20 ILCS 3501/ Illinois Finance Authority Act.

(20 ILCS 3501/825-107)

Sec. 825-107. Implementation of ARRA provisions regarding recovery zone bonds.

(a) Findings.

Recovery zone bonds authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 are an important economic development tool for the State. All counties in the State and municipalities in the State with a population of 100,000 or more have received an allocation of recovery zone bond authorization. Under federal law, those allocations must be used on or before December 31, 2010. The State strongly encourages counties and municipalities to issue recovery zone bonds to spur economic development in the State. Under federal law, the allocations may be voluntarily waived to the State for reallocation by the State to other jurisdictions and other projects in the State. This Section sets forth the process by which the Authority, on behalf of the State, will receive otherwise unused allocations and ensure that this valuable economic development incentive will be used to the fullest extent feasible for the benefit of the citizens of the State of Illinois.

(b) Definitions.

(i) "Affected local government" means either any county in the State or a municipality within the State if the municipality has a population of 100,000 or more.

(ii) "Allocation amount" means the $666,972,000 amount of recovery zone economic development bonds and $1,000,457,000 amount of recovery zone facility bonds authorized under ARRA for the financing of qualifying projects located within the State and the sub-allocation of those amounts among each affected local government.

(iii) "ARRA" means, collectively, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, including, without limitation, Sections 1400U-1, 1400U-2, and 1400U-3 of the Code; the guidance provided by the Internal Revenue Service applicable to recovery zone bonds; and any legislation subsequently adopted by the United States Congress to extend or expand the economic development bond financing incentives authorized by ARRA.

(iv) "ARRA implementing regulations" means the regulations promulgated by the Authority as further described in subdivision (d)(iv) of this Section to implement the provisions of this Section.

(v) "Code" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

(vi) "Recovery zone" means any area designated pursuant to Section 1400U-1 of the Code.

(vii) "Recovery zone bond" means any recovery zone economic development bond or recovery zone facility bond issued pursuant to Sections 1400U-2 and 1400U-3, respectively, of the Code.

(viii) "Recovery zone bond allocation" means an allocation of authority to issue recovery zone bonds granted pursuant to Section 1400U-1 of the Code.

(ix) "Regional authority" means the Central Illinois Economic Development Authority, Eastern Illinois Economic Development Authority, Joliet Arsenal Development Authority, Quad Cities Regional Economic Development Authority, Riverdale Development Authority, Southeastern Illinois Economic Development Authority, Southern Illinois Development Authority, Southwestern Illinois Development Authority, Tri-County River Valley Development Authority, Upper Illinois River Valley Development Authority, Illinois Urban Development Authority, Western Illinois Economic Development Authority, or Will-Kankakee Regional Development Authority.

(x) "Sub-allocation" means the portion of the allocation amount allocated to each affected local government.

(xi) "Waived recovery zone bond allocation" means the amount of the recovery zone bond allocation voluntarily waived by an affected local government.

(xii) "Waiver agreement" means an agreement between the Authority and an affected local government providing for the voluntary waiver, in whole or in part, of that affected local government's sub-allocation to the Authority. The waiver agreement may provide for the payment of an affected local government's reasonable fees and costs as determined by the Authority in connection with the affected local government's voluntary waiver of its sub-allocation.

(c) Additional findings.

It is found and declared that:

(i) it is in the public interest and for the benefit of the State to maximize the use of economic development incentives authorized by ARRA;

(ii) those incentives include the maximum use of the allocation amount for the issuance of recovery zone bonds to promote job creation and economic development in any area that has been designated as a recovery zone by an affected local government under the applicable provisions of ARRA;

(iii) those incentives also include the issuance by the Authority of recovery zone bonds for the purposes of financing qualifying projects to be financed with proceeds of recovery zone bonds; and

(iv) the provisions of this Section reflect the State's determination in good faith and in its discretion of the reasonable manner in which waived recovery zone bond allocations should be reallocated by the Authority.

(d) Powers of Authority.

(i) In order to carry out the provisions of ARRA and further the purposes of this Section, the Authority has:

(A) the power to receive from any affected local government its sub-allocation that it voluntarily waives to the Authority, in whole or in part, for reallocation by the Authority to a regional authority specifically designated by that affected local government, and the Authority shall reallocate that waived recovery zone bond allocation to the regional authority specifically designated by that affected local government; provided that (1) the affected local government must take official action by resolution or ordinance, as applicable, to waive the sub-allocation to the Authority and specifically designate that its waived recovery zone bond allocation should be reallocated to a regional authority; (2) the regional authority must use the sub-allocation to issue recovery zone bonds on or before August 16, 2010 and, if recovery zone bonds are not issued on or before August 16, 2010, the sub-allocation shall be deemed waived to the Authority for reallocation by the Authority to qualifying projects; and (3) the proceeds of the recovery zone bonds must be used for qualified projects within the jurisdiction of the applicable regional authority;

(B) at the Authority's sole discretion, the power to reallocate any sub-allocation deemed waived to the Authority pursuant to subsection (d)(i)(A)(2) back to the regional authority that had the sub-allocation;

(C) the power to enter into waiver agreements with affected local governments to provide for their voluntary waivers, in whole or in part, of their sub-allocations, to receive waived recovery zone bond allocations from those affected local governments, and to use those waived recovery zone bond allocations, in whole or in part, to issue recovery zone bonds of the Authority for qualifying projects or to reallocate those waived recovery zone bond allocations, in whole or in part, to a county or municipality to issue its own recovery zone bonds for qualifying projects;

(D) the power to designate areas within the State as recovery zones or all of the State as a recovery zone; and

(E) the power to issue recovery zone bonds for any project authorized to be financed with proceeds thereof under the applicable provisions of ARRA.

(ii) In addition to the powers set forth in item (i), the Authority shall be the sole recipient, on behalf of the State, of any waived recovery zone bond allocations. Recovery zone bond allocations can be waived to the Authority only by voluntary waiver as provided in this Section.

(iii) In addition to the powers set forth in items (i) and (ii), the Authority has any powers otherwise enjoyed by the Authority in connection with the issuance of its bonds if those powers are not in conflict with any provisions with respect to recovery zone bonds set forth in ARRA.

(iv) The Authority has the power to adopt regulations providing for the implementation of any of the provisions contained in this Section, including provisions regarding waiver agreements and the reallocation of all or any portion of the allocation amount and sub-allocations and the issuance of recovery zone bonds; except that those regulations shall not (1) apply to or affect any designation of a recovery zone by a county or municipality, (2) provide for any waiver or reallocation of an affected local government's sub-allocation other than a voluntary waiver as described in subsection (d), or (3) be inconsistent with the provisions of subsection (d)(i). Regulations adopted by the Authority for determining reallocation of all or any portion of a waived recovery zone bond allocation may include, but are not limited to, (1) the ability of the county or municipality to issue recovery zone bonds on or before December 31, 2010, (2) the amount of jobs that will be retained or created, or both, by the qualifying project to be financed by recovery zone bonds, and (3) the geographical proximity of the qualifying project to be financed by recovery zone bonds to a county or municipality that voluntarily waived its sub-allocation to the Authority.

(v) Unless extended by an act of the United States Congress, no recovery zone bonds may be issued after December 31, 2010.

(e) Established dates for notice.

Any affected local government or any regional authority that has issued recovery zone bonds on or before the effective date of this Section must report its issuance of recovery zone bonds to the Authority within 30 days after the effective date of this Section. After the effective date of this Section, any affected local government or any regional authority must report its issuance of recovery zone bonds to the Authority not less than 30 days after those bonds are issued.

(f) Reports to the General Assembly.

Starting 60 days after the effective date of this Section and ending on January 15, 2011, the Authority shall file a report before the 15th day of each month with the General Assembly detailing its implementation of this Section, including but not limited to the dollar amount of the allocation amount that has been reallocated by the Authority pursuant to this Section, the recovery zone bonds issued in the State as of the date of the report, and descriptions of the qualifying projects financed by those recovery zone bonds.

(Source: P.A. 96-1020, eff. 7-12-10; 97-333, eff. 8-12-11.)

(20 ILCS 3501/825-108)

Sec. 825-108. Transportation project financing. For the purpose of financing a transportation facility undertaken under the Innovations for Transportation Infrastructure Act, the Authority may apply for an allocation of tax-exempt bond financing authorization provided by subsection (m) of Section 142 of the United States Internal Revenue Code, as well as financing available under any other federal law or program.

(Source: P.A. 102-1094, eff. 6-15-22.)

(20 ILCS 3501/825-110)

Sec. 825-110. Implementation of ARRA provisions regarding qualified energy conservation bonds.

(a) Definitions.

(i) "Affected local government" means any county or municipality within the State if the county or municipality has a population of 100,000 or more, as defined in Section 54D(e)(2)(C) of the Code.

(ii) "Allocation amount" means the $133,846,000 amount of qualified energy conservation bonds authorized under ARRA for the financing of qualifying projects located within the State and the sub-allocation of those amounts among each affected local government.

(iii) "ARRA" means, collectively, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, including, without limitation, Section 54D of the Code; the guidance provided by the Internal Revenue Service applicable to qualified energy conservation bonds; and any legislation subsequently adopted by the United States Congress to extend or expand the economic development bond financing incentives authorized by ARRA.

(iv) "ARRA implementing regulations" means the regulations promulgated by the Authority as further described in subdivision (c)(iv) of this Section to implement the provisions of this Section.

(v) "Code" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

(vi) "Qualified energy conservation bond" means any qualified energy conservation bond issued pursuant to Section 54D of the Code.

(vii) "Qualified energy conservation bond allocation" means an allocation of authority to issue qualified energy conservation bonds granted pursuant to Section 54D of the Code.

(viii) "Regional authority" means the Central Illinois Economic Development Authority, Eastern Illinois Economic Development Authority, Joliet Arsenal Development Authority, Quad Cities Regional Economic Development Authority, Riverdale Development Authority, Southeastern Illinois Economic Development Authority, Southern Illinois Development Authority, Southwestern Illinois Development Authority, Tri-County River Valley Development Authority, Upper Illinois River Valley Development Authority, Illinois Urban Development Authority, Western Illinois Economic Development Authority, or Will-Kankakee Regional Development Authority.

(ix) "Sub-allocation" means the portion of the allocation amount allocated to each affected local government.

(x) "Waived qualified energy conservation bond allocation" means the amount of the qualified energy conservation bond allocation that an affected local government elects to reallocate to the State pursuant to Section 54D(e)(2)(B) of the Code.

(xi) "Waiver agreement" means an agreement between the Authority and an affected local government providing for the reallocation, in whole or in part, of that affected local government's sub-allocation to the Authority. The waiver agreement may provide for the payment of an affected local government's reasonable fees and costs as determined by the Authority in connection with the affected local government's reallocation of its sub-allocation.

(b) Findings.

It is found and declared that:

(i) it is in the public interest and for the benefit of the State to maximize the use of economic development incentives authorized by ARRA;

(ii) those incentives include the maximum use of the allocation amount for the issuance of qualified energy conservation bonds to promote energy conservation under the applicable provisions of ARRA; and

(iii) those incentives also include the issuance by the Authority of qualified energy conservation bonds for the purposes of financing qualifying projects to be financed with proceeds of qualified energy conservation bonds.

(c) Powers of Authority.

(i) In order to carry out the provisions of ARRA and further the purposes of this Section, the Authority has:

(A) the power to receive from any affected local government its sub-allocation that it voluntarily waives to the Authority, in whole or in part, for allocation by the Authority to a regional authority specifically designated by that affected local government, and the Authority shall reallocate that waived qualified energy conservation bond allocation to the regional authority specifically designated by that affected local government; provided that (1) the affected local government must take official action by resolution or ordinance, as applicable, to waive the sub-allocation to the Authority and specifically designate that its waived qualified energy conservation bond allocation should be reallocated to a regional authority; (2) the regional authority must use the sub-allocation to issue qualified energy conservation bonds on or before August 16, 2010 and, if qualified energy conservation bonds are not issued on or before August 16, 2010, the sub-allocation shall be deemed waived to the Authority for reallocation by the Authority to qualifying projects; and (3) the proceeds of the qualified energy conservation bonds must be used for qualified projects within the jurisdiction of the applicable regional authority;

(B) at the Authority's sole discretion, the power to reallocate any sub-allocation deemed waived to the Authority pursuant to subsection (c)(i)(A)(2) back to the Regional Authority that had the sub-allocation;

(C) the power to enter into waiver agreements with affected local governments to provide for the reallocation, in whole or in part, of their sub-allocations, to receive waived qualified energy conservation bond allocations from those affected local governments, and to use those waived qualified energy conservation bond allocations, in whole or in part, to issue qualified energy conservation bonds of the Authority for qualifying projects or to reallocate those qualified energy conservation bond allocations, in whole or in part, to a county or municipality to issue its own energy conservation bonds for qualifying projects; and

(D) the power to issue qualified energy conservation bonds for any project authorized to be financed with proceeds thereof under the applicable provisions of ARRA.

(ii) In addition to the powers set forth in item (i), the Authority shall be the sole recipient, on behalf of the State, of any waived qualified energy conservation bond allocations. Qualified energy conservation bond allocations can be reallocated to the Authority only by voluntary waiver as provided in this Section.

(iii) In addition to the powers set forth in items (i) and (ii), the Authority has any powers otherwise enjoyed by the Authority in connection with the issuance of its bonds if those powers are not in conflict with any provisions with respect to qualified energy conservation bonds set forth in ARRA.

(iv) The Authority has the power to adopt regulations providing for the implementation of any of the provisions contained in this Section, including the provisions regarding waiver agreements and reallocation of all or any portion of the allocation amount and sub-allocations and the issuance of qualified energy conservation bonds; except that those regulations shall not (1) provide any waiver or reallocation of an affected local government's sub-allocation other than a voluntary waiver as described in subsection (c) or (2) be inconsistent with the provisions of subsection (c)(i). Regulations adopted by the Authority for determining reallocation of all or any portion of a waived qualified energy conservation allocation may include, but are not limited to, (1) the ability of the county or municipality to issue qualified energy conservation bonds by the end of a given calendar year, (2) the amount of jobs that will be retained or created, or both, by the qualifying project to be financed by qualified energy conservation bonds, and (3) the geographical proximity of the qualifying project to be financed by qualified energy conservation bonds to a municipality or county that reallocated its sub-allocation to the Authority.

(d) Established dates for notice.

Any affected local government or regional authority that has issued qualified energy conservation bonds on or before the effective date of this Section must report its issuance of qualified energy conservation bonds to the Authority within 30 days after the effective date of this Section. After the effective date of this Section, any affected local government or any regional authority must report its issuance of qualified energy conservation bonds to the Authority not less than 30 days after those bonds are issued.

(e) Reports to the General Assembly.

Starting 60 days after the effective date of this Section and ending when there is no longer any allocation amount, the Authority shall file a report before the end of each fiscal year with the General Assembly detailing its implementation of this Section, including but not limited to the dollar amount of the allocation amount that has been reallocated by the Authority pursuant to this Section, the qualified energy conservation bonds issued in the State as of the date of the report, and descriptions of the qualifying projects financed by those qualified energy conservation bonds.

(Source: P.A. 98-90, eff. 7-15-13.)

(20 ILCS 3501/825-115)

Sec. 825-115. (Repealed).

(Source: P.A. 97-971, eff. 1-1-13. Repealed internally, eff. 12-31-19.)

(20 ILCS 3501/Art. 830 heading) ARTICLE 830 AGRICULTURAL ASSISTANCE

(20 ILCS 3501/830-5)

Sec. 830-5. The Authority shall have the following powers:

(a) To loan its funds to one or more persons to be used by such persons to pay the costs of acquiring, constructing, reconstructing or improving Agricultural Facilities, soil or water conservation projects or watershed areas, such loans to be on such terms and conditions, and for such period of time, and secured or evidenced by such mortgages, deeds of trust, notes, debentures, bonds or other secured or unsecured evidences of indebtedness of such persons as the Board may determine;

(b) To loan its funds to any agribusiness which operates or will operate a facility located in Illinois for those purposes permitted by rules and regulations issued pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended, relating to the use of moneys loaned from the proceeds from the issuance of industrial development revenue bonds; such loans shall be on terms and conditions, and for periods of time, and secured or evidenced by mortgages, deeds of trust, notes, debentures, bonds or other secured or unsecured evidences of indebtedness of such agribusiness as the Board may require;

(c) To purchase, or to make commitments to purchase, from lenders notes, debentures, bonds or other evidences of indebtedness secured by mortgages, deeds of trust, or security devices, or unsecured, as the Authority may determine, or portions thereof or participations therein, which notes, bonds, or other evidences of indebtedness shall have been or will be executed by the obligors thereon to obtain funds with which to acquire, by purchase, construction, or otherwise, reconstruct or improve Agricultural Facilities;

(d) To contract with lenders or others for the origination of or the servicing of the loans made by the Authority pursuant to this Section or represented by the notes, bonds, or other evidences of indebtedness which it has purchased pursuant to this Section; provided that such servicing fees shall not exceed one percent per annum of the principal amount outstanding owed to the Authority; and

(e) To enter into a State Guarantee with a lender or a person holding a note and to sell or issue such State Guarantees, bonds or evidences of indebtedness in a primary or a secondary market and to make payment on a State Guarantee from available sources, including but not limited to, the Illinois Agricultural Loan Guarantee Fund and the Illinois Farmer and Agribusiness Loan Guarantee Fund created under Section 830-30 and Section 830-35, respectively, and the Industrial Project Insurance Fund created under Article 805 of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 96-897, eff. 5-24-10.)

(20 ILCS 3501/830-10)

Sec. 830-10. (a) The Authority may establish a Farm Debt Relief Program to help provide eligible Illinois farmers with State assistance in meeting their farming-related debts.

(b) To be eligible for the program, a person must (1) be actively engaged in farming in this State, (2) have farming-related debts in an amount equal to at least 55% of the person's total assets, and (3) demonstrate that he can secure credit from a conventional lender for the 1986 crop year.

(c) An eligible person may apply to the Authority, in such manner as the Authority may specify, for a one-time farm debt relief payment of up to 2% of the person's outstanding farming-related debt. If the Authority determines that the applicant is eligible for a payment under this Section, it may then approve a payment to the applicant. Such payment shall consist of a payment made by the Authority directly to one or more of the applicant's farming-related creditors, to be applied to the reduction of the applicant's farming-related debt. The applicant shall be entitled to select the creditor or creditors to receive the payment, unless the applicant is subject to the jurisdiction of a bankruptcy court, in which case the selection of the court shall control.

(d) Payments shall be made from the Farm Emergency Assistance Fund, which is hereby established as a special fund in the State treasury, from funds appropriated to the Authority for that purpose. No grant may exceed the lesser of (1) 2% of the applicant's outstanding farm-related debt, or (2) $2000. Not more than one grant under this Section may be made to any one person, or to any one household, or to any single farming operation.

(e) Payments to applicants having farming-related debts in an amount equal to at least 55% of the person's total assets, but less than 70%, shall be repaid by the applicant to the Authority for deposit into the Farm Emergency Assistance Fund within five years from the date the payment was made. Repayment shall be made in equal installments during the five-year period with no additional interest charge and may be prepaid in whole or in part at any time. Applicants having farming-related debts in an amount equal to at least 70% of the person's total assets shall not be required to make any repayment. Assets shall include, but not be limited to, the following: cash crops or feed on hand; livestock held for sale; breeding stock; marketable bonds and securities; securities not readily marketable; accounts receivable; notes receivable; cash invested in growing crops; net cash value of life insurance; machinery and equipment; cars and trucks; farm and other real estate including life estates and personal residence; value of beneficial interests in trusts; government payments or grants; and any other assets. Debts shall include, but not be limited to, the following: accounts payable; notes or other indebtedness owed to any source; taxes; rent; amounts owed on real estate contracts or real estate mortgages; judgments; accrued interest payable; and any other liability.

(Source: P.A. 98-90, eff. 7-15-13.)

(20 ILCS 3501/830-15)

Sec. 830-15. Interest-buy-back program.

(a) The Authority may establish an interest-buy-back program to subsidize the interest cost on certain loans to Illinois farmers.

(b) To be eligible an applicant must (i) be a resident of Illinois; (ii) be a principal operator of a farm or land; (iii) derive at least 50% of annual gross income from farming; and (iv) have a net worth of at least $10,000. The Authority shall establish minimum and maximum financial requirements, maximum payment amounts, starting and ending dates for the program, and other criteria.

(c) Lenders may apply on behalf of eligible applicants on forms provided by the Authority. Lenders may submit requests for payment on forms provided by the Authority. Lenders and applicants shall be responsible for any fees or charges the Authority may require.

(d) The Authority shall make payments to lenders from available appropriations from the General Revenue Fund.

(Source: P.A. 98-90, eff. 7-15-13.)

(20 ILCS 3501/830-20)

Sec. 830-20. The Authority may not pass a resolution authorizing the issuance of any notes or bonds in excess of $450,000 for any one agricultural real estate borrower. In any calendar year after 2007, the $450,000 amount shall be increased by an amount equal to such dollar amount multiplied by the inflation percentage determined under Section 305(c) of the federal Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1925) as of June 18, 2008. Any increase determined under the preceding sentence shall be rounded to the nearest multiple of $100. No proceeds from any bonds issued by the Authority shall be loaned to any natural person who has a net worth in excess of $500,000 for the purchase of new depreciable agricultural property or to any agribusiness that, including all affiliates and subsidiaries, has more than 100 employees and a gross income exceeding $2,000,000 for the preceding calendar year; provided, however, that the employee size and gross income limitations shall not apply to any loans to agribusinesses for research and development purposes, and provided further that the Authority shall retain the power to waive such limitations for any agribusiness that, at the time of application, does not operate a facility within this State.

(Source: P.A. 96-531, eff. 8-14-09.)

(20 ILCS 3501/830-25)

Sec. 830-25. Bonded indebtedness limitation. The Authority shall not have outstanding at any one time State Guarantees under Section 830-30 in an aggregate principal amount exceeding $160,000,000. The Authority shall not have outstanding at any one time State Guarantees under Sections 830-35, 830-45 and 830-50 in an aggregate principal amount exceeding $225,000,000. The Guarantees in this Section may be used to support Renewable Energy Projects as described in clauses (A) and (B) of subsection (b)(iii) of Section 825-65 of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 96-103, eff. 1-1-10.)

(20 ILCS 3501/830-30)

Sec. 830-30. State Guarantees for existing debt.

(a) The Authority is authorized to issue State Guarantees for farmers' existing debts held by a lender. For the purposes of this Section, a farmer shall be a resident of Illinois, who is a principal operator of a farm or land, at least 50% of whose annual gross income is derived from farming and whose debt to asset ratio shall not be less than 40%, except in those cases where the applicant has previously used the guarantee program there shall be no debt to asset ratio or income restriction. For the purposes of this Section, debt to asset ratio shall mean the current outstanding liabilities of the farmer divided by the current outstanding assets of the farmer. The Authority shall establish the maximum permissible debt to asset ratio based on criteria established by the Authority. Lenders shall apply for the State Guarantees on forms provided by the Authority and certify that the application and any other documents submitted are true and correct. The lender or borrower, or both in combination, shall pay an administrative fee as determined by the Authority. The applicant shall be responsible for paying any fees or charges involved in recording mortgages, releases, financing statements, insurance for secondary market issues and any other similar fees or charges as the Authority may require. The application shall at a minimum contain the farmer's name, address, present credit and financial information, including cash flow statements, financial statements, balance sheets, and any other information pertinent to the application, and the collateral to be used to secure the State Guarantee. In addition, the lender must agree to bring the farmer's debt to a current status at the time the State Guarantee is provided and must also agree to charge a fixed or adjustable interest rate which the Authority determines to be below the market rate of interest generally available to the borrower. If both the lender and applicant agree, the interest rate on the State Guarantee Loan can be converted to a fixed interest rate at any time during the term of the loan. Any State Guarantees provided under this Section (i) shall not exceed $500,000 per farmer, (ii) shall be set up on a payment schedule not to exceed 30 years, and shall be no longer than 30 years in duration, and (iii) shall be subject to an annual review and renewal by the lender and the Authority; provided that only one such State Guarantee shall be outstanding per farmer at any one time. No State Guarantee shall be revoked by the Authority without a 90-day notice, in writing, to all parties. In those cases where the borrower has not previously used the guarantee program, the lender shall not call due any loan during the first 3 years for any reason except for lack of performance or insufficient collateral. The lender can review and withdraw or continue with the State Guarantee on an annual basis after the first 3 years of the loan, provided a 90-day notice, in writing, to all parties has been given.

(b) The Authority shall provide or renew a State Guarantee to a lender if:

(i) A fee equal to 25 basis points on the loan is paid to the Authority on an annual basis by the lender.

(ii) The application provides collateral acceptable to the Authority that is at least equal to the State's portion of the Guarantee to be provided.

(iii) The lender assumes all responsibility and costs for pursuing legal action on collecting any loan that is delinquent or in default.

(iv) The lender is responsible for the first 15% of the outstanding principal of the note for which the State Guarantee has been applied.

(c) There is hereby created outside of the State treasury a special fund to be known as the Illinois Agricultural Loan Guarantee Fund. The State Treasurer shall be custodian of this Fund. Any amounts in the Illinois Agricultural Loan Guarantee Fund not currently needed to meet the obligations of the Fund shall be invested as provided by law or used by the Authority to make direct loans or originate or purchase loan participations under subsection (i) or (r) of Section 801-40. All interest earned from these investments shall be deposited into the Fund until the Fund reaches the maximum amount authorized in this Act; thereafter, interest earned shall be deposited into the General Revenue Fund. After September 1, 1989, annual investment earnings equal to 1.5% of the Fund shall remain in the Fund to be used for the purposes established in Section 830-40 of this Act. All earnings on direct loans or loan participations made by the Authority under subsection (i) or (r) of Section 801-40 with amounts in this Fund shall become funds of the Authority. The Authority is authorized to transfer to the Fund such amounts as are necessary to satisfy claims during the duration of the State Guarantee program to secure State Guarantees issued under this Section, provided that amounts to be paid from the Industrial Project Insurance Fund created under Article 805 of this Act may be paid by the Authority directly to satisfy claims and need not be deposited first into the Illinois Agricultural Loan Guarantee Fund. If for any reason the General Assembly fails to make an appropriation sufficient to meet these obligations, this Act shall constitute an irrevocable and continuing appropriation of an amount necessary to secure guarantees as defaults occur and the irrevocable and continuing authority for, and direction to, the State Treasurer and the Comptroller to make the necessary transfers to the Illinois Agricultural Loan Guarantee Fund, as directed by the Governor, out of the General Revenue Fund. Within 30 days after November 15, 1985, the Authority may transfer up to $7,000,000 from available appropriations into the Illinois Agricultural Loan Guarantee Fund for the purposes of this Act. Thereafter, the Authority may transfer additional amounts into the Illinois Agricultural Loan Guarantee Fund to secure guarantees for defaults as defaults occur. In the event of default by the farmer, the lender shall be entitled to, and the Authority shall direct payment on, the State Guarantee after 90 days of delinquency. All payments by the Authority to satisfy claims against the State Guarantee shall be made, in whole or in part, from any of the following funds in such order and in such amounts as the Authority shall determine: (1) the Industrial Project Insurance Fund created under Article 805 of this Act (if the Authority exercises its discretion under subsection (j) of Section 805-20); (2) the Illinois Agricultural Loan Guarantee Fund; or (3) the Illinois Farmer and Agribusiness Loan Guarantee Fund. The Illinois Agricultural Loan Guarantee Fund shall guarantee receipt of payment of the 85% of the principal and interest owed on the State Guarantee Loan by the farmer to the guarantee holder, provided that payments by the Authority to satisfy claims against the State Guarantee shall be made in accordance with the preceding sentence. It shall be the responsibility of the lender to proceed with the collecting and disposing of collateral on the State Guarantee under this Section, Section 830-35, Section 830-45, Section 830-50, Section 830-55, or Article 835 within 14 months of the time the State Guarantee is declared delinquent; provided, however, that the lender shall not collect or dispose of collateral on the State Guarantee without the express written prior approval of the Authority. If the lender does not dispose of the collateral within 14 months, the lender shall be liable to repay to the State interest on the State Guarantee equal to the same rate which the lender charges on the State Guarantee; provided, however, that the Authority may extend the 14-month period for a lender in the case of bankruptcy or extenuating circumstances. The Fund from which a payment is made shall be reimbursed for any amounts paid from that Fund under this Section, Section 830-35, Section 830-45, Section 830-50, Section 830-55, or Article 835 upon liquidation of the collateral. The Authority, by resolution of the Board, may borrow sums from the Fund and provide for repayment as soon as may be practical upon receipt of payments of principal and interest by a farmer. Money may be borrowed from the Fund by the Authority for the sole purpose of paying certain interest costs for farmers associated with selling a loan subject to a State Guarantee in a secondary market as may be deemed reasonable and necessary by the Authority.

(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 830-30 with respect to the farmers and lenders who may obtain State Guarantees, the Authority may promulgate rules establishing the eligibility of farmers and lenders to participate in the State guarantee program and the terms, standards, and procedures that will apply, when the Authority finds that emergency conditions in Illinois agriculture have created the need for State Guarantees pursuant to terms, standards, and procedures other than those specified in this Section.

(Source: P.A. 100-919, eff. 8-17-18; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19.)

(20 ILCS 3501/830-35)

Sec. 830-35. State Guarantees for loans to farmers and agribusiness; eligibility.

(a) The Authority is authorized to issue State Guarantees to lenders for loans to eligible farmers and agribusinesses for purposes set forth in this Section. For purposes of this Section, an eligible farmer shall be a resident of Illinois (i) who is principal operator of a farm or land, at least 50% of whose annual gross income is derived from farming, (ii) whose annual total sales of agricultural products, commodities, or livestock exceeds $20,000, and (iii) whose net worth does not exceed $500,000. An eligible agribusiness shall be that as defined in Section 801-10 of this Act. The Authority may approve applications by farmers and agribusinesses that promote diversification of the farm economy of this State through the growth and development of new crops or livestock not customarily grown or produced in this State or that emphasize a vertical integration of grain or livestock produced or raised in this State into a finished agricultural product for consumption or use. "New crops or livestock not customarily grown or produced in this State" shall not include corn, soybeans, wheat, swine, or beef or dairy cattle. "Vertical integration of grain or livestock produced or raised in this State" shall include any new or existing grain or livestock grown or produced in this State. Lenders shall apply for the State Guarantees on forms provided by the Authority, certify that the application and any other documents submitted are true and correct, and pay an administrative fee as determined by the Authority. The applicant shall be responsible for paying any fees or charges involved in recording mortgages, releases, financing statements, insurance for secondary market issues and any other similar fees or charges as the Authority may require. The application shall at a minimum contain the farmer's or agribusiness' name, address, present credit and financial information, including cash flow statements, financial statements, balance sheets, and any other information pertinent to the application, and the collateral to be used to secure the State Guarantee. In addition, the lender must agree to charge an interest rate, which may vary, on the loan that the Authority determines to be below the market rate of interest generally available to the borrower. If both the lender and applicant agree, the interest rate on the State Guarantee Loan can be converted to a fixed interest rate at any time during the term of the loan. Any State Guarantees provided under this Section (i) shall not exceed $500,000 per farmer or an amount as determined by the Authority on a case-by-case basis for an agribusiness, (ii) shall not exceed a term of 15 years, and (iii) shall be subject to an annual review and renewal by the lender and the Authority; provided that only one such State Guarantee shall be made per farmer or agribusiness, except that additional State Guarantees may be made for purposes of expansion of projects financed in part by a previously issued State Guarantee. No State Guarantee shall be revoked by the Authority without a 90-day notice, in writing, to all parties. The lender shall not call due any loan for any reason except for lack of performance, insufficient collateral, or maturity. A lender may review and withdraw or continue with a State Guarantee on an annual basis after the first 5 years following closing of the loan application if the loan contract provides for an interest rate that shall not vary. A lender shall not withdraw a State Guarantee if the loan contract provides for an interest rate that may vary, except for reasons set forth herein.

(b) The Authority shall provide or renew a State Guarantee to a lender if:

(i) A fee equal to 25 basis points on the loan is paid to the Authority on an annual basis by the lender.

(ii) The application provides collateral acceptable to the Authority that is at least equal to the State's portion of the Guarantee to be provided.

(iii) The lender assumes all responsibility and costs for pursuing legal action on collecting any loan that is delinquent or in default.

(iv) The lender is responsible for the first 15% of the outstanding principal of the note for which the State Guarantee has been applied.

(c) There is hereby created outside of the State treasury a special fund to be known as the Illinois Farmer and Agribusiness Loan Guarantee Fund. The State Treasurer shall be custodian of this Fund. Any amounts in the Fund not currently needed to meet the obligations of the Fund shall be invested as provided by law, or used by the Authority to make direct loans or originate or purchase loan participations under subsection (i) or (r) of Section 801-40. All interest earned from these investments shall be deposited into the Fund until the Fund reaches the maximum amounts authorized in this Act; thereafter, interest earned shall be deposited into the General Revenue Fund. After September 1, 1989, annual investment earnings equal to 1.5% of the Fund shall remain in the Fund to be used for the purposes established in Section 830-40 of this Act. All earnings on direct loans or loan participations made by the Authority under subsection (i) or (r) of Section 801-40 with amounts in this Fund shall become funds of the Authority. The Authority is authorized to transfer such amounts as are necessary to satisfy claims from available appropriations and from fund balances of the Farm Emergency Assistance Fund as of June 30 of each year to the Illinois Farmer and Agribusiness Loan Guarantee Fund to secure State Guarantees issued under this Section, Sections 830-30, 830-45, 830-50, and 830-55, and Article 835 of this Act. Amounts to be paid from the Industrial Project Insurance Fund created under Article 805 of this Act may be paid by the Authority directly to satisfy claims and need not be deposited first into the Illinois Farmer and Agribusiness Loan Guarantee Fund. If for any reason the General Assembly fails to make an appropriation sufficient to meet these obligations, this Act shall constitute an irrevocable and continuing appropriation of an amount necessary to secure guarantees as defaults occur and the irrevocable and continuing authority for, and direction to, the State Treasurer and the Comptroller to make the necessary transfers to the Illinois Farmer and Agribusiness Loan Guarantee Fund, as directed by the Governor, out of the General Revenue Fund. In the event of default by the borrower on State Guarantee Loans under this Section, Section 830-45, Section 830-50, or Section 830-55, the lender shall be entitled to, and the Authority shall direct payment on, the State Guarantee after 90 days of delinquency. All payments by the Authority to satisfy claims against the State Guarantee shall be made, in whole or in part, from any of the following funds in such order and in such amounts as the Authority shall determine: (1) the Industrial Project Insurance Fund created under Article 805 of this Act (if the Authority exercises its discretion under subsection (j) of Section 805-20); (2) the Illinois Farmer and Agribusiness Loan Guarantee Fund; or (3) the Illinois Farmer and Agribusiness Loan Guarantee Fund. It shall be the responsibility of the lender to proceed with the collecting and disposing of collateral on the State Guarantee under this Section, Section 830-45, Section 830-50, or Section 830-55 within 14 months of the time the State Guarantee is declared delinquent. If the lender does not dispose of the collateral within 14 months, the lender shall be liable to repay to the State interest on the State Guarantee equal to the same rate that the lender charges on the State Guarantee, provided that the Authority shall have the authority to extend the 14-month period for a lender in the case of bankruptcy or extenuating circumstances. The Fund shall be reimbursed for any amounts paid under this Section, Section 830-30, Section 830-45, Section 830-50, Section 830-55, or Article 835 upon liquidation of the collateral. The Authority, by resolution of the Board, may borrow sums from the Fund and provide for repayment as soon as may be practical upon receipt of payments of principal and interest by a borrower on State Guarantee Loans under this Section, Section 830-30, Section 830-45, Section 830-50, Section 830-55, or Article 835. Money may be borrowed from the Fund by the Authority for the sole purpose of paying certain interest costs for borrowers associated with selling a loan subject to a State Guarantee under this Section, Section 830-30, Section 830-45, Section 830-50, Section 830-55, or Article 835 in a secondary market as may be deemed reasonable and necessary by the Authority.

(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 830-35 with respect to the farmers, agribusinesses, and lenders who may obtain State Guarantees, the Authority may promulgate rules establishing the eligibility of farmers, agribusinesses, and lenders to participate in the State Guarantee program and the terms, standards, and procedures that will apply, when the Authority finds that emergency conditions in Illinois agriculture have created the need for State Guarantees pursuant to terms, standards, and procedures other than those specified in this Section.

(Source: P.A. 100-919, eff. 8-17-18; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19.)

(20 ILCS 3501/830-40)

Sec. 830-40. Cooperative agreement with the University of Illinois.

(a) The Authority may enter into a cooperative agreement with the University of Illinois whereby the University's College of Agriculture, or a department thereof, shall assess and evaluate the need for additional, and the performance of existing, State credit and finance programs administered by the Authority for farmers and agribusinesses. Pursuant to the cooperative agreement, the Authority may request from the University an evaluation of financial positions and lending risks of existing farm operations and existing and developing agricultural industries, an assessment and evaluation of the design, operation and performance of existing and proposed credit programs, an assessment of potential for development of agricultural industry, an assessment of the performance of credit markets and development of improved State credit instruments and programs, and any other information deemed necessary by the Authority to carry forth its credit and finance programs.

(b) A cooperative agreement entered into by the Authority and the University may provide for payment for services rendered by the University pursuant to the cooperative agreement from interest earnings remaining in the Illinois Agricultural Loan Guarantee Fund, as provided for in Section 830-30 of this Act, and the Illinois Farmer and Agribusiness Loan Guarantee Fund, as provided for in Section 830-40 of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 93-205, eff. 1-1-04.)