(1) "Bank" means the South Carolina Transportation Infrastructure Bank.

(2) "Board" means the board of directors of the bank.

(3) "Bonds" means bonds, notes, or other evidence of indebtedness except as otherwise provided in Article 3 of this chapter.

(4) "Department of Transportation" means the South Carolina Department of Transportation and its successors.

(5) "Eligible cost" means as applied to a qualified project to be financed from the federal accounts, the costs that are permitted under applicable federal laws, requirements, procedures, and guidelines in regard to establishing, operating, and providing assistance from the bank. As applied to a qualified project to be financed from the state highway account, these costs include 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. As applied to any qualified project to be financed from the state transit account, eligible project costs are limited to capital expenditures for transit equipment and facilities.

(6) "Eligible project" means a highway, including bridges, or transit project which provides public benefits by either enhancing mobility and safety, promoting economic development, or increasing the quality of life and general welfare of the public. "Eligible project" also includes mass transit including, but not limited to, monorail and monobeam mass transit systems.

(7) "Federal accounts" means collectively, the separate account for federal highway funds and federal transit funds.

(8) "Financing agreement" means any agreement entered into between the bank and a qualified borrower pertaining to a loan or other financial assistance. This agreement may contain, in addition to financial terms, provisions relating to the regulation and supervision of a qualified project, or other provisions as the board may determine. The term "financing agreement" includes, without limitation, a loan agreement, trust indenture, security agreement, reimbursement agreement, guarantee agreement, bond or note, ordinance or resolution, or similar instrument.

(9) "Government unit" means a municipal corporation, county, special purpose district, special service district, commissioners of public works, or another public body, instrumentality or agency of the State including combinations of two or more of these entities acting jointly to construct, own, or operate a qualified project, and any other state or local authority, board, commission, agency, department, or other political subdivision created by the General Assembly or pursuant to the Constitution and laws of this State which may construct, own, or operate a qualified project.

(10) "Loan" means an obligation subject to repayment which is provided by the bank to a qualified borrower for all or a part of the eligible cost of a qualified project. A loan may be disbursed in anticipation of reimbursement for or direct payment of eligible costs of a qualified project.

(11) "Loan obligation" means a bond, note, or other evidence of an obligation issued by a qualified borrower.

(12) "Other financial assistance" means, but is not limited to, grants, contributions, credit enhancement, capital or debt reserves for bonds or debt instrument financing, interest rate subsidies, provision of letters of credit and credit instruments, provision of bond or other debt financing instrument security, and other lawful forms of financing and methods of leveraging funds that are approved by the board, and in the case of federal funds, as allowed by federal law.

(13) "Private entity" means a private person or entity that has entered into a contract with a government unit to design, finance, construct, and operate a highway, bridge, tunnel, or approach that is within the jurisdiction of the government unit that is responsible for complying with applicable federal requirements.

(14) "Project revenues" means all rates, rents, fees, assessments, charges, and other receipts derived or to be derived by a qualified borrower from a qualified project or made available from a special source, and, as provided in the applicable financing agreement, derived from any system of which the qualified project is a part of, from any other revenue producing facility under the ownership or control of the qualified borrower including, without limitation, proceeds of grants, gifts, appropriations and loans, including the proceeds of loans made by the bank, investment earnings, reserves for capital and current expenses, proceeds of insurance or condemnation and proceeds from the sale or other disposition of property and from any other special source as may be provided by the qualified borrower.

(15) "Qualified borrower" means any government unit or private entity which is authorized to construct, operate, or own a qualified project.

(16) "Qualified project" means an eligible project which has been selected by the bank to receive a loan or other financial assistance from the bank to defray an eligible cost.

(17) "Revenues" means, when used with respect to the bank, any receipts, fees, income, or other payments received or to be received by the bank including, without limitation, receipts and other payments deposited in the bank and investment earnings on its funds and accounts.

(18) "State accounts" means, collectively, the separate account for state highway funds and state transit funds.