the authority is hereby authorized and empowered to pledge for payment of such principal and interest the funds that are appropriated and pledged in Section 41-10-30 for payment of such principal and interest. All such pledges made by the authority shall take precedence in the order of the adoption of the resolutions containing such pledges; provided, that each pledge for the benefit of refunding bonds shall have the same priority as the pledge for the benefit of the bonds refunded thereby.

All contracts made and all bonds issued by the authority pursuant to the provisions of this article shall be solely and exclusively obligations of the authority and shall not constitute or create an obligation or debt of the State of Alabama.

Bonds issued by the authority shall be construed to be negotiable instruments, although payable solely from a specified source as provided in this article.

All bonds issued by the authority and the income therefrom shall be exempt from all taxation in the state.

Any bonds issued by the authority may be used by the holder thereof as security for any funds belonging to the state or to any political subdivision, instrumentality or agency of the state in any instance where security for such deposits may be required by law.

Unless otherwise directed by the court having jurisdiction thereof or the document that is the source of authority, a trustee, executor, administrator, guardian or one acting in any other fiduciary capacity may, in addition to any other investment powers conferred by law and with the exercise of reasonable business prudence, invest trust funds in bonds of the authority.

Neither a public hearing nor consent of the state Department of Finance or any other department or agency shall be a prerequisite to the issuance of bonds by the authority. The bonds issued under the provisions of this article shall be legal investments for funds of the Teachers' Retirement System of Alabama, the Employees' Retirement System of Alabama and the State Insurance Fund.

(Acts 1965, No. 662, p. 1187, §9.)