MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2014 Regular Session
To: Agriculture; Appropriations
By: Representatives Holloway, Wooten, Clark, Gibbs, Harrison, Middleton
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 69-2-13, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE THE MISSISSIPPI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE $1,000,000.00 OF EMERGING CROPS FUNDS TO THE MISSISSIPPI SMALL FARM AND AGRIBUSINESS CENTER AT ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY AND THE MISSISSIPPI NATURAL PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION FOR PURPOSES OF EXPANDING THE RESEARCH AND PRODUCTION OF SHITAKE MUSHROOMS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. Section 69-2-13, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
69-2-13. (1) There is hereby established in the State Treasury a fund to be known as the "Emerging Crops Fund," which shall be used to pay the interest on loans made to farmers for nonland capital costs of establishing production of emerging crops on land in Mississippi, and to make loans and grants which are authorized under this section to be made from the fund. The fund shall be administered by the Mississippi Development Authority. A board comprised of the directors of the authority, the Mississippi Cooperative Extension Service, the Mississippi Small Farm Development Center and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, or their designees, shall develop definitions, guidelines and procedures for the implementation of this chapter. Funds for the Emerging Crops Fund shall be provided from the issuance of bonds or notes under Sections 69-2-19 through 69-2-37 and from repayment of interest loans made from the fund.
(2) (a) The Mississippi Development Authority shall develop a program which gives fair consideration to making loans for the processing and manufacturing of goods and services by agribusiness, greenhouse production horticulture, and small business concerns. It is the policy of the State of Mississippi that the Mississippi Development Authority shall give due recognition to and shall aid, counsel, assist and protect, insofar as is possible, the interests of agribusiness, greenhouse production horticulture, and small business concerns. To ensure that the purposes of this subsection are carried out, the Mississippi Development Authority shall loan not more than One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) to finance any single agribusiness, greenhouse production horticulture, or small business concern. Loans made pursuant to this subsection shall be made in accordance with the criteria established in Section 57-71-11.
(b) The Mississippi Development Authority may, out of the total amount of bonds authorized to be issued under this chapter, make available funds to any planning and development district in accordance with the criteria established in Section 57-71-11. Planning and development districts which receive monies pursuant to this provision shall use such monies to make loans to private companies for purposes consistent with this subsection.
(c) The Mississippi Development Authority is hereby authorized to engage legal services, financial advisors, appraisers and consultants if needed to review and close loans made hereunder and to establish and assess reasonable fees including, but not limited to, liquidation expenses.
(3) (a) The Mississippi Development Authority shall, in addition to the other programs described in this section, provide for the following programs of loans to be made to agribusiness or greenhouse production horticulture enterprises for the purpose of encouraging thereby the extension of conventional financing and the issuance of letters of credit to such agribusiness or greenhouse production horticulture enterprises by private institutions. Monies to make such loans by the Mississippi Development Authority shall be drawn from the Emerging Crops Fund.
(b) The Mississippi Development Authority may make loans to agribusiness or greenhouse production horticulture enterprises. The amount of any loan to any single enterprise under this paragraph (b) shall not exceed twenty percent (20%) of the total cost of the project for which financing is sought or Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000.00), whichever is less. No interest shall be charged on such loans, and only the amount actually loaned shall be required to be repaid. Repayments shall be deposited into the Emerging Crops Fund.
(c) The Mississippi Development Authority also may make loans under this subsection (3) to existing agribusiness or greenhouse production horticulture enterprises for the purpose of assisting such enterprises to make upgrades, renovations, repairs and other improvements to their equipment, facilities and operations, which shall not exceed Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000.00) or thirty percent (30%) of the total cost of the project for which financing is sought, whichever is less. No interest shall be charged on loans made under this paragraph, and only the amount actually loaned shall be required to be repaid. Repayments shall be deposited into the Emerging Crops Fund.
(d) The maximum aggregate amount of loans that may be made under this subsection (3) to any one (1) agribusiness shall be not more than Four Hundred Thousand Dollars ($400,000.00).
(4) (a) Through June 30, 2010, the Mississippi Development Authority may loan or grant to qualified planning and development districts, and to small business investment corporations, bank-based community development corporations, the Recruitment and Training Program, Inc., the City of Jackson Business Development Loan Fund, the Lorman Southwest Mississippi Development Corporation, the West Jackson Community Development Corporation, the East Mississippi Development Corporation, and other entities meeting the criteria established by the Mississippi Development Authority (all referred to hereinafter as "qualified entities"), funds for the purpose of establishing loan revolving funds to assist in providing financing for minority economic development. The monies loaned or granted by the Mississippi Development Authority shall be drawn from the Emerging Crops Fund and shall not exceed Twenty-nine Million Dollars ($29,000,000.00) in the aggregate. Planning and development districts or qualified entities which receive monies pursuant to this provision shall use such monies to make loans to minority business enterprises consistent with criteria established by the Mississippi Development Authority. Such criteria shall include, at a minimum, the following:
(i) The business enterprise must be a private, for-profit enterprise.
(ii) If the business enterprise is a proprietorship, the borrower must be a resident citizen of the State of Mississippi; if the business enterprise is a corporation or partnership, at least fifty percent (50%) of the owners must be resident citizens of the State of Mississippi.
(iii) The borrower must have at least five percent (5%) equity interest in the business enterprise.
(iv) The borrower must demonstrate ability to repay the loan.
(v) The borrower must not be in default of any previous loan from the state or federal government.
(vi) Loan proceeds may be used for financing all project costs associated with development or expansion of a new small business, including fixed assets, working capital, start-up costs, rental payments, interest expense during construction and professional fees related to the project.
(vii) Loan proceeds shall not be used to pay off existing debt for loan consolidation purposes; to finance the acquisition, construction, improvement or operation of real property which is to be held primarily for sale or investment; to provide for, or free funds, for speculation in any kind of property; or as a loan to owners, partners or stockholders of the applicant which do not change ownership interest by the applicant. However, this does not apply to ordinary compensation for services rendered in the course of business.
(viii) The maximum amount that may be loaned to any one (1) borrower shall be Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00).
(ix) The Mississippi Development Authority shall review each loan before it is made, and no loan shall be made to any borrower until the loan has been reviewed and approved by the Mississippi Development Authority.
(b) For the purpose of this subsection, the term "minority business enterprise" means a socially and economically disadvantaged small business concern, organized for profit, performing a commercially useful function which is owned and controlled by one or more minorities or minority business enterprises certified by the Mississippi Development Authority, at least fifty percent (50%) of whom are resident citizens of the State of Mississippi. Except as otherwise provided, for purposes of this subsection, the term "socially and economically disadvantaged small business concern" shall have the meaning ascribed to such term under the Small Business Act (15 USCS, Section 637(a)), or women, and the term "owned and controlled" means a business in which one or more minorities or minority business enterprises certified by the Mississippi Development Authority own sixty percent (60%) or, in the case of a corporation, sixty percent (60%) of the voting stock, and control sixty percent (60%) of the management and daily business operations of the business. However, an individual whose personal net worth exceeds Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000.00) shall not be considered to be an economically disadvantaged individual.
From and after July 1, 2010, monies not loaned or granted by the Mississippi Development Authority to planning and development districts or qualified entities under this subsection, and monies not loaned by planning and development districts or qualified entities, shall be deposited to the credit of the sinking fund created and maintained in the State Treasury for the retirement of bonds issued under Section 69-2-19.
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection to the contrary, if federal funds are not available for commitments made by a planning and development district to provide assistance under any federal loan program administered by the planning and development district in coordination with the Appalachian Regional Commission or Economic Development Administration, or both, a planning and development district may use funds in its loan revolving fund, which have not been committed otherwise to provide assistance, for the purpose of providing temporary funding for such commitments. If a planning and development district uses uncommitted funds in its loan revolving fund to provide such temporary funding, the district shall use funds repaid to the district under the temporarily funded federal loan program to replenish the funds used to provide the temporary funding. Funds used by a planning and development district to provide temporary funding under this paragraph (c) must be repaid to the district's loan revolving fund no later than twelve (12) months after the date the district provides the temporary funding. A planning and development district may not use uncommitted funds in its loan revolving fund to provide temporary funding under this paragraph (c) on more than two (2) occasions during a calendar year. A planning and development district may provide temporary funding for multiple commitments on each such occasion. The maximum aggregate amount of uncommitted funds in a loan revolving fund that may be used for such purposes during a calendar year shall not exceed seventy percent (70%) of the uncommitted funds in the loan revolving fund on the date the district first provides temporary funding during the calendar year.
(d) If the Mississippi Development Authority determines that a planning and development district or qualified entity has provided loans to minority businesses in a manner inconsistent with the provisions of this subsection, then the amount of such loans so provided shall be withheld by the Mississippi Development Authority from any additional grant funds to which the planning and development district or qualified entity becomes entitled under this subsection. If the Mississippi Development Authority determines, after notifying such planning and development district or qualified entity twice in writing and providing such planning and development district or qualified entity a reasonable opportunity to comply, that a planning and development district or qualified entity has consistently failed to comply with this subsection, the Mississippi Development Authority may declare such planning and development district or qualified entity in default under this subsection and, upon receipt of notice thereof from the Mississippi Development Authority, such planning and development district or qualified entity shall immediately cease providing loans under this subsection, shall refund to the Mississippi Development Authority for distribution to other planning and development districts or qualified entities all funds held in its revolving loan fund and, if required by the Mississippi Development Authority, shall convey to the Mississippi Development Authority all administrative and management control of loans provided by it under this subsection.
(e) If the Mississippi Development Authority determines, after notifying a planning and development district or qualified entity twice in writing and providing copies of such notification to each member of the Legislature in whose district or in a part of whose district such planning and development district or qualified entity is located and providing such planning and development district or qualified entity a reasonable opportunity to take corrective action, that a planning and development district or qualified entity administering a revolving loan fund under the provisions of this subsection is not actively engaged in lending as defined by the rules and regulations of the Mississippi Development Authority, the Mississippi Development Authority may declare such planning and development district or qualified entity in default under this subsection and, upon receipt of notice thereof from the Mississippi Development Authority, such planning and development district or qualified entity shall immediately cease providing loans under this subsection, shall refund to the Mississippi Development Authority for distribution to other planning and development districts or qualified entities all funds held in its revolving loan fund and, if required by the Mississippi Development Authority, shall convey to the Mississippi Development Authority all administrative and management control of loans provided by it under this subsection.
(5) The Mississippi Development Authority shall develop a program which will assist minority business enterprises by guaranteeing bid, performance and payment bonds which such minority businesses are required to obtain in order to contract with federal agencies, state agencies or political subdivisions of the state. The Mississippi Development Authority may secure letters of credit, as determined necessary by the authority, to guarantee bid, performance and payment bonds pursuant to this subsection. Monies for such program shall be drawn from the monies allocated under subsection (4) of this section to assist the financing of minority economic development and shall not exceed Three Million Dollars ($3,000,000.00) in the aggregate. The Mississippi Development Authority may promulgate rules and regulations for the operation of the program established pursuant to this subsection. For the purpose of this subsection (5), the term "minority business enterprise" has the meaning assigned such term in subsection (4) of this section.
(6) The Mississippi Development Authority may loan or grant to public entities and to nonprofit corporations funds to defray the expense of financing (or to match any funds available from other public or private sources for the expense of financing) projects in this state which are devoted to the study, teaching and/or promotion of regional crafts and which are deemed by the authority to be significant tourist attractions. The monies loaned or granted shall be drawn from the Emerging Crops Fund and shall not exceed Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00) in the aggregate.
(7) Through June 30, 2006, the Mississippi Development Authority shall make available to the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce funds for the purpose of establishing loan revolving funds and other methods of financing for agribusiness programs administered under the Mississippi Agribusiness Council Act of 1993. The monies made available by the Mississippi Development Authority shall be drawn from the Emerging Crops Fund and shall not exceed One Million Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($1,200,000.00) in the aggregate. The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce shall establish control and auditing procedures for use of these funds. These funds will be used primarily for quick payment to farmers for vegetable and fruit crops processed and sold through vegetable processing plants associated with the Department of Agriculture and Commerce and the Mississippi State Extension Service.
(8) From and after July 1, 1996, the Mississippi Development Authority shall make available to the Mississippi Small Farm Development Center One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) to be used by the center to assist small entrepreneurs as provided in Section 37-101-25, Mississippi Code of 1972. The monies made available by the Mississippi Development Authority shall be drawn from the Emerging Crops Fund.
(9) [Repealed]
(10) The Mississippi
Development Authority shall make available to the Mississippi Small Farm * * *
and Agribusiness Center
at Alcorn State University funds in an aggregate amount not to exceed Three
Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000.00), to be drawn from the cash balance of
the Emerging Crops Fund. The Mississippi Small Farm * * *
and Agribusiness
Center at Alcorn State University shall use such funds to make loans to
producers of sweet potatoes and cooperatives anywhere in the State of
Mississippi owned by sweet potato producers to assist in the planting of sweet
potatoes and the purchase of sweet potato production and harvesting equipment.
A report of the loans made under this subsection shall be furnished by January
15 of each year to the Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee and the
Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee.
(11) The Mississippi Development Authority shall make available to the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce "Make Mine Mississippi" program an amount not to exceed One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000.00) to be drawn from the cash balance of the Emerging Crops Fund.
(12) The Mississippi Development Authority shall make available to the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce an amount not to exceed One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000.00) to be drawn from the cash balance of the Emerging Crops Fund to be used for the rehabilitation and maintenance of the Mississippi Farmers Central Market in Jackson, Mississippi.
(13) The Mississippi Development Authority shall make available to the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce an amount not to exceed Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00) to be drawn from the cash balance of the Emerging Crops Fund to be used for advertising purposes related to the Mississippi Farmers Central Market in Jackson, Mississippi.
(14) (a) The Mississippi Development Authority shall, in addition to the other programs described in this section, provide for a program of loan guaranties to be made on behalf of any nonprofit entity qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and certified by the United States Department of the Treasury as a community development financial institution for the purpose of encouraging the extension of financing to such an entity which financing the entity will use to make funds available to other entities for the purpose of making loans available in low-income communities in Mississippi. Monies to make such loan guaranties by the Mississippi Development Authority shall be drawn from the Emerging Crops Fund and shall not exceed Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000.00) in the aggregate. The amount of a loan guaranty on behalf of such an entity under this subsection (14) shall not exceed Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000.00). Assistance received by an entity under this subsection (14) shall not disqualify the entity from obtaining any other assistance under this chapter.
(b) An entity desiring assistance under this subsection (14) must submit an application to the Mississippi Development Authority. The application must include any information required by the Mississippi Development Authority.
(c) The Mississippi Development Authority shall have all powers necessary to implement and administer the program established under this subsection (14), and the Mississippi Development Authority shall promulgate rules and regulations, in accordance with the Mississippi Administrative Procedures Law, necessary for the implementation of this subsection (14).
(15) (a) The Mississippi Development Authority shall, in addition to the other programs described in this section, provide for a program of grants to agribusiness enterprises that process, dry, store or ship peanuts and if the enterprise has invested prior to April 17, 2009, a minimum of Six Million Dollars ($6,000,000.00) in land, facilities and equipment in this state that are utilized to process, dry, store or ship peanuts. Monies to make such grants by the Mississippi Development Authority shall be drawn from the Emerging Crops Fund and shall not exceed One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) in the aggregate. The amount of a grant under this subsection (15) shall not exceed One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00).
(b) An entity desiring assistance under this subsection (15) must submit an application to the Mississippi Development Authority. The application must include a description of the project for which assistance is requested, the cost of the project for which assistance is requested, the amount of assistance requested and any other information required by the Mississippi Development Authority.
(c) As a condition of the receipt of a grant under this subsection (15), an entity must agree to remain in business in this state for not less than five (5) years and must meet other conditions established by the Mississippi Development Authority to ensure that the assistance results in an economic benefit to the state. The Mississippi Development Authority shall require that binding commitments be entered into requiring that:
(i) The minimum requirements provided for in this subsection (15) and the conditions established by the Mississippi Development Authority are met; and
(ii) If such commitments and conditions are not met, all or a portion of the funds provided pursuant to this subsection (15) shall be repaid.
(d) The Mississippi Development Authority shall have all powers necessary to implement and administer the program established under this subsection (15), and the Mississippi Development Authority shall promulgate rules and regulations, in accordance with the Mississippi Administrative Procedures Law, necessary for the implementation of this subsection (15).
(16) (a) The Mississippi Development Authority, in addition to the other programs described in this section, shall provide for a program of loan guaranties to be made on behalf of certain agribusinesses engaged in sweet potato growing and farming for the purpose of encouraging thereby the extension of conventional financing and the issuance of letters of credit to such agribusinesses by lenders. The amount of a loan guaranty made on behalf of such an agribusiness shall be ninety percent (90%) of the amount of assistance made available by a lender for the purposes authorized under this subsection (16). Monies to make such loan guaranties by the Mississippi Development Authority shall be drawn from the Emerging Crops Fund and shall not exceed Seventeen Million Dollars ($17,000,000.00) in the aggregate.
(b) In order to be eligible for assistance under this subsection (16) an agribusiness must:
(i) Have been actively engaged in sweet potato growing and farming in this state before January 1, 2010;
(ii) Have incurred a disaster-related loss for sweet potato growing and farming purposes for calendar year 2009, as determined by a lender;
(iii) Agree to obtain and maintain federal Noninsured Agricultural Program (NAP) insurance coverage for the outstanding balance of any assistance received under this subsection (16); and
(iv) Satisfy underwriting criteria established by a lender related to loans under this subsection (16).
(c) (i) An entity desiring assistance under this subsection must submit an application for assistance to a lender not later than August 1, 2010. The application must include:
1. Information verifying the length of time the applicant has been actively engaged in sweet potato growing and farming in this state;
2. Information regarding the number of acres used by the applicant for sweet potato growing and farming purposes during the 2009 calendar year, as certified to by the Farm Services Authority (FSA) or the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC), and the number of acres the applicant intends to use for such purposes during the 2010 calendar year;
3. The average cost per acre incurred by the applicant for sweet potato growing and farming purposes during the 2009 calendar year, as certified to by the FSA or MDAC, and an estimate of the average cost per acre to be incurred by the applicant for such purposes during the calendar year for which application is made;
4. The amount of assistance requested;
5. A statement from the applicant agreeing that he will obtain and maintain NAP insurance coverage for the outstanding balance of any assistance received under this subsection (16); and
6. Any other information required by the lender and/or the MDA.
(ii) The lender shall review the application for assistance and determine whether the applicant qualifies for assistance under this subsection (16). If the lender determines that the applicant qualifies for assistance, the lender shall loan funds to the applicant subject to the provisions of this subsection (16).
(d) Loans made under this subsection (16) shall be subject to the following conditions:
(i) The maximum amount of a loan to a borrower shall not exceed One Thousand Seven Hundred Dollars ($1,700.00) per acre and shall exclude any machinery and equipment costs.
(ii) The proceeds of a loan may be used only for paying a borrower's sweet potato planting, production and harvesting costs, excluding machinery and equipment costs.
(iii) The proceeds of a loan may not be used to repay, satisfy or finance existing debt.
(iv) The time allowed for repayment of a loan shall not be more than five (5) years, and there shall be no penalty, fee or other charge imposed for the prepayment of a loan.
(e) The receipt of assistance by a person or other entity under any other program described in this section shall not disqualify the person or entity from obtaining a loan under the program established in this subsection (16) if the person or entity is otherwise eligible under this program. In addition, the receipt of a loan by a person or other entity under the program established under this subsection (16) shall not disqualify the person or entity from obtaining assistance under any other program described in this section.
(f) The Mississippi Development Authority shall have all powers necessary to implement and administer the program established under this subsection (16), and the Mississippi Development Authority shall promulgate rules and regulations, in accordance with the Mississippi Administrative Procedures Law, necessary for the implementation of this subsection (16).
(17) The Mississippi Development Authority shall make available to the Mississippi Small Farm and Agribusiness Center at Alcorn State University and the Mississippi Natural Products Association funds in an aggregate amount not to exceed One Million Thousand Dollars ($1,000,000.00), to be drawn from the cash balance of the Emerging Crops Fund. The Mississippi Small Farm and Agribusiness Center at Alcorn State University and the Mississippi Natural Products Association shall use such funds for expansion of research and production of shitake mushrooms.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2014.