Sec. 2267.058. COMPREHENSIVE AGREEMENT. (a) Before developing or operating the qualifying project, the contracting person must enter into a comprehensive agreement with a responsible governmental entity. The comprehensive agreement shall provide for:

(1) delivery of letters of credit or other security in connection with the development or operation of the qualifying project, in the forms and amounts satisfactory to the responsible governmental entity, and delivery of performance and payment bonds in compliance with Chapter 2253 for all construction activities;

(2) review of plans and specifications for the qualifying project by the responsible governmental entity and approval by the responsible governmental entity indicating that the plans and specifications conform to standards acceptable to the responsible governmental entity, except that the contracting person may not be required to provide final design documents for a qualifying project before the execution of a comprehensive agreement;

(3) inspection of the qualifying project by the responsible governmental entity to ensure that the contracting person's activities are acceptable to the responsible governmental entity in accordance with the comprehensive agreement;

(4) maintenance of a public liability insurance policy, copies of which must be filed with the responsible governmental entity accompanied by proofs of coverage, or self-insurance, each in the form and amount satisfactory to the responsible governmental entity and reasonably sufficient to ensure coverage of tort liability to the public and project employees and to enable the continued operation of the qualifying project;

(5) monitoring of the practices of the contracting person by the responsible governmental entity to ensure that the qualifying project is properly maintained;

(6) reimbursement to be paid to the responsible governmental entity for services provided by the responsible governmental entity;

(7) filing of appropriate financial statements on a periodic basis; and

(8) policies and procedures governing the rights and responsibilities of the responsible governmental entity and the contracting person if the comprehensive agreement is terminated or there is a material default by the contracting person, including conditions governing:

(A) assumption of the duties and responsibilities of the contracting person by the responsible governmental entity; and

(B) the transfer or purchase of property or other interests of the contracting person to the responsible governmental entity.

(b) The comprehensive agreement shall provide for any user fee, lease payment, or service payment established by agreement of the parties. In negotiating a user fee under this section, the parties shall establish a payment or fee that is the same for persons using a facility of the qualifying project under like conditions and that will not materially discourage use of the qualifying project. The execution of the comprehensive agreement or an amendment to the agreement is conclusive evidence that the user fee, lease payment, or service payment complies with this chapter. A user fee or lease payment established in the comprehensive agreement as a source of revenue may be in addition to, or in lieu of, a service payment.

(c) A comprehensive agreement may include a provision that authorizes the responsible governmental entity to make grants or loans to the contracting person from money received from the federal, state, or local government or any agency or instrumentality of the government.

(d) The comprehensive agreement must incorporate the duties of the contracting person under this chapter and may contain terms the responsible governmental entity determines serve the public purpose of this chapter. The comprehensive agreement may contain:

(1) provisions that require the responsible governmental entity to provide notice of default and cure rights for the benefit of the contracting person and the persons specified in the agreement as providing financing for the qualifying project;

(2) other lawful terms to which the contracting person and the responsible governmental entity mutually agree, including provisions regarding unavoidable delays or providing for a loan of public money to the contracting person to develop or operate one or more qualifying projects; and

(3) provisions in which the authority and duties of the contracting person under this chapter cease and the qualifying project is dedicated for public use to the responsible governmental entity or, if the qualifying project was initially dedicated by an affected jurisdiction, to the affected jurisdiction.

(e) Any change in the terms of the comprehensive agreement that the parties agree to must be added to the comprehensive agreement by written amendment.

(f) The comprehensive agreement may provide for the development or operation of phases or segments of the qualifying project.

(g) The comprehensive agreement must provide that a security document or other instrument purporting to mortgage, pledge, encumber, or create a lien, charge, or security interest on or against the contracting party's interest may not extend to or affect the fee simple interest of the state in the qualifying project or the state's rights or interests under the comprehensive agreement. Any holder of debt shall acknowledge that the mortgage, pledge, or encumbrance or a lien, charge, or security interest on or against the contracting party's interest is subordinate to the fee simple interest of the state in the qualifying project.

Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1334 (S.B. 1048), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2011.

Amended by:

Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1153 (S.B. 211), Sec. 30, eff. June 14, 2013.

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1075 (H.B. 2475), Sec. 6, eff. September 1, 2015.