Section 23-1-157

Section 23-1-157Bonds - Generally.

(a) The bonds of the corporation shall be signed by its president and attested by its secretary, and all interest coupons applicable to such bonds shall be signed by the president; provided, that a facsimile of the signature of one, but not of both, of said officers may be imprinted or otherwise reproduced on any such bonds in lieu of their being manually signed and a facsimile of the president's signature may be imprinted or otherwise reproduced on any such interest coupons in lieu of their being manually signed. The seal of the corporation shall be affixed to such bonds; provided, that a facsimile of said seal may be imprinted or otherwise reproduced on any such bonds in lieu of being manually affixed thereon.



(b) Any bonds of the corporation may be executed and delivered at any time and from time to time, shall be in such form and denominations and of such tenor and maturities, shall bear such rate or rates of interest payable and evidenced in such manner, may contain provisions for redemption prior to maturity and may contain other provisions not inconsistent with this article, all as may be provided by the resolution of the board of directors whereunder such bonds are authorized to be issued; provided, that no bond of the corporation shall have a specified maturity date later than 20 years after its date. Any bond of the corporation having a specified maturity date more than five years after its date shall be made subject to redemption at the option of the corporation at the end of the fifth year after its date and on any interest payment date thereafter under such terms and conditions as may be provided in the resolution under which such bond is authorized to be issued.



(c) Bonds of the corporation may be sold from time to time as the board of directors may deem advantageous; provided, that the aggregate principal amount of bonds of the corporation which may be issued under this article shall be limited to $50,000,000.00, but the said limitation shall not apply to refunding bonds which may be issued under this article and also shall not apply to bonds of the corporation which may be issued under any other act which may at any time be enacted; provided further, that no bonds shall be issued under this article by the corporation in any instance where the aggregate of the principal thereof and interest thereon maturing during any fiscal year of the State of Alabama, when added to the total principal and interest maturing during the same fiscal year with respect to all bonds of the corporation then outstanding, if any there be, including bonds issued under this article and any other bonds of the corporation, exceeds 50 percent of the sum of, in the case of bonds issued during either of the fiscal years ending September 30, 1955, and September 30, 1956, one ninth of the proceeds of the gasoline excise tax levied under Section 40-17-31, collected by the State of Alabama during the fiscal year ending September 30, 1954, or, in the case of bonds issued during any fiscal year ending subsequent to September 30, 1956, two twenty-firsts of the proceeds of the gasoline excise tax levied under Section 40-17-31, collected by the State of Alabama during the fiscal year next preceding the fiscal year during which such bonds shall be issued.



(d) Bonds of the corporation must be sold only at public sale, either on sealed bids or at public auction, to the bidder whose bid reflects the lowest net interest cost to the corporation for the bonds being sold, computed to their respective maturities; provided, that if no bid acceptable to the corporation is received, it may reject all bids. Notice of each such sale shall be given by publication in either a financial journal or a financial newspaper published in the City of New York, New York, and also by publication in a newspaper published in the State of Alabama which is customarily published not less than six days during each calendar week, each of which notices must be published at least one time not less than 10 days prior to the date fixed for the sale. The board of directors may fix the terms and conditions under which each such sale may be held; provided, that none of the bonds may be sold for a price less than the face value thereof and provided, further, that such terms and conditions shall not conflict with any of the requirements of this article.



(e) Subject to the provisions and limitations contained in this article, the corporation may, from time to time, sell and issue refunding bonds for the purpose of refunding any matured or unmatured bonds of the corporation issued under this article and then outstanding.



(f) Approval by the Governor of Alabama of the terms and conditions under which any bonds of the corporation may be issued shall be requisite to their validity. Such approval shall be entered on the minutes of the respective meetings of the board of directors at which the bonds are authorized and shall be signed by the Governor. Such approval by the Governor may be shown on any such bonds by his facsimile signature when authorization thereof is contained in the said approval signed by him.



(g) The corporation may pay out of the proceeds from the sale of its bonds all expenses, including fees of fiscal agents and attorneys and other charges, which said board of directors may deem necessary and advantageous in connection with the issuance of such bonds. Bonds issued by the corporation under this article shall not be general obligations of the corporation, but shall be payable solely out of the funds appropriated and pledged therefor.



(h) As security for the payment of the principal of and interest on any bonds issued by it under this article the corporation is hereby authorized and empowered to pledge for payment of said principal and interest the funds that are appropriated and pledged for payment of said principal and interest. All such pledges made by the corporation shall take precedence in the order of the adoption of the resolutions containing such pledges. All contracts made and all bonds issued by the corporation pursuant to the provisions of this article shall be solely and exclusively obligations of the corporation and shall not be an obligation or debt of the State of Alabama. Bonds issued by the corporation under this article shall be construed to be negotiable instruments although payable solely from a specified source as provided in this article.



(i) All bonds issued by the corporation and the income therefrom shall be exempt from all taxation in the State of Alabama. Any bonds issued by the corporation may be used by the holder thereof as security for any funds belonging to the state or to any instrumentality or agency of the state in any instance where security for such deposits may be required by law.



(j) Unless otherwise directed by the court having jurisdiction thereof or by the document that is the source of authority, a trustee, executor, administrator, guardian or one acting in any other fiduciary capacity may, in addition to any other investment powers conferred by law and with the exercise of reasonable business prudence, invest trust funds in bonds of the corporation.



(k) Neither a public hearing nor consent by the state Department of Finance or any other department or agency shall be a prerequisite to the issuance of bonds of the corporation.

(Acts 1955, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 43, p. 66, §7; Acts 1959, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 44, p. 82, §1.)