Section 50-17-22. State Financing and Investment Commission

   (a)  Responsibilities. Subject to the limitations contained in this article, the commission shall be responsible for the issuance of all public debt incurred hereunder, for the proper application of the proceeds of such debt to the purposes for which it is incurred, for the proper application of an appropriation to the commission for capital outlay to the purpose for which it is appropriated, and for the application and administration of this article; provided, however, that the proceeds of guaranteed revenue obligations shall be paid to the issuer thereof, and such proceeds and the application thereof shall be the responsibility of the issuer. The commission shall also be responsible for the proper disbursement of an appropriation to it for public school capital outlay, and the commission and the State Board of Education will be concurrently responsible for its proper application. The commission shall be responsible for the issuance of guaranteed revenue debt, except that bonds themselves evidencing such debt shall be in the name of the instrumentality of this state issuing the same and shall be issued and executed in accordance with the laws relative to such instrumentality and the applicable provisions of this article.

(b)  Organization.

   (1) The Governor shall serve as the chairperson and chief executive officer; the presiding officer of the Senate shall serve as the vice chairperson of the commission; and the state auditor shall serve as secretary and treasurer. The chairperson or vice chairperson or secretary and treasurer shall be the presiding officer at each meeting of the commission.

   (2) There shall be a construction division of the commission administered by a director who shall not be a member of the commission and who shall also serve as the executive secretary for the commission. The director and the staff of the construction division shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the commission, shall provide administrative support for all personnel of the commission, and shall account for and keep all records pertaining to the operation and administration of the commission and its staff. The director, as executive secretary, shall prepare agendas and keep minutes of all meetings of the commission. In construction and construction related matters, the construction division shall act in accordance with the policies, resolutions, and directives of the Georgia Education Authority (Schools) and the Georgia Education Authority (University) until such time as such policies, resolutions, or directives are changed or modified by the commission. In carrying out its responsibilities in connection with the application of any funds under its control, including the proceeds of any debt or any appropriation made directly to it for construction purposes, the commission is specifically authorized to acquire and construct projects for the benefit of any department or agency of the state or to contract with any such department or agency for the acquisition or construction of projects under policies, standards, and operating procedures to be established by the commission; provided, however, that the commission shall contract with the Department of Transportation or the Georgia Highway Authority or the State Road and Tollway Authority or any combination of the foregoing for the supervision of and contracting for design, planning, building, rebuilding, constructing, reconstructing, surfacing, resurfacing, laying out, grading, repairing, improving, widening, straightening, operating, owning, maintaining, leasing, and managing any public roads and bridges for which general obligation debt has been authorized. The construction division also shall perform such construction related services and grant administration services for state agencies and instrumentalities and for local governments, instrumentalities of local governments, and other political subdivisions as may be assigned to the commission or to the construction division by executive order of the Governor.

   (3) There shall also be a financing and investment division of the commission administered by a director who shall not be a member of the commission. The director shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the commission. The financing and investment division shall perform all services relating to issuance of public debt, the investment and accounting of all proceeds derived from incurring general obligation debt or such other amounts as may be appropriated from time to time to the commission for capital outlay purposes, the guaranteed revenue debt and the proceeds thereof as may be directed by the commission and the issuer, the management of all other state debt, and such financial advisory matters and general accounting duties as are not specifically assigned to the executive secretary in paragraph (2) of this subsection and in subsection (g) of this Code section. The director of the financing and investment division shall report directly to the commission on all matters pertaining to the functions and duties assigned to the division.

   (4) Members of the commission shall serve without compensation but shall receive actual expenses incurred by them in the performance of their duties. The expenses, including mileage, shall be paid on the same basis as for other state officials and employees.

(c) Meetings. The commission shall hold regular meetings as it deems necessary, but, in any event, not less than one meeting shall be held in each calendar quarter. The commission shall meet at the call of the chairperson, vice chairperson, or secretary and treasurer or a majority of the members of the commission. Meetings of the commission shall be subject to Chapter 14 of this title, and its records shall be subject to Article 4 of Chapter 18 of Title 50. The commission shall approve the issuance of public debt, as hereinafter provided, adopt and amend bylaws, and establish salaries and wages of employees of the commission only upon the affirmative vote of a majority of its members; all other actions of the commission may be taken upon the affirmative vote of a majority of a quorum present. A quorum shall consist of a majority of the members of the commission. If any vote is less than unanimous, the vote shall be recorded in the minutes of the commission.

(d)  Powers. The commission shall have those powers set forth in the Constitution and the powers necessary and incidental thereto. In addition to such powers, the commission shall have power:

   (1) To have a seal and alter the same at pleasure;

   (2) To make contracts and to execute all instruments necessary or convenient, including contracts with any and all political subdivisions, institutions, or agencies of the state and state authorities, upon such terms and for such purposes as it deems advisable; and such political subdivisions, institutions, or agencies of the state and state authorities are authorized and empowered to enter into and perform such contracts;

   (3) To employ such other experts, agents, and employees as may be in the commission's judgment necessary to carry on properly the business of the commission; to fix the compensation for such officers, experts, agents, and employees and to promote and discharge the same;

   (4) To do and perform all things necessary or convenient to carry out the powers conferred upon the commission by this article;

   (5) To make reasonable regulations or adopt the standard specifications or regulations of the Department of Transportation or the state authorities, or parts thereof, for the construction, reconstruction, building, rebuilding, renovating, surfacing, resurfacing, acquiring, leasing, maintaining, repairing, removing, installing, planning, or disposing of projects for which public debt has been authorized, or for such other purposes as deemed necessary by the commission; and

   (6) (A) To apply for, arrange for, accept, and administer federal funds for capital outlay and construction related services and for authorization or payment of public debt.

      (B) Without limitation, the commission may:

         (i) Deposit or arrange for federal funds to be deposited into the State of Georgia General Obligation Debt Sinking Fund or into the State of Georgia Guaranteed Revenue Debt Common Reserve Fund, and the fiscal officer of the state shall accept such deposits;

         (ii) Arrange for the disbursement of federal funds directly to trustees, paying agents, or other persons for the payment of public debt;

         (iii) Cooperate with any public agency, authority, or officer in applying for, accepting, and administering federal funds for public purposes mutual to the commission and any other agency, authority, or officer;

         (iv) Apply or arrange to participate in and take all actions the commission determines appropriate to obtain the benefits of federal programs which provide tax credits, incentives, or other inducements to the state or to holders of public debt;

         (v) Apply or arrange to participate in federal programs which require the allocation of funds or bonding authority among geographical areas, governmental jurisdictions and entities, or other categories, and perform such allocation, including mandating, requiring, treating, or deeming the waiver of any local allocation by way of resolution or policy of the commission, unless another officer, agency, or instrumentality is explicitly authorized by state law to perform such allocation and all officers, agencies, or instrumentalities are required to provide such assistance, cooperation, and information as the commission directs related to any federal programs. In such cases where the commission has allocated funds or bonding authority or mandated, required, treated, or deemed the waiver of any allocation, any local governmental entity desiring to issue obligations of any type that are dependent upon a waived allocation shall only be lawfully permitted to do so in a manner that is consistent with the actions of the commission; and any notice to the district attorney or the Attorney General, pursuant to Code Section 36-82-20 or 36-82-74 or any similar provision of law, by any local governmental entity shall include a certification that the issuance of such obligations is consistent with the actions of the commission. No court shall have jurisdiction to consider any petition regarding the validation of any such obligations, whether pursuant to Article 2 or Article 3 of Chapter 82 of Title 36 or any other similar provision of law, in the absence of such certification when required by this division;

         (vi) Establish and apply criteria for determining a reasonable expectation of the state that an allocation made pursuant to division (v) of this subparagraph will not be used by a local governmental entity so that the commission may mandate, require, treat, or deem such allocation as waived; and

         (vii) Apply or arrange to participate in any other federal program which provides benefits consistent with state law and supportive of functions of the commission.

      (C) The use of federal funds as part of the authorization for the issuance of general obligation debt or the issuance of guaranteed revenue debt shall be by appropriation as provided by law. The payment of federal funds into the sinking fund to pay annual debt service requirements shall be by appropriation or by direction of the commission in the absence of appropriation. The payment of federal funds into the State of Georgia Guaranteed Revenue Debt Common Reserve Fund as part of the common reserve shall be by appropriation or by direction of the commission in the absence of appropriation.

      (D) The commission may delegate to the fiscal officer of the state its authority to arrange for and accept federal funds as provided in this Code section.

(e)  Records. Except for those records specifically designated in this article to be kept by the fiscal officer of the state, the commission shall be responsible for keeping the records provided for in this article and such other records as it deems necessary or convenient for the administration of this article.

(f)  Advisory and service function.

   (1) The commission is further vested with complete and exclusive authority and jurisdiction in all financial advisory matters relating to the issuance or incurrence of debt by state authorities as defined in paragraph (9) of Code Section 50-17-21; and no such state authority shall be authorized, without the approval of the commission, to employ other financial or investment advisory counsel in any matter whatsoever or to incur debt without the specific approval of the commission.

   (2) When the commission performs financial advisory or construction related services, the state authority or state agency requiring such services shall reimburse the commission for such services.

(g)  Budget unit; budget.

   (1) The commission is designated a budget unit and shall be subject to Part 1 of Article 4 of Chapter 12 of Title 45, the "Budget Act."

   (2) The executive secretary shall prepare, under the direction and supervision of the commission, any budgets, requests, estimates, records, or other documents deemed necessary or efficient for compliance with Part 1 of Article 4 of Chapter 12 of Title 45, the "Budget Act," to provide for the payment of personnel services, operating expense, and administration and otherwise carry out this article. The commission may but need not receive an appropriation for personnel, administrative services, and other operating expenses of the commission. The commission may but need not receive an appropriation for the costs of issuance, validation, and delivery of obligations to be incurred, including, but not limited to, trustee's fees, paying agent fees, printing fees, bond counsel fees, district attorney fees, clerk of the superior court fees, architect fees, and engineering fees, which costs and fees are dependent on the principal amount of the obligations incurred and are determined to be appropriate costs of the project or projects for which such obligations are incurred and are authorized to be paid from bond proceeds. The commission may but need not receive an appropriation for expenditures made for fees and expenses incurred in safeguarding and protecting public health, life, and property in connection with projects for which general obligation debt has been incurred.

(h)  Retirement system. All officers and employees of the commission shall be qualified to be and shall become members of the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia; provided, however, that any such officer or employee who was on April 13, 1973, an officer or employee of any state agency, authority, department, or instrumentality and a member or participant in any annuity or retirement program other than the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia, which person hereinafter is referred to as a "present employee," may elect to remain under such other annuity or retirement program or to transfer membership to the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia. The commission is authorized to perform and shall perform all obligations of employer if such present employee shall elect to remain under such other annuity or retirement program. A present employee electing to transfer membership to the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia under this article shall give notice of electing to transfer membership to the Board of Trustees of the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia and simultaneously therewith shall give to the governing body of the other annuity or retirement program notice that it shall transfer to the Board of Trustees of the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia the employer's and employee's contributions standing to his account. From and after the date of transfer of contributions, the present employee electing to transfer membership shall be a member of the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia with membership service and prior service credits equivalent to those he would have accrued had he been a member of the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia throughout the period of transferred creditable service. In lieu of the foregoing election, any present employee wishing to retain his rights under any private annuity or retirement program may assume responsibility for the payment of all costs of such program and may elect to become a member of the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia effective the date upon which he becomes an officer or employee of the commission. Any present employee so electing to retain his rights may also receive membership service credit and prior service credit under the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia for all or part of his service with any state agency, authority, department, or instrumentality, plus military service credit as otherwise provided by law, by paying to the Board of Trustees of the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia, on terms acceptable to the Board of Trustees, all the employee's contributions, plus regular interest thereon, which would have stood to his credit had he been a member of the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia during the period of creditable service sought to be established. In the event of the latter election, the commission shall pay all employer's contributions, plus regular interest thereon, attributable to the creditable service sought to be established. Any elections under this subsection shall be made in writing within six months from the date of appointment to office or employment by the commission.

(i)  Surety bonds. All members and officers of the commission and such employees as the commission may designate shall be surety bonded in such amounts as determined by the commission.

(j)  Exemptions from laws. The commission shall not be subject to the following:

   (1) Articles 3 and 4 of Chapter 5 of this title;

   (2) Subpart 2 of Part 2 of Article 4 of Chapter 12 of Title 45, relating to approval of contracts;

   (3) Article 1 of Chapter 20 of Title 45; or

   (4) Code Sections 45-12-82, 45-12-83, 45-12-89, and 45-12-92.

Ga. L. 1973, p. 750, § 3; Ga. L. 1974, p. 1213, § 1; Ga. L. 1979, p. 401, § 7; Ga. L. 1982, p. 3, § 50; Ga. L. 1988, p. 227, § 7; Ga. L. 1994, p. 97, § 50; Ga. L. 2001, p. 496, § 1; Ga. L. 2001, p. 1251, § 2-1; Ga. L. 2005, p. 642, § 3/SB 227; Ga. L. 2009, p. 139, § 11/HB 581; Ga. L. 2010, p. 123, § 1/HB 1258; Ga. L. 2010, p. 863, § 4/SB 296; Ga. L. 2011, p. 752, § 50/HB 142; Ga. L. 2012, p. 218, § 16/HB 397.