Current through 2024 Legislative Session Act Chapter 531
Section 2012 - Public-Private Initiatives Program Revolving Loan Fund(a) Establishment of Fund. -- There is hereby established a Public-Private Initiatives Program Revolving Loan Fund which shall be maintained and administered by the Department in accordance with the provisions of this chapter and such rules as the Department may from time to time prescribe. The Fund shall be available for the purpose of providing financial assistance in accordance with the provisions of this section. Subject to the provisions of any applicable bond resolution governing the investment of bond proceeds deposited in the Fund, the Fund shall be invested and reinvested in the same manner as other State funds. The Fund shall retain any investment earnings. Subject to the provisions of any applicable bond covenants or resolutions or any other applicable laws or regulations governing the Fund, the Department may, with the approval of the Delaware General Assembly, transfer monies from the Fund to the Transportation Trust Fund.(b) Fund deposits. -- The following shall be deposited in the Fund:(1) Federal grants and awards or other federal assistance received by the State for the purpose of deposit therein and eligible for deposit therein under applicable federal law;(2) State funds appropriated for deposit to the Fund;(3) Payments received from any public or private agency in repayment of a loan previously made from the Fund or pursuant to 23 U.S.C. § 129(a)(7) or successor legislation;(4) Net proceeds of bonds approved by the Delaware General Assembly which have been designated by the Delaware General Assembly for deposit in the Fund;(5) Interest or other income earned on the investment of moneys in the Fund; and(6) Any additional moneys made available to the Fund by the Secretary from any sources, public or private, including excess toll revenues, with the approval of the General Assembly for the purposes for which the Fund has been established.(c) Accounting of deposits. -- In order to facilitate the determination of the amount of funds available for financing Projects which meet either federal eligibility criteria or state eligibility criteria but not both, deposited funds commingled in the Fund shall also be accounted for separately based on whether their source is federal or state.(d) Permitted uses of funds. -- Amounts in the Fund may be used only:(1) To make loans for the construction, reconstruction, resurfacing, restoring, rehabilitation or replacement of public or private toll transportation facilities or other transportation systems within the State, or the study of the feasibility thereof;(2) To guarantee, or purchase insurance for, bonds, notes or other evidences of obligation issued by the contracting party developing a public or private toll facility or other transportation system for the purpose of financing all or a portion of the cost of such toll facility or system, if such action would improve the credit market access of the contracting party or reduce interest rates payable by such party;(3) To earn interest on Fund accounts;(4) For the reasonable cost of administering the Fund; and(5) To be used for any purpose authorized by this chapter.(e) Terms of loan agreements. -- The following terms shall apply to all loans made from the Fund:(1) Loans shall bear interest at the average rate of interest earned by the State's pooled investment fund for the period beginning with the 1st month following the date that the loan is funded and ending on the last day of the month preceding the start of repayment; provided, however, that in the event the Department funds a loan with the proceeds of a bond issue, the rate of interest charged shall be no less than the cost the Department incurs to borrow such funds irrespective of the average rate of interest earned by the State's pooled investment funds;(2) Loan repayment shall begin no later than 5 years from the date that the facility or system is opened to toll traffic and shall be completed by no later than 30 years from the time the loan was obligated;(3) The loan may be subordinated to other debt financing except for loans made by any other public agency; and(4) Reasonable origination or processing fees may be charged. 70 Del. Laws, c. 280, § 1; 74 Del. Laws, c. 69, §§ 97, 98.;