In addition to the powers contained elsewhere in this chapter, the board has all power necessary, useful, or appropriate to operate and administer the authority, to effectuate the purposes of the authority, and to perform its other functions including, but not limited to, the power to:
(1) have perpetual succession;
(2) sue and be sued in its own name;
(3) adopt, promulgate, amend, and repeal bylaws, not inconsistent with provisions in this chapter for the administration of the authority's affairs and the implementation of its functions;
(4) have a seal and alter it at its pleasure, although the failure to affix the seal does not affect the validity of an instrument executed on behalf of the authority;
(5) enter into contracts, arrangements, and agreements with government units and other persons and execute and deliver all financing agreements, including bonds issued to support the borrowing by such government units to pay eligible costs of qualified projects, and other instruments necessary or convenient to the exercise of the powers granted in this chapter;
(6) enter into agreements with a department, agency, political subdivision or instrumentality of the United States or of this State or of another State for the purpose of planning and providing for the financing of qualified projects or for the administration of the purposes and programs of this chapter;
(7) enter into agreements with the tobacco trust fund for the purpose of managing and controlling the transfer of funds between the authority and the tobacco trust fund and governing the investment and the monitoring and recordkeeping of these funds, for purposes of maintaining the exemption from federal income tax of interest on bonds and for other purposes;
(8) enter into, amend, and terminate agreements in the nature of interest rate swaps, forward security supply contracts, agreements for the management of interest rate risks, agreements for the management of cash flow, and other agreements of a similar nature, with respect to bonds issued pursuant to this chapter;
(9) procure insurance, guarantees, letters of credit, and other forms of collateral or security or credit support from any public or private entity, including any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States or this State, for the payment of any bonds, including the power to pay premiums or fees on any insurance, guarantees, letters of credit, and other forms of collateral or security or credit support;
(10) borrow money through the issuance of bonds as provided in this chapter, and through the issuance of notes in anticipation of the issuance of these bonds;
(11) enter into contracts and expend funds to obtain accounting, management, legal, financial consulting, trusteeship and other professional services necessary or convenient to the operations of the authority; however, all matters relating to the designation and selection of bond counsel to the authority is within the discretion of the State Treasurer;
(12) in order to pay budgeted items pursuant to a budget adopted in accordance with Section 11-49-100, to expend funds for the costs of administering the operations of the authority;
(13) direct the escrow agent with respect to the disbursement to the authority of the State's tobacco receipts and receive and accept the State's tobacco receipts;
(14) enter into contracts or agreements necessary, proper, or convenient for the effectuation of the powers and purposes of the board and the authority;
(15) invest funds held by the authority under this chapter in any investment permitted for funds of this State, other than the State's retirement funds, or for funds of the political subdivisions of this State, in revenue bonds of government units, and in general obligations of other States whose general obligation debt is rated not lower than the general obligation debt of this State;
(16) direct the Attorney General of this State to enforce in the name of the State of South Carolina, and if permissible to enforce directly through its own attorneys in the name of the State, the Master Settlement Agreement. This power is a part of the contractual obligation owed to the holders of any bonds; and
(17) do all other things necessary or convenient to exercise powers granted or reasonably implied by this chapter or that may be necessary for the furtherance and accomplishments of the purposes of the authority.
Before the date which is one year and one day after which the authority no longer has any bonds outstanding, the authority has no authority to file a voluntary petition under Chapter 9 of the United States Bankruptcy Code or corresponding chapters or sections as may, from time to time, be in effect, and neither any public officer or any organization, entity, or other person shall authorize the authority to be or become a debtor under Chapter 9 or any successor or corresponding chapter or sections during the periods. The provisions of this paragraph are for the benefit of the holders of any bonds and are a part of the contractual obligation owed to such bondholders, and the State shall not modify or delete the provisions of this paragraph during the periods described in this chapter.
In the exercise of its powers in this chapter, the board and the authority may obtain services in accordance with the procedures, guidelines, and criteria established by the board for that purpose and are not restricted by Chapter 35 of Title 11 or any successor provision.
HISTORY: 2000 Act No. 387, Part II, Section 69A.2; 2005 Act No. 61, Section 2.