NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1971 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 597

HOUSE BILL 959

 

 

AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE NORTH CAROLINA MEDICAL CARE COMMISSION TO FINANCE, CONSTRUCT, PROVIDE AND ACQUIRE AND OTHERWISE UNDERTAKE HOSPITAL FACILITIES.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact:

 

Section 1.  Chapter 131 of the General Statutes of North Carolina is hereby amended by adding a new article, to be designated "Article 16", and to read as follows:

"Article 16.

"Medical Care Commission Hospital Facilities Finance Act.

"§ 131-138.  Short Title. — This Article shall be known, and may be cited, as the 'North Carolina Medical Care Commission Hospital Facilities Finance Act'.

"§ 131-139.  Legislative findings. — It is hereby declared to be the policy of the State of North Carolina to promote the public health and welfare by providing means for the financing, acquiring, constructing, equipping and providing of hospital facilities to serve the people of the State and to make accessible to them modern and efficient hospital facilities.

The General Assembly hereby finds and declares that:

(1)        There is a need to overcome existing and anticipated physical and technical obsolescence of existing hospital facilities and to provide additional, modern and efficient hospital facilities in the State; and

(2)        unless measures are adopted to alleviate such need, the shortage of such facilities will become increasingly more urgent and serious; and

(3)        in order to meet such shortage and thereby promote the public health and welfare of the people of the State, it is necessary for the State to assist in the providing of adequate, modern and efficient hospital facilities in the State so that health and hospital care and services may be expanded, improved and fostered to the fullest extent practicable.

The General Assembly hereby further finds and declares that the financing, acquiring, constructing, equipping and providing of hospital facilities and such other facilities as may be incidental or appurtenant thereto are public uses and public purposes for which public money may be expended and that enactment of this Article is necessary and proper for effectuating the purposes hereof.

"§ 131-140.  Definitions. — As used or referred to in this Article, the following words and terms shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

(1)        'bonds' or 'notes' means the revenue bonds or bond anticipation notes, respectively, authorized to be issued by the Commission under this Article;

(2)        'Commission' means The North Carolina Medical Care Commission, created by Article 13 of Chapter 131 of the General Statutes, or, should said Commission be abolished or otherwise divested of its functions under this Article, the public body succeeding it in its principal functions, or upon which are conferred by law the rights, powers and duties given by this Article to the Commission;

(3)        'cost' as applied to any hospital facilities means the cost of construction or acquisition; the cost of acquisition of property, including rights in land and other property, both real and personal and improved and unimproved; the cost of demolishing, removing or relocating any buildings or structures on land so acquired, including the cost of acquiring any land to which such buildings or structures may be moved or relocated; the cost of all machinery, fixed and movable equipment and furnishings; financing charges, interest prior to and during construction and, if deemed advisable by the Commission, for a period not exceeding two (2) years after the estimated date of completion of construction, the cost of engineering and architectural surveys, plans and specifications; the cost of consulting and legal services and other expenses necessary or incident to determining the feasibility or practicability of constructing or acquiring such hospital facilities; the cost of administrative and other expenses necessary or incident to the construction or acquisition of such hospital facilities, and the financing of the construction or acquisition thereof, including reasonable provision for working capital and a reserve for debt service; and the cost of reimbursing any governmental agency or any lessee of any hospital facilities any amounts expended for items that would have been proper costs of such hospital facilities within the meaning of this definition had such expenditure been made directly by the Commission;

(4)        'hospital facilities' means any one or more buildings, structures, additions, extensions, improvements or other facilities, whether or not located on the same site or sites, machinery, equipment, furnishings or other real or personal property suitable for health care or medical care; and includes, without limitation, general hospitals, chronic diseases, maternity, mental, tuberculosis and other specialized hospitals; facilities for intensive care and self-care; clinics and outpatient facilities; clinical, pathological and other laboratories; hospital research facilities; laundries; residences and training facilities for nurses, interns, physicians and other staff members; food preparation and food service facilities; administration buildings, central service and other administrative facilities; communication, computer and other electronic facilities, firefighting facilities, pharmaceutical and recreational facilities; storage space, X-ray, laser, radiotherapy and other apparatus and equipment; dispensaries; utilities; vehicular parking lots and garages; office facilities for hospital staff members and physicians; and such other health and hospital facilities customarily under the jurisdiction of or provided by hospitals, or any combination of the foregoing, with all necessary, convenient or related interests in land, machinery, apparatus, appliances, equipment, furnishings, appurtenances, site preparation, landscaping and physical amenities;

(5)        'non-profit agency' means any non-profit corporation existing or hereafter created and empowered to acquire, by lease or otherwise, operate and maintain hospital facilities;

(6)        'public agency' means any county, city, town, hospital district or other political subdivision of the State existing or hereafter created pursuant to the laws of the State authorized to acquire, by lease or otherwise, operate and maintain hospital facilities; and

(7)        'State' means the State of North Carolina.

"§ 131-141.  Additional powers. — The Commission shall have all of the powers necessary or convenient to carry out and effectuate the purposes and provisions of this Article, including, but without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the power:

(1)        to make and execute contracts and agreements necessary or incidental to the exercise of its powers and duties under this Article, including agreements of lease, with public and non-profit agencies, persons, firms, corporations, governmental agencies and others;

(2)        to acquire by purchase, lease, gift or otherwise, or to obtain options for the acquisition of, any property, real or personal, improved or unimproved, including interests in land in fee or less than fee for any hospital facilities, upon such terms and at such cost as shall be agreed upon by the owner and the Commission;

(3)        to arrange or contract with any county, city, town or other political subdivision or instrumentality of the State for the opening or closing of streets or for the furnishing of utility or other services to any hospital facilities;

(4)        to sell, lease as lessor, exchange, transfer, or otherwise dispose of, or to grant options for any such purposes with respect to, any real or personal property or interest therein;

(5)        to pledge or assign any money, rents, charges, fees or other revenues and any proceeds derived by the Commission from sales of property, insurance, condemnation awards or other sources;

(6)        to pledge or assign the revenues and receipts from any hospital facilities and any agreement of lease or the rent and income received thereunder;

(7)        to borrow money as herein provided to carry out and effectuate its corporate purposes and to issue in evidence thereof bonds and notes for the purpose of providing funds to pay all or any part of the cost of any hospital facilities and to issue revenue refunding bonds;

(8)        to finance, acquire, construct, equip, provide, operate, own, repair, maintain, extend, improve, rehabilitate, renovate and furnish any hospital facilities and to pay all or any part of the cost thereof from the proceeds of bonds or notes or from any contribution, gift or donation or other funds available to the Commission for such purpose;

(9)        to fix, revise, charge and collect or cause to be fixed, revised, charged and collected rents, fees and charges for the use of, or services rendered by, any hospital facilities;

(10)      to employ fiscal consultants, consulting engineers, architects, attorneys, hospital consultants, appraisers and such other consultants and employees as may be required in the judgment of the Commission and to fix and pay their compensation from funds available to the Commission therefor;

(11)      to conduct studies and surveys respecting the need for hospital facilities and their location, financing and construction;

(12)      to apply for, accept, receive and agree to and comply with the terms and conditions governing grants, loans, advances, contributions, interest subsidies and other aid with respect to hospital facilities from Federal and State agencies or instrumentalities and to accept, receive and agree to and comply with the terms and conditions governing payments under any health insurance programs; and

(13)      to sue and be sued in its own name, plead and be impleaded.

"§ 131-142.  Criteria and requirements. — In undertaking any hospital facilities pursuant to this Article, the Commission shall be guided by and shall observe the following criteria and requirements; provided that the determination of the Commission as to its compliance with such criteria and requirements shall be final and conclusive:

(1)        there is a need for the hospital facilities in the area in which the hospital facilities are to be located;

(2)        no hospital facilities shall be leased to any public or non-profit agency which is not financially responsible and capable of fulfilling its obligations under the agreement of lease, including the obligations to pay rent, to operate, repair and maintain at its own expense the hospital facilities leased and to discharge such other responsibilities as may be imposed under the lease;

(3)        adequate provision shall be made for the payment of the principal of and the interest on the bonds and any necessary reserves therefor and for the operation, repair and maintenance of the hospital facilities at the expense of the lessee; and

(4)        the public facilities, including utilities, and public services necessary for the hospital facilities will be made available.

"§ 131-143.  Additional powers of public agencies. — For the purposes of this Article, public agencies are authorized and empowered to enter into contracts and agreements, including agreements of lease, with the Commission to facilitate the financing, acquiring, constructing, equipping, providing, operating and maintaining of hospital facilities and pursuant to any such agreement of lease to operate, repair and maintain any hospital facilities and subject to the provisions of G.S. 131-145 of this Article to pay the cost thereof and the rent therefor from any funds available for such purposes.

"§ 131-144.  Procedural requirements. — In addition to hospital facilities initiated by the Commission, any public or non-profit agency may submit to the Commission, and the Commission may consider a proposal using such forms and following such instructions as may be prescribed by the Commission for financing hospital facilities. Such proposal shall set forth the type and location of the hospital facilities and may include other information and data available to the public or non-profit agency respecting the hospital facilities and the extent to which such hospital facilities conform to the criteria and requirements set forth in this Article. The Commission may request the proposed lessee to provide additional information and data respecting the hospital facilities. The Commission is authorized to make or cause to be made such investigations, surveys, studies, reports and reviews as in its judgment are necessary and desirable to determine the feasibility and desirability of the hospital facilities, the extent to which the hospital facilities will contribute to the health and welfare of the area in which they will be located, the powers, experience, background, financial condition, record of service and capability of the management of the proposed lessee, the extent to which the hospital facilities otherwise conform to the criteria and requirements of this Article, and such other factors as may be deemed relevant or convenient in carrying out the purposes of this Article.

"§ 131-145.  Operation of hospital facilities; agreements of lease; conveyance of hospital facilities to lessee. — All hospital facilities shall be operated to serve and benefit the general public and there shall be no discrimination against any person based on race, creed, color or national origin.

The Commission may lease any hospital facilities to a public or non-profit agency for operation and maintenance in such manner as shall effectuate the purposes of this Article, under an agreement of lease in form and substance not inconsistent herewith. Any such agreement of lease may include provisions that:

(1)        the lessee shall, at its own expense, operate, repair and maintain the hospital facilities leased thereunder;

(2)        the rent payable under the lease shall in the aggregate be not less than an amount sufficient to pay all of the interest, principal and any redemption premium on the bonds or notes issued by the Commission to pay the cost of the hospital facilities leased thereunder;

(3)        the lessee shall pay all other costs incurred by the Commission in connection with the providing of the hospital facilities leased, except such costs as may be paid out of the proceeds of bonds or notes or otherwise, including, but without limitation, insurance costs, the cost of administering the resolution authorizing the issuance of, or any trust agreement securing, such bonds or notes and the fees and expenses of trustees, paying agents, attorneys, consultants and others;

(4)        the lease shall terminate not earlier than on the date on which all such bonds and all other obligations incurred by the Commission in connection with the hospital facilities leased thereunder shall be paid in full or adequate funds for such payment shall be deposited in trust; and

(5)        the lessee's obligation to pay rent shall not be subject to cancellation, termination or abatement by the lessee until the bonds have been paid or sufficient funds have been made available for such payment.

All obligations payable by a public agency under an agreement of lease, including the obligation to pay rent and to pay the costs of operating, repairing and maintaining hospital facilities, shall be payable solely from the revenues of the hospital facilities being leased or other hospital facilities of the public agency related thereto and shall not be payable from or charged upon any funds of the public agency other than the revenues pledged to such payment; provided, however, that nothing herein shall restrict the power of any county, city, town or other political subdivision of the State or any hospital district created pursuant to Article 13C of Chapter 131 of the General Statutes to submit to its qualified voters a hospital facility maintenance tax under Article 13B of said Chapter 131 for the purposes of financing the cost of operation, equipment and maintenance of any hospital facility financed under this Article, and all hospital facilities authorized to be financed under this Article and leased to public agencies are hereby declared to be included within the definition 'hospital facility' as used in said Article 13B.

Where the site for the hospital facilities has been conveyed by a public or non- profit agency lessee to the Commission without the payment of any consideration therefor to such lessee or where the cost of acquiring the site has been paid from bond or note proceeds and when all bonds or notes issued and obligations incurred by the Commission in connection with such hospital facilities shall have been paid or sufficient funds made available for such payment, whether during or at the expiration of the term of the lease, the title to such hospital facilities shall promptly be conveyed by the Commission to such lessee.

"§ 131-146.  Construction contracts. — Contracts for the construction of any hospital facilities on behalf of a public agency shall be awarded by the Commission in accordance with Article 8 of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes. If the Commission shall determine that the purposes of this Article will be more effectively served, the Commission in its discretion may award or cause to be awarded contracts for the construction of any hospital facilities on behalf of a non-profit agency upon a negotiated basis as determined by the Commission. The Commission shall prescribe such bid security requirements and other procedures in connection with the award of such contracts as in its judgment shall protect the public interest. The Commission may by written contract engage the services of the lessee or prospective lessee of any hospital facilities in the construction of such hospital facilities and may provide in such contract that the lessee or prospective lessee, subject to such conditions and requirements consistent with the provisions of this Article as shall be prescribed in such contract, may act as an agent of, or an independent contractor for, the Commission for the performance of the functions described therein, including the acquisition of the site and other real property for such hospital facilities, the preparation of plans, specifications and contract documents, the award of construction and other contracts upon a competitive or negotiated basis, the construction of such hospital facilities directly by such lessee or prospective lessee, the inspection and supervision of construction, the employment of engineers, architects, builders and other contractors and the provision of money to pay the cost thereof pending reimbursement by the Commission. Any such contract may provide that the Commission may, out of proceeds of bonds or notes, make advances to or reimburse the lessee or prospective lessee for its costs incurred in the performance of such functions, and shall set forth the supporting documents required to be submitted to the Commission and the reviews, examinations and audits that shall be required in connection therewith to assure compliance with the provisions of this Article and such contract.

"§ 131-147.  Credit of State not pledged. — Bonds or notes issued under the provisions of this Article shall not be deemed to constitute a debt, liability or obligation of the State or of any political subdivision thereof or a pledge of the faith and credit of the State or of any such political subdivision, but shall be payable solely from the revenues and other funds provided therefor. Each bond or note issued under this Article shall contain on the face thereof a statement to the effect that the Commission shall not be obligated to pay the same nor the interest thereon except from the revenues and other funds pledged therefor and that neither the faith and credit nor the taxing power of the State or of any political subdivision thereof is pledged to the payment of the principal of or the interest on such bond or note.

Expenses incurred by the Commission in carrying out the provisions of this Article may be made payable from funds provided pursuant to, or made available for use under, this Article and no liability shall be incurred by the Commission hereunder beyond the extent to which moneys shall have been so provided.

"§ 131-148.  Bonds and notes. — The Commission is hereby authorized to provide for the issuance, at one time or from time to time, of bonds, or notes in anticipation of the issuance of bonds, of the Commission to carry out and effectuate its corporate purposes. The principal of and the interest on such bonds or notes shall be payable solely from funds provided under this Article for such payment. Any such notes may be made payable from the proceeds of bonds or renewal notes or, in the event bond or renewal note proceeds are not available, such notes may be paid from any available revenues or other funds provided therefor. The bonds or notes of each issue shall be dated and may be made redeemable before maturity at the option of the Commission at such price or prices and upon such terms and conditions as may be determined by the Commission. Any such bonds or notes shall bear interest at such rate or rates as may be determined by the Local Government Commission of North Carolina with the approval of the Commission. Notes shall mature at such time or times not exceeding 10 years from their date or dates and bonds shall mature at such time or times not exceeding 40 years from their date or dates, as may be determined by the Commission. The Commission shall determine the form and manner of execution of the bonds or notes, including any interest coupons to be attached thereto, and shall fix the denomination or denominations and the place or places of payment of principal and interest, which may be any bank or trust company within or without the State. In case any officer whose signature or a facsimile of whose signature shall appear on any bonds or notes or coupons attached thereto shall cease to be such officer before the delivery thereof, such signature or such facsimile shall nevertheless be valid and sufficient for all purposes the same as if he had remained in office until such delivery. The Commission may also provide for the authentication of the bonds or notes by a trustee or fiscal agent. The bonds or notes may be issued in coupon or in registered form, or both, as the Commission may determine, and provision may be made for the registration of any coupon bonds or notes as to principal alone and also as to both principal and interest, and for the reconversion into coupon bonds or notes of any bonds or notes registered as to both principal and interest, and for the interchange of registered and coupon bonds or notes. No bonds or notes may be issued by the Commission under this Article unless the issuance thereof is approved by the Local Government Commission of North Carolina.

The Commission shall file with the Secretary of the Local Government Commission an application requesting approval of the issuance of such bonds or notes which shall contain such information and have attached to it such documents concerning the proposed financing and prospective lessee as the Secretary may require.

In determining whether a proposed bond or note issue should be approved, the Local Government Commission may consider, in addition to the criteria and requirements mentioned in G.S. 131-142 of this Article, the effect of the proposed financing upon any scheduled or proposed sale of tax-exempt obligations by the State or any of its agencies or departments or by any unit of local government in the State.

The Local Government Commission shall approve the issuance of such bonds or notes if, upon the information and evidence it receives, it finds and determines that the proposed financing will effectuate the purposes of this Article.

Upon the filing with the Local Government Commission of a resolution of the Commission requesting that its bonds or notes be sold, such bonds or notes may be sold in such manner, either at public or private sale, and for such price as the Local Government Commission shall determine to be for the best interests of the Commission and effectuate best the purposes of this Article, provided that such sale shall be approved by the Commission.

The proceeds of any bonds or notes shall be used solely for the purposes for which issued and shall be disbursed in such manner and under such restrictions, if any, as the Commission may provide in the resolution authorizing the issuance of, or any trust agreement securing, such bonds or notes.

Prior to the preparation of definitive bonds, the Commission may, under like restrictions, issue interim receipts or temporary bonds, with or without coupons, exchangeable for definitive bonds, when such bonds shall have been executed and are available for delivery. The Commission may also provide for the replacement of any bonds or notes which shall become mutilated or shall be destroyed or lost.

Bonds or notes may be issued under the provisions of this Article without obtaining, except as otherwise expressly provided in this Article, the consent of any department, division, commission, board, body, bureau or agency of the State, and without any other proceedings or the happening of any conditions or things other than those proceedings, conditions or things which are specifically required by this Article and the provisions of the resolution authorizing the issuance of, or any trust agreement securing, such bonds or notes.

"§ 131-149.  Trust Agreement or resolution. — In the discretion of the Commission any bonds or notes issued under the provisions of this Article may be secured by a trust agreement by and between the Commission and a corporate trustee, which may be any trust company or bank having the powers of a trust company within or without the State. Such trust agreement or the resolution authorizing the issuance of such bonds or notes may pledge or assign all or any part of the revenues of the Commission received pursuant to this Article, including, without limitation, fees, rents, charges, insurance proceeds, condemnation awards and any other revenues and funds received in connection with any hospital facilities, but shall not mortgage any hospital facilities. Such trust agreement or resolution may contain such provisions for protecting and enforcing the rights and remedies of the holders of any such bonds or notes as may be reasonable and proper and not in violation of law, including covenants setting forth the duties of the Commission in relation to the purposes to which bond or note proceeds may be applied, the disposition or pledging of the revenues of the Commission, the duties of the Commission with respect to the acquisition, construction, maintenance, repair and operation of any hospital facilities, the fees, rents and charges to be fixed and collected in connection therewith, the terms and conditions for the issuance of additional bonds or notes, and the custody, safeguarding and application of all moneys. It shall be lawful for any bank or trust company incorporated under the laws of the State which may act as depositary of the proceeds of bonds or notes, revenues or other money hereunder to furnish such indemnifying bonds or to pledge such securities as may be required by the Commission. Any such trust agreement or resolution may set forth the rights and remedies of the holders of any bonds or notes and of the trustee, and may restrict the individual right of action by any such holders. In addition to the foregoing, any such trust agreement or resolution may contain such other provisions as the Commission may deem reasonable and proper for the security of the holders of any bonds or notes. Expenses incurred in carrying out the provisions of such trust agreement or resolution may be treated as a part of the cost of any hospital facilities or paid from the revenues pledged or assigned to the payment of the principal of and the interest on bonds or notes or from any other funds available to the Commission.

"§ 131-150.  Revenues; pledges of revenues. — (a) The Commission is hereby authorized to fix and to collect fees, rents and charges for the use of any hospital facilities, and any part or section thereof, and to contract with any public or nonprofit agency for the use thereof. The Commission may require that the lessee or users of any hospital facilities or any part thereof shall operate, repair and maintain such facilities and shall bear the cost thereof and other costs of the Commission in connection therewith, subject to the provisions of G.S. 131-145 of this Article with respect to public agency lessees, as may be provided in the agreement of lease or other contract with the Commission, in addition to other obligations imposed under such agreement or contract.

(b)        The fees, rents and charges shall be fixed so as to provide a fund sufficient, with such other funds as may be made available therefor, (1) to pay the costs of operating, repairing and maintaining the hospital facilities, to the extent that adequate provision for the payment of such costs has not otherwise been provided for, (2) to pay the principal of and the interest on all the bonds as the same shall become due and payable and (3) to create and maintain any reserves provided for in the resolution authorizing the issuance of, or any trust agreement securing, such bonds; provided, however, that nothing herein shall prohibit the application of fees, rents and charges to the payment of debt service on the bonds prior to the payment of the costs of operating, repairing and maintaining the hospital facilities.

(c)        All pledges of fees, rents, charges and other revenues under the provisions of this Article shall be valid and binding from the time when such pledges are made. All such revenues so pledged and thereafter received by the Commission shall immediately be subject to the lien of such pledge without any physical delivery thereof or further act, and the lien of any such pledge shall be valid and binding as against all parties having claims of any kind in tort, contract or otherwise against the Commission, irrespective of whether such parties have notice thereof. The resolution or any trust agreement by which a pledge is created or any lease need not be filed or recorded except in the records of the Commission.

"§ 131-151.  Trust funds. — Notwithstanding any other provisions of law to the contrary, all moneys received pursuant to the authority of this Article, including, without limitation, fees rents, charges, insurance proceeds, condemnation awards and any other revenues and funds received in connection with any hospital facilities, shall be deemed to be trust funds to be held and applied solely as provided in this Article. The resolution authorizing the issuance of, or any trust agreement securing, any bonds or notes may provide that any of such moneys may be temporarily invested pending the disbursement thereof and shall provide that any officer with whom, or any bank or trust company with which, such moneys shall be deposited shall act as trustee of such moneys and shall hold and apply the same for the purposes of this Article, subject to such regulations as this Article and such resolution or trust agreement may provide. Any such moneys may be invested as provided in G.S. 159-28.1, as it may be amended from time to time.

"§ 131-152.  Remedies. — Any holder of bonds or notes issued under the provisions of this Article or any coupons appertaining thereto, and the trustee under any trust agreement or resolution authorizing the issuance of such bonds or notes, except to the extent the rights herein given may be restricted by such trust agreement or resolution, may, either at law or in equity, by suit, action, mandamus or other proceeding, protect and enforce any and all rights under the laws of the State or granted hereunder or under such trust agreement or resolution, or under any other contract executed by the Commission pursuant to this Article, and may enforce and compel the performance of all duties required by this Article or by such trust agreement or resolution to be performed by the Commission or by any officer thereof.

"§ 131-153.  Negotiable instruments. — Notwithstanding any of the foregoing provisions of this Article or any recitals in any bonds or notes issued under the provisions of this Article, all such bonds or notes and interest coupons appertaining thereto shall be and are hereby made negotiable instruments under the laws of this State, subject only to any applicable provisions for registration.

"§ 131-154.  Bonds or notes eligible for investment. — Bonds or notes issued under the provisions of this Article are hereby made securities in which all public officers and public bodies of the State and its political subdivisions, all insurance companies, trust companies, banking associations, investment companies, executors, administrators, trustees and other fiduciaries may properly and legally invest funds, including capital in their control or belonging to them. Such bonds or notes are hereby made securities which may properly and legally be deposited with and received by any State or municipal officer or any agency or political subdivision of the State for any purpose for which the deposit of bonds, notes or obligations of the State is now or may hereafter be authorized by law.

"§ 131-155.  Refunding bonds or notes. — The Commission is hereby authorized to provide for the issuance of refunding bonds or notes for the purpose of refunding any bonds or notes then outstanding which shall have been issued under the provisions of this Article, including the payment of any redemption premium thereon and any interest accrued or to accrue to the date of redemption of such bonds or notes and, if deemed advisable by the Commission, for any corporate purpose of the Commission, including, without limitation,

(1)        constructing improvements, additions, extensions or enlargements of the hospital facilities in connection with which the bonds or notes to be refunded shall have been issued, and (2) paying all or any part of the cost of any additional hospital facilities.

The issuance of such bonds or notes, the maturities and other details thereof, the rights of the holders thereof, and the rights, duties and obligations of the Commission in respect of the same shall be governed by the provisions of this Article which relate to the issuance of bonds or notes, insofar as such provisions may be appropriate therefor.

Refunding bonds or notes may be sold or exchanged for outstanding bonds or notes issued under this Article and, if sold, the proceeds thereof may be applied, in addition to any other authorized purposes, to the purchase, redemption or payment of such outstanding bonds or notes. Pending the application of the proceeds of any such refunding bonds or notes, with any other available funds, to the payment of the principal, accrued interest and any redemption premium on the bonds or notes being refunded, and, if so provided or permitted in the resolution authorizing the issuance of, or in the trust agreement securing, such bonds or notes, to the payment of any interest on such refunding bonds or notes and any expenses in connection with such refunding, such proceeds may be invested in direct obligations of, or obligations the principal of and the interest on which are unconditionally guaranteed by, the United States of America which shall mature or which shall be subject to redemption by the holders thereof, at the option of such holders, not later than the respective dates when the proceeds, together with the interest accruing thereon, will be required for the purposes intended.

"§ 131-156.  Annual report. — The Commission shall, promptly following the close of each fiscal year, submit an annual report of its activities under this Article for the preceding year to the Governor, the State Auditor, the General Assembly, the Advisory Budget Commission and the Local Government Commission. The Commission shall cause an audit of its books and accounts relating to its activities under this Article to be made at least once in each year by an independent certified public accountant and the cost thereof may be paid from any available moneys of the Commission.

"§ 131-157.  Officers not liable. — No member or officer of the Commission shall be subject to any personal liability or accountability by reason of his execution of any bonds or notes or the issuance thereof.

"§ 131-158.  Tax exemption. — The exercise of the powers granted by this Article will be in all respects for the benefit of the people of the State and will promote their health and welfare, and the Commission shall not be required to pay any tax or assessment on any property owned by the Commission under the provisions of this Article or upon the income therefrom.

Any bonds or notes issued by the Commission under the provisions of this Article, their transfer and the income therefrom (including any profit made on the sale thereof), shall at all times be free from taxation by the State or any local unit or political subdivision or other instrumentality of the State, excepting inheritance or gift taxes.

"§ 131-159.  Conflict of interest. — If any member, officer or employee of the Commission shall be interested either directly or indirectly, or shall be an officer or employee of or have an ownership interest in any firm or corporation interested directly or indirectly in any contract with the Commission, such interest shall be disclosed to the Commission and shall be set forth in the minutes of the Commission, and the member, officer or employee having such interest therein shall not participate on behalf of the Commission in the authorization of any such contract.

"§ 131-160.  Additional method. — The foregoing sections of this Article shall be deemed to provide an additional and alternative method for the doing of the things authorized thereby and shall be regarded as supplemental and additional to powers conferred by other laws, and shall not be regarded as in derogation of any powers now existing; provided, however, that the issuance of bonds or notes under the provisions of this Article need not comply with the requirements of any other law applicable to the issuance of bonds or notes.

"§ 131-161.  Liberal construction. — This Article, being necessary for the health and welfare of the people of the State, shall be liberally construed to effect the purposes thereof.

"§ 131-162.  Inconsistent laws inapplicable. — Insofar as the provisions of this Article are inconsistent with the provisions of any general or special laws, or parts thereof, the provisions of this Article shall be controlling."

Sec. 2.  The provisions of this act are severable, and if any of its provisions shall be held unconstitutional by any court of competent jurisdiction, the decision of such court shall not affect or impair any of the remaining provisions.

Sec. 3.  This act shall become effective upon ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 17th day of June, 1971.