(a) Loans. The State may draw cash from the LOC when the SRF receives a request from a loan recipient, based on incurred costs, including prebuilding and building costs.

(b) Refinance or purchase of municipal debt.

(1) Cash draw for completed construction. Except as indicated in paragraph (b)(2) of this section, cash draws shall be made at a rate no greater than equal amounts over the maximum number of quarters that payments can be made, pursuant to §35.3155(c), and up to the portion of the LOC committed to the refinancing or purchase of the local debt. Cash draws for incurred building costs will generally be treated as refinanced costs.

(2) The State may immediately draw cash for up to five percent of each fiscal year's capitalization grant or two million dollars, whichever is greater, to refinance or purchase local debt.

(3) Projects or portions of projects not constructed. The State may draw cash based on incurred construction costs, as set forth in §35.3160(a).

(4) Incremental disbursement bonds. For the purchase of incremental disbursement bonds from local governments, cash draws will be based on a schedule that coincides with the rate at which construction related costs are expected to be incurred for the project.

(c) Purchase of insurance. The State may draw cash to purchase insurance as premiums are due.

(d) Guarantees and security for bonds.

(1) Cash draw in the event of default. In the event of an imminent default in debt service payments on the guaranteed/secured debt, the State can draw cash immediately up to the total amount of the LOC committed to the guarantee/security. If a balance remains in the guarantee portion of the LOC reserve after the default is covered, the State must negotiate a revised schedule for the remaining amount of the guarantee/security.

(2) Cash draw in the absence of default. (i) The State can draw cash up to the amount of the LOC dedicated for the guarantee or security in accordance with a schedule based on the national title II annual outlay rate (Yr 1: 7%; Yr 2: 35%; Yr 3: 26%; Yr 4: 20%; Yr 5: 12%), or actual construction cost. In the latter case, the amount of the cash draw would be the actual construction costs multiplied by the Federal share of the reserve multiplied by the ratio of the reserve to either the amount guaranteed or the proceeds of the bond issue.

(ii) In addition, in the case of a security the State can identify a group of projects whose value equals approximately the total of that portion of the LOC and the State match dedicated as a security. The State can then draw cash based on the incurred construction costs of the selected projects only, multiplied by the ratio of the Federal portion of the security to the entire security.

(3) Aggressive leveraging exception. Where the cash draw rules discussed in §35.3160(d) would significantly frustrate a State's program, the Agency may permit an exception to these cash draw rules and provide for a more accelerated cash draw, where the State can demonstrate that:

(i) There are eligible projects ready to proceed in the immediate future with enough costs to justify the amount of the secured bond issue;

(ii) The absence of cash on an accelerated basis will substantially delay these projects;

(iii) If accelerated cash draws are allowed, the SRF will provide substantially more assistance; and

(iv) The long term viability of the State program to meet water quality needs will be protected.

(4) Cash draw limitation. When the LOC is used for securing State issued bonds, cash draws cannot be made at a rate greater than equal amounts over the maximum number of quarters that payments can be made, pursuant to §35.3155(c). Exceptions to this limitation are in cases of default (see §35.3160(d)(1)) and where cash draws are based on construction costs for all projects, as in §35.3160(d)(2)(i).

(e) Administrative expenses—(1) Payments. One payment will be made at the time of the grant, based on the portion of the LOC estimated to be used for administrative expenses.

(2) Cash draw. The State can draw cash based on a schedule that coincides with the rate at which administrative expenses will be incurred, up to that portion of the LOC dedicated to administrative expenses.

(f) Withholding payments. If a State fails to take corrective action in accordance with section 605 of the Act, the Agency shall withhold payments to the SRF. Once a payment has been made by the Agency, that payment and cash draws from that payment will not be subject to withholding because of a State's failure to take corrective action.