HOUSE BILL NO. 15

INTRODUCED BY ZOOK T

BY REQUEST OF THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE AND THE OFFICE OF BUDGET AND PROGRAM PLANNING

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE CREATION OF STATE DEBT THROUGH THE ISSUANCE OF GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS; APPROPRIATING THE PROCEEDS OF THE BONDS FOR AN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROJECT FOR THE BIENNIUM ENDING JUNE 30, 2001; PROVIDING FOR DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS FROM THE GENERAL FUND; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE."

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:

NEW SECTION. Section 1. Definition. As used in [sections 1 through 5], "information technology project" means the planning, design, development, acquisition, installation, or integration of software and required hardware to provide for upgraded and integrated state management information systems.

NEW SECTION. Section 2. Appropriation of bond proceeds and approval of information technology project. Upon the sale of general obligation bonds by the board of examiners, the following bond proceeds are appropriated from the capital projects fund for the following project:

Agency/Project	Bond Proceeds

DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE

Project META	$25,000,000

NEW SECTION. Section 3. Authorization of bonds.(1) The board of examiners may issue and sell general obligation information technology bonds in an amount not exceeding $25,000,000 for the project described in [section 2] over and above the amount of general obligation bonds outstanding on January 1, 1999. The bonds must be issued in accordance with Title 17, chapter 5, part 8. The bonds authorized by this section must mature within 10 years from their date of issue. The authority granted to the board by this section is in addition to any other authorization to the board to issue and sell general obligation bonds.

(2) It is the intent of the 56th legislature that the annual debt service payments of the bonds authorized in subsection (1) be paid from the general fund.

NEW SECTION. Section 4. Planning and design. The department of revenue and the department of administration may proceed with the planning and design portions of the information technology project before the receipt of bond proceeds. The department of revenue may use interaccount loans pursuant to 17-2-107 to pay planning and design costs incurred before receipt of the proceeds.

NEW SECTION. Section 5. Expenditures. Expenditures of bond proceeds under [sections 1 through 4] may be used for information technology project administration and implementation, including software and required hardware, software licensing, and contract services.

NEW SECTION. Section 6. Two-thirds vote required. Because [section 3] authorizes the creation of state debt, Article VIII, section 8, of the Montana constitution requires a vote of two-thirds of the members of each house of the legislature for passage.

NEW SECTION. Section 7. Severability. If a part of [this act] is invalid, all valid parts that are severable from the invalid part remain in effect. If a part of [this act] is invalid in one or more of its applications, the part remains in effect in all valid applications that are severable from the invalid applications.

NEW SECTION. Section 8. Effective date. [This act] is effective on passage and approval.

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