The Florida Senate

288.9606  Issue of revenue bonds.--

(1)  When authorized by a public agency pursuant to s. 163.01(7), the corporation has power in its corporate capacity, in its discretion, to issue revenue bonds or other evidences of indebtedness which a public agency has the power to issue, from time to time to finance the undertaking of any purpose of this act and ss. 288.707-288.714, including, without limiting the generality thereof, the payment of principal and interest upon any advances for surveys and plans or preliminary loans, and has the power to issue refunding bonds for the payment or retirement of bonds previously issued. Bonds issued pursuant to this section shall bear the name "Florida Development Finance Corporation Revenue Bonds." The security for such bonds may be based upon such revenues as are legally available. In anticipation of the sale of such revenue bonds, the corporation may issue bond anticipation notes and may renew such notes from time to time, but the maximum maturity of any such note, including renewals thereof, may not exceed 5 years from the date of issuance of the original note. Such notes shall be paid from any revenues of the corporation available therefor and not otherwise pledged or from the proceeds of sale of the revenue bonds in anticipation of which they were issued. Any bond, note, or other form of indebtedness issued pursuant to this act shall mature no later than the end of the 30th fiscal year after the fiscal year in which the bond, note, or other form of indebtedness was issued.

(2)  Bonds issued under this section do not constitute an indebtedness within the meaning of any constitutional or statutory debt limitation or restriction, and are not subject to the provisions of any other law or charter relating to the authorization, issuance, or sale of bonds. Bonds issued under the provisions of this act are declared to be for an essential public and governmental purpose. Bonds issued under this act, the interest on which is exempt from income taxes of the United States, together with interest thereon and income therefrom, are exempted from all taxes, except those taxes imposed by chapter 220, on interest, income, or profits on debt obligations owned by corporations.

(3)  Bonds issued under this section shall be authorized by a public agency of this state pursuant to the terms of an interlocal agreement; may be issued in one or more series; and shall bear such date or dates, be payable upon demand or mature at such time or times, bear interest rate or rates, be in such denomination or denominations, be in such form either with or without coupon or registered, carry such conversion or registration privileges, have such rank or priority, be executed in such manner, be payable in such medium of payments at such place or places, be subject to such terms of redemption, with or without premium, be secured in such manner, and have such other characteristics as may be provided by the interlocal agreement issued pursuant thereto. Bonds issued under this section may be sold in such manner, either at public or private sale, and for such price as the corporation may determine will effectuate the purpose of this act.

(4)  In case a director whose signature appears on any bonds or coupons issued under this act ceases to be a director before the delivery of such bonds, such signature is, nevertheless, valid and sufficient for all purposes, the same as if such director had remained in office until such delivery.

(5)  In any suit, action, or proceeding involving the validity or enforceability of any bond issued under this act, or the security therefor, any such bond reciting in substance that it has been issued by the corporation in connection with any purpose of the act shall be conclusively deemed to have been issued for such purpose, and such purpose shall be conclusively deemed to have been carried out in accordance with the act. The complaint in any action to validate such bonds shall be filed only in the Circuit Court for Leon County. The notice required to be published by s. 75.06 shall be published only in Leon County, and the complaint and order of the circuit court shall be served only on the State Attorney of the Second Judicial Circuit and on the state attorney of each circuit in each county where the public agencies which were initially a party to the interlocal agreement are located. Notice of such proceedings shall be published in the manner and the time required by s. 75.06, in Leon County and in each county where the public agencies which were initially a party to the interlocal agreement are located. Obligations of the corporation pursuant to a loan agreement as described in this subsection may be validated as provided in chapter 75. The validation of at least the first bonds approved by the corporation shall be appealed to the Florida Supreme Court. The complaint in the validation proceeding shall specifically address the constitutionality of using the investment of the earnings accrued and collected upon the investment of the minimum balance funds required to be maintained in the State Transportation Trust Fund to guarantee such bonds. If such proceeding results in an adverse ruling and such bonds and guaranty are found to be unconstitutional, invalid, or unenforceable, then the corporation shall no longer be authorized to use the investment of the earnings accrued and collected upon the investment of the minimum balance of the State Transportation Trust Fund to guarantee any bonds.

(6)  The proceeds of any bonds of the corporation may not be used, in any manner, to acquire any building or facility that will be, during the pendency of the financing, used by, occupied by, leased to, or paid for by any state, county, or municipal agency or entity.

History.--ss. 30, 62, ch. 93-187; s. 1, ch. 93-402; s. 13, ch. 94-136; s. 102, ch. 96-320.