(a) “Auxiliary enterprise” means any activity defined in s. 1011.47(1) and performed by a university or a direct-support organization.
(b) “Capital outlay project” means:
1. Any project to acquire, construct, improve, or change the functional use of land, buildings, and other facilities, including furniture and equipment necessary to operate a new or improved building or facility.
2. Any other acquisition of equipment or software.
(c) “Debt” means bonds, except revenue bonds as defined in paragraph (e), loans, promissory notes, lease-purchase agreements, certificates of participation, installment sales, leases, or any other financing mechanism or financial arrangement, whether or not a debt for legal purposes, for financing or refinancing for or on behalf of a state university or a direct-support organization or for the acquisition, construction, improvement, or purchase of capital outlay projects.
(d) “Direct-support organization” means an organization created pursuant to s. 1004.28 or any entity specifically established to incur debt.
(e) “Revenue bonds” means any obligation that constitutes a revenue bond pursuant to s. 11(d), Art. VII of the State Constitution.
(2)(a) The Board of Governors may request the issuance of revenue bonds pursuant to the State Bond Act and s. 11(d), Art. VII of the State Constitution to finance or refinance capital outlay projects permitted by law. Revenue bonds may be secured by or payable only from those revenues authorized for such purpose, including the Capital Improvement Trust Fund fee, the building fee, the health fee, the transportation access fee, hospital revenues, or those revenues derived from or received in relation to sales and services of auxiliary enterprises or component units of the university, including, but not limited to, housing, transportation, health care, research or research-related activities, food service, retail sales, athletic activities, or other similar services, other revenues attributable to the projects to be financed or refinanced, any other revenue approved by the Legislature for facilities construction or for securing revenue bonds issued pursuant to s. 11(d), Art. VII of the State Constitution, or any other revenues permitted by law. Revenues from the activity and service fee and the athletic fee may be used to pay and secure revenue bonds except that the annual debt service shall not exceed an amount equal to 5 percent of the fees collected during the most recent 12 consecutive months for which collection information is available prior to the sale of the bonds. The assets of a university foundation and the earnings thereon may also be used to pay and secure revenue bonds of the university or its direct-support organizations. Revenues from royalties and licensing fees may also be used to pay and secure revenue bonds so long as the facilities being financed are functionally related to the university operation or direct-support organization reporting such royalties and licensing fees. Revenue bonds may not be secured by or be payable from, directly or indirectly, tuition, the financial aid fee, sales and services of educational departments, revenues from grants and contracts, except for money received for overhead and indirect costs and other moneys not required for the payment of direct costs, or any other operating revenues of a state university. However, moneys due to the state university from the federal government for the payment of grants and contracts may be used to pay debt service on revenue bonds only as required through the United States Department of Education’s Historically Black College and University Capital Financing Program. Revenues from one auxiliary enterprise may not be used to secure revenue bonds of another unless the Board of Governors, after review and analysis, determines that the facilities being financed are functionally related to the auxiliary enterprise revenues being used to secure such revenue bonds.
(b) In connection with the issuance of revenue bonds, the Board of Governors, and the state university if so designated by the Board of Governors, shall comply with all covenants, commitments, or other provisions relating to the revenue bonds. Such covenants, commitments, or other provisions, in addition to those provided in the State Bond Act, may relate to:
1. Pledging the fees, charges, and other revenues that secure the revenue bonds;
2. Fixing and maintaining fees, rates, and other charges pledged to the payment of the revenue bonds;
3. Providing a lien on the revenues pledged;
4. Preventing or providing for the creation of other liens on the fees, charges, and other revenues that secure the revenue bonds;
5. Establishing and maintaining reserves for debt service payments on revenue bonds;
6. Providing for the operation, maintenance, and improvement of facilities that are related to the generation of the fees, revenues, and other charges pledged to the payment of the revenue bonds; and
7. Establishing any other covenants, commitments, or provisions that are deemed necessary or advisable to enhance the security of the revenue bonds, or the marketability thereof, and that are customary in accordance with the market requirements for the sale of such revenue bonds.
(c) Revenue bonds issued pursuant to this subsection are not required to be validated pursuant to chapter 75.
(3)(a) A state university or direct-support organization may not issue debt without the approval of the Board of Governors. The Board of Governors may approve the issuance of debt by a state university or a direct-support organization only when such debt is used to finance or refinance capital outlay projects. The debt may be secured by or payable only from those revenues authorized for such purpose, including the health fee, the transportation access fee, hospital revenues, or those revenues derived from or received in relation to sales and services of auxiliary enterprises or component units of the university, including, but not limited to, housing, transportation, health care, research or research-related activities, food service, retail sales, athletic activities, or other similar services. Revenues derived from the activity and service fee and the athletic fee may be used to pay and secure debt except that the annual debt service shall not exceed an amount equal to 5 percent of the fees collected during the most recent 12 consecutive months for which collection information is available prior to incurring the debt. The assets of university foundations and the earnings thereon may be used to pay and secure debt of the university or its direct-support organizations. Gifts and donations or pledges of gifts may also be used to secure debt so long as the maturity of the debt, including extensions, renewals, and refundings, does not exceed 5 years. Revenues from royalties and licensing fees may also be used to secure debt so long as the facilities being financed are functionally related to the university operation or direct-support organization reporting such royalties and licensing fees. The debt may not be secured by or be payable from, directly or indirectly, tuition, the financial aid fee, sales and services of educational departments, revenues from grants and contracts, except for money received for overhead and indirect costs and other moneys not required for the payment of direct costs of grants, or any other operating revenues of a state university. The debt of direct-support organizations may not be secured by or be payable under an agreement or contract with a state university unless the source of payments under such agreement or contract is limited to revenues that universities are authorized to use for payment of debt service. Revenues from one auxiliary enterprise may not be used to secure debt of another unless the Board of Governors, after review and analysis, determines that the facilities being financed are functionally related to the auxiliary enterprise revenues being used to secure such debt. Debt may not be approved to finance or refinance operating expenses of a state university or a direct-support organization. The maturity of debt used to finance or refinance the acquisition of equipment or software, including any extensions, renewals, or refundings thereof, shall be limited to 5 years or the estimated useful life of the equipment or software, whichever is shorter. The Board of Governors may establish conditions and limitations on such debt as it determines to be advisable.
(b) Approval by the Board of Governors of the issuance of debt shall be based upon a determination that the debt:
1. Is for a purpose consistent with the mission of the state university;
2. Is structured in a manner appropriate for the prudent financial management of the state university;
3. Is secured by revenues adequate to provide for all payments relating to the debt;
4. Has been analyzed by the Division of Bond Finance and issues raised by such analysis have been appropriately considered by the Board of Governors; and
5. Is consistent with the requirements of any policies or criteria adopted by the Board of Governors for the approval of debt.
(c) Notwithstanding paragraphs (a) and (b), state universities and direct-support organizations may engage in the following activities without the approval of the Board of Governors:
1. State universities may lease-purchase equipment and software in accordance with the deferred-purchase provisions in chapter 287 and direct-support organizations may lease-purchase equipment and software to the extent that the overall term of the financing, including any extension, renewal, or refinancing thereof, does not exceed 5 years or the estimated useful life of the equipment or software, whichever is shorter;
2. Direct-support organizations may issue promissory notes and grant conventional mortgages for the acquisition of real property; and
3. State universities and direct-support organizations may secure debt with gifts and donations and pledges of gifts so long as the facilities being financed thereby have been included in the university’s 5-year capital improvement plan that has been approved by the Board of Governors and the maturity of the debt, including any extension, renewal, or refunding, does not exceed 5 years.
(4) The approval by the Board of Governors of revenue bonds, except refunding bonds, or debt must be requested by a resolution of the board of trustees of each state university involved in the issuance of the revenue bonds or debt.
(5) Revenue bonds or debt issued under this section may be secured on a parity with prior revenue bonds or debt issued by or on behalf of one or more universities or a direct-support organization.
(6) Capital outlay projects to be financed by revenue bonds or debt are limited to those approved by the Legislature through approval of the specific project or general approval of the type or category of capital outlay project.
(7)(a) As required pursuant to s. 11(d), Art. VII of the State Constitution and subsection (6), the Legislature approves capital outlay projects meeting the following requirements:
1. The project is located on a campus of a state university or on land leased to the university or is used for activities relating to the state university;
2. The project is included in the master plan of the state university or is for facilities that are not required to be in a university’s master plan;
3. The project is approved by the Board of Governors as being consistent with the strategic plan of the state university and the programs offered by the state university; and
4. The project is for purposes relating to the housing, transportation, health care, research or research-related activities, food service, retail sales, or student activities of the state university.
(b) Capital outlay projects for the acquisition of equipment or software are also approved for purposes of subsection (6) to the extent that the overall term of the financing, including any extension, renewal, or refinancing thereof, does not exceed 5 years or the estimated useful life of the equipment or software, whichever is shorter.
(8) Notwithstanding any other law, the Board of Governors, each state university, and any direct-support organization must comply with the provisions of this section in order to issue or enter into agreements for the issuance of revenue bonds or debt.
(9) The Board of Governors may adopt such policies as may be necessary or desirable for carrying out all of the requirements of this section and may do all things necessary or desirable to carry out the powers granted under this section. Such policies may include categories of debt, other than revenue bonds, which may be issued without approval of the specific issuance by the Board of Governors if the issuance complies with any terms, conditions, or requirements included in such policy and laws governing the imposition of fees and laws requiring specific authority to pledge revenues to secure debt.
(10) Any legal commitments, contracts, or other obligations relating to the financing of capital outlay projects that were lawfully entered into before the effective date of this section shall remain in full force and effect. Any such legal commitment, contract, or other obligation may be amended without compliance with this section, but only to the extent that such amendment does not increase the financial obligation of the Board of Governors, a state university, or a direct-support organization.
History.—s. 5, ch. 2006-27; s. 24, ch. 2010-78; s. 1, ch. 2018-28.
