19-9-702. Legislative findings.

19-9-702. Legislative findings. The General Assembly hereby finds and declares: (1) The United States Supreme Court, in the case of South Carolina v. Baker, decided April 20, 1988, 485 U.S. 505, held that no barrier exists under the United States Constitution to the imposition of federal income taxation on interest received by holders of bonds of governmental units. Such exemption from federal income taxation has been a desirable feature of such bonds, operating to reduce interest expense to governmental units and enhancing the marketability of the bonds; (2) The continued ability of governmental units to provide for the financing of public improvements and other projects and programs which serve important public purposes by the issuance of bonds is essential for the health, welfare, and economic well-being of the people of the State of Arkansas; (3) By the adoption of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, the United States Congress has substantially limited the purposes for which bonds may be issued with interest exempt from federal income taxation and imposed other restrictive provisions as a condition of such exemption. Additionally, under the authority of South Carolina v. Baker, the United States Congress may be expected to enact other laws and effect changes in federal tax policy to eliminate or further reduce the exemption of interest on bonds of governmental units from federal income taxation, with the result that, to provide financing for public purposes, governmental units may now find it in their best interests to issue bonds the interest on which is not exempt from federal income taxation; (4) Under the Arkansas Constitution and existing laws of this state, governmental units have had, and continue to have, the power to issue bonds without respect to whether the interest thereon is subject to federal income taxation; but many statutes applicable to governmental units lack effective, modern procedures under which the structure of a taxable financing may comply with current market practices, obtain the lowest effective borrowing cost, or provide terms most suitable to the governmental unit, the project, or the financing program; and (5) The purposes sought to be achieved by this subchapter are to provide governmental units with all means necessary to obtain financing for public purposes under the changing circumstances related to future tax policy of the federal government and to supplement and complement the provisions of existing and future laws authorizing the issuance of bonds, to the end that governmental units may provide for the health, safety, and welfare of the people by the issuance of bonds under terms and conditions necessary under the then-existing conditions.