Sec. 23. (a) As an alternative to making loans or providing other financial assistance to participants, the authority may use the money in either fund to provide a leveraged loan program and other financial assistance programs allowed by the federal Clean Water Act or the federal Safe Drinking Water Act to or for the benefit of participants, including using money in the wastewater SRF fund or drinking water SRF fund to enhance the obligations of participants issued for the purposes of this chapter by:

(1) granting money to:

(A) be deposited in:

(i) a capital fund or reserve fund established under IC 5-1.2-4 or another statute or a trust agreement or indenture as contemplated by this chapter; or

(ii) an account established within a fund described in item (i); or

(B) provide interest subsidies;

(2) paying bond insurance premiums, reserve insurance premiums, or credit enhancement, liquidity support, remarketing, or conversion fees, or other similar fees or costs for obligations of a participant or for bonds issued by the authority, if credit market access is improved or interest rates are reduced; or

(3) guaranteeing all or a part of obligations issued by participants or bonds issued by the authority.

     (b) A guarantee of obligations or bonds under subsection (a)(3) must be limited to money in the wastewater SRF fund or drinking water SRF fund and the supplemental fund. A guarantee under subsection (a)(3) does not create a liability or indebtedness of the state.

As added by P.L.189-2018, SEC.25.