5:10-14.3 Sports Authority Fund.

12. a. The State Treasurer shall establish a special fund to be known as the "Sports Authority Fund" and shall pay into the fund amounts from the General Fund as shall be necessary to pay the principal and interest on bonds or notes of the authority issued pursuant to this section and to pay any amounts due from the authority under any credit agreement entered into by the authority in connection with the bonds or notes, provided that all payments from the General Fund shall be subject to and dependent upon appropriations made from time to time for those purposes.

b. (1) The State Treasurer and the authority are authorized to enter into agreements as shall be necessary to effectuate the purposes of this section, including without limitation, provisions for securing the payment of bonds or notes issued by the authority pursuant to subsection d. of this section and the interest thereon and providing for the investment of moneys in the fund; provided that the agreements shall be subject to approval by the presiding officers of both houses of the Legislature, and provided further that when the purposes of this section have been satisfied, and upon the earlier of:

(a) the certification by the State Treasurer that the revenues of the authority are sufficient to satisfy the requirements of paragraphs (1), (2), (3), (4), (5) and (6) of subsection c. of section 6 of P.L.1971, c.137 (C.5:10-6) for the term of bonds or notes issued pursuant to subsection d. of this section; or

(b) the satisfaction of the requirements for the payment of bonds or notes issued pursuant to P.L.1991, c.375 (C.5:10-3 et al.) or pursuant to P.L.1997, c.273 (C.40:54D-25.1 et al.); the State Treasurer and the authority shall not, except for the refunding of bonds or notes issued pursuant to subsection d. of this section which produces debt service savings, enter into any further agreements regarding payments by the State Treasurer into the "Sports Authority Fund" for any reason, including but not limited to, the financing or restructuring of the debt of the authority.

(2) The agreements shall indicate the nature and scope of the projects to be financed pursuant to this section.

(3) The agreements shall provide that with respect to the Atlantic City convention center project, the authority shall review all existing expert studies that present options as to the scope and nature of the project and the linkages between the project and the economic development of Atlantic City. Based upon its analysis of the available studies and such other expert studies as the authority may authorize, the authority shall report to the Legislature and include in the minutes of the authority its proposal for the development of the Atlantic City convention center. The report shall include an explanation for the selection of the project option proposed by the authority.

c. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in P.L.1991, c.375 (C.5:10-3 et al.), if and to the extent provided in any agreement between the State Treasurer and the authority, all or part of the revenues of the authority, other than luxury tax revenues or revenues of the Atlantic City convention center project and other than tourism related tax revenues or other revenues of the Wildwood convention center facility, in excess of the requirements of the resolutions authorizing or relating to the issuance of any of the authority's bonds or notes, except those issued pursuant to this section, shall be paid into the General Fund in repayment to the State for amounts previously paid by the State pursuant to this section with respect to the payment of principal and interest on bonds or notes issued for any of the purposes set forth in this section, except the purposes set forth in paragraphs (3), (4), (5), and (8) of subsection d. of this section, and any payments on account of any credit agreements with respect to the bonds or notes. Except as otherwise provided in this section, bonds or notes of the authority issued pursuant to this section shall be authorized, sold and issued in the manner and be entitled to the benefits, protection and provisions as apply to bonds and notes of the authority authorized to be issued pursuant to P.L.1971, c.137 (C.5:10-1 et seq.).

d. In addition to its other powers to issue bonds and notes, the authority shall have power to issue from time to time bonds and notes payable from amounts in the Sports Authority Fund established pursuant to subsection a. of this section, as follows:

(1) To provide sufficient funds to refund from time to time outstanding bonds or notes of the authority issued for the meadowlands complex or the Monmouth racetrack project authorized pursuant to paragraph (5) of subsection a. of section 6 of P.L.1971, c.137 (C.5:10-6), whether or not the bonds or notes or interest thereon have become due, to provide for the establishment of funds or reserves to secure payment of the bonds or notes or any other bonds or notes issued or to be issued for those purposes or interest thereon, and to provide for the payment of all other costs or expenses of the authority incident to or necessary to carry out the refunding; provided that the refunding bonds issued at any time pursuant to this paragraph shall not exceed that amount estimated to be necessary so that subsequent to the refunding, the revenues from the meadowlands complex or the Monmouth racetrack project, as the case may be, shall be sufficient to pay all costs payable from those revenues, as shall be estimated in a determination by the authority made in accordance with the agreement between the authority and the State Treasurer;

(2) To finance or refinance a capital program or programs for the meadowlands complex and the Monmouth racetrack project authorized pursuant to paragraph (5) of subsection a. of section 6 of P.L.1971, c.137 (C.5:10-6), adopted by the authority to provide for major repairs, reconstruction and improvements which are legally mandated or otherwise needed to meet environmental or safety requirements, to prevent a loss of revenues, to augment revenues or to continue or enhance the operations of any of the facilities thereof, or to upgrade any of the facilities thereof;

(3) To provide for the financing or refinancing of the facilities for Rutgers, The State University pursuant to paragraph (8) of subsection a. of section 6 of P.L.1971, c.137 (C.5:10-6); (4) To provide for the financing or refinancing of the Atlantic City convention center project;

(5) To finance or refinance feasibility studies for public projects consistent with the purposes of the authority;

(6) To provide for the financing or refinancing of any other project of the authority, but only if and to the extent expressly authorized by law enacted subsequent to the enactment of P.L.1991, c.375 (C.5:10-3 et al.);

(7) To provide for the financing of the facilities at institutions of higher education pursuant to paragraph (11) of subsection a. of section 6 of P.L.1971, c.137 (C.5:10-6), based upon a list of projects recommended by the Commission on Higher Education following a competitive application process, provided that the aggregate financing of the projects undertaken pursuant to this paragraph shall not exceed $5,000,000;

(8) To provide for the financing or refinancing of a convention center facility in the City of Wildwood pursuant to paragraph (12) of subsection a. of section 6 of P.L.1971, c.137 (C.5:10-6); and

(9) To provide for the financing or refinancing of the professional football training facility project and associated facilities authorized pursuant to paragraph (14) of subsection a. of section 6 of P.L.1971, c.137 (C.5:10-6).

e. Bonds and notes authorized pursuant to this section shall be special obligations of the authority payable as herein provided. Bonds and notes shall not be deemed to constitute a debt or liability of the State or a pledge of the faith and credit of the State but are dependent for repayment upon appropriations as provided by law from time to time. These bonds and notes and the interest thereon may also be payable from the proceeds thereof set aside for that purpose and income accruing therefrom.

L.1991,c.375,s.12; amended 1994, c.48, s.296; 1997, c.273, s.21; 2005, c.302, s.2.