The purpose of this chapter is to provide full and complete authority to governmental units for the issuance of refunding bonds. No procedure or proceedings, publications, notices, consents, limitations, approvals, orders, acts or things by any governing body of any governmental unit, other than those required by this chapter, shall be required to issue any refunding bonds or to do any act or perform anything under this law except as may be prescribed herein. The powers conferred by this chapter shall be in addition and supplemental to, and not in substitution for, and the limitations imposed by this chapter shall not affect, the powers conferred by any other law. The principal amount of any bond for which refunding bonds have been issued under this chapter and for which governmental obligations described in Section 31-27-15 have been placed in escrow in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on such bonds and any redemption premium on such bonds as set forth in Section 31-27-15 shall not be considered outstanding bonded indebtedness for the purpose of determining the debt limitation of the governmental unit. This chapter is remedial in nature and shall be liberally construed.