Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. Authorization of bonds to provide for the State's 7 public universities and the Maine Maritime Academy. The Treasurer of State is authorized, under the direction of the Governor, to issue bonds in the name and on behalf of the State in an amount not exceeding $65,200,000 to raise funds for the State's 7 public universities and the Maine Maritime Academy as authorized by section 6. The bonds are a pledge of the full faith and credit of the State. The bonds may not run for a period longer than 10 years from the date of the original issue of the bonds. At the discretion of the Treasurer of State, with the approval of the Governor, any issuance of bonds may contain a call feature.

Sec. 2. Records of bonds issued to be kept by the Treasurer of State. The Treasurer of State shall keep an account of each bond showing the number of the bond, the name of the successful bidder to whom sold, the amount received for the bond, the date of sale and the date when payable.

Sec. 3. Sale; how negotiated; proceeds appropriated. The Treasurer of State may negotiate the sale of the bonds by direction of the Governor, but no bond may be loaned, pledged or hypothecated on behalf of the State. The proceeds of the sale of the bonds, which must be held by the Treasurer of State and paid by the Treasurer of State upon warrants drawn by the State Controller, are appropriated solely for the purposes set forth in this Act. Proceeds may be released to the State's 7 public universities and the Maine Maritime Academy only upon receipt by the Treasurer of State of evidence satisfactory to the Treasurer that the State's 7 public universities and the Maine Maritime Academy have complied with any requirement to establish and fund a maintenance account for office, laboratory or other building space to be constructed with the proceeds. Any unencumbered balances remaining at the completion of the projects in section 6 lapse to the debt service account established for the retirement of these bonds.

Sec. 4. Interest and debt retirement. The Treasurer of State shall pay interest due or accruing on any bonds issued under this Act and all sums coming due for payment of bonds at maturity.