MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2005 5th Extraordinary Session
To: Finance
By: Senator(s) Robertson, Browning, Burton, Butler, Carmichael, Chaney, Clarke, Cuevas, Dawkins, Dearing, Frazier, Gollott, Harden, Hewes, Jackson (11th), Jackson (32nd), Jordan, King, Kirby, Lee (35th), Little, Mettetal, Morgan, Pickering, Posey, Ross, Thames, Thomas, Walls, White, Wilemon
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-59-37, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO EXTEND THE PERIOD OF TIME WITHIN WHICH MONEY BORROWED BY A SCHOOL DISTRICT IN ANTICIPATION OF REVENUE MUST BE REPAID, IF THE REASONS FOR THE EXTENSION IS RELATED TO HURRICANE KATRINA; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. Section 37-59-37, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
[Through January 31, 2007, this section shall read as follows:]
37-59-37. (1) The school board of any school district shall have the power and authority to borrow money for the anticipated current year's expenses of such school district in anticipation of the collection of ad valorem taxes and other revenues of such school district for the then current fiscal year. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (2) of this section, the money so borrowed shall bear interest at a rate not greater than that allowed in Section 75-17-105 and shall be repaid within fourteen (14) months from the date of such borrowing out of the taxes and revenues in anticipation of which such money is borrowed. Such money shall be used for no other purpose than the payment of the current year's expenses of such school district. Pending the expenditure of funds borrowed under the provisions of this section, such funds may be invested in any manner in which any school district, municipality, county, state agency or other public body may invest surplus funds.
(2) Upon written request of a local school board, the State Board of Education may certify that a public school district is in an extreme emergency financial situation which jeopardizes the safety, security or educational interests of the students enrolled in the schools in that district, and such emergency financial situation is due to extraordinary damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. Upon declaration of an extreme emergency financial situation in a school district by the State Board of Education, the local school board may increase the time within which the money borrowed under this section shall be repaid to twenty-four (24) months after the date of such borrowing.
(3) The amount borrowed under the provisions of this section shall in no event exceed the estimated amount of taxes and revenues collected or to be collected during the last preceding fiscal year, unless the tax levy for the current fiscal year has been made, then the amount borrowed under the provisions of this section shall in no event exceed the estimated amount of taxes and revenues collected or to be collected during the current fiscal year. Revenue anticipation notes issued under the provisions of this section shall be issued within the same fiscal year during which the tax levy is or will be made and other revenues received which it is anticipated will produce the funds from which the said notes will be repaid.
(4) In borrowing money under the provisions of this section, it shall not be necessary to publish notice of intention so to do or to secure the consent of the qualified electors of such school district, either by election or otherwise. Such borrowing shall be authorized by order or resolution of the school board and may be evidenced by negotiable note or notes, signed and executed in such form as may be prescribed in such order or resolution. Such note or notes may be sold at a negotiated sale. Money may be borrowed in anticipation of ad valorem taxes and other revenues under the provisions of this section, regardless of whether or not such borrowing shall create an indebtedness in excess of statutory limitations.
(5) Money may likewise be borrowed by any such school district, as herein provided, for the purpose of paying current interest maturities on any bonded indebtedness of such school district in anticipation of the collection of taxes for the retirement of such bonded indebtedness and the payment of any interest thereon.
[From and after January 31, 2007, this section shall read as follows:]
37-59-37. The school board of any school district shall have the power and authority to borrow money for the anticipated current year's expenses of such school district in anticipation of the collection of ad valorem taxes and other revenues of such school district for the then current fiscal year. The money so borrowed shall bear interest at a rate not greater than that allowed in Section 75-17-105 and shall be repaid within fourteen (14) months from the date of such borrowing out of the taxes and revenues in anticipation of which such money is borrowed. Such money shall be used for no other purpose than the payment of the current year's expenses of such school district. Pending the expenditure of funds borrowed under the provisions of this section, such funds may be invested in any manner in which any school district, municipality, county, state agency or other public body may invest surplus funds.
The amount borrowed under the provisions of this section shall in no event exceed the estimated amount of taxes and revenues collected or to be collected during the last preceding fiscal year, unless the tax levy for the current fiscal year has been made, then the amount borrowed under the provisions of this section shall in no event exceed the estimated amount of taxes and revenues collected or to be collected during the current fiscal year. Revenue anticipation notes issued under the provisions of this section shall be issued within the same fiscal year during which the tax levy is or will be made and other revenues received which it is anticipated will produce the funds from which the said notes will be repaid.
In borrowing money under the provisions of this section, it shall not be necessary to publish notice of intention so to do or to secure the consent of the qualified electors of such school district, either by election or otherwise. Such borrowing shall be authorized by order or resolution of the school board and may be evidenced by negotiable note or notes, signed and executed in such form as may be prescribed in such order or resolution. Such note or notes may be sold at a negotiated sale. Money may be borrowed in anticipation of ad valorem taxes and other revenues under the provisions of this section, regardless of whether or not such borrowing shall create an indebtedness in excess of statutory limitations.
Money may likewise be borrowed by any such school district, as herein provided, for the purpose of paying current interest maturities on any bonded indebtedness of such school district in anticipation of the collection of taxes for the retirement of such bonded indebtedness and the payment of any interest thereon.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.