Mississippi Code 1972 (2023) › Title 31 - PUBLIC BUSINESS, BONDS AND OBLIGATIONS (§§ 31-1-1 — 31-31-41) › Chapter 25 - MISSISSIPPI DEVELOPMENT BANK ACT (§§ 31-25-1 — 31-25-107) › Article 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS (§§ 31-25-1 — 31-25-55) › Section 31-25-19 - Powers and duties of Bank

(1)
In addition to the other powers granted to the bank under this act, the bank shall have the power:
(a)
To sue and be sued in its own name;
(b)
To have an official seal and to alter the same at pleasure;
(c)
To maintain an office at such place or places within this state as it may designate, by lease without the approval of any other state agency or department;
(d)
To adopt and, from time to time, to amend and repeal bylaws and rules and regulations, not inconsistent with this act, to carry into effect the powers and purposes of the bank and governing the conduct of its affairs and business and the use of its services and facilities;
(e)
To make, enter into and enforce all contracts or agreements necessary, convenient or desirable for the purposes of the bank or pertaining to any loan to a local governmental unit made by the purchase of municipal securities or to the performance of its duties and execution or carrying out of any of its other powers under this act;
(f)
To acquire, hold, use and dispose of its income, revenues, funds and monies;
(g)
To the extent that it will facilitate the conduct of its operations and thereby further the purposes of this act, to acquire real or other personal property, or any interest therein, on either a temporary or long-term basis in the name of the bank by gift, purchase, transfer, foreclosure, lease or otherwise, including rights or easements, hold, sell, assign, lease, encumber mortgage or otherwise dispose of any real or other personal property, or any interest therein or mortgage interest owned by it or under its control, custody or in its possession and release or relinquish any right, title, claim, lien, interest, easement or demand however acquired, including any equity or right of redemption in property foreclosed by it and to do any of the foregoing by public or private sale; and, to the same extent, to lease or rent any lands, buildings, structures, facilities or equipment from private parties;
(h)
To enter into agreements or other transactions with and accept the cooperation of the United States or any agency thereof or of the state or any agency or governmental subdivision thereof (including any local governmental unit whether or not such local governmental unit is selling or has sold its bonds to the bank) in furtherance of the purposes of this act and the corporate purposes of the bank, and to do any and all things necessary in order to avail itself of such cooperation;
(i)
To receive and accept grants, aid or contributions, including loan guarantees, from any source of money, materials, property, labor, supplies, services, program or other things of value, to be held, used and applied to carry out the purposes of this act subject to such conditions upon which such grants and contributions, including loan guarantees, may be made, including, but not limited to, gifts or grants, including loan guarantees, from any department or agency of the United States or of this state or of any governmental subdivision of this state (including any local governmental unit whether or not such local governmental unit is selling or has sold its bonds to the bank) for any purpose consistent with this act, and to do any and all things necessary, useful, desirable or convenient in connection with the procurement acceptance or disposition of such gifts or grants, including loan guarantees;
(j)
To procure insurance against any loss in connection with its property and other assets in such amounts and from insurers as it deems desirable, and to obtain from any department or agency of the United States of America or nongovernmental insurer any insurance or guaranty, to the extent now or hereafter available, as to, or of or for the payment or repayment of interest, principal or redemption price, if any, or all or any part thereof, on any bonds issued by the bank, or on any municipal securities of local governmental units purchased or held by the bank pursuant to this act; and notwithstanding any other provisions of this act to the contrary, to enter into any agreement or contract whatsoever with respect to any such insurance or guaranty, except to the extent that the same would in any way impair or interfere with the ability of the bank to perform and fulfill the terms of any agreement made with the holders of the bonds of the bank;
(k)
To employ administrative and clerical staff, managing agents, architects, engineers, attorneys, accountants, and financial advisors and experts and such other advisors, consultants, agents and employees as may be necessary in its judgment and to fix their compensation, and to perform its powers or functions through its officers, agents and employees or by contracts with any firm, person or corporation;
(l)
To the extent permitted under its contract with the holders of bonds of the bank, to consent to any modification of the rate of interest, time and payment of any installment of principal or interest, security or any other term of such bond, contract or agreement of any kind to which the bank is a party;
(m)
To purchase, hold or dispose of any of its bonds;
(n)
Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, to invest any funds or monies of the bank or proceeds of any securities or certificates of participation in such manner as shall be deemed by the bank to be prudent except as otherwise permitted or provided by this act;
(o)
To conduct examinations and hearings and to hear testimony and take proof, under oath or affirmation, at public or private hearings, on any matter material for its information and necessary to carry out this act;
(p)
To loan money to local governmental units by the purchase of municipal securities, subject to the provisions of this act;
(q)
To borrow money for any of its corporate purposes and to issue bonds therefor, subject to the provisions of this act;
(r)
To exercise any and all of the powers granted to the bank by any other section of this act and to do any act necessary or convenient to the exercise of the powers herein granted or reasonably implied therefrom;
(s)
To loan money to any local governmental unit under any loan guaranty program of any department or agency of the United States, including the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Utility Services Water and Waste Disposal Guaranteed Loan Program and Community Programs Guaranteed Loan Program or any such successor guaranty programs; and
(t)
Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, to contract with any local governmental unit for the exercise by the bank of any and all of the bank's powers as set out in this act, with respect to proceeds of such local governmental unit's securities or certificates of participation issued by such local governmental unit pursuant to any state law authorizing the issuance of local governmental unit debt.
(2)
Paragraphs (s) and (t) of subsection (1) of this section shall be deemed to provide all necessary authority for the doing of the things authorized thereby and shall be liberally construed to accomplish the purposes and the authorizations therein stated.
Laws, 1986, ch. 455, § 10; Laws, 2001, ch. 337, § 26; Laws, 2003, ch. 328, § 1, eff. 3/7/2003.