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A.  Without reference to any provision of the Constitution of Louisiana and the laws of Louisiana, and as a grant of power in addition to any other general or special law, the authority created pursuant to this Chapter may issue bonds for any authority purpose and pledge revenues for the payment of the principal and interest of such bonds.  The authority is further authorized, in its discretion, to pledge all or any part of any gift, grant, donation, or other sum of money, aid, or assistance from the United States, the state, or any political subdivision thereof, unless otherwise restricted by the terms thereof, all or any part of the proceeds of bonds, credit agreements, instruments, or any other money of the authority, from whatever source derived, for the further securing of the payment of the principal and interest of the bonds.  Any bonds issued pursuant to the provisions hereof shall constitute revenue bonds under Article VII, Section 6 of thethe Louisiana Constitution and such bonds shall be payable solely from revenues and bond proceeds, pending their disbursement, and investment income thereon.

B.(1)  Without reference to any provision of the Constitution of Louisiana and the laws of Louisiana, and as a grant of power in addition to any other general or special law and in addition to the grant of power set forth in Subsection A, the authority created pursuant to this Chapter may issue bonds for the I-49 Project and pledge unclaimed property revenues for the payment of the principal and interest of such bonds and may further pledge monies deposited or to be deposited into the Unclaimed Property Leverage Fund, which pledge shall be subject to appropriation by the legislature.  The authority is further authorized, in its discretion, to pledge all or any part of any gift, grant, donation, or other sum of money, aid, or assistance from the United States, the state, or any political subdivision thereof, unless otherwise restricted by the terms thereof, all or any part of the proceeds of bonds, credit agreements, instruments, or other money of the authority, from whatever source derived, for the further securing of the payment of the principal and interest of the bonds.  Any such bonds shall be payable solely from revenues and bond proceeds, pending their disbursement, and investment income thereon.

(2)  The unclaimed property receipts received from the state treasurer each fiscal year shall be applied to pay or provide for the payment of debt service on unclaimed property bonds issued by the authority.

(3)  The resolution or resolutions under which unclaimed property fund bonds are authorized to be issued may contain any or all of the following:

(a)  Provisions respecting custody of the proceeds from the sale of the unclaimed property fund bonds, including any requirements that such proceeds be held separate from or not be commingled with other funds of the state.

(b)  Provisions for the investment and reinvestment of unclaimed property fund bond proceeds until used to pay the costs of financing such unclaimed property bonds and for the disposition of any excess bond proceeds or investment earnings thereon.

(c)  Provisions for the execution of reimbursement agreements or similar agreements in connection with credit facilities, including but not limited to letters of credit or policies of bond insurance, remarketing agreements and agreements, for the purpose of moderating interest rate fluctuations.

(d)  Provisions for the collection, custody, investment, reinvestment, and use of the pledged revenues or other receipts, funds, or monies pledged therefor and deposited in the Unclaimed Property Leverage Fund.

(e)  Provisions regarding the establishment and maintenance of reserves, sinking funds, and any other funds, and accounts as shall be approved by the authority in such amounts as may be established by the authority, and the regulation and disposition thereof, including requirements that any such funds and accounts be held separate from or not be commingled with other funds.

(f)  Covenants for the establishment of pledged revenue coverage requirements for the unclaimed property fund bonds.

(g)  Provisions for the issuance of additional unclaimed property fund bonds on a parity with unclaimed property fund bonds theretofore issued, including establishment of coverage requirements with respect thereto.

(h)  Provisions or covenants of like or different character from the foregoing which are determined in such proceedings are necessary, convenient, or desirable in order to better secure the unclaimed property fund bonds, or will tend to make the unclaimed property fund bonds more marketable, and which are in the best interests of the authority.

C.  Bonds issued under the provisions of this Chapter shall not be deemed to constitute a pledge of the full faith and credit of the state or of any governmental unit thereof.  All such bonds shall contain a statement on their face substantially to the effect that neither the full faith and credit of the state nor the full faith and credit of any public entity of the state are pledged to the payment of the principal of or the interest on such bonds.  The issuance of bonds under the provisions of this Chapter shall not directly, indirectly, or contingently obligate the state or any governmental unit of the state to levy any taxes whatever therefor or to make any appropriation for their payment, other than obligations to make payments by the state or any public entity to the authority arising out of contracts authorized under this Chapter.

D.  Bonds shall be authorized by a resolution of the authority and shall be of such series, bear such date or dates, mature at such time or times, bear interest at such rate or rates, including but not limited to fixed, variable, or zero rates, be payable at such time or times, be in such denominations, be in such form, carry such registration and exchangeability privilege, be payable in such medium of payment and at such place or places, be subject to such terms of redemption prior to maturity at such price or prices as determined by the authority, and be entitled to such priority on the revenues as such resolution or resolutions may provide.

E.  Bonds shall be sold by the authority at public sale by competitive bid or negotiated private sale and at such price as the authority may determine to be in the best interest of the authority.

F.  The issuance of bonds shall not be subject to any limitations, requirements, or conditions contained in any other law, and bonds may be issued without obtaining the consent of the state or any political subdivision, or of any agency, commission, or instrumentality thereof, except that the issuance of such bonds shall be subject to the approval of the State Bond Commission.  The bonds shall be issued in compliance with the provisions of this Chapter.

G.  For a period of thirty days after the date of publication of a notice of intent to issue bonds in the official journal of the authority authorizing the issuance of bonds hereunder, any person in interest shall have the right to contest the legality of the resolution and the legality of the bond issue for any cause, but after that time no one shall have any cause or right of action to contest the legality of the resolution or of the bonds or the security therefor for any cause whatsoever.  If no suit, action, or proceeding is begun contesting the validity of the resolution, the bonds or the security therefor within the thirty days herein prescribed, the authority to issue the bonds and to provide for the payment thereof, the legality thereof, and of all of the provisions of the resolution authorizing the issuance of the bonds shall be conclusively presumed to be legal and shall be incontestable.  Any notice of intent so published shall set forth in reasonable detail the purpose of the bonds, the security therefor, and the parameters of amount, duration, and interest rates.  The authority may designate any paper of general circulation in its geographical jurisdiction to publish the notice of intent or may utilize electronic media available to the general public.  Any suit to determine the validity of bonds issued by the authority shall be brought only in accordance with the provisions of La. Rev. Stat. 13:5121 et seq.

H.  All bonds issued pursuant to this Chapter shall have all the qualities of negotiable instruments under the commercial laws of the state.

I.  Any pledge of revenues or other monies made by the authority shall be valid and binding from the time when the pledge is made.  The revenues or monies so pledged and thereafter received by the authority shall immediately be subject to the lien of such pledge without any physical delivery thereof or further act, and the lien of any such pledge shall be valid and binding as against all parties having claims of any kind in tort, contract, or otherwise against the authority irrespective of whether such parties have notice thereof.

J.  Neither the members of the authority nor any person executing the bonds shall be liable personally for the bonds or be subject to any personal liability or accountability by reason of the issuance thereof.

K.  Bonds of the authority, their transfer, and the income therefrom shall at all times be exempt from all taxation by the state or any political subdivision thereof, and may or may not be exempt for federal income tax purposes.  The bonds issued pursuant to this Chapter shall be and are hereby declared to be legal and authorized investments for banks, savings banks, trust companies, building and loan associations, insurance companies, fiduciaries, trustees, and guardians.  Such bonds shall be eligible to secure the deposit of any and all public funds of the state and any and all public funds of municipalities, parishes, school districts, or other political corporations or subdivisions of the state.  Such bonds shall be lawful and sufficient security for said deposits to the extent of their value.  When any bonds shall have been issued pursuant to Subsection A of this Section, neither the legislature, the authority, nor any other authority may discontinue or decrease the revenues pledged to the payment of the bonds authorized hereunder or permit to be discontinued or decreased said revenues in anticipation of the collection of which such bonds have been issued, or in any way make any change in the allocation and dedication of the revenues which would diminish the amount of the revenues to be received by the authority, until all of such bonds shall have been retired as to principal and interest, and there is hereby vested in the holders from time to time of such bonds a contract right in the provisions of this Section.

L.  The authority may provide by resolution for the issuance of refunding bonds pursuant to La. Rev. Stat. 39:1444 et seq.

M.  The holders of any bonds issued hereunder shall have such rights and remedies as may be provided in the resolution or trust agreement authorizing the issuance of the bonds, including but not by way of limitation, appointment of a trustee for the bondholders and any other available civil action to compel compliance with the terms and provisions of the bonds and the resolution or trust agreement.

N.  Subject to the agreements with the holders of bonds, all proceeds of bonds and all revenues pledged under a resolution or trust agreement authorizing or securing such bonds shall be deposited and held in trust in a fund or funds separate and apart from all other funds of the state.  Subject to the resolution or trust agreement, the trustee shall hold the same for the benefit of the holders of the bonds for the application and disposition thereof solely to the respective uses and purposes provided in such resolution or trust agreement.

O.  The authority created hereunder is authorized to employ all professionals it deems necessary in the issuance of its bonds.

P.  The authority created hereunder shall be deemed to be a public entity for purposes of Chapters 13, 13-A, 14, 14-A, 14-B, and 15-A of Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended, which statutes shall apply to bonds of the authority, provided that in the event of a conflict with the provisions of this Chapter, the provisions of this Chapter shall control.

Acts 2001, No. 1209, §2; Acts 2005, No. 256, §2, eff. June 29, 2005.