20 ILCS 3501/830-35 — Illinois Code / Chapter 20 / Act 3501 / Section 830-35
Section 830-35
Status: in_force

(20 ILCS 3501/830-35) Sec. 830-35. State Guarantees for loans to farmers and agribusiness; eligibility. (a) The Authority is authorized to issue State Guarantees to lenders for loans to eligible farmers and agribusinesses for purposes set forth in this Section. For purposes of this Section, an eligible farmer shall be a resident of Illinois (i) who is principal operator of a farm or land, at least 50% of whose annual gross income is derived from farming, (ii) whose annual total sales of agricultural products, commodities, or livestock exceeds $20,000, and (iii) whose net worth does not exceed $500,000. An eligible agribusiness shall be that as defined in Section 801-10 of this Act. The Authority may approve applications by farmers and agribusinesses that promote diversification of the farm economy of this State through the growth and development of new crops or livestock not customarily grown or produced in this State or that emphasize a vertical integration of grain or livestock produced or raised in this State into a finished agricultural product for consumption or use. "New crops or livestock not customarily grown or produced in this State" shall not include corn, soybeans, wheat, swine, or beef or dairy cattle. "Vertical integration of grain or livestock produced or raised in this State" shall include any new or existing grain or livestock grown or produced in this State. Lenders shall apply for the State Guarantees on forms provided by the Authority, certify that the application and any other documents submitted are true and correct, and pay an administrative fee as determined by the Authority. The applicant shall be responsible for paying any fees or charges involved in recording mortgages, releases, financing statements, insurance for secondary market issues and any other similar fees or charges as the Authority may require. The application shall at a minimum contain the farmer's or agribusiness' name, address, present credit and financial information, including cash flow statements, financial statements, balance sheets, and any other information pertinent to the application, and the collateral to be used to secure the State Guarantee. In addition, the lender must agree to charge an interest rate, which may vary, on the loan that the Authority determines to be below the market rate of interest generally available to the borrower. If both the lender and applicant agree, the interest rate on the State Guarantee Loan can be converted to a fixed interest rate at any time during the term of the loan. Any State Guarantees provided under this Section (i) shall not exceed $500,000 per farmer or an amount as determined by the Authority on a case-by-case basis for an agribusiness, (ii) shall not exceed a term of 15 years, and (iii) shall be subject to an annual review and renewal by the lender and the Authority; provided that only one such State Guarantee shall be made per farmer or agribusiness, except that additional State Guarantees may be made for purposes of expansion of projects financed in part by a previously issued State Guarantee. No State Guarantee shall be revoked by the Authority without a 90-day notice, in writing, to all parties. The lender shall not call due any loan for any reason except for lack of performance, insufficient collateral, or maturity. A lender may review and withdraw or continue with a State Guarantee on an annual basis after the first 5 years following closing of the loan application if the loan contract provides for an interest rate that shall not vary. A lender shall not withdraw a State Guarantee if the loan contract provides for an interest rate that may vary, except for reasons set forth herein. (b) The Authority shall provide or renew a State Guarantee to a lender if: (i) A fee equal to 25 basis points on the loan is paid to the Authority on an annual