1st Engrossment - 90th Legislature (2017 - 2018) Posted on 03/09/2017 10:54am
A bill for an act
relating to capital investment; establishing a debt limit; amending Minnesota
Statutes 2016, section 16A.105.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 16A.105, is amended to read:
In February and November of each year the commissioner
shall prepare a debt capacity forecast to be delivered to the governor and legislature according
to section 16A.103, subdivision 1. The debt capacity forecast must include statements of
the indebtedness of the state for bonds, notes, and other forms of long-term general obligation
indebtedness. The forecast must show the actual amount of the debt service for at least the
past two completed fiscal years, and the estimated amount for the current fiscal year and
the next six fiscal years, the debt authorized and unissued, and the borrowing capacity for
the next six fiscal years.new text begin The forecast must include the debt limit determined under
subdivision 2.
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(a) For the purposes of this subdivision, "debt" means state debt
payable from nondedicated state general fund revenues, including:
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(1) state general obligation bonds payable from the general fund;
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(2) state appropriation bonds;
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(3) agency appropriation bonds payable from a statutory appropriation from the general
fund or other debt issued by the state, a state agency, or the University of Minnesota, payable
from a statutory appropriation of general fund money;
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(4) state certificates of participation; and
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(5) state lease-purchase financing for acquisition of real estate or equipment payable
from the general fund.
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(b) The debt limit established in this subdivision applies in addition to any other guideline
adopted or used by the commissioner to prudently manage debt in the state's best interests.
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(c) For each forecast under subdivision 1, the commissioner shall determine the maximum
amount of new debt that may be issued so that payment due on all outstanding debt is no
more than 3.5 percent of the estimated nondedicated general fund revenue received by the
state for the same time periods.
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(d) In addition, for each forecast under subdivision 1, the commissioner shall determine
the maximum amount of debt payable from nondedicated state general fund revenues under
paragraph (a), clauses (2), (3), (4), and (5), that may be issued so that payment due is no
more than 0.625 percent of the estimated nondedicated general fund revenue received by
the state for the same time periods.
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(e) The debt limits in this subdivision may only be used to delay issuance of debt
authorized in a law enacted after the forecast that indicates the limits will be exceeded and
do not require either (1) delay in the sale of or reduction in the amount of debt authorized
before that forecast or (2) cancellation of appropriations made before that forecast. The
commissioner must delay issuance until a forecast indicates that the debt limits will not be
exceeded with the issuance.
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