The drinking water loan fund must be used consistently with grant terms and law, can be used for listed water-project financing purposes, and cannot be used for certain operating or federal-agency-owned system costs.
§2825. Use of Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund A.(1) All monies within, credited to the accounts of, or to be received by the drinking water loan fund, including sums to be received pursuant to letters of credit, shall be expended, committed, or pledged in a manner consistent with the terms and conditions of the grants and other sources of said deposits, credits, and letters of credit and as provided in federal and state law. (2) Such funds may be used: (a) To provide financial assistance, to the extent authorized under state law, for the planning, design, construction, and rehabilitation of both publicly and privately owned community water systems, and of nonprofit non-community water systems, which systems are included on the state project priority list contained within the Intended Use Plan. (b) To provide financial assistance for the acquisition of real property or interests therein, only when such acquisition is integral to a project otherwise authorized by this Chapter, and the purchase is from a willing seller at a fair market value. (c) To provide loans at or below market interest rates, including interest free loans, for a period not to exceed twenty years from the completion date of the construction of a project so financed; however, loans made for projects for a disadvantaged community may have a period of up to thirty years if such loan period does not exceed the expected design life of the project. All such loans shall be subject to approval by the Louisiana Department of Health, office of public health. (d) To purchase or refinance, at an interest rate that is less than or equal to the market interest rate, debt obligations incurred after July 1, 1993, for projects for public water systems owned by a governmental agency, public corporation, or public trust within the state. (e) To guarantee or purchase insurance for debt obligations, if the total proceeds of which debt obligation support a project eligible for assistance under this Chapter, if such guarantee or purchase of insurance would improve credit market access or reduce the interest rate applicable for the obligation. (f) To provide a source of revenue or security for the payment of principal, interest, or premium on revenue or general obligation bonds or other evidences of indebtedness issued by the Louisiana Department of Health, or any governmental agency, public corporation, public trust, or any other entity having the authority to issue debt for or on behalf of the state, if the net proceeds of such debt instruments are deposited in the drinking water loan fund, or are used to finance a project approved by the Louisiana Department of Health, office of public health, or are used to refund any obligation which finances a project approved under this Chapter. (g) To provide loan subsidies to disadvantaged communities or to communities expected to become disadvantaged as a result of a proposed water system project; however, the total value of all such subsidies granted in any year shall not exceed thirty percent of the capitalization grant for that year. (h) To provide for any other expenditure consistent with the capitalization grant agreement. B. To the extent that monies within the drinking water loan fund are not required for current obligations or expenditure, such amounts may be invested in an interest-bearing account. All such interest earned on investments shall be credited to the drinking water loan fund. C. Of the total funds credited to the drinking water loan fund annually, at least fifteen percent shall be available solely for the provision of loan assistance to public water systems which regularly serve fewer than ten thousand persons, to the extent that there is a sufficient number of projects eligible and ready to receive such assistance. D. Monies in the drinking water loan fund shall not be used to support monitoring, operation, or maintenance expenditures associated with public water systems. E. Monies in the drinking water loan fund shall not be used to provide loans or other financial assistance for public water systems owned by federal agencies. Acts 1997, No. 480, §2, eff. June 30, 1997; Acts 2003, No. 67, §3, eff. May 28, 2003.