(a) The State Bond Commission shall have power, in accordance with the provisions of this section, from time to time to authorize the issuance of special tax obligation bonds of the state in one or more series and in principal amounts in the aggregate, not exceeding forty-five million dollars for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, and forty-five million dollars for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009.
(b) The proceeds of the sale of said bonds to the extent hereinafter stated, shall be used for the purpose of payment of the transportation costs, as defined in subdivision (6) of section 13b-75, with respect to the projects and uses hereinafter described, which projects and uses are hereby found and determined to be in furtherance of one or more of the authorized purposes for the issuance of special tax obligation bonds set forth in section 13b-74. Any proceeds of the bonds shall be used by the Department of Transportation for the purpose of establishing a Fix-it-First program to repair the state's bridges.
(c) Funds available in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, shall be used for the rehabilitation and replacement of bridges rated in categories 4 and 5 under the National Bridge Inspection Standards established pursuant to 23 CFR Part 650, Subpart C. Funds may be used to enhance and improve pedestrian and bicycle access when bridges need to be reconstructed.
(d) None of said bonds shall be authorized except upon a finding by the State Bond Commission that there has been filed with it (1) a request for such authorization, which is signed by the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management or by or on behalf of such state officer, department or agency and stating such terms and conditions as said commission, in its discretion, may require, and (2) any capital development impact statement and any human services facility colocation statement required to be filed with the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management pursuant to section 4b-23, any advisory report regarding the state conservation and development policies plan required pursuant to section 16a-31 and any statement regarding farm land required pursuant to subsection (g) of section 3-20 and section 22-6, provided the State Bond Commission may authorize said bonds without a finding that the reports and statements required by this subdivision have been filed with it if said commission authorizes the secretary of said commission to accept such reports and statements on its behalf. No funds derived from the sale of bonds authorized by said commission without a finding that the reports and statements required by this subdivision have been filed with it shall be allotted by the Governor for any project until the reports and statements required by this subdivision, with respect to such project, have been filed with the secretary of said commission.
(e) For the purposes of this section, each request filed as provided in this section for an authorization of bonds shall identify the project for which the proceeds of the sale of such bonds are to be used and expended and, in addition to any terms and conditions required pursuant to this section, include the recommendation of the person signing such request as to the extent to which federal, private or other moneys then available or thereafter to be made available for costs in connection with any such project should be added to the state moneys available or becoming available from the proceeds of bonds and temporary notes issued in anticipation of the receipt of the proceeds of bonds. If the request includes a recommendation that some amount of such federal, private or other moneys should be added to such state moneys, then, if and to the extent directed by the State Bond Commission at the time of authorization of such bonds, said amount of such federal, private or other moneys then available or thereafter to be made available for costs in connection with such project shall be added to such state moneys.
(f) Any balance of proceeds of the sale of said bonds authorized for the projects or purposes of this section, in excess of the aggregate costs of all the projects so authorized, shall be used in the manner set forth in sections 13b-74 to 13b-77, inclusive, and in the proceedings of the State Bond Commission respecting the issuance and sale of said bonds.
(g) Said bonds issued pursuant to this section shall be special obligations of the state and shall not be payable from or charged upon any funds other than revenues of the state pledged therefor in subsection (b) of section 13b-61 and section 13b-69, or such other receipts, funds or moneys as may be pledged therefor. Said bonds shall not be payable from or charged upon any funds other than such pledged revenues or such other receipts, funds or moneys as may be pledged therefor, nor shall the state or any political subdivision thereof be subject to any liability thereon, except to the extent of such pledged revenues or such other receipts, funds or moneys as may be pledged therefor. Said bonds shall be issued under and in accordance with the provisions of sections 13b-74 to 13b-77, inclusive.
(h) Not later than January 1, 2009, the Department of Transportation shall submit a report on the results of such program to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to transportation, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a.
(June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-7, S. 65.)
History: June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-7 effective November 2, 2007.