(A) As used in this section and in section 3318.52 of the Revised Code, "classroom facilities" means buildings, land, grounds, equipment, and furnishings used by a community school in furtherance of its mission and contract entered into by the school's governing authority under Chapter 3314. of the Revised Code.

(B) There is hereby established the community school classroom facilities loan guarantee program. Under the program, the Ohio facilities construction commission may guarantee for up to fifteen years up to eighty-five per cent of the sum of the principal and interest on a loan made to the governing authority of a community school established under Chapter 3314. of the Revised Code for the sole purpose of assisting the governing authority in acquiring, improving, or replacing classroom facilities for the community school by lease, purchase, remodeling of existing facilities, or any other means including new construction.

The commission shall not make any loan guarantee under this section unless the commission has determined both that the applicant is creditworthy and that the classroom facilities that have been acquired, improved, or replaced under the loan meet applicable health and safety standards established by law for school buildings or those facilities that will be acquired, improved, or replaced under the loan will meet such standards.

The commission shall not guarantee any loan under this section unless the loan is obtained from a financial institution regulated by the United States or this state.

(C) At no time shall the commission exceed an aggregate liability of ten million dollars to repay loans guaranteed under this section.

(D) Any payment made to a lending institution as a result of default on a loan guaranteed under this section shall be made from moneys in the community school classroom facilities loan guarantee fund established under section 3318.52 of the Revised Code.

(E) The commission may assess a fee of up to five hundred dollars for each loan guaranteed under this section.

(F) Not later than ninety days after September 5, 2001, the commission shall adopt rules that prescribe loan standards and procedures consistent with this section that are designed to protect the state's interest in any loan guaranteed by this section and to ensure that the state has a reasonable chance of recovering any payments made by the state in the event of a default on any such loan.

Amended by 132nd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 49, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2017.

Effective Date: 03-14-2003.