Public Act 0828 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB1514 Enrolled LRB096 10283 RLJ 20453 b

Public Act 096-0828

AN ACT concerning local government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The General Obligation Bond Act is amended by changing Sections 8, 9, 14, and 15 as follows:

(30 ILCS 330/8) (from Ch. 127, par. 658)

Sec. 8. Bond sale expenses.

(a) An amount not to exceed 0.5 percent of the principal amount of the proceeds of sale of each bond sale is authorized to be used to pay the reasonable costs of issuance and sale, including, without limitation, underwriter's discounts and fees, but excluding bond insurance, of State of Illinois general obligation bonds authorized and sold pursuant to this Act, provided that no salaries of State employees or other State office operating expenses shall be paid out of non-appropriated proceeds, provided further that the percent shall be 1.0% for each sale of "Build America Bonds" or "Qualified School Construction Bonds" as defined in subsections (d) and (e) of Section 9, respectively. The Governor's Office of Management and Budget shall compile a summary of all costs of issuance on each sale (including both costs paid out of proceeds and those paid out of appropriated funds) and post that summary on its web site within 20 business days after the issuance of the Bonds. The summary shall include, as applicable, the respective percentages of participation and compensation of each underwriter that is a member of the underwriting syndicate, legal counsel, financial advisors, and other professionals for the bond issue and an identification of all costs of issuance paid to minority owned businesses, female owned businesses, and businesses owned by persons with disabilities. The terms "minority owned businesses", "female owned businesses", and "business owned by a person with a disability" have the meanings given to those terms in the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Females, and Persons with Disabilities Act. That posting shall be maintained on the web site for a period of at least 30 days. In addition, the Governor's Office of Management and Budget shall provide a written copy of each summary of costs to the Speaker and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, the President and Minority Leader of the Senate, and the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability within 20 business days after each issuance of the Bonds. In addition, the Governor's Office of Management and Budget shall provide copies of all contracts under which any costs of issuance are paid or to be paid to the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability within 20 business days after the issuance of Bonds for which those costs are paid or to be paid. Instead of filing a second or subsequent copy of the same contract, the Governor's Office of Management and Budget may file a statement that specified costs are paid under specified contracts filed earlier with the Commission.

(b) The Director of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget shall not, in connection with the issuance of Bonds, contract with any underwriter, financial advisor, or attorney unless that underwriter, financial advisor, or attorney certifies that the underwriter, financial advisor, or attorney has not and will not pay a contingent fee, whether directly or indirectly, to a third party for having promoted the selection of the underwriter, financial advisor, or attorney for that contract. In the event that the Governor's Office of Management and Budget determines that an underwriter, financial advisor, or attorney has filed a false certification with respect to the payment of contingent fees, the Governor's Office of Management and Budget shall not contract with that underwriter, financial advisor, or attorney, or with any firm employing any person who signed false certifications, for a period of 2 calendar years, beginning with the date the determination is made. The validity of Bonds issued under such circumstances of violation pursuant to this Section shall not be affected.

(Source: P.A. 93-2, eff. 4-7-03; 93-839, eff. 7-30-04; 93-1067, eff. 1-15-05.)

(30 ILCS 330/9) (from Ch. 127, par. 659)

Sec. 9. Conditions for Issuance and Sale of Bonds - Requirements for Bonds.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, Bonds shall be issued and sold from time to time, in one or more series, in such amounts and at such prices as may be directed by the Governor, upon recommendation by the Director of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget. Bonds shall be in such form (either coupon, registered or book entry), in such denominations, payable within 25 years from their date, subject to such terms of redemption with or without premium, bear interest payable at such times and at such fixed or variable rate or rates, and be dated as shall be fixed and determined by the Director of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget in the order authorizing the issuance and sale of any series of Bonds, which order shall be approved by the Governor and is herein called a "Bond Sale Order"; provided however, that interest payable at fixed or variable rates shall not exceed that permitted in the Bond Authorization Act, as now or hereafter amended. Bonds shall be payable at such place or places, within or without the State of Illinois, and may be made registrable as to either principal or as to both principal and interest, as shall be specified in the Bond Sale Order. Bonds may be callable or subject to purchase and retirement or tender and remarketing as fixed and determined in the Bond Sale Order. Bonds, other than Bonds issued under Section 3 of this Act for the costs associated with the purchase and implementation of information technology, (i) except for refunding Bonds satisfying the requirements of Section 16 of this Act and sold during fiscal year 2009, 2010, or 2011, must be issued with principal or mandatory redemption amounts in equal amounts, with the first maturity issued occurring within the fiscal year in which the Bonds are issued or within the next succeeding fiscal year and (ii) must mature or be subject to mandatory redemption each fiscal year thereafter up to 25 years, except for refunding Bonds satisfying the requirements of Section 16 of this Act and sold during fiscal year 2009, 2010, or 2011 which must mature or be subject to mandatory redemption each fiscal year thereafter up to 16 years. Bonds issued under Section 3 of this Act for the costs associated with the purchase and implementation of information technology must be issued with principal or mandatory redemption amounts in equal amounts, with the first maturity issued occurring with the fiscal year in which the respective bonds are issued or with the next succeeding fiscal year, with the respective bonds issued maturing or subject to mandatory redemption each fiscal year thereafter up to 10 years. Notwithstanding any provision of this Act to the contrary, the Bonds authorized by Public Act 96-43 this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly shall be payable within 5 years from their date and must be issued with principal or mandatory redemption amounts in equal amounts, with payment of principal or mandatory redemption beginning in the first fiscal year following the fiscal year in which the Bonds are issued.

In the case of any series of Bonds bearing interest at a variable interest rate ("Variable Rate Bonds"), in lieu of determining the rate or rates at which such series of Variable Rate Bonds shall bear interest and the price or prices at which such Variable Rate Bonds shall be initially sold or remarketed (in the event of purchase and subsequent resale), the Bond Sale Order may provide that such interest rates and prices may vary from time to time depending on criteria established in such Bond Sale Order, which criteria may include, without limitation, references to indices or variations in interest rates as may, in the judgment of a remarketing agent, be necessary to cause Variable Rate Bonds of such series to be remarketable from time to time at a price equal to their principal amount, and may provide for appointment of a bank, trust company, investment bank, or other financial institution to serve as remarketing agent in that connection. The Bond Sale Order may provide that alternative interest rates or provisions for establishing alternative interest rates, different security or claim priorities, or different call or amortization provisions will apply during such times as Variable Rate Bonds of any series are held by a person providing credit or liquidity enhancement arrangements for such Bonds as authorized in subsection (b) of this Section. The Bond Sale Order may also provide for such variable interest rates to be established pursuant to a process generally known as an auction rate process and may provide for appointment of one or more financial institutions to serve as auction agents and broker-dealers in connection with the establishment of such interest rates and the sale and remarketing of such Bonds.

(b) In connection with the issuance of any series of Bonds, the State may enter into arrangements to provide additional security and liquidity for such Bonds, including, without limitation, bond or interest rate insurance or letters of credit, lines of credit, bond purchase contracts, or other arrangements whereby funds are made available to retire or purchase Bonds, thereby assuring the ability of owners of the Bonds to sell or redeem their Bonds. The State may enter into contracts and may agree to pay fees to persons providing such arrangements, but only under circumstances where the Director of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget certifies that he or she reasonably expects the total interest paid or to be paid on the Bonds, together with the fees for the arrangements (being treated as if interest), would not, taken together, cause the Bonds to bear interest, calculated to their stated maturity, at a rate in excess of the rate that the Bonds would bear in the absence of such arrangements.

The State may, with respect to Bonds issued or anticipated to be issued, participate in and enter into arrangements with respect to interest rate protection or exchange agreements, guarantees, or financial futures contracts for the purpose of limiting, reducing, or managing interest rate exposure. The authority granted under this paragraph, however, shall not increase the principal amount of Bonds authorized to be issued by law. The arrangements may be executed and delivered by the Director of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget on behalf of the State. Net payments for such arrangements shall constitute interest on the Bonds and shall be paid from the General Obligation Bond Retirement and Interest Fund. The Director of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget shall at least annually certify to the Governor and the State Comptroller his or her estimate of the amounts of such net payments to be included in the calculation of interest required to be paid by the State.

(c) Prior to the issuance of any Variable Rate Bonds pursuant to subsection (a), the Director of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget shall adopt an interest rate risk management policy providing that the amount of the State's variable rate exposure with respect to Bonds shall not exceed 20%. This policy shall remain in effect while any Bonds are outstanding and the issuance of Bonds shall be subject to the terms of such policy. The terms of this policy may be amended from time to time by the Director of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget but in no event shall any amendment cause the permitted level of the State's variable rate exposure with respect to Bonds to exceed 20%.

(d) "Build America Bonds" in this Section means Bonds authorized by Section 54AA of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ("Internal Revenue Code"), and bonds issued from time to time to refund or continue to refund "Build America Bonds".

(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section, Qualified School Construction Bonds shall be issued and sold from time to time, in one or more series, in such amounts and at such prices as may be directed by the Governor, upon recommendation by the Director of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget. Qualified School Construction Bonds shall be in such form (either coupon, registered or book entry), in such denominations, payable within 25 years from their date, subject to such terms of redemption with or without premium, and if the Qualified School Construction Bonds are issued with a supplemental coupon, bear interest payable at such times and at such fixed or variable rate or rates, and be dated as shall be fixed and determined by the Director of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget in the order authorizing the issuance and sale of any series of Qualified School Construction Bonds, which order shall be approved by the Governor and is herein called a "Bond Sale Order"; except that interest payable at fixed or variable rates, if any, shall not exceed that permitted in the Bond Authorization Act, as now or hereafter amended. Qualified School Construction Bonds shall be payable at such place or places, within or without the State of Illinois, and may be made registrable as to either principal or as to both principal and interest, as shall be specified in the Bond Sale Order. Qualified School Construction Bonds may be callable or subject to purchase and retirement or tender and remarketing as fixed and determined in the Bond Sale Order. Qualified School Construction Bonds must be issued with principal or mandatory redemption amounts or sinking fund payments into the General Obligation Bond Retirement and Interest Fund (or subaccount therefor) in equal amounts, with the first maturity issued, mandatory redemption payment or sinking fund payment occurring within the fiscal year in which the Qualified School Construction Bonds are issued or within the next succeeding fiscal year, with Qualified School Construction Bonds issued maturing or subject to mandatory redemption or with sinking fund payments thereof deposited each fiscal year thereafter up to 25 years. Sinking fund payments set forth in this subsection shall be permitted only to the extent authorized in Section 54F of the Internal Revenue Code or as otherwise determined by the Director of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget. "Qualified School Construction Bonds" in this subsection means Bonds authorized by Section 54F of the Internal Revenue Code and for bonds issued from time to time to refund or continue to refund such "Qualified School Construction Bonds".

(Source: P.A. 96-18, eff. 6-26-09; 96-37, eff. 7-13-09; 96-43, eff. 7-15-09; revised 8-20-09.)

(30 ILCS 330/14) (from Ch. 127, par. 664)

Sec. 14. Repayment.

(a) To provide for the manner of repayment of Bonds, the Governor shall include an appropriation in each annual State Budget of monies in such amount as shall be necessary and sufficient, for the period covered by such budget, to pay the interest, as it shall accrue, on all Bonds issued under this Act, to pay and discharge the principal of such Bonds as shall, by their terms, fall due during such period, and to pay a premium, if any, on Bonds to be redeemed prior to the maturity date, and to pay sinking fund payments in connection with Qualified School Construction Bonds authorized by subsection (e) of Section 9. Amounts included in such appropriations for the payment of interest on variable rate bonds shall be the maximum amounts of interest that may be payable for the period covered by the budget, after taking into account any credits permitted in the related indenture or other instrument against the amount of such interest required to be appropriated for such period. Amounts included in such appropriations for the payment of interest shall include the amounts certified by the Director of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget under subsection (b) of Section 9 of this Act.

(b) A separate fund in the State Treasury called the "General Obligation Bond Retirement and Interest Fund" is hereby created.

(c) The General Assembly shall annually make appropriations to pay the principal of, interest on, and premium, if any, on Bonds sold under this Act from the General Obligation Bond Retirement and Interest Fund. Amounts included in such appropriations for the payment of interest on variable rate bonds shall be the maximum amounts of interest that may be payable during the fiscal year, after taking into account any credits permitted in the related indenture or other instrument against the amount of such interest required to be appropriated for such period. Amounts included in such appropriations for the payment of interest shall include the amounts certified by the Director of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget under subsection (b) of Section 9 of this Act.

If for any reason there are insufficient funds in either the General Revenue Fund or the Road Fund to make transfers to the General Obligation Bond Retirement and Interest Fund as required by Section 15 of this Act, or if for any reason the General Assembly fails to make appropriations sufficient to pay the principal of, interest on, and premium, if any, on the Bonds, as the same by their terms shall become due, this Act shall constitute an irrevocable and continuing appropriation of all amounts necessary for that purpose, and the irrevocable and continuing authority for and direction to the State Treasurer and the Comptroller to make the necessary transfers, as directed by the Governor, out of and disbursements from the revenues and funds of the State.

(d) If, because of insufficient funds in either the General Revenue Fund or the Road Fund, monies have been transferred to the General Obligation Bond Retirement and Interest Fund, as required by subsection (c) of this Section, this Act shall constitute the irrevocable and continuing authority for and direction to the State Treasurer and Comptroller to reimburse these funds of the State from the General Revenue Fund or the Road Fund, as appropriate, by transferring, at such times and in such amounts, as directed by the Governor, an amount to these funds equal to that transferred from them.

(Source: P.A. 93-9, eff. 6-3-03; 94-793, eff. 5-19-06.)

(30 ILCS 330/15) (from Ch. 127, par. 665)

Sec. 15. Computation of Principal and Interest; transfers.

(a) Upon each delivery of Bonds authorized to be issued under this Act, the Comptroller shall compute and certify to the Treasurer the total amount of principal of, interest on, and premium, if any, on Bonds issued that will be payable in order to retire such Bonds, and the amount of principal of, interest on and premium, if any, on such Bonds that will be payable on each payment date according to the tenor of such Bonds during the then current and each succeeding fiscal year, and the amount of sinking fund payments needed to be deposited in connection with Qualified School Construction Bonds authorized by subsection (e) of Section 9. With respect to the interest payable on variable rate bonds, such certifications shall be calculated at the maximum rate of interest that may be payable during the fiscal year, after taking into account any credits permitted in the related indenture or other instrument against the amount of such interest required to be appropriated for such period pursuant to subsection (c) of Section 14 of this Act. With respect to the interest payable, such certifications shall include the amounts certified by the Director of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget under subsection (b) of Section 9 of this Act.

On or before the last day of each month the State Treasurer and Comptroller shall transfer from (1) the Road Fund with respect to Bonds issued under paragraph (a) of Section 4 of this Act or Bonds issued for the purpose of refunding such bonds, and from (2) the General Revenue Fund, with respect to all other Bonds issued under this Act, to the General Obligation Bond Retirement and Interest Fund an amount sufficient to pay the aggregate of the principal of, interest on, and premium, if any, on Bonds payable, by their terms on the next payment date divided by the number of full calendar months between the date of such Bonds and the first such payment date, and thereafter, divided by the number of months between each succeeding payment date after the first. Such computations and transfers shall be made for each series of Bonds issued and delivered. Interest payable on variable rate bonds shall be calculated at the maximum rate of interest that may be payable for the relevant period, after taking into account any credits permitted in the related indenture or other instrument against the amount of such interest required to be appropriated for such period pursuant to subsection (c) of Section 14 of this Act. Computations of interest shall include the amounts certified by the Director of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget under subsection (b) of Section 9 of this Act. Interest for which moneys have already been deposited into the capitalized interest account within the General Obligation Bond Retirement and Interest Fund shall not be included in the calculation of the amounts to be transferred under this subsection. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Section, the transfer provisions provided in this paragraph shall not apply to transfers made in fiscal year 2010 with respect to Bonds issued in fiscal year 2010 pursuant to Section 7.2 of this Act. In the case of transfers made in fiscal year 2010 with respect to the Bonds issued in fiscal year 2010 pursuant to Section 7.2 of this Act, on or before the 15th day of the month prior to the required debt service payment, the State Treasurer and Comptroller shall transfer from the General Revenue Fund to the General Obligation Bond Retirement and Interest Fund an amount sufficient to pay the aggregate of the principal of, interest on, and premium, if any, on the Bonds payable in that next month.

The transfer of monies herein and above directed is not required if monies in the General Obligation Bond Retirement and Interest Fund are more than the amount otherwise to be transferred as herein above provided, and if the Governor or his authorized representative notifies the State Treasurer and Comptroller of such fact in writing.

(b) After the effective date of this Act, the balance of, and monies directed to be included in the Capital Development Bond Retirement and Interest Fund, Anti-Pollution Bond Retirement and Interest Fund, Transportation Bond, Series A Retirement and Interest Fund, Transportation Bond, Series B Retirement and Interest Fund, and Coal Development Bond Retirement and Interest Fund shall be transferred to and deposited in the General Obligation Bond Retirement and Interest Fund. This Fund shall be used to make debt service payments on the State's general obligation Bonds heretofore issued which are now outstanding and payable from the Funds herein listed as well as on Bonds issued under this Act.

(c) The unused portion of federal funds received for a capital facilities project, as authorized by Section 3 of this Act, for which monies from the Capital Development Fund have been expended shall be deposited upon completion of the project in the General Obligation Bond Retirement and Interest Fund. Any federal funds received as reimbursement for the completed construction of a capital facilities project, as authorized by Section 3 of this Act, for which monies from the Capital Development Fund have been expended shall be deposited in the General Obligation Bond Retirement and Interest Fund.

(Source: P.A. 96-43, eff. 7-15-09.)

Section 10. The Build Illinois Bond Act is amended by changing Sections 5 and 6 as follows:

(30 ILCS 425/5) (from Ch. 127, par. 2805)

Sec. 5. Bond Sale Expenses.

(a) An amount not to exceed 0.5% of the principal amount of the proceeds of the sale of each bond sale is authorized to be used to pay reasonable costs of each issuance and sale of Bonds authorized and sold pursuant to this Act, including, without limitation, underwriter's discounts and fees, but excluding bond insurance, advertising, printing, bond rating, travel of outside vendors, security, delivery, legal and financial advisory services, initial fees of trustees, registrars, paying agents and other fiduciaries, initial costs of credit or liquidity enhancement arrangements, initial fees of indexing and remarketing agents, and initial costs of interest rate swaps, guarantees or arrangements to limit interest rate risk, as determined in the related Bond Sale Order, from the proceeds of each Bond sale, provided that no salaries of State employees or other State office operating expenses shall be paid out of non-appropriated proceeds, and provided further that the percent shall be 1.0% for each sale of “Build America Bonds” as defined in subsection (c) of Section 6. The Governor's Office of Management and Budget shall compile a summary of all costs of issuance on each sale (including both costs paid out of proceeds and those paid out of appropriated funds) and post that summary on its web site within 20 business days after the issuance of the bonds. That posting shall be maintained on the web site for a period of at least 30 days. In addition, the Governor's Office of Management and Budget shall provide a written copy of each summary of costs to the Speaker and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, the President and Minority Leader of the Senate, and the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability within 20 business days after each issuance of the bonds. This summary shall include, as applicable, the respective percentage of participation and compensation of each underwriter that is a member of the underwriting syndicate, legal counsel, financial advisors, and other professionals for the Bond issue, and an identification of all costs of issuance paid to minority owned businesses, female owned businesses, and businesses owned by persons with disabilities. The terms "minority owned businesses", "female owned businesses", and "business owned by a person with a disability" have the meanings given to those terms in the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Females, and Persons with Disabilities Act. In addition, the Governor's Office of Management and Budget shall provide copies of all contracts under which any costs of issuance are paid or to be paid to the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability within 20 business days after the issuance of Bonds for which those costs are paid or to be paid. Instead of filing a second or subsequent copy of the same contract, the Governor's Office of Management and Budget may file a statement that specified costs are paid under specified contracts filed earlier with the Commission.

(b) The Director of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget shall not, in connection with the issuance of Bonds, contract with any underwriter, financial advisor, or attorney unless that underwriter, financial advisor, or attorney certifies that the underwriter, financial advisor, or attorney has not and will not pay a contingent fee, whether directly or indirectly, to any third party for having promoted the selection of the underwriter, financial advisor, or attorney for that contract. In the event that the Governor's Office of Management and Budget determines that an underwriter, financial advisor, or attorney has filed a false certification with respect to the payment of contingent fees, the Governor's Office of Management and Budget shall not contract with that underwriter, financial advisor, or attorney, or with any firm employing any person who signed false certifications, for a period of 2 calendar years, beginning with the date the determination is made. The validity of Bonds issued under such circumstances of violation pursuant to this Section shall not be affected.

(Source: P.A. 93-839, eff. 7-30-04; 93-1067, eff. 1-15-05.)

(30 ILCS 425/6) (from Ch. 127, par. 2806)

Sec. 6. Conditions for Issuance and Sale of Bonds - Requirements for Bonds - Master and Supplemental Indentures - Credit and Liquidity Enhancement.

(a) Bonds shall be issued and sold from time to time, in one or more series, in such amounts and at such prices as directed by the Governor, upon recommendation by the Director of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget. Bonds shall be payable only from the specific sources and secured in the manner provided in this Act. Bonds shall be in such form, in such denominations, mature on such dates within 25 years from their date of issuance, be subject to optional or mandatory redemption, bear interest payable at such times and at such rate or rates, fixed or variable, and be dated as shall be fixed and determined by the Director of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget in an order authorizing the issuance and sale of any series of Bonds, which order shall be approved by the Governor and is herein called a "Bond Sale Order"; provided, however, that interest payable at fixed rates shall not exceed that permitted in "An Act to authorize public corporations to issue bonds, other evidences of indebtedness and tax anticipation warrants subject to interest rate limitations set forth therein", approved May 26, 1970, as now or hereafter amended, and interest payable at variable rates shall not exceed the maximum rate permitted in the Bond Sale Order. Said Bonds shall be payable at such place or places, within or without the State of Illinois, and may be made registrable as to either principal only or as to both principal and interest, as shall be specified in the Bond Sale Order. Bonds may be callable or subject to purchase and retirement or remarketing as fixed and determined in the Bond Sale Order. Bonds (i) except for refunding Bonds satisfying the requirements of Section 15 of this Act and sold during fiscal year 2009, 2010, or 2011, must be issued with principal or mandatory redemption amounts in equal amounts, with the first maturity issued occurring within the fiscal year in which the Bonds are issued or within the next succeeding fiscal year and (ii) must mature or be subject to mandatory redemption each fiscal year thereafter up to 25 years, except for refunding Bonds satisfying the requirements of Section 16 of this Act and sold during fiscal year 2009, 2010, or 2011 which must mature or be subject to mandatory redemption each fiscal year thereafter up to 16 years.

All Bonds authorized under this Act shall be issued pursuant to a master trust indenture ("Master Indenture") executed and delivered on behalf of the State by the Director of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget, such Master Indenture to be in substantially the form approved in the Bond Sale Order authorizing the issuance and sale of the initial series of Bonds issued under this Act. Such initial series of Bonds may, and each subsequent series of Bonds shall, also be issued pursuant to a supplemental trust indenture ("Supplemental Indenture") executed and delivered on behalf of the State by the Director of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget, each such Supplemental Indenture to be in substantially the form approved in the Bond Sale Order relating to such series. The Master Indenture and any Supplemental Indenture shall be entered into with a bank or trust company in the State of Illinois having trust powers and possessing capital and surplus of not less than $100,000,000. Such indentures shall set forth the terms and conditions of the Bonds and provide for payment of and security for the Bonds, including the establishment and maintenance of debt service and reserve funds, and for other protections for holders of the Bonds. The term "reserve funds" as used in this Act shall include funds and accounts established under indentures to provide for the payment of principal of and premium and interest on Bonds, to provide for the purchase, retirement or defeasance of Bonds, to provide for fees of trustees, registrars, paying agents and other fiduciaries and to provide for payment of costs of and debt service payable in respect of credit or liquidity enhancement arrangements, interest rate swaps or guarantees or financial futures contracts and indexing and remarketing agents' services.

In the case of any series of Bonds bearing interest at a variable interest rate ("Variable Rate Bonds"), in lieu of determining the rate or rates at which such series of Variable Rate Bonds shall bear interest and the price or prices at which such Variable Rate Bonds shall be initially sold or remarketed (in the event of purchase and subsequent resale), the Bond Sale Order may provide that such interest rates and prices may vary from time to time depending on criteria established in such Bond Sale Order, which criteria may include, without limitation, references to indices or variations in interest rates as may, in the judgment of a remarketing agent, be necessary to cause Bonds of such series to be remarketable from time to time at a price equal to their principal amount (or compound accreted value in the case of original issue discount Bonds), and may provide for appointment of indexing agents and a bank, trust company, investment bank or other financial institution to serve as remarketing agent in that connection. The Bond Sale Order may provide that alternative interest rates or provisions for establishing alternative interest rates, different security or claim priorities or different call or amortization provisions will apply during such times as Bonds of any series are held by a person providing credit or liquidity enhancement arrangements for such Bonds as authorized in subsection (b) of Section 6 of this Act.

(b) In connection with the issuance of any series of Bonds, the State may enter into arrangements to provide additional security and liquidity for such Bonds, including, without limitation, bond or interest rate insurance or letters of credit, lines of credit, bond purchase contracts or other arrangements whereby funds are made available to retire or purchase Bonds, thereby assuring the ability of owners of the Bonds to sell or redeem their Bonds. The State may enter into contracts and may agree to pay fees to persons providing such arrangements, but only under circumstances where the Director of the Bureau of the Budget (now Governor's Office of Management and Budget) certifies that he reasonably expects the total interest paid or to be paid on the Bonds, together with the fees for the arrangements (being treated as if interest), would not, taken together, cause the Bonds to bear interest, calculated to their stated maturity, at a rate in excess of the rate which the Bonds would bear in the absence of such arrangements. Any bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued pursuant to any such arrangements for the purpose of retiring and discharging outstanding Bonds shall constitute refunding Bonds under Section 15 of this Act. The State may participate in and enter into arrangements with respect to interest rate swaps or guarantees or financial futures contracts for the purpose of limiting or restricting interest rate risk; provided that such arrangements shall be made with or executed through banks having capital and surplus of not less than $100,000,000 or insurance companies holding the highest policyholder rating accorded insurers by A.M. Best & Co. or any comparable rating service or government bond dealers reporting to, trading with, and recognized as primary dealers by a Federal Reserve Bank and having capital and surplus of not less than $100,000,000, or other persons whose debt securities are rated in the highest long-term categories by both Moody's Investors' Services, Inc. and Standard & Poor's Corporation. Agreements incorporating any of the foregoing arrangements may be executed and delivered by the Director of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget on behalf of the State in substantially the form approved in the Bond Sale Order relating to such Bonds.

(c) "Build America Bonds" in this Section means Bonds authorized by Section 54AA of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ("Internal Revenue Code"), and bonds issued from time to time to refund or continue to refund "Build America Bonds".

(Source: P.A. 96-18, eff. 6-26-09.)

Section 15. The Downstate Forest Preserve District Act is amended by changing Section 13 as follows:

(70 ILCS 805/13) (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 6323)

Sec. 13. Bonds; limitation on indebtedness. The board of any forest preserve district organized hereunder may, for any of the purposes enumerated in this Act, borrow money upon the faith and credit of such district, and may issue bonds therefor. However, a district with a population of less than 3,000,000 may not become indebted in any manner or for any purpose to an amount including existing indebtedness in the aggregate exceeding 2.3% of the assessed value of the taxable property therein, as ascertained by the last equalized assessment for State and county purposes. No district may incur (i) indebtedness in excess of .3% of the assessed value of taxable property in the district, as ascertained by the last equalized assessment for State and county purposes, for the development of forest preserve lands held by the district, or (ii) indebtedness for any other purpose except the acquisition of land including acquiring lands in fee simple along or enclosing water courses, drainage ways, lakes, ponds, planned impoundments or elsewhere which are required to store flood waters or control other drainage and water conditions necessary for the preservation and management of the water resources of the District, unless the proposition to issue bonds or otherwise incur indebtedness is certified by the board to the proper election officials who shall submit the proposition at an election in accordance with the general election law, and approved by a majority of those voting upon the proposition. No district containing fewer than 3,000,000 inhabitants may incur indebtedness for the acquisition of land or lands for any purpose in excess of 55,000 acres, including all lands theretofore acquired, unless the proposition to issue bonds or otherwise incur indebtedness is first submitted to the voters of the district at a referendum in accordance with the general election law and approved by a majority of those voting upon the proposition. Before or at the time of issuing bonds, the board shall provide by ordinance for the collection of an annual tax sufficient to pay the interest on the bonds as it falls due, and to pay the bonds as they mature. All bonds issued by any forest preserve district must be divided into series, the first of which matures not later than 5 years after the date of issue and the last of which matures not later than 20 years after the date of issue, or for bonds issued prior to January 1, 2011, commonly known as "Build America Bonds" as authorized by Section 54AA of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and for bonds issued from time to time to refund "Build America Bonds", not later than 25 years after the date of issue.

This Section does not apply to a forest preserve district created under Section 18.5 of the Conservation District Act.

(Source: P.A. 94-617, eff. 8-18-05.)

Section 20. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act is amended by changing Section 9.6a as follows:

(70 ILCS 2605/9.6a) (from Ch. 42, par. 328.6a)

Sec. 9.6a. The corporate authorities of a sanitary district, in order to provide funds required for the replacing, remodeling, completing, altering, constructing and enlarging of sewage treatment works, water quality improvement projects, or flood control facilities, and additions therefor, pumping stations, tunnels, conduits, intercepting sewers and outlet sewers, together with the equipment, including air pollution equipment, and appurtenances thereto, to acquire property, real, personal or mixed, necessary for said purposes, for costs and expenses for the acquisition of the sites and rights-of-way necessary thereto, and for engineering expenses for designing and supervising the construction of such works, may issue on or before December 31, 2016, in addition to all other obligations heretofore or herein authorized, bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness for such purposes in an aggregate amount at any one time outstanding not to exceed 3.35% of the equalized assessed valuation of all taxable property within the sanitary district, to be ascertained by the last assessment for State and local taxes previous to the issuance of any such obligations. Such obligations shall be issued without submitting the question of such issuance to the legal voters of such sanitary district for approval.

The corporate authorities may sell such obligations at private or public sale and enter into any contract or agreement necessary, appropriate or incidental to the exercise of the powers granted by this Act, including, without limitation, contracts or agreements for the sale and purchase of such obligations and the payment of costs and expenses incident thereto. The corporate authorities may pay such costs and expenses, in whole or in part, from the corporate fund.

Such obligations shall be issued from time to time only in amounts as may be required for such purposes but the amount of such obligations issued during any one budget year shall not exceed $150,000,000 plus the amount of any obligations authorized by this Act to be issued during the 3 budget years next preceding the year of issuance but which were not issued, provided, however, that this limitation shall not be applicable (i) to the issuance of obligations to refund bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness, (ii) nor to obligations issued to provide for the repayment of money received from the Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund for the construction or repair of wastewater treatment works, and (iii) to obligations issued as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, issued prior to January 1, 2011, that are commonly known as "Build America Bonds" as authorized by Section 54AA of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Each ordinance authorizing the issuance of the obligations shall state the general purpose or purposes for which they are to be issued, and the corporate authorities may at any time thereafter pass supplemental appropriations ordinances appropriating the proceeds from the sale of such obligations for such purposes.

The corporate authorities may issue bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness in an amount necessary to provide funds to refund outstanding obligations issued pursuant to this Section, including interest accrued or to accrue thereon.

(Source: P.A. 95-125, eff. 8-13-07; 95-412, eff. 8-24-07.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.