Mississippi § 31-18-11 - Interest rate exchange or similar agreements; limitations.

§ 31-18-11. Interest rate exchange or similar agreements; limitations.

Any interest rate exchange or similar agreements entered into pursuant to Section 31-18-9 shall be subject to the following limitations: The counterparty thereto shall have credit ratings from at least one nationally recognized statistical rating agency that is within the two (2) highest investment grade categories and ratings which are obtained from any other nationally recognized statistical rating agencies shall also be within the three (3) highest investment grade categories, or the payment obligations of the counterparty shall be unconditionally guaranteed by an entity with such credit ratings; The written contract shall require that should the rating: (i) of the counterparty, if its payment obligations are not unconditionally guaranteed by another entity, or (ii) of the entity unconditionally guaranteeing its payment obligations, if so secured, fall below the rating required by paragraph (a) of this section, that the obligations of such counterparty shall be fully and continuously collateralized by direct obligations of, or obligations the principal and interest on which are guaranteed by the United States of America with a net market value of at least one hundred two percent (102%) of the net market value of the contract of the authorized insurer and such collateral shall be deposited as agreed to by the commission; The counterparty has a net worth of at least One Hundred Million Dollars ($100,000,000.00), or the counterparty’s obligations under the interest rate exchange or similar agreement are guaranteed by a person or entity having a net worth of at least One Hundred Million Dollars ($100,000,000.00); The total notional amount of all interest rate exchange or similar agreements for the state to be in effect shall not exceed an amount equal to twenty percent (20%) of the total amount of state-supported debt outstanding as of the initial date of entering into each new agreement; however, such total notional amount shall not include any excluded agreements; No interest rate exchange or similar agreement shall have a maturity exceeding the maturity of the related state-supported debt; Each interest rate exchange or similar agreement shall be subject to a finding by the commission that its terms and conditions reflect a fair market value of such agreement as of the date of its execution, regardless of whether such agreement was solicited on a competitive or negotiated basis with a competitive element; and Each interest rate exchange or similar agreement, including the modification or termination thereof, shall be subject to the approval of the commission or its designee.