Louisiana § RS 17:100.10 - Public School Facilities Financing Act

§ RS 17:100.10. Public School Facilities Financing Act

A.  This Section shall hereafter be known as the "Public School Facilities Financing Act".

B.  Each city, parish, and other local public school board may create one or more public benefit corporations pursuant to this Section with all of the powers defined in R.S. 41:1215(B) and all of the powers, duties, and limitations defined in R.S. 12:202.1(D) regardless of the population of the school board's district, except that any transaction between the public benefit corporation and a third party shall be subject to the advertisement and bid requirements of R.S. 38:2212.  Such public benefit corporations shall be created for the purpose of entering into agreements and engaging in financing arrangements to plan, renovate, construct, lease, sublease, manage, and improve schools and school property within the jurisdiction of each respective school board.  Notwithstanding the limitations in R.S. 12:202.1(D) with respect to the right to issue negotiable revenue bonds, any public benefit corporation created pursuant to this Section may issue negotiable revenue bonds in any amount deemed necessary to accomplish the purposes set forth in this Subsection; however, any and all obligations issued as well as any financing arrangements entered into by such public benefit corporation shall be subject to the approval of the State Bond Commission.

C.  Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary and in order to facilitate the construction of new schools or the renovation of existing schools, or both, each city, parish, and other local public school board may transfer its properties to a public benefit corporation created pursuant to this Section through financing arrangements, including without limitation sales, sale-leasebacks, leases, and lease-leasebacks, and such transfer shall be exempt from the limitations and requirements of R.S. 17:87.6 and R.S. 41:891 and 892; however, no transfer or disposition of schools or school property authorized by this Subsection shall result in such property being used for purposes other than school purposes.  The dedication to school purposes of property transferred by a school board pursuant to this Section shall be specifically stated in any transfer or disposition document, and such language also shall specifically provide that the title and control of the property shall automatically and immediately, by operation of law, revert to the school board if the property is used for a purpose other than school purposes.

D.  Each city, parish, and other local public school board may make loans and  guarantee loans to a public benefit corporation created pursuant to this Section or to other third-party entities in order to facilitate the construction of new schools or the renovation of existing schools, or both.  Such loans and loan guarantees shall be subject to the approval of the State Bond Commission.

E.  Any public benefit corporation created pursuant to this Section may act alone or in partnership with any private entity in order to leverage additional funds not otherwise available to a city, parish, or other local public school board for the construction or renovation of properties, or both, transferred to such public benefit corporation; however, the use of any funds loaned or made available to a public benefit corporation in partnership or other arrangement with any private entity shall be dedicated only for the construction of new schools or the renovation of existing school properties, or both.  Such partnerships or other arrangements shall include language specifically providing that title and control of property transferred to the public benefit corporation by the school board shall automatically and immediately, by operation of law, revert to the school board if the property is used for purposes other than school purposes.

F.  For purposes of this Section, "city, parish, and other local public school board" shall include the Recovery School District established by R.S. 17:1990.

G.  By March first of each calendar year, the Department of Education shall provide a written report to the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget on the utilization of the provisions of this Section based upon information which shall be provided to the department by January first of each calendar year by each school board and public benefit corporation created and utilizing New Market Tax Credits in the manner to be provided for in rules and regulations approved by the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget.

H.(1)  Notwithstanding the provisions of R.S. 42:262, the Recovery School District may contract with outside counsel on a contingency-fee basis for the purpose of obtaining legal services related to the use of tax credits.

(2)  Notwithstanding the provisions of R.S. 39:1494, outside counsel contracted pursuant to the provisions of this Subsection shall be selected through the request for proposal process as provided in R.S. 39:1503.

Acts 2008, No. 739, §1, eff. July 6, 2008; Acts 2010, No. 717, §1.