(a) For the purposes of the program described in this section, municipalities, local boards of education with the approval of the municipal legislative body, regional school districts and regional educational service centers shall be deemed to be “participating qualified nonprofit organizations”. For the purposes of this section, “preschool project” means the acquisition, construction, improvement, extension, furnishing or equipping of a structure or facility suitable for use for, required or useful for nonprofit educational programs for three-year-old or four-year-old children, including, but not limited to, school readiness and Head Start programs, or the acquisition of fixtures, equipment or machinery for such a structure or facility; “bonds” means any bonds, including refunding bonds, notes, temporary notes, interim certificates, debentures or other obligations of indebtedness; and “municipality” means a town, city, consolidated town or city or consolidated town and borough.

(b) The Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority may issue bonds pursuant to section 10a-185 for the purpose of funding loans to a participating qualified nonprofit organization for preschool projects, including for two or more preschool projects jointly, which bonds may be secured, in whole or in part, by a pledge of revenues to be derived from the operation or use of a preschool project, including fees, charges, tuition or other revenues or third party payments made on behalf of children served by such preschool project to the extent permitted by law. In carrying out the purposes of this section, the authority shall have and may exercise the powers provided in section 10a-180.

(c) Participating qualified nonprofit organizations may borrow money from the Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority for any preschool project for which the authority is authorized to make loans pursuant to this section. In connection with such borrowing, participating qualified nonprofit organizations may enter into any loan or other agreement and make such covenants, representations and indemnities as such participating qualified nonprofit organization deems necessary or desirable to obtain such loans from the authority or to facilitate the issue of bonds by the authority to finance such loans, including agreements with providers of letters of credit, insurance or other credit facilities for such financings. The Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of Social Services and the Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority, shall establish priorities for financing facilities based on need and quality determinants.

(d) Any bonds issued pursuant to this section shall not constitute indebtedness within the meaning of any statutory limitation on the indebtedness of any participating municipality, or of the municipality or member municipality if the borrower is a local board of education or regional school district. Bonds issued pursuant to this section shall be special obligations of the municipality and shall not be payable from nor charged upon any funds other than revenues pledged to the payment thereof, nor shall the municipality be subject to any liability thereon except to the extent of any pledged revenues. No holder or holders of any bonds shall have the right to compel any exercise of the taxing power of the municipality to pay any bonds or the interest thereon, or to enforce payment thereon against any property of the municipality except property encumbered under the provisions and for the purposes of this section. The bonds shall not constitute a charge, lien or encumbrance, legal or equitable, upon any property of the municipality except property encumbered under the provisions and for the purposes of this section.

(e) The authority shall adopt procedures to carry out the purposes of this section.

(May Sp. Sess. P.A. 04-1, S. 24; P.A. 05-245, S. 5.)

History: May Sp. Sess. P.A. 04-1 effective June 8, 2004; P.A. 05-245 amended Subsec. (c) by adding language re priorities for financing facilities, effective July 1, 2005.