§558. Bond issue for pipeline

A. In order to finance capital improvements authorized by R.S. 30:557, the commissioner shall have the power to borrow money not to exceed $50,000,000.00 and evidence the borrowing in the issuance and sale of bonds or other obligations of the State Department of Conservation, the principal and interest of which shall be payable solely out of revenues herein authorized to be dedicated and pledged for such payment.

B. The bonds or other obligations issued under authority of this Section shall be solely the obligations of the State Department of Conservation and shall recite on their face that they do not constitute obligations of the state of Louisiana or of any parish, municipality or other political subdivision of the state. The bonds or other obligations shall be authorized and issued by written authorization of the commissioner and shall be of such series, bear such date or dates, mature at such time or times, bear interest at such rate or rates, be in such form, either coupon or fully registered without coupons, carry such registration and exchangeability privileges, be payable in such medium of payment and at such place or places, be subject to such terms of redemption and be entitled to such priorities on the revenues authorized by this Section to be pledged for the payment of principal and interest of such bonds or other obligations as such written authorization may provide. The bonds and the coupons, if any, attached thereto shall be executed in the form and manner provided by the commissioner's written authorization.

C. The bonds or other obligations issued under authority of this Section shall be sold by the State Bond Commission in accordance with R.S. 39:1403, except as otherwise provided herein, to the highest bidder on sealed proposals at public sale at not less than par and accrued interest, after publication of notice of sale at least seven days in advance of the date of sale in newspapers or financial journals published at such places as the State Bond Commission may determine, reserving to the State Bond Commission the right to reject any and all bids.

D. Any bonds or other obligations issued hereunder shall be payable from and be secured by the pledge of the revenues derived from the operation of the pipeline system or systems, as constructed, acquired, extended or improved with the proceeds of the bonds, subject only to prior payment of the reasonable and necessary expenses of operating and maintaining the system or systems. Any holder of the bonds or other obligations or of any of the coupons thereto attached may by appropriate legal action compel performance of all duties required of the commissioner in order to enforce payment of the bonds when due. If any bonds or other obligations issued hereunder are permitted to go into default as to principal or interest, any court of competent jurisdiction may, pursuant to the application of the holder of the bonds or other obligations, appoint a receiver for the system or systems who shall operate the system or systems and collect and distribute the revenues thereof pursuant to the provisions and requirements of the commissioner's written authorization for the bonds.

If more than one series of bonds or other obligations is issued hereunder payable from the revenues of the system or systems, priority of lien on such revenues shall depend on the time of the delivery of the bonds or other obligations each series enjoying a lien prior and superior to that enjoyed by any series of bonds or other obligations subsequently delivered, except that where provision is made in the proceedings authorizing any issue or series of bonds or other obligations for the issuance of additional bonds or other obligations in the future on a parity therewith pursuant to procedure or restrictions provided in such proceedings, additional bonds or other obligations may be issued in the future on a parity with such issue or series in the manner so provided in such proceedings.

E. All bonds or other obligations issued under the provisions of this Section shall constitute negotiable instruments within the meaning of the Louisiana Negotiable Instruments Law. The bonds or other obligations and the income thereof shall be exempt from all taxation within the state of Louisiana.

F. When the commissioner has issued bonds and pledged the revenues of the pipeline system or systems for the payment thereof as herein provided, the commissioner shall operate and maintain the system or systems and shall impose and collect fees and charges for the services furnished by the system or systems, including those furnished to the State Department of Conservation, in such amounts and at such rates as shall be fully sufficient at all times to (1) pay the expenses of operating and maintaining the system or systems, (2) provide a sinking fund sufficient to assure the prompt payment of principal of and interest on the bonds or other obligations as each falls due, (3) provide such reasonable fund for contingencies as may be required by the commissioner's written authorization for the bonds or other obligations, and (4) provide an adequate depreciation fund for repairs, extensions and improvements to the system or systems necessary to assure adequate and efficient service to the public. No board or commission other than the commissioner shall have authority to fix or supervise the making of such fees and charges, which shall be in amounts reasonably necessary for the purposes herein stated.

G. Any written authorization of the commissioner authorizing the issuance of bonds or other obligations shall be published at least three times in ten days in a newspaper published in the city of Baton Rouge. For a period of thirty days from the date of the publication, any person in interest may contest the legality of the written authorization of the commissioner and of the bonds or other obligations to be issued pursuant thereto and the provisions securing the bonds or other obligations, including the validity of any lease or other contract pledged to the payment thereof. After the expiration of thirty days no one shall have any right of action to contest the validity of the bonds or other obligations, the validity of the security pledged to the payment thereof or the provisions of the written authorization pursuant to which the bonds or other obligations were issued, and all the bonds or other obligations and all proceedings relating thereto shall be conclusively presumed to be legal, and no court shall thereafter have authority to inquire into such matters.

H. The commissioner may by written authorization authorize the issuance of bonds or other obligations for the purpose of refunding, extending and unifying the whole or any part of the principal, interest and redemption premiums on any outstanding bonds or other obligations issued under the authority of this Section. The refunding bonds or other obligations may either be sold and the proceeds applied to or deposited in escrow for the retirement of the outstanding bonds or other obligations, or may be delivered in exchange for the outstanding bonds or other obligations. The refunding bonds or other obligations shall be authorized in all respects as original bonds or other obligations are herein required to be authorized. The commissioner, in authorizing the refunding bonds or other obligations, shall provide for the security of the bonds or other obligations, the sources from which the bonds or other obligations are to be paid and for the rights of the holders thereof in all respects as herein provided for other bonds or other obligations issued under the authority of this Section. The commissioner may also provide that the refunding bonds or other obligations shall have the same priority of lien on the revenues pledged for their payment as was enjoyed by the bonds or other obligations refunded.

Added by Acts 1973, Ex.Sess., No. 16, §1, emerg. eff. Dec. 8, 1973, at 9:55 A.M.