(a) The Commission is hereby authorized to fix and to collect fees, loan repayments, purchase price payments, rents and charges for the use of any health care facilities, and any part or section thereof, and to contract with any public or nonprofit agency for the use thereof. The Commission may require that the public or nonprofit agency shall operate, repair or maintain such facilities and shall bear the cost thereof and other costs of the Commission in connection therewith, subject to the provisions of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 131A-8 with respect to a public agency, as may be provided in the agreement of sale or lease or other contract with the Commission, in addition to other obligations imposed under such agreement or contract.

(b) The fees, purchase price payments, rents and charges shall be fixed so as to provide a fund sufficient, with such other funds as may be made available therefor, (i) to pay the costs of operating, repairing and maintaining the health care facilities, to the extent that adequate provision for the payment of such costs has not otherwise been provided for, (ii) to pay the principal of and the interest on all bonds or notes as the same shall become due and payable and (iii) to create and maintain any reserves provided for in the resolution authorizing the issuance of, or any trust agreement securing, such bonds; and such fees, purchase price payments, rents and charges may be applied or pledged to the payment of debt service on the bonds prior to the payment of the costs of operating, repairing and maintaining the health care facilities.

(c) All pledges of fees, loan repayments, purchase price payments, rents, charges and other revenues under the provisions of this Article shall be valid and binding from the time when such pledges are made. All such revenues so pledged and thereafter received by the Commission shall immediately be subject to the lien of such pledge without any physical delivery thereof or further act, and the lien of any such pledge shall be valid and binding as against all parties having claims of any kind in tort, contract or otherwise against the Commission, irrespective of whether such parties have notice thereof. The resolution or any trust agreement by which a pledge is created or any loan agreement, agreement of sale or lease need not be filed or recorded except in the records of the Commission.

(d) The State of North Carolina does pledge to and agree with the holders of any bonds or notes issued by the Commission that so long as any of such bonds or notes are outstanding and unpaid the State will not limit or alter the rights vested in the Commission at the time of issuance of the bonds or notes to fix, revise, charge, and collect or cause to be fixed, revised, charged and collected loan repayments, purchase price payments, rents, fees and charges for the use of or services rendered by any health care facilities in connection with which the bonds or notes were issued, so as to provide a fund sufficient, with such other funds as may be made available therefor, to pay the costs of operating, repairing and maintaining the health care facilities, to pay the principal of and the interest on all bonds and notes as the same shall become due and payable and to create and maintain any reserves provided therefor and to fulfill the terms of any agreements made with the bondholders or noteholders, nor will the State in any way impair the rights and remedies of the bondholders or noteholders until the bonds or notes and all costs and expenses in connection with any action or proceedings by or on behalf of the bondholders or noteholders, are fully paid, met and discharged. (1975, c. 766, s. 1; 1979, c. 54, s. 12; 2019-240, s. 27.1(a), (b).)