17-6-308. Authorized investments. (1) Except as provided in subsections (2) through (8) of this section and subject to the provisions of 17-6-201, the Montana permanent coal tax trust fund must be invested as authorized by rules adopted by the board.

(2) The board may make loans from the permanent coal tax trust fund to the capital reserve account created pursuant to 17-5-1515 to establish balances or restore deficiencies in the account. The board may agree in connection with the issuance of bonds or notes secured by the account or fund to make the loans. Loans must be on terms and conditions determined by the board and must be repaid from revenue realized from the exercise of the board's powers under 17-5-1501 through 17-5-1518 and 17-5-1521 through 17-5-1529, subject to the prior pledge of the revenue to the bonds and notes.

(3) The board shall manage the seed capital and research and development loan portfolios created by the former Montana board of science and technology development. The board shall establish an appropriate repayment schedule for all outstanding research and development loans made to the university system. The board is the successor in interest to all agreements, contracts, loans, notes, or other instruments entered into by the Montana board of science and technology development as part of the seed capital and research and development loan portfolios, except agreements, contracts, loans, notes, or other instruments funded with coal tax permanent trust funds. The board shall administer the agreements, contracts, loans, notes, or other instruments funded with coal tax permanent trust funds. As loans made by the former Montana board of science and technology development are repaid, the board shall deposit the proceeds or loans made from the coal severance tax trust fund in the coal severance tax permanent fund until all investments are paid back with 7% interest.

(4) The board shall allow the Montana facility finance authority to administer $15 million of the permanent coal tax trust fund for capital projects. Until the authority makes a loan pursuant to the provisions of Title 90, chapter 7, the funds under its administration must be invested by the board pursuant to the provisions of 17-6-201. As loans for capital projects made pursuant to this subsection are repaid, the principal and interest payments on the loans must be deposited in the coal severance tax permanent fund until all principal and interest have been repaid. The board and the authority shall calculate the amount of the interest charge. Individual loan amounts may not exceed 10% of the amount administered under this subsection.

(5) The board shall allow the board of housing to administer $50 million of the permanent coal tax trust fund for the purposes of the Montana veterans' home loan mortgage program provided for in Title 90, chapter 6, part 6.

(6) The board shall allow the board of housing to administer $15 million of the permanent coal tax trust fund for the purpose of providing loans for the development and preservation of homes and apartments to assist low-income and moderate-income persons with meeting their basic housing needs pursuant to 90-6-137.

(7) (a) Subject to subsections (7)(b) and (7)(c), the board may make working capital loans from the permanent coal tax trust fund to an owner of a coal-fired generating unit.

(b) Loans may be provided in accordance with subsection (7)(a) to an owner to finance:

(i) the everyday operations and required maintenance of a coal-fired generating unit of which an owner has a shared interest;

(ii) the purchase of an additional interest in a coal-fired generating unit of which an owner has a shared interest;

(iii) the purchase of coal to use at a coal-fired generating unit or improvements necessary to utilize coal from a different source at a coal-fired generating unit. When considering loan requests made under this subsection (7)(b)(iii), the board shall give preference to requests that allow for utilization of coal resources located in Montana or allow for improvements to utilize coal resources located in Montana that are determined to be economically feasible.

(iv) the purchase of electric transmission lines and associated facilities of a design capacity of 500 kilovolts or more primarily used to transmit electricity generated by a coal-fired resource; or

(v) any combination of subsections (7)(b)(i) through (7)(b)(iv).

(c) The board may charge a working capital loan application fee of up to $500.

(8) The board may make loans from the permanent coal tax trust fund to a city, town, county, or consolidated city-county government impacted by the closure of a coal-fired generating unit to secure and maintain existing infrastructure.

(9) The board shall adopt rules to allow a nonprofit corporation to apply for economic assistance. The rules must recognize that different criteria may be needed for nonprofit corporations than for for-profit corporations.

(10) All repayments of proceeds pursuant to subsection (3) of investments made from the coal severance tax trust fund must be deposited in the coal severance tax permanent fund.