Montana Title 17. State Finance § 17-5-2102. Crossover refunding bonds authorized

(1) A public body authorized to issue refunding obligations may issue bonds pursuant to this part without regard to the limitations contained in any other law relating to:

(2) The proceeds of bonds, less any proceeds applied to payment of costs of issuance or refunding, must be deposited in a sinking fund account irrevocably appropriated to the payment of principal of and interest on the refunding obligations until the crossover date. The sinking fund account must be maintained as an escrow account with a suitable financial institution within or outside the state and amounts in it must be invested in securities that are direct obligations of the United States or on which the payment of the principal and interest is guaranteed by the United States. In the resolution authorizing the issuance of the bonds, the governing body may pledge to their payment any source of payment of the obligations to be refunded. In the case of general obligation bonds, property taxes must be levied and appropriated to the sinking fund account in the amounts needed, together with estimated investment income from money in the sinking fund account and any other revenue available upon discharge of the obligations to be refunded, to pay when due the principal of and interest on the bonds. Funds pledged to the credit of the sinking fund for the obligations to be refunded and not required on the crossover date for the payment of principal, premium, or interest on the obligations to be refunded may be appropriated by the public body to the sinking fund account for the bonds.

(3) The public body may pay the reasonable costs and expenses of issuing bonds and of establishing and maintaining the escrow account.

(4) On the crossover date, obligations that are refunded pursuant to this part are no longer considered outstanding for purposes of any debt limitation if the provisions of subsection (5) are met. Until the crossover date, the bonds do not count against any debt limitation if the provisions of subsection (5) are met. After the crossover date, the bonds must be considered outstanding for purposes of any debt limitation.

(5) The securities in the escrow account must mature or be callable at the option of the holder on the crossover date, bearing interest at a rate, and payable on the dates that are necessary to provide sufficient funds, in addition to any cash retained in the escrow account, to pay the following when due: