A. There is hereby created in the state treasury a special nonreverting, revolving loan fund, known as the Virginia Transportation Infrastructure Bank, that is a subfund of the Transportation Trust Fund established pursuant to § 33.2-1524. The Bank shall be established on the books of the Comptroller. The Bank shall be capitalized with (i) two-thirds of all interest, dividends, and appreciation that may accrue to the Transportation Trust Fund and the Highway Maintenance and Operating Fund and (ii) moneys appropriated by the General Assembly and credited to the Bank. Disbursements from the Bank shall be made by the State Treasurer on warrants issued by the Comptroller upon written request signed by the Commissioner of Highways or his designee. Payments on project obligations and interest earned on the moneys in the Bank shall be credited to the Bank. Any moneys remaining in the Bank, including interest thereon, at the end of each fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund but shall remain in the Bank. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this article or in the management agreement, the Board will have the right to determine the projects for which loans or other financial assistance may be provided by the Bank. Moneys in the Bank shall be used solely for the purposes enumerated in subsection C.
B. The Board, the manager, and the Secretary of Finance are authorized to enter into a management agreement which may include provisions (i) setting forth the terms and conditions under which the manager will advise the Board on the financial propriety of providing particular loans or other financial assistance; (ii) setting forth the terms and conditions under which the substantive requirements of subsections C, D, and E and § 33.2-1505 will be applied and administered; and (iii) authorizing the manager to request the Board to disburse from the moneys in the Bank the reasonable costs and expenses the manager may incur in the management and administration of the Bank and a reasonable fee to be approved by the Board for the manager’s management and administrative services.
1. Moneys deposited in the Bank shall be used for the purpose of making loans and other financial assistance to finance projects.
2. Each project obligation shall be payable, in whole or in part, from reliable repayment sources pledged for such purpose.
3. The interest rate on a project obligation shall be determined by reference to the current market rates for comparable obligations, the nature of the project and the financing structure therefor, and the creditworthiness of the eligible borrower and other project sponsors.
4. The repayment schedule for each project obligation shall require (i) the amortization of principal beginning within five years following the later of substantial project completion or the date of incurrence of the project obligation and (ii) a final maturity date of not more than 35 years following substantial project completion.
D. The pledge of reliable repayment sources and other property securing any project obligation may be subordinate to the pledge securing any other senior debt obligations incurred to finance the project.
E. Notwithstanding subdivision C 4, the manager may at any time following substantial project completion defer payments on a project obligation if the project is unable to generate sufficient revenues to pay the scheduled payments.
F. No loan or other financial assistance may be provided or committed to be provided by the Bank in a manner that would cause such loan or other financial assistance to be tax-supported debt within the meaning of § 2.2-2713 or be deemed to constitute a debt of the Commonwealth or a pledge of the full faith and credit of the Commonwealth but shall be payable solely from legally available moneys held by the Bank.
G. Neither the Bank nor the manager is authorized or empowered to be or to constitute (i) a bank or trust company within the jurisdiction or under the control of the Commonwealth or an agency thereof or the Comptroller of Currency of the U.S. Treasury Department or (ii) a bank, banker, or dealer in securities within the meaning of, or subject to the provisions of, any securities, securities exchange, or securities dealers law of the United States or of the Commonwealth.
H. The Board or the manager may establish or direct the establishment of federal and state accounts or subaccounts as may be necessary to meet any applicable federal law requirements or desirable for the efficient administration of the Bank in accordance with this article.
History
2011, cc. 830, 868, § 33.1-23.8; 2014, c. 805; 2015, c. 684.
