116D-46. Issuance of bonds and notes.

(a) Terms and Conditions. - Bonds or notes may bear any dates, may be serial or term bonds or notes, or any combination of these, may mature in any amounts and at any times, not exceeding 25 years from their dates, may be payable at any places, either within or without the United States, in any coin or currency of the United States that at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts, may bear interest at any rates, which may vary from time to time, and may be made redeemable before maturity, at the option of the State or otherwise as may be provided by the State, at any prices, including a price greater than the face amount of the bonds or notes, and under any terms and conditions, all as may be determined by the State Treasurer, by and with the consent of the Council of State.

(b) Signatures; Form and Denomination; Registration. - Bonds or notes may be issued in certificated or uncertificated form. If issued in certificated form, bonds or notes shall be signed on behalf of the State by the Governor or shall bear the Governor's facsimile signature, shall be signed by the State Treasurer or shall bear the State Treasurer's facsimile signature, and shall bear the Great Seal of the State or a facsimile of the Seal impressed or imprinted on them. If bonds or notes bear the facsimile signatures of the Governor and the State Treasurer, the bonds or notes shall also bear a manual signature which may be that of a bond registrar, trustee, paying agent, or designated assistant of the State Treasurer. The form and denomination of bonds or notes, including the provisions with respect to registration of the bonds or notes and any system for their registration, shall be as the State Treasurer may determine in conformity with this Article.

(c) Manner of Sale; Expenses. - Subject to the approval by the Council of State as to the manner in which bonds or notes shall be offered for sale, whether at public or private sale, whether within or without the United States, and whether by publishing notices in certain newspapers and financial journals, mailing notices, inviting bids by correspondence, negotiating contracts of purchase or otherwise, the State Treasurer is authorized to sell bonds or notes at one time or from time to time at any rates of interest, which may vary from time to time, and at any prices, including a price less than the face amount of the bonds or notes, as the State Treasurer may determine. All expenses incurred in the preparation, sale, and issuance of bonds or notes shall be paid by the State Treasurer from the proceeds of bonds or notes or other available moneys.

(d) Application of Proceeds. - The proceeds of any bonds or notes shall be used solely for the purposes for which the bonds or notes were issued and shall be disbursed in the manner and under the restrictions, if any, that the Council of State may provide in the resolution authorizing the issuance of, or in any trust agreement securing, the bonds or notes.

Any additional moneys which may be received by means of a grant or grants from the United States or any agency or department thereof or from any other source to aid in financing the cost of a capital facility may be disbursed, to the extent permitted by the terms of the grant or grants, without regard to any limitations imposed by this Article.

(e) Notes; Repayment. - By and with the consent of the Council of State, the State Treasurer is authorized to borrow money and to execute and issue notes of the State for the same, but only in the following circumstances and under the following conditions:

(1) For anticipating the sale of bonds the issuance of which the Council of State has approved, if the State Treasurer considers it advisable to postpone the issuance of the bonds.

(2) For the payment of interest on or any installment of principal of any bonds then outstanding, if there are not sufficient funds in the State treasury with which to pay the interest or installment or principal as they respectively become due.

(3) For the renewal of any loan evidenced by notes authorized in this Article.

(4) For the purposes authorized in this Article.

(5) For refunding bonds or notes as authorized in this Article.

Funds derived from the sale of bonds or notes may be used in the payment of any bond anticipation notes issued under this Article. Funds provided by the General Assembly for the payment of interest on or principal of bonds shall be used in paying the interest on or principal of any notes and any renewals thereof, the proceeds of which have been used in paying interest on or principal of the bonds.

(f) Refunding Bonds and Notes. - By and with the consent of the Council of State, the State Treasurer is authorized to issue and sell refunding bonds and notes for the purpose of refunding bonds or notes issued pursuant to this Article and to pay the cost of issuance of the refunding bonds or notes. The refunding bonds and notes may be combined with any other issues of State bonds and notes similarly secured. Refunding bonds or notes may be issued at any time prior to the final maturity of the debt or obligation to be refunded. The proceeds from the sale of any refunding bonds or notes shall be applied to the immediate payment and retirement of the bonds or notes being refunded or, if not required for the immediate payment of the bonds or notes being refunded, the proceeds shall be deposited in trust to provide for the payment and retirement of the bonds or notes being refunded and to pay any expenses incurred in connection with the refunding. Money in a trust fund may be invested in (i) direct obligations of the United States government, (ii) obligations the principal of and interest on which are guaranteed by the United States government, (iii) obligations of any agency or instrumentality of the United States government if the timely payment of principal and interest on the obligations is unconditionally guaranteed by the United States government, or (iv) certificates of deposit issued by a bank or trust company located in the State if the certificates are secured by a pledge of any of the obligations described in (i), (ii), or (iii) above having an aggregate market value, exclusive of accrued interest, equal at least to the principal amount of the certificates so secured. This section does not limit the duration of any deposit in trust for the retirement of bonds or notes being refunded but that have not matured and are not presently redeemable, or if presently redeemable, have not been called for redemption.

(g) Community College Bonds Fund. - The proceeds of community college general obligation bonds and notes, including premium thereon, if any, except the proceeds of bonds the issuance of which has been anticipated by bond anticipation notes or the proceeds of refunding bonds or notes, shall be placed by the State Treasurer in a special fund to be designated "Community College Bonds Fund". Moneys in the Community College Bonds Fund shall be used for the purposes set forth in this Article.

Any additional moneys that may be received by means of a grant or grants from the United States of America or any agency or department thereof or from any other source to aid in financing the cost of any community college capital facilities authorized by this Article may be placed by the State Treasurer in the Community College Bonds Fund or in a separate account or fund and shall be disbursed, to the extent permitted by the terms of the grant or grants, without regard to any limitations imposed by this Article.

The proceeds of community college general obligation bonds and notes may be used with any other moneys made available by the General Assembly for the making of grants to community colleges for capital facilities, including the proceeds of any other State bond issues, whether previously made available or which may be made available after the effective date of this Article. The proceeds of community college bonds and notes shall be expended and disbursed under the direction and supervision of the Director of the Budget. The funds provided by this Article for grants to community colleges shall be disbursed for the purposes provided in this Article upon warrants drawn on the State Treasurer by the State Controller, which warrants shall not be drawn until requisition has been approved by the Director of the Budget and which requisition shall be approved only after full compliance with the State Budget Act, Chapter 143C of the General Statutes.