1. a. Notwithstanding the provisions of P.L.2000, c.72 (C. 18A:7G-1 et al.) or any other section of law to the contrary, the board of education of a county vocational school district may request a county improvement authority to construct a county vocational school district school facilities project and to issue its bonds to finance the local share of a project that is to be financed under section 15 of P.L.2000, c.72 (C. 18A:7G-15), or to finance the total costs of a project that is not to be financed under section 15 of P.L.2000, c.72 (C. 18A:7G-15). The bonds of a county improvement authority issued to finance the total costs of a county vocational school district school facilities project that is not to be financed under section 15 of P.L.2000, c.72 (C. 18A:7F-15) shall be eligible for State debt service aid in accordance with the formula established under section 9 of P.L.2000, c.72 (C. 18A:7G-9).

b. A county vocational school district may lease its lands or facilities to the county improvement authority which may construct the school facilities project through a design-build contract. Whenever a school facilities project is constructed by a county improvement authority through a design-build contract: (1) The county improvement authority shall follow the procedures established by the rules and regulations of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority for the procurement of design-build contracts; (2) The county improvement authority shall follow the design requirements and materials and system standards established by the development authority; (3) The provisions of the “Public School Contracts Law,” (N.J.S. 18A:18A-1 et seq.), and the “Local Public Contracts Law,” P.L.1971, c.198 (C. 40A:11-1 et seq.), shall not apply; and (4) A county vocational school district shall comply with the procedures for obtaining approval of the project under P.L.2000, c.72 (C. 18A:7G-1 et al.), but shall not be required to comply with the provisions of N.J.S. 18A:18A-16

c. The county improvement authority shall lease the county vocational school district school facilities project to the county which shall then lease it for nominal consideration to the county vocational school district for as long as the county improvement authority bonds or refunding bonds are outstanding. Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize a county to require a county vocational school district to bear any portion of the cost of the debt service on the county improvement authority bonds issued to fund the county vocational school district school facilities project or on any refunding bonds.

d. The county lease payments made to the county improvement authority pursuant to subsection c. of this section shall not be subject to any cap on appropriations or on spending or to any tax levy cap. The county lease payments shall be sufficient to pay debt service on the county improvement authority bonds issued to fund the county vocational school district school facilities project or on any refunding bonds, that remains after the application of any State debt service aid paid on those bonds pursuant to section 9 of P.L.2000, c.72 (C. 18A:7G-9). The county lease payments shall be payable over the life of the bonds.

e. When the bonds issued by a county improvement authority are no longer outstanding, the leases and liens of the county and the county improvement authority shall expire and the county vocational school district school facilities project shall be solely vested in the county vocational school district. The county vocational school district shall be responsible for the operation, maintenance, and improvement of the school facility upon the completion of the school facilities project.

L.2015, c.68, s.1.