Subdivision 1.

Definitions.

The definitions in this subdivision apply to this section.

(a) "Authority" means the Tobacco Securitization Authority created and established under subdivision 3.

(b) "Authorized officer" means any of the members of the authority identified and described in subdivision 3.

(c) "Bond" means any instrument evidencing the obligation to pay money authorized or issued by the authority as provided by this section, including without limitation, bonds, notes, or certificates.

(d) "Bondholder" means, in the case of a bond issued in registered form, the registered owner of the bond and otherwise, the owner of the bond.

(e) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of management and budget.

(f) "Consent judgment" means the consent judgment, as the same has been and may be corrected, amended, or modified, in the action styled as The State of Minnesota, By Hubert Humphrey, III, Its Attorney General, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota v. Philip Morris Incorporated, et al., No. C1-94-8565 (Minnesota District Court, Second Judicial District, May 8, 1998).

(g) "General tobacco subaccount" means the account established by the authority within the tobacco settlement recovery account established under subdivision 12 for the net proceeds of bonds.

(h) "Settlement agreement" means the settlement agreement and stipulation for entry of consent judgment, dated May 8, 1998, between the State of Minnesota, By Hubert Humphrey, III, Its Attorney General, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, on the one hand, and Philip Morris Incorporated, et al., on the other hand, and the subject of the consent judgment.

(i) "Net proceeds of bonds" means the gross proceeds of the sale of bonds issued under subdivision 5, less any amounts applied or to be applied to pay transaction and administrative expenses, including underwriting discount, to pay capitalized interest and to fund any reserves deemed necessary or appropriate by the authority, but does not include any investment earnings realized thereon.

(j) "Participating manufacturer" means a tobacco product manufacturer that is or becomes a signatory to the settlement agreement.

(k) "Pledged tobacco revenues" means the state's tobacco settlement revenues sold to the authority under the sale agreement and pledged by the authority for the payment of bonds and any related bond facility.

(l) "Related bond facility" means any interest rate exchange or similar agreement or any bond insurance policy, letter of credit or other credit enhancement facility, liquidity facility, guaranteed investment or reinvestment agreement, or other similar agreement, arrangement, or contract.

(m) "Residual amount in tobacco settlement revenues" means any tobacco settlement revenues determined as moneys received but not required for the identified period in which revenues are received, to pay principal or interest on bonds or administrative or transaction expenses of the authority, or to fund reserves or other requirements relating to bonds issued or related bond facilities made under this section.

(n) "Sale agreement" means any agreement authorized as provided in this section in which the state provides for the sale of all or a portion of the tobacco settlement revenues to the authority.

(o) "State" means the state of Minnesota.

(p) "Tobacco settlement bond proceeds fund" is established within the state treasury and consists of the net proceeds from any sale, conveyance, or transfer of the state's tobacco settlement revenues from the authority.

(q) "Tobacco settlement recovery account" is the account established by the authority outside of the state's treasury.

(r) "Tobacco settlement revenues subaccount" means the account established by the authority within the tobacco settlement recovery account established under subdivision 12 for receipt of tobacco settlement revenues and for payment of debt service of bonds authorized under this section.

(s) "Tobacco settlement residual subaccount" means the account established by the authority within the tobacco settlement recovery account established under subdivision 12 for receipt of the residual amount in the tobacco settlement revenues subaccount.

(t) "Tobacco settlement revenues" means all tobacco settlement payments received by the state on and after July 21, 2011, and required to be made under the terms of the settlement agreement by participating manufacturers, and the state's rights to receive the tobacco settlement payments on and after July 21, 2011, exclusive of any payments made with respect to liability to make those payments for calendar years completed before July 21, 2011.

Subd. 2.

Ownership, transfer, and sale of state's right to tobacco settlement revenues.

All tobacco settlement revenues received and to be received by the state are the property of the state, to be used as provided by law, including a sale, assignment, or transfer of the right to receive the tobacco settlement revenues under this subdivision. During fiscal years 2012 and 2013, the commissioner may sell, convey, or otherwise transfer to the authority, and may take any action necessary to facilitate and complete the sale, conveyance, or transfer to the authority, the tobacco settlement revenues in exchange for the net proceeds of bonds and a right to the residual amount in the tobacco settlement revenues subaccount. Unless otherwise directed by statute, the net proceeds of any such sale, conveyance, or transfer shall be deposited in the general tobacco subaccount. The authority's purchased interest in tobacco settlement revenues received by the state from time to time shall be deposited in the tobacco settlement revenues subaccount, and the residual amount in tobacco settlement revenues received by the state from time to time shall be deposited in the tobacco settlement residual subaccount, in each case to be applied for the purposes and in the manner described in this section.

Any sale, conveyance, or other transfer authorized by this subdivision shall be evidenced by an instrument or agreement in writing signed on behalf of the state by the commissioner. A certified copy of the instrument or agreement shall be filed with the commissioner and the chairs of the senate Finance Committee and the house of representatives Ways and Means Committee promptly upon execution and delivery thereof. The instrument or agreement shall require, as a condition of the sale, conveyance, or other transfer, that the authority notify the commissioner promptly upon the issuance, sale, and delivery thereof if any bonds are issued that are secured by any of the tobacco settlement revenues and provide the commissioner with all information on the distribution of the bond proceeds. The commissioner shall submit a report to the chairs of the senate Finance Committee and the house of representatives Ways and Means Committee that includes all of the information provided to the commissioner by the authority under this subdivision. The instrument or agreement may include an irrevocable direction to pay all or a specified portion of the tobacco settlement revenues directly to or upon the order of the authority, or to any escrow agent or any trustee under an indenture or other agreement securing any bonds issued or related bond facilities made under this section. Upon execution and delivery of the sale agreement as provided in this section, the sale, conveyance, or other transfer of the right to receive the tobacco settlement revenues, shall, for all purposes, be a true sale and absolute conveyance of all right, title, and interest therein and not as a pledge or other security interest for any borrowing, valid, binding, and enforceable in accordance with the terms thereof and such instrument or agreements and any related instrument, agreement, or other arrangement, including any pledge, grant of security interest, or other encumbrance made by authority to secure any bonds issued by the authority, and shall not be subject to disavowal, disaffirmance, cancellation, or avoidance by reason of insolvency of any party, lack of consideration, or any other fact, occurrence, or rule of law. On and after the effective date of the sale of any portion, including all of the tobacco settlement revenues, the state shall have no right, title, or interest in or to the portion of the tobacco settlement revenues sold, and the portion of the tobacco settlement revenues sold shall be the property of the authority, and shall be received, held, and disbursed by the authority in a trust fund outside the state treasury. Any portions of the tobacco settlement revenues sold to the authority and held in trust may be invested in investments and deposit accounts or certificates, and with security, agreed upon with the bondholders or a trustee for the bondholders.

The procedures and requirements set forth in this subdivision shall be the sole procedures and requirements applicable to the sale of the tobacco settlement revenues.

Subd. 3.

Establishment and powers of authority.

(a) The authority is hereby established as a body corporate and politic and a public instrumentality of, but having a legal existence independent and separate from the state and, accordingly, the assets, liabilities, and funds of the authority shall be neither consolidated nor commingled with those of the state treasury, provided that the assets, liabilities, and funds of the authority shall be held by a duly designated agent or fiduciary of the authority. If the authority does not designate a fiduciary or an agent for the purposes of this subdivision, the assets and funds of the authority shall be held in the state treasury. The authority and its corporate existence shall continue until 12 months after all its liabilities have been met or otherwise discharged. Upon the termination of the existence of the authority, all of its rights and property shall pass to and be vested in the state. The authority shall be established for the express limited public purposes set forth in this section, and no part of the net earnings of the authority shall inure to any private individual.

(b) The authority shall be governed by a three-member board consisting of the commissioner, the commissioner of revenue, and the commissioner of health. The commissioner shall serve as the chair and chief executive officer of the authority, who shall sign instruments or agreements authorized by this section on behalf of the authority; provided that the authority may by resolution authorize a member other than the commissioner to sign authorized instruments or agreements. The authority may elect other officers as necessary from its members. The authority may also appoint a nonremunerated chief financial officer who may or may not be a member of the authority in order to provide financial analysis and advice regarding any transaction of the authority. The powers of the authority shall be subject to the terms, conditions, and limitations contained within this section, and any applicable covenants or agreements of the authority in any indenture or other agreement relating to any then outstanding bonds or related bond facilities. The authority may enter into contracts regarding any matter connected with any corporate purpose within the objects and purposes of this section. The members of the authority shall receive no salary or other compensation, either direct or indirect, for serving as members of the authority, other than reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of such person's duties. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the authority shall not be authorized to make any covenant, pledge, promise, or agreement purporting to bind the state with respect to tobacco settlement revenues, except as otherwise specifically authorized by this section.

(c) A majority of the authority, excluding vacancies, constitutes a quorum to conduct its business, to exercise its powers, and for all other purposes.

(d) The authority may conduct its business as provided under section 13D.015, including teleconference calls or interactive video, that allows for an interaction between members. If a meeting is conducted under this paragraph, a specific location must be available for the public to attend the meeting and at least one member must be present at that location.

(e) The authority may not file a voluntary petition under or be or become a debtor or bankrupt under the federal bankruptcy code or any other federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency, or moratorium law or statute as may, from time to time, be in effect, and neither any public officer nor any organization, entity, or other person shall authorize the authority to be or become a debtor or bankrupt under the federal bankruptcy code or any other federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency, or moratorium law or statute, as may, from time to time be in effect.

(f) The authority may not guarantee the debts of another.

(g) The commissioner shall provide administrative services to the authority.

(h) The authority may accept appropriations, gifts, grants, bequests, and devises, and use or dispose of them for its purposes. All gifts, grants, bequests, and revenues from those sources are appropriated to the authority.

(i) Proceeds of the authority's bonds, notes, and other obligations; amounts granted or appropriated to the authority for bond debt service reserves; income from investment; money in the funds; and all revenues from fees and charges of the authority including rentals, royalties, dividends, or other proceeds are annually appropriated to the authority for the accomplishment of its corporate purposes and must be spent, administered, and accounted for in accordance with the applicable provisions of all bond and note resolutions, indentures, and other instruments, contracts, and agreements of the authority. Notwithstanding section 16A.28, these appropriations are available until expended.

Subd. 4.

Certain powers of the authority.

The authority shall have the power to:

(1) sue and be sued;

(2) have a seal and alter the same at pleasure;

(3) make and alter bylaws for its organization and internal management;

(4) make and execute contracts and all other instruments necessary or convenient for the exercise of its power