Section 162-I:9-a State Guarantee.


   I. The governor and council may award an unconditional state guarantee of the principal of and interest on bonds issued under this chapter. The full faith and credit of the state shall be pledged for any such guarantee, but the total outstanding principal amount of bonds guaranteed by the state under this section at any time shall not exceed $25,000,000. For the purpose of determining the amount of bonds guaranteed by the state pursuant to this section, the amount of any issue of bonds sold at a discount shall be equal to the net proceeds thereof, determined by adding to the face amount of the bond issue the premium, if any, related to bonds of that issue and then subtracting the discount related to bonds of that issue. The amount of bonds of any such issue considered outstanding at any time shall be determined by multiplying the face amount of the bonds of that issue then outstanding by a fraction, the numerator of which is the net proceeds of the issue as determined above, and the denominator of which is the face amount of the issue. The governor, with the advice and consent of the council, is authorized to draw his warrant for such sum as may be necessary out of any money in the treasury, not otherwise appropriated, for the purpose of honoring any guarantee awarded under this section. The state's guarantee shall be evidenced on each guaranteed bond by an endorsement signed by the state treasurer in substantially the following form:
   The state of New Hampshire hereby unconditionally guarantees the payment of the whole of the principal and interest on the within bond and for the performance of such guarantee the full faith and credit of the state are pledged.

____________________
State Treasurer

   In connection with the award of a state guarantee, the governor and council may impose such terms and conditions as they may deem appropriate concerning the bonds, the use and operation of the eligible facilities, the reimbursement to the state if any state funds are used to honor the guarantee and any other matters necessary or desirable to carry out the purposes of this section. Such terms and conditions may be contained in an agreement among the state, the authority and user of the eligible facility to be executed on behalf of the state by the governor and the state treasurer and on behalf of the authority by any 2 persons authorized to execute bonds under RSA 162-I:8.
   II. The governor and council shall not award any state guarantee under this section unless they have found after a hearing that such guarantee will serve a public use and provide a public benefit and have determined that the authority's financing of the project and the state's guarantee of the bonds will be within the policy of, and the authority conferred by, this chapter.
   III. Before awarding any state guarantee of bonds under this section the governor and council shall first make the findings required by RSA 162-I:9, except the finding required by RSA 162-I:9, II(b)(4), taking into account the state guarantee. In addition, the governor and council shall also find that:
      (a) The financing of the facility is of vital importance to the economic well being and general welfare of a substantial number of the state's citizens and will minimize the risk of permanent economic damage to the state or a region of the state;
      (b) The award of a state guarantee will contribute significantly to the success of the financing; and
      (c) Reasonable and appropriate measures have been taken to minimize the risk of loss to the state and to ensure that any private benefit from the award of a state guarantee will be only incidental to the public purpose served thereby.
   IV. The hearing required by this section may be held and the findings and determinations so required may be made in conjunction with the proceedings required by RSA 162-I:9. No guarantee shall be awarded under this section unless the hearing and proceedings so required are completed not later than June 30, 1996.
   V. Whenever a state guarantee of bonds is awarded under this section the statement required by the first sentence of RSA 162-I:8, III shall be appropriately modified and the finding required by RSA 162-I:9, II(b)(4) shall not be made.

Source. 1992, 46:3. 1996, 257:7, eff. June 10, 1996.