(1) When authorized by a public agency pursuant to s. 163.01(7), the corporation has power in its corporate capacity, in its discretion, to issue revenue bonds or other evidences of indebtedness which a public agency has the power to issue, from time to time to finance the undertaking of any purpose of this act, including, without limiting the generality thereof, the payment of principal and interest upon any advances for surveys and plans or preliminary loans, and has the power to issue refunding bonds for the payment or retirement of bonds previously issued. Bonds issued under this section shall bear the name “Florida Development Finance Corporation Revenue Bonds.” The security for such bonds may be based upon such revenues as are legally available. In anticipation of the sale of such revenue bonds, the corporation may issue bond anticipation notes and may renew such notes from time to time, but the maximum maturity of any such note, including renewals thereof, may not exceed 5 years after the date of issuance of the original note. Such notes shall be paid from any revenues of the corporation available therefor and not otherwise pledged or from the proceeds of sale of the revenue bonds in anticipation of which they were issued. Any bond, note, or other form of indebtedness issued under this act may not exceed 35 years from its respective date of issuance.
(2) Bonds issued under this section do not constitute an indebtedness within the meaning of any constitutional or statutory debt limitation or restriction, and are not subject to the provisions of any other law or charter relating to the authorization, issuance, or sale of bonds. Bonds issued under this act are declared to be for an essential public and governmental purpose. Bonds issued under this act, together with interest thereon and income therefrom, are exempted from all taxes, except those taxes imposed by chapter 220, on interest, income, or profits on debt obligations owned by corporations. Bonds issued under this act are not a debt, liability, or obligation of the state or any subdivision thereof, or a pledge of faith and credit of the corporation or of the state or of any such political subdivision thereof, but are payable solely from the revenues provided therefor. Each bond issued under this part shall contain on the face thereof a statement to the effect that the corporation is not obligated to pay the same or interest thereon from the revenues and proceeds pledged therefor, and that the faith and credit or the taxing power of the corporation or of the state or of any political subdivision thereof is not pledged to the payment of the principal of or the interest on such bonds.
(3) Bonds issued under this section shall be authorized by a public agency of this state pursuant to the terms of an interlocal agreement, unless such bonds are issued pursuant to subsection (7); may be issued in one or more series; and shall bear such date or dates, be payable upon demand or mature at such time or times, bear interest rate or rates, be in such denomination or denominations, be in such form either with or without coupon or registered, carry such conversion or registration privileges, have such rank or priority, be executed in such manner, be payable in such medium of payments at such place or places, be subject to such terms of redemption, with or without premium, be secured in such manner, and have such other characteristics as may be provided by the corporation. Bonds issued under this section may be sold in such manner, either at public or private sale, and for such price as the corporation may determine will effectuate the purpose of this act.
(4) In case a director whose signature appears on any bonds or coupons issued under this act ceases to be a director before the delivery of such bonds, such signature is, nevertheless, valid and sufficient for all purposes, the same as if such director had remained in office until such delivery.
(5) In any suit, action, or proceeding involving the validity or enforceability of any bond issued under this act, or the security therefor, any such bond reciting in substance that it has been issued by the corporation in connection with any purpose of the act shall be conclusively deemed to have been issued for such purpose, and such purpose shall be conclusively deemed to have been carried out in accordance with the act. The complaint in any action to validate such bonds shall be filed only in the Circuit Court for Leon County. The notice required to be published by s. 75.06 shall be published only in Leon County, and the complaint and order of the circuit court shall be served only on the State Attorney of the Second Judicial Circuit and on the state attorney of each circuit in each county where the public agencies which were initially a party to the interlocal agreement are located. Notice of such proceedings shall be published in the manner and the time required by s. 75.06, in Leon County and in each county where the public agencies which were initially a party to the interlocal agreement are located. Obligations of the corporation pursuant to a loan agreement as described in this subsection may be validated as provided in chapter 75. The validation of at least the first bonds approved by the corporation shall be appealed to the Florida Supreme Court.
(6) The proceeds of any bonds of the corporation may not be used, in any manner, to acquire any building or facility that will be, during the pendency of the financing, used by, occupied by, leased to, or paid for by any state, county, or municipal agency or entity. This subsection does not prohibit the use of proceeds of bonds of the corporation for the purpose of financing the acquisition or construction of a transportation facility under a comprehensive agreement authorized by s. 334.30.
(7) Notwithstanding any provision of this section, the corporation in its corporate capacity may, without authorization from a public agency under s. 163.01(7), issue revenue bonds or other evidence of indebtedness under this section to:
(a) Finance the undertaking of any project within the state that promotes renewable energy as defined in s. 366.91;
(b) Finance the undertaking of any project within the state that is a project contemplated or allowed under s. 406 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009;
(c) If permitted by federal law, finance qualifying improvement projects within the state under s. 163.08; or
(d) Finance the costs of acquisition or construction of a transportation facility by a private entity or consortium of private entities under a comprehensive agreement authorized by s. 334.30.
History.—ss. 30, 62, ch. 93-187; s. 1, ch. 93-402; s. 13, ch. 94-136; s. 102, ch. 96-320; s. 6, ch. 2010-139; s. 190, ch. 2011-142; s. 7, ch. 2020-30; s. 6, ch. 2021-178; s. 3, ch. 2023-70; s. 2, ch. 2024-173; s. 16, ch. 2024-186.
