(a)    The General Assembly finds that, for the benefit of the people of the State, the increase of their commerce, welfare, and prosperity, and the improvement of their health and living conditions, that:

(1)    it is essential that:

(i)    people have the fullest opportunity to learn and to develop intellectual capacities;

(ii)    educational institutions in the State have the appropriate means to assist people in achieving required levels of learning and development of intellectual capacities;

(iii)    health care institutions in the State have appropriate means to expand and establish hospitals and other related health care facilities; and

(iv)    educational institutions and health care institutions in the State are able to finance projects at the least cost to their users;

(2)    existing facilities for education and health care and existing financing vehicles available to these institutions are insufficient to meet these needs; and

(3)    these institutions are not able with present means to improve and adequately finance sufficient facilities, in order to provide the facilities at the least cost to their users.

(b)    The purposes of the Authority are to:

(1)    assist educational institutions and health care institutions in the acquisition, improvement, and financing of projects; and

(2)    provide assistance that enables educational institutions and health care institutions to finance, at the least cost to their users, the facilities and structures that are needed to accomplish the purposes of this subtitle.