(1) “Department of transportation” means the Tennessee department of transportation and its successors;(2) “Eligible costs” means, as applied to a qualified project to be financed with federal funds, the costs that are permitted under applicable federal laws, requirements, procedures and guidelines. As applied to all other qualified projects, “eligible costs” includes the costs of preliminary engineering, traffic and revenue studies, environmental studies, right-of-way acquisition, legal and financial services associated with the development of the qualified project, construction, construction management, facilities and other costs necessary for the qualified project. “Eligible costs” also includes project monitoring costs incurred by the department of transportation, as provided in § 4-31-1205(d);(3)(A) “Eligible project” means:
(i) A transportation infrastructure project, including streets, highways, bridges, tunnels and any related roadway facilities;(ii) Intelligent transportation systems;(iii) Air transport and airport facilities;(iv) Railways and rail facilities;(v) Port facilities;(vi) Mass transit systems or transit capital projects;(vii) Parking facilities; and(viii) Pedestrian or bicycle facilities that provide public benefits by enhancing mobility or safety, promoting economic development or increasing the quality of life and general welfare of the public;(B) There may be included as part of any “eligible project” all improvements, including equipment, necessary to the full utilization of the project, including site preparation, roads and streets, sidewalks, water supply, outdoor lighting, belt line railroad sidings and lead tracks, bridges, causeways, terminals for railroad, automotive and air transportation, transportation facilities incidental to the project and the dredging and improving of harbors and waterways;(C) None of the descriptive words in subdivision (3)(B) shall be construed to constitute a limitation;(4) “Financing agreement” means any agreement entered into between the authority and a qualified borrower pertaining to a loan entered into under this part;(5) “Fund” means the Tennessee transportation state infrastructure fund;(6) “Government unit” means a county, incorporated town or city, metropolitan government, state agency, or instrumentality, authority or agency of government created by any one (1) or more of the listed entities or by an act of the general assembly, including combinations of two (2) or more of these entities, acting jointly to construct, own or operate a qualified project, or any other state authority, board, commission, agency or department that may construct, own or operate a qualified project;(7) “Loan” means an obligation subject to repayment that is provided by the fund to a qualified borrower for all or part of the eligible costs of a qualified project. A loan may be disbursed in anticipation of reimbursement for or direct payment of the eligible costs of a qualified project;(8) “Project revenues” or “revenues” mean all rates, rents, fees, assessments, charges and other receipts derived or to be derived by a qualified borrower from a qualified project or otherwise made available, including, but not limited to, tax revenues, and, as provided in the applicable financing agreement, derived from any system of which the qualified project is a part or from any other revenue producing facility under the ownership or control of the qualified borrower, including, without limitation, proceeds of grants, gifts, appropriations, investment earnings, proceeds of insurance or condemnation and proceeds from the sale or other disposition of property and from any other source as may be provided by the qualified borrower;(9) “Qualified borrower” means any governmental unit authorized to construct, operate, or own a qualified project;(10) “Qualified project” means an eligible project that has been recommended by the department of transportation to receive a loan from the fund to defray an eligible cost; and(11) “Security” means that which is determined by the authority to be acceptable to secure a loan to a qualified borrower under this part and includes, but is not limited to, project revenues, ad valorem taxes, state-shared taxes, letters of credit and bond insurance.
