ORS 291.445: Certificate of state agency that issues general obligation bonds; certificate of state tax levy if required; effect of reduction in General Fund appropriations on debt service appropriations.

(1) Before July 1 of each fiscal year, the Director of the Oregon Department of Administrative Services shall request from the appropriate state agency or division a certificate as prescribed in this section. The request shall be made by letter to the agency or division. (2) Each state agency authorized to issue general obligation bonds that are ordinarily to be repaid from other than General Fund appropriations shall, on or before August 15 of each fiscal year: (a) Certify to the Director of the Oregon Department of Administrative Services that the amounts available or that will become available during the current year to the bond program debt service fund to pay bond principal and interest that has accrued or will accrue during the current year are sufficient and will be sufficient to pay bond program principal and interest scheduled for payment during the current year; or (b) Certify to the Director of the Oregon Department of Administrative Services that the amounts available or that will become available during the current year to the bond program debt service fund will not be sufficient to pay bond program principal and interest scheduled for payment during the current year. A certificate issued under this paragraph shall specify the amount of the anticipated current year deficit. The Director of the Oregon Department of Administrative Services shall review and confirm the correctness of each certification made under this paragraph. (3) On or before August 15 of each fiscal year, the administrative division of the Oregon Department of Administrative Services that has primary responsibility for accounting for each general obligation bond program in which the bond principal and interest is ordinarily to be repaid, in whole or in part, from General Fund appropriations shall: (a) Certify to the Director of the Oregon Department of Administrative Services that the amounts available or that will become available during the current year from General Fund appropriations to defray program bond principal and interest that has accrued or will accrue during the current year are sufficient and will be sufficient to pay program bond principal and interest scheduled for payment during the current year; or (b) Certify to the Director of the Oregon Department of Administrative Services that the amounts available or that will become available during the current year from General Fund appropriations will not be sufficient to pay program bond principal and interest scheduled for payment during the current year. A certificate issued under this paragraph shall specify the amount of the anticipated current year deficit. (4)(a) For a general obligation bond program for which a property tax may be levied under the Oregon Constitution, if a deficit in funds available to pay principal and interest is certified and confirmed under subsection (2) or certified under subsection (3) of this section, the amount of the deficit, together with any deficit that is certified for any other general obligation bond program shall upon certification constitute a state tax levy on property that shall be apportioned among and charged to the several counties in that proportion which the total assessed value of all the taxable property in each county bears to the total assessed value of all the taxable property of the state as equalized. (b) If any agency fails to make the certification under subsection (2) or (3) of this section with respect to any general obligation bond fund program, the Oregon Department of Administrative Services shall determine the amount of revenue and other funds that are available and the amount of taxes, if any, that should be levied in addition to the revenues and funds, to pay bond principal and interest under the program for the fiscal year in question. The additional amount so determined shall thereupon constitute a state tax levy on property that shall be apportioned, certified, collected and distributed as if determined and certified as a deficit by the agency. The Oregon Department of Administrative Services shall charge the agency for cost recovery for time spent on that agency’s behalf. (5) Immediately after the department has determined the amount of a state tax levy on property in accordance with subsection (4) of this section, a certificate of levy, signed by the director of the department, shall be filed in the office of the department. If no state levy is required for the fiscal or tax year, a certificate so stating and signed by the director shall be filed in the office of the department. (6) If, for any reason, after the close of any regular session of the Legislative Assembly, it becomes necessary to reduce General Fund appropriations, General Fund appropriations for a debt service fund of a general obligation bond program described under subsection (3) of this section may not be reduced. (7)(a) For purposes of this section, state agencies that are authorized to finance projects or programs through the issuance of general obligation bonds ordinarily to be repaid from other than General Fund appropriations are those agencies that have outstanding general obligation bonds, the debt service on which is not the subject of a General Fund appropriation in the current biennium. (b) Each agency authorized to finance projects or programs through the issuance of general obligation bonds that are ordinarily to be repaid from other than General Fund appropriations shall determine the amount of revenues or other funds that are available and the amount of taxes, if any, that should be levied for the ensuing year in the manner required under rules adopted by the Oregon Department of Administrative Services and make the certification required under subsection (2) of this section. (8)(a) For purposes of this section, state agencies that are authorized to finance projects or programs through the issuance of general obligation bonds that are ordinarily to be repaid from General Fund appropriations are those agencies that have outstanding general obligation bonds, the debt service on which is the subject of a General Fund appropriation in the current biennium. (b) Each agency authorized to finance projects or programs through the issuance of general obligation bonds ordinarily to be repaid from General Fund appropriations shall furnish any data required by the Oregon Department of Administrative Services to determine the amount of revenues or other funds that are available and the amount of taxes, if any, that should be levied for the ensuing year and the administrative division of the Oregon Department of Administrative Services that has primary responsibility for accounting shall make the determination for purposes of the making of the certification required under subsection (3) of this section. [Formerly 291.344; 1999 c.59 §75; 2005 c.22 §214; 2005 c.625 §73; 2009 c.11 §36; 2011 c.545 §24; 2015 c.767 §10; 2015 c.828 §15; 2017 c.9 §22]