Section 50-17-26. Evidences of indebtedness generally; accrual of interest; paying agent; executory contracts; audits; legal services

   (a)  Authority. The state, through action of the commission, is authorized to incur public debt as hereinafter provided.

(b)  Registration, prepayment, cancellation, destruction, etc.

   (1)  Registrar. The fiscal officer of the state or his agent shall act as registrar for evidences of indebtedness registrable as to principal or interest or both. No transfer of a registered evidence of indebtedness is valid unless made on the register maintained by the fiscal officer of the state or his agent for that purpose, and the state shall be entitled to treat the registered owner as the owner of such instrument for all purposes. Payment of principal and interest, when registered as to interest, of registered instruments shall be by check to the registered owner as it appears on the register unless the commission has otherwise provided. The commission may make such other provisions respecting registration as it deems necessary or useful. The fiscal officer of the state may employ out-of-state transfer agents or in-state transfer agents, or both, to perform registration duties or payment duties, or both, as agents of the fiscal officer of the state.

   (2)  Prepayment. The commission may authorize debt having any provision for prepayment deemed necessary or useful, including the payment of any premium.

   (3)  Destroyed bonds. If any evidence of indebtedness becomes mutilated or is destroyed, lost, or stolen, the commission shall execute and deliver a new bond or note of like date of issue, maturity date, principal amount, and interest rate per annum as the bond or note so mutilated, destroyed, lost, or stolen, upon exchange and substitution for such mutilated bond or note and in lieu of and substitution for the bond or note destroyed, lost, or stolen, upon filing with the commission evidence satisfactory to it that such bond or note has been destroyed, lost, or stolen and proof of ownership thereof and upon furnishing the commission with indemnity satisfactory to it and upon complying with other reasonable rules of the commission and paying expenses connected therewith. Any bond or note surrendered for exchange shall be canceled. As provided in connection with the issuance of replacement bonds or notes under this Code section, the commission shall have authority to print the new bonds with a validation certificate bearing the facsimile signature of the clerk of the superior court then in office; and such certificate shall have the same force and effect as in the first instance. All responsibility with respect to the issuance of any such new bonds shall be on the commission and not on the clerk, and the clerk shall have no liability in the event an overissuance occurs.

   (4)  Interest. Interest shall cease to accrue on public debt on the date that the debt becomes due for payment if the payment is made or duly provided for; but such debt and the accrued interest thereon shall continue to be public debt until 20 years overdue for payment. At that time, unless demand for their payment has been made, they shall be extinguished and shall be deemed no longer outstanding.

   (5)  Cancellation. Unless otherwise directed by the commission, every evidence of indebtedness and interest coupon paid or otherwise retired shall forthwith be marked "canceled" and shall be delivered by the paying agent accepting payment thereof to the commission, which shall destroy them and provide a certificate of destruction to the fiscal officer of the state.

   (6)  Records. The fiscal officer of the state or his agent shall maintain records containing a full and correct description of each evidence of indebtedness issued, identifying it and showing its date, issue, amount, interest rate, payment dates, payments made, registration, destruction, and every other relevant transaction. The use of depositories or immobilized or book-entry delivery systems, or both, may be authorized by the commission.

   (7)  Confidentiality. Records maintained by the commission, the fiscal officer of the state or his agents, or by any paying agent appointed by the commission which reveal the names or identities of registered holders of bonds or notes shall not be deemed public records. Any information concerning the identity or the name of registered holders of bonds or notes shall be released only upon direction or authorization by the commission.

(c)  Paying agent. The commission may appoint one or more paying agents for each issue of bonds or notes. The fiscal officer of the state may be designated the sole paying agent or a copaying agent for any issue of bonds or notes. Every other such paying agent shall be an incorporated bank or trust company authorized by the laws of the United States or of the state in which it is located to do a banking or trust business. There may be deposited with a paying agent, in a special account for such purposes only, a sum estimated to be sufficient to enable the paying agent to pay the principal and interest on public debt which will come due not more than 15 days after the date of the deposit. The commission may make such other provisions respecting paying agents as it deems necessary or useful and may enter into a contract with any paying agents containing such terms, including its compensation and conditions in regard to the paying agents, as it deems necessary or useful.

(d)  Executory contracts. After adoption of an authorizing resolution for a purpose which is to be accomplished wholly or in part through performance of an executory contract by some other contracting party, the contract may be entered into prior to the contracting of the debt authorized by the resolution with like effect as if the funds necessary for payments on the contract were readily available. In such cases, the debt authorized by the resolution shall be deemed to have been contracted pursuant to the resolution in the amount necessary to make such payments on the date the contract is entered into, and the authority of the resolution shall promptly thereafter be exercised.

(e)  Money borrowed. All money borrowed shall be lawful money of the United States and all debts shall be payable in such money.

(f)  Evidences of indebtedness held by state funds. All evidences of indebtedness owned or held by any state fund shall be deemed to be outstanding in all respects, and the agency having such fund under its control shall have the same rights with respect to such evidences of indebtedness as a private party; but, if any sinking fund acquires bonds which give rise to such fund, such bond shall be deemed paid for all purposes and no longer outstanding and together with any interest coupons appurtenant thereto shall be canceled. All evidence of indebtedness owned by any state fund shall be registered to the fullest extent registrable.

(g)  Audits. The commission, together with all funds established in connection with public debt, shall be audited no less frequently than annually by an independent certified public accountant to be selected by a majority of the commission. Copies of such audit shall be given to both houses of the General Assembly and shall be available upon request to interested parties, including, specifically but without limitation, the holders of evidences of indebtedness. The commission shall not be required to distribute copies of the audit to the members of the General Assembly but shall notify the members of the availability of the audit in the manner which it deems to be most effective and efficient.

(h)  Legal services. The Attorney General shall provide legal services for the commission, and in connection therewith the provisions of reimbursement for legal services of Code Sections 45-15-13 through 45-15-16 shall be fully applicable; provided, however, that the chairman of the commission shall be the one to provide the advance approval for the amount of such services and expenses.

Ga. L. 1973, p. 750, § 5; Ga. L. 1974, p. 171, § 3; Ga. L. 1979, p. 401, § 17; Ga. L. 1982, p. 3, § 50; Ga. L. 1983, p. 839, § 7; Ga. L. 2005, p. 1036, § 46/SB 49.