Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 9, September, 2024
Section 1.
Statutory State Ceiling Allocations for Volume Cap.
1.1
Prior to September 1 of Each
Year. Pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. §
15-5-603, until September 1 of
each year, "statutory allocations" from the aggregate state ceiling for volume
cap are to the following issuers in the percentages indicated:
(a) Sixty percent (60%) to the Authority,
Ark. Code Ann §
15-5-603(a)(1)
, distributed as follows:
(i) Ten
percent (10%) for multifamily residential housing;
(ii) Seventeen percent (17%) for single
family residential housing;
(iii)
Thirty-three percent (33%) for industrial development;
(b) The above distribution of the Authority's
statutory allocation may be amended by resolution of the Authority's Board of
Directors;
(c) Ten percent (10%) to
the Arkansas Student Loan Authority, Ark. Code Ann. §
15-5-603(a)(3);
and
(d) Thirty percent
(30%) to all state or local statutorily authorized issuers, Ark. Code
Ann. §
15-5-603(c)
, the "General Category" allocation.
1.2
September 1 to December 31 of
Each Year. Pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. §
15-5-603(c), any
amount of the statutory allocation to the Authority or to the Arkansas Student
Loan Authority, not accepted as a reservation of volume cap by the President of
the Authority (the "President") prior to September 1 of each year, shall be
considered a part of the General Category allocation and be subject to
reservation by any authorized issuer.
1.3
Reservation of Volume
Cap. Reservation of volume cap by any issuer authorized to issue
tax-exempt private activity bonds shall be in accordance with the procedures
detailed in Sections 3, 6, or 10, infra., as
applicable.
Section 2.
Volume Cap Allocation Committee.
2.1
Composition. A
Volume Cap Allocation Committee, comprised of the following members or their
equivalent successors, as appropriate, is hereby established:
(a) Executive Director of the Arkansas
Economic Development Commission;
(b) Director of the Arkansas Department of
Finance and Administration; and
(c)
President of the Arkansas Development Finance Authority.
2.2
Powers and
Duties.
(a) The Volume Cap
Allocation Committee may meet in person or by other means of communication in
performing any duties authorized under these regulations.
(b) The Volume Cap Allocation Committee has
the authority to perform those duties prescribed to it in these
Rules and Regulations Implementing the Law on the Allocation of the
State Volume Cap for Private Activity Bonds pursuant to Act 1044 of
2001 ("Regulations").
Section 3.
Issuer's Application
for Reservation of Volume Cap ("Application").
3.1
Form of
Application. The Application shall be substantially in the form
attached to these regulations as Appendix A-1.
3.2
Manner of Filing
Application. All Applications must be delivered to the Authority
and shall be addressed to:
Arkansas Development Finance Authority
Volume Cap Reservations
P.O. Box 8023
Little Rock, Arkansas 72203-8023
3.3
Acknowledgment of Receipt of
Application ("Acknowledgment"). Within ten (10) days of the filing
of an Application, the President shall send an Acknowledgment to bond counsel
that signed the Application. Such Acknowledgment shall advise bond counsel:
(a) The Filing Date, which will be the date
the Application was received;
(b)
The Priority Number, if assigned; which will be sequentially numbered from the
last Priority Number assigned for the calendar year; and
(c) That the Application is:
(i) Accepted as a reservation of volume
cap;
(ii) Pending
acceptance/rejection as a reservation of volume cap pursuant to subsection 4.2
or subsection 4.3, infra.;
(iii) Denied as a reservation due to a lack
of volume cap; or
(iv) Not assigned
a Priority Number because it fails to meet the requirements of subsection 3.4,
infra.
3.4
Requirements for Assignment
of a Priority Number. Assignment of a Priority Number requires the
following:
(a) Applications can be filed no
earlier than the first business day of the calendar year in which
received;
(b) Applications can be
filed no earlier than sixty (60) days prior to the expected issuance date of
the bonds;
(c) Applications must be
complete. To be complete, an Application must:
(i) State the name of the issuer;
(ii) State the principal amount of bonds to
be issued, including taxable bonds;
(iii) State the amount of volume cap
allocation sought;
(iv) State the
purpose for the volume cap, including a description of any project to be funded
with bond proceeds;
(v) State the
principal users of the volume cap (if different than the issuer);
(vi) State the date of adoption of the bond
authorizing resolution or other official action;
(vii) Include a copy of the bond authorizing
resolution or other official action which meets the requirements for an
"official intent" set forth in
26 C.F.R §
1.150-2(e);
(viii) State the Arkansas statutory authority
for the issuance of the bonds;
(ix)
State the name, address, and telephone number of bond counsel; and
(x) Be signed and dated by bond counsel. (d)
For multifamily residential bond Applications,
compliance with paragraphs (a) through (c) of this subsection 3.4 and a
complete "Multi-Family Housing Application" as required by the Authority's
"Guidelines for Allocating Multi-Family Tax Exempt Private Activity Volume Cap"
effective at the time of the Filing Date.
Section 4.
Reservation
of Volume Cap.
4.1
Applications requesting reservation of volume cap from the
statutory allocations of the Authority or the Arkansas Student Loan
Authority. Excluding multi-family residential bond Applications,
acceptance of an Application as a reservation of volume cap from the statutory
allocations of the Authority or the Arkansas Student Loan Authority will be
based upon the earliest assigned Priority Number.
4.2
Multifamily residential bond
Applications requesting reservation of volume cap from the Authority's
statutory allocation.
(a) The
Authority's Board of Directors will determine whether to accept an Application
as a reservation of volume cap based upon:
(i)
The Priority Number;
(ii) The need
for multi-family residential housing in the particular area of the state in
which the development is to be located;
(iii) The characteristics of the proposed
development, particularly the affordability characteristics of the proposed
development;
(iv) The feasibility of
closing the bond issue within the Reservation
Period, as defined in Section 5.1(a)(i),
infra.; and
(v) Any other factor determined necessary for
consideration by the
Authority's Board of Directors.
(b) The Board of Directors will direct the
President to advise bond counsel in writing:
(i) That the Application has/has not been
accepted as a reservation of volume cap; and
(ii) If accepted, the date of the acceptance
and the amount of volume cap reserved.
4.3
Applications requesting
reservation of volume cap from the General Category allocation.
(a) The Volume Cap Allocation Committee shall
have the authority to:
(i) Determine whether
to accept an Application as a reservation of volume cap;
(ii) Reduce the amount of volume cap
requested for reservation in an
Application;
(iii) Defer an Application for a period of
time; or
(iv) Deny an
Application.
(b) The
Volume Cap Allocation Committee will make its determination based upon:
(i) The Priority Number;
(ii) The feasibility of closing the bond
issue within the Reservation
Period;
(iii) The benefits to the State from the
project or activity to be financed,
including but not limited to, the creation of jobs, the
increased availability of capital for housing, the increased availability of
educational opportunities, the economic impact of a project, and the impact of
the project or activity on the health, safety and welfare of the
State;
(iv) The area of the
State to be most benefited from the issuance of the bonds, including but not
limited to, whether the issuance of the bonds will tend to alleviate conditions
in an economically distressed area of the State;
(v) Whether a project is likely be moved to
another state if not timely financed;
(vi) Whether the financing of the project
could be delayed until the succeeding calendar year without adverse impact on
the project;
(vii) The policy
objectives of the State;
(viii)
Whether the Issuer has previously received a reservation of volume cap where
tax-exempt private activity bonds have not been issued by delivery and
payment;
(ix)
For
multifamily residential bond applications, determination made by
the Authority's Board of Directors in accordance with the
Authority's "Guidelines for allocating Multi-Family Tax
Exempt
Private Activity Volume Cap"; and
(x) Such other factors as are deemed
appropriate by the Volume Cap
Allocation Committee.
(c) The Volume Cap Allocation Committee will
direct the President to notify the Issuer in writing that:
(i) Its Application has/has not been accepted
as a reservation of volume cap;
(ii) If accepted, the date of the acceptance
and the amount of volume cap reserved for the Issuer; or
(iii) Its Application has been deferred for a
period of time.
(d) If
the Application is rejected as a reservation of volume cap, the Issuer has the
right to appear before the Volume Cap Allocation committee in accordance with
Section 8, infra.
Section 5.
Issuance of Tax-Exempt
Private Activity Bonds.
5.1
Reservation Period.
(a) Tax-exempt private activity bonds
utilizing a reservation of volume cap must be issued by delivery and payment no
later than:
(i) Sixty (60) days following the
date the President acknowledges acceptance of the Application as a reservation
of volume cap, (the "Reservation Period"), unless extended as set forth in
subsection 5.2, infra., or,
(ii) December 31st
of the calendar year, if such date occurs prior to the expiration of the
Reservation Period, as extended.
(b) Unless a request to carryforward volume
cap has been filed pursuant to subsection 6.1(b), infra.,
failure to issue bonds by delivery and payment prior to the expiration of the
Reservation Period, as extended, or December 31st of
the calendar year, whichever occurs first, will cause the reservation of volume
cap to be null and void.
5.2
Extension of Reservation
Period. The Reservation Period may be extended by the President
for up to an additional sixty (60) days not to extend beyond December
31st of the calendar year. Extension periods may be
granted in three (3) increments as follows:
(a) The "first extension period" of fifteen
(15) days shall be automatically granted by the President upon receipt of a
written explanatory statement in sufficient detail from the borrower. The
borrower shall not be required to pay an extension fee for the first extension
period.
(b) The "second extension
period" of fifteen (15) days shall be granted if the President determines that
granting a second extension to the Reservation Period is warranted based on the
following:
(i) An explanatory statement,
acceptable to the President, detailing why the bonds will not be delivered and
paid for by the end of the first extension period;
(ii) A certification by the borrower that it
reasonably expects the bonds to be issued within the second extension period;
and
(iii) Payment to the Authority
of a non-refundable issuance extension fee in the amount of
$5,000.00.
(c) The "third
extension period" of up to thirty (30) days shall be granted if the President
determines that granting a third extension to the Reservation Period is
warranted based on the following:
(i) An
explanatory statement, acceptable to the President, detailing the
extraordinary, unforeseen circumstances warranting such an extension. The
circumstances must be of no fault of the borrower and could not have been
anticipated at the time the first or second extension periods were
requested;
(ii) A certification by
the borrower that it reasonably expects the bonds to be issued within the third
extension period; and
(iii) Payment
to the Authority of a non-refundable issuance extension fee in the amount of
$10,000.00.
Section 6.
Carryforward of Volume
Cap.
6.1
Issuer's
Application to Carryforward Volume Cap ("Carryforward
Application"). The Volume Cap Allocation Committee will consider:
(a) An Issuer's Carryforward Application to
carryforward volume cap that will not have been reserved from the General
Category allocation as of December 31st of the
calendar year; or
(b) An Issuer's
Carryforward Application to carryforward a reservation of volume cap when bonds
will not have been issued by delivery and payment prior to December
31st of the calendar year pursuant to that
reservation.
(c)
When
the purpose is multi-family residential housing, an Issuer can
only apply to carryforward volume cap that was previously reserved pursuant to
subsection 4.2 or 4.3, supra., as to which no bonds will have
been issued for delivery and payment prior to December
31st of the calendar year of the
reservation.
6.2
Form and Time for Filing Carryforward Application.
(a)
Form of
application. The carryforward request shall be substantially in
the form attached to these regulations as Appendix A-2.
(b)
Additional Supporting
Documentation. The Issuer may file additional documentation in
support of its Carryforward Application.
(c)
Time for filing Carryforward
Application. The Carryforward Application, with supporting
documentation, must be filed with the President at the address provided in
subsection 3.2, supra., no later than the last business day of
the calendar year, as recognized by the Secretary of State for the State of
Arkansas.
6.3
Matters Considered for Determining Carryforward.
(a) In addition to the Carryforward
Application and supporting documentation filed by the Issuer, the Volume Cap
Allocation Committee may review any documentation previously filed with the
President, including, but not limited to, an Issuer's Application and the
Multi-Family Housing Application, when considering a Carryforward
Application.
(b) The Volume Cap
Allocation Committee may request any information from the Issuer it considers
necessary for a carryforward determination.
(c) The Volume Cap Allocation Committee will
not consider any Carryforward Application prior to the first business day of
the calendar year following the calendar year in which the Carryover
Application was filed.
6.4
Basis for Determination of
Carryforward. The Volume Cap Allocation Committee will base a
determination of carryforward upon:
(a) The
benefits to the State from the project or activity to be financed, including
but not limited to, the creation of jobs, the increased availability of capital
for housing, the increased availability of educational opportunities, the
economic impact of a project, and the impact of the project or activity on the
health, safety and welfare of the State;
(b) The area of the State to be most
benefited from the issuance of the bonds, including but not limited to, whether
the issuance of the bonds will tend to alleviate conditions in an economically
distressed area of the State;
(c)
Whether a project is likely be moved to another state if not timely
financed;
(d) Whether the financing
of the project could be delayed until the succeeding calendar year without
adverse impact on the project;
(e)
The policy objectives of the State; and
(f) Such other factors as are deemed
appropriate by the Volume Cap Allocation Committee.
6.5
Notice to the Issuer of
Determination. No later than 4:30 p.m, Central Standard Time, of
the first business day in February of the calendar
year following the calendar year in which the Carryforward Application was
filed, the President shall provide telephonic, electronic and written
notification to the Issuer of the determination by the Volume Cap Allocation
Committee with regard to the carryforward requested.
6.6
Effect of Denial to
Carryforward a Reservation of Volume Cap.
(a) If the Volume Cap Allocation Committee
does not approve a Carryforward Application filed pursuant to subsections
6.1(b) or 6.1(c), supra., the reservation of volume cap will
be deemed to have expired as of the end of the calendar year, and the volume
cap related to such an expired reservation may be carried forward pursuant to
subsection 6.1(a), supra.
(b) The Issuer has the right to appear before
the Volume Cap Allocation committee in accordance with Section 8,
infra.
6.7
Duty of Issuer to File
Carryforward Election Statement.
(a) To be effective to carryforward volume
cap when the Volume Cap Allocation Committee has granted a application for
carryforward, the Issuer must make a valid carryforward election statement,
utilizing IRS Form 8328, under the provisions of the federal law.
(b) The carryforward election statement must
set forth the information required and must be filed at the place, in the
manner, and by the date required for timely filing of a carryforward election
statement under federal tax law as set forth in any federal statute, or in any
regulation or published notice or ruling of the Internal Revenue
Service.
(c) A copy of the
carryforward election statement must be filed with the President, at the
address provided in subsection 3.2, supra., at the same time
it is filed with the Internal Revenue Service.
Section 7.
Duty of Issuer to File
Notice of Issuance of Private Activity Bonds.
7.1
Notice of Issuance of
Tax-Exempt Private Activity Bonds. A Notice of Issuance of
Tax-Exempt Private Activity Bonds, in substantially the form attached to these
regulations as Appendix B-1, shall be filed by the Issuer with the Authority
immediately following any issuance of bonds utilizing volume cap.
7.2
IRS Form 8038.
The Issuer must file a copy of IRS Form 8038 and any required attachments which
correspond to the Notice of Issuance of Tax-Exempt Private Activity Bonds with
the Authority.
7.3
Certificate of Allocation of Volume Cap. Failure to
timely file the Notice of Issuance of Tax-Exempt Private Activity Bonds shall
not affect a previous reservation or carryforward of volume cap. However, the
President will not issue a "Certificate of Allocation of Volume Cap," in
substantially the form attached to these regulations as Appendix C-1, as
required by 26 U.S.C. §
149(e)(2)(F), until receipt
of the Notice of Issuance of Tax-Exempt Private Activity Bonds and the
corresponding IRS Form 8038 with any attachments.
Section 8.
Right to Appear before
the Volume Cap Allocation Committee.
8.1
Issuer's Right to
Appear. The Issuer has the right to appear before the Volume Cap
Allocation Committee when it has been denied a reservation of volume cap from
the General Category allocation or a carryforward of volume cap from the
General Category allocation.
8.2
Procedure.
(a)
Time for Requesting Appearance. The Issuer must file a
request to appear before the Volume Cap Allocation Committee within seven (7)
days of its receipt of the President's notification that its Application was
rejected as a reservation of volume cap from the General Category or its
Carryforward Application was not approved as a carryforward of volume cap from
the General Category allocation.
(b)
Form of Request.
The request for an appearance must be a written statement from bond counsel
which must be delivered to the Authority and addressed to:
Volume Cap Allocation Committee - Personal Appearance
Arkansas Development Finance Authority
P.O. Box 8023
Little Rock, Arkansas 72203-8023
(c)
Date of
Appearance. The Volume Cap Allocation Committee will notify the
Issuer of the time and date for the appearance.
(d)
Purpose for the
Appearance. The Issuer will be allowed to present the merits of
its Application or Carryforward Application, as applicable, and any supporting
documentation submitted with its Application or Carryforward Application, as
applicable. No additional supporting documentation will be accepted for
consideration unless requested by the Volume Cap Allocation
Committee.
(e)
Determination following Appearance. The Volume Cap
Allocation Committee will have the right to affirm, modify or reverse its
previous rejection of the application. The President will notify the Issuer of
the determination of the Volume Cap Allocation Committee.
Section 9.
Declaration
of Volume Cap Shortage.
9.1
Volume Cap Shortage. A volume cap shortage exists when
the aggregate amount of volume cap requested for reservation from the General
Category allocation equals or exceeds the volume cap available for reservation
within the General Category allocation. For this subsection only, volume cap,
requested by an Application that is pending a reservation determination by the
Volume Cap Allocation Committee pursuant to subsection
4.3, supra., is
considered not available for reservation.
9.2
Duties of the
President.(a)
The President shall continuously monitor new Application filings together with
those Applications pending acceptance/rejection of a reservation of volume cap
to determine whether a volume cap shortage exists within the General Category
allocation. If the determination of a shortage is made, the President shall
issue a Declaration of Volume Cap Shortage.
(b) The President shall notify the Volume Cap
Allocation Committee that he has issued a Declaration of Volume Cap
Shortage.
(c) The President shall
cause the Declaration of Volume Cap Shortage to be published in a newspaper
with state-wide circulation and on the Authority's internet website.
Section 10.
Forward Commitments.
10.1
By the
President. Upon receipt of an Issuer's letter containing the
information listed by subsection
3.4 (c) and subsection
3.4 (d), supra.,
as applicable, the President shall have the authority to commit volume cap for
reservation from the Authority's statutory allocation, see
subsection 1.1(a), infra., for the next succeeding
calendar year to a particular bond issue or bond issues. Any such forward
commitment shall take precedence over other Applications and shall reserve
volume cap, upon the filing of an Application and issuance of tax-exempt
private activity bonds in accordance with these regulations, in such succeeding
calendar year.
10.2
By
the Volume Cap Allocation Committee. Upon receipt of an Issuer's
letter containing the information listed by subsection
3.4(c) and
subsection
3.4(d),
supra., as applicable, the Volume Cap Allocation Committee
shall have the authority to commit volume cap for reservation from the General
Category allocation, see subsection
1.1(a),
infra., for the next succeeding calendar year to a particular bond
issue or bond issues. Any such forward commitment shall take precedence over
other Applications and shall reserve volume cap, upon the filing of an
Application and issuance of tax-exempt private activity bonds in accordance
with these regulations, in such succeeding calendar year.
Section 11.
Miscellaneous.
11.1
Amendment of Regulations. These Regulations may be
amended from time to time by Resolution of the Authority's Board of Directors
in accordance with the requirements of the APA.
11.2
Count of Days.
Unless otherwise specifically provided herein, when a number of days is
provided herein for action to be taken, it shall be counted as calendar days.
ADOPTED, this _________ day of November, 2007.
ARKANSAS DEVELOPMENT FINANCE AUTHORITY
By: ___________________________________________
Chair
ATTEST:
______________________________
President
APPENDIX A-1
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APPENDIX A-2
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APPENDIX B-1
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APPENDIX C-1
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