1. Any person who makes a qualified contribution to a qualified fund shall be entitled to receive a tax credit equal to fifty percent of the amount of the qualified contribution. The tax credit shall be evidenced by a tax credit certificate in accordance with the provisions of sections 348.300 to 348.318 and may be used to satisfy the state tax liability of the owner of such certificate that becomes due in the tax year in which the qualified contribution is made, or in any of the ten tax years thereafter. No person may receive a tax credit pursuant to sections 348.300 to 348.318 unless that person presents a tax credit certificate to the department of revenue for payment of such state tax liability.

2. The amount of such qualified contributions which can be made is limited so that the aggregate of all tax credits authorized under the provisions of sections 348.300 to 348.318 shall not exceed nine million dollars. All tax credits authorized under the provisions of this section may be transferred, sold or assigned.