CHAPTER 496B
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS

  496B.1  Title of Act.
  This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Iowa Economic Development Act”.
[C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §496B.1]

  496B.2  Definitions.
  As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires, the term:
  1.  “Authority” means the economic development authority created in section 15.105, or any entity which succeeds to the functions of the authority.
  2.  “Board of directors” means members of the board of directors of a development corporation constituted under section 496B.13 in office from time to time.
  3.  “Development corporation” means any corporation organized pursuant to this chapter and for the purpose of developing businesses, industries, and enterprises in the state of Iowa by the loaning of money thereto and investing money therein, and otherwise organizing for the purposes in section 496B.5.
  4.  “Financial institution” means any bank, trust company, savings association, insurance company or related corporation, partnership, foundation or other institution licensed to do business in the state of Iowa and engaged primarily in lending or investing funds.
  5.  “Loan limit” means, for any member, the maximum amount permitted to be outstanding at any one time on loans made by any such member to a development corporation, as determined herein.
  6.  “Member” means any financial institution which shall undertake to lend money to a development corporation upon its call and in accordance with the provision of section 496B.9.
[C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §496B.2]
2011 Acts, ch 118, §82, 83, 89; 2012 Acts, ch 1017, §96

Subsection 4 amended

  496B.3  Authorized corporations.
  There is hereby authorized to be incorporated under the Iowa business corporation Act, chapter 490, development corporations which meet and comply with the requirements of this chapter. Such corporations shall be subject to and have the powers and privileges conferred by the provisions of this chapter and those provisions of the Iowa business corporation Act, chapter 490, which are not inconsistent with and to the extent not restricted or limited by the provisions of this chapter. No corporation shall be deemed incorporated pursuant to and under the provisions of this chapter unless the same is approved by the authority and unless its articles of incorporation provide that it is incorporated pursuant to this chapter. To assure a broad base from which development corporations may obtain loans from members, the authority at its discretion may limit the number of development corporations organized and existing pursuant to this chapter to one or more such corporations.
[C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §496B.3]
2001 Acts, ch 24, §63; 2011 Acts, ch 118, §85, 89

  496B.4  Offices.
  A development corporation may have offices in such places within the state of Iowa as may be fixed by the board of directors.
[C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §496B.4]

  496B.5  Purposes.
  The purposes of a development corporation shall be limited to those provided in this section and shall be to promote, stimulate, develop and advance the business prosperity and economic welfare of the state of Iowa and its citizens; to encourage and assist through loans, investments, or other business transactions, the location of new business and industry in the state; to rehabilitate and assist existing business and industry in this state; to stimulate and assist in the expansion of any kind of business activity which would tend to promote business development and maintain the economic stability of this state, provide maximum opportunities for employment, encourage thrift, and improve the standard of living of the citizens of this state; to cooperate and act in conjunction with other organizations, public or private, in the promotion and advancement of industrial, commercial, agricultural, and recreational development in this state; and to provide financing for the promotion, development, and conduct of all kinds of business activity in this state.
[C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §496B.5]

  496B.6  Powers.
  Any development corporation shall, subject to the restrictions and limits herein contained, have the following powers:
  1.  To make contracts and incur liabilities for any of the purposes of the development corporation; provided that no development corporation shall incur any secondary liability by way of guaranty or endorsement of the obligations of any person, firm, corporation, joint stock company, association, or trust, or in any other manner.
  2.  To borrow money either from its members or pursuant to lending arrangements entered into under the authority granted in subsection 7 of this section, or both from its members and pursuant to said lending arrangements, and to issue therefor its bonds, debentures, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness, whether secured or unsecured, and when necessary to secure the same by mortgage, pledge, deed of trust, or other lien on its property, franchises, rights, and privileges of every kind and nature, or any part thereof or interest therein, without securing shareholder or member approval; provided, that no loan to a development corporation shall be secured in any manner unless all outstanding loans to such corporation, and for which loan or loans no subordination agreement has been entered into between the respective loan maker and the development corporation, shall be secured equally and ratably in proportion to the unpaid balance of such loans and in the same manner.
  3.  To make loans to any person, firm, corporation, joint stock company, association, or trust and to establish and regulate the terms and conditions with respect to any such loans, and the charges for interest and service connected therewith.
  4.  To acquire the goodwill, business, rights, real and personal property, and other assets, or any part thereof, or interest therein, of any persons, firms, corporations, associations, or trusts, and to assume, undertake, or pay the obligations, debts, and liabilities of any such person, firm, corporation, association, or trust; to acquire, construct or reconstruct, alter, repair, maintain, operate, sell, convey, transfer, lease, or otherwise dispose of industrial plants and business establishments.
  5.  To cooperate with and avail itself of the facilities of the authority and to cooperate with and assist and otherwise encourage organizations in the various communities of the state of Iowa in the promotion, assistance, and development of business prosperity and economic welfare of such communities or of this state or any part thereof.
  6.  To do all acts and things necessary or convenient to carry out the powers expressly granted in this chapter and such other powers not in conflict herewith granted under the Iowa business corporation Act, chapter 490.
  7.  To enter into lending arrangements with state and federal agencies or instrumentalities whereby the development corporation may participate in lending operations or secure guarantees or qualify under applicable laws to further state or federal lending programs by becoming a participant therein.
[C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §496B.6]
2001 Acts, ch 24, §64; 2011 Acts, ch 118, §85, 89

  496B.7  Stock — limitations.
  Capital stock shall be issued only on receipt by each development corporation of cash in such amount not less than the par value thereof as may be determined by the board of directors. No shareholder of any development corporation shall be entitled as of right to purchase or subscribe for any unissued or treasury shares of the corporation, and no such shareholder shall be entitled as of right to purchase or subscribe for any bonds, notes, certificates of indebtedness, debentures, or other obligations convertible into shares of the development corporation.
[C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §496B.7]

  496B.8  Stockholders’ privileges.
  Notwithstanding any rule at common law or any provision of any general or special law or any provision in their respective articles of incorporation, agreements of association, or trust indentures:
  1.  Any person, as defined in the Iowa business corporation Act, chapter 490, is hereby authorized to acquire, purchase, hold, sell, assign, transfer, mortgage, pledge, or otherwise dispose of any bond, security or other evidences of indebtedness created by, or the shares of the capital stock of, development corporations, and while owners of said shares to exercise all the rights, powers and privileges of ownership, including the right to vote thereon, all without the approval of any regulatory agency of this state.
  2.  Any financial institution is hereby authorized to become a member of a development corporation and to make loans to such corporation.
  3.  Any financial institution which does not become a member of a development corporation shall not be permitted to acquire any shares of the capital stock of such development corporation.
  4.  Each financial institution which becomes a member of a development corporation is hereby authorized to acquire, purchase, hold, sell, assign, mortgage, pledge, or otherwise dispose of any bonds, securities or other evidences of indebtedness created by, or the shares of the capital stock of, the development corporation of which it is a member, and while owners of such shares to exercise all rights, powers and privileges of ownership, including the right to vote thereon, all without the approval of any regulatory agency of this state; provided that the amount of the capital stock of any development corporation which may be acquired by any member pursuant to the authority granted herein shall not exceed ten percent of the loan limit of such member. The amount of capital stock of a development corporation which any member is authorized to acquire pursuant to the authority granted herein is in addition to the amount of capital stock in other corporations which such member may otherwise be authorized to acquire.
[C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §496B.8]
89 Acts, ch 180, §2; 2001 Acts, ch 24, §64

  496B.9  Loan procedures.
  A financial institution may request membership in a development corporation by making application to the board of directors thereof on such form and in such manner as such board of directors may require, and membership shall become effective upon acceptance of such application by said board. Each member of any development corporation shall make loans to such development corporation as and when called upon by that corporation to do so on such terms and conditions as shall be approved from time to time by the board of directors subject to the following:
  1.  All loan limits shall be established at the thousand dollar amount nearest the amount computed in accordance with the provisions of this section.
  2.  No loan to a development corporation shall be made if immediately thereafter the total amount of the obligations of the development corporation calling for the loan would exceed ten times the amount then paid in on the outstanding capital stock of such corporation.
  3.  The total amount outstanding at any one time on loans to a development corporation made by a member thereof when added to the amount of the investment in the capital stock of such corporation and held by such member, shall not exceed the lesser of:
  a.  Twenty percent of the total amount then outstanding on loans to such development corporation by all members thereof, including in said total amount outstanding amounts validly called for loan but not yet loaned.
  b.  (1)  The limit, to be determined as of the time such member becomes a member, on the basis of the audited balance sheet of such member at the close of its fiscal year immediately preceding its application for membership, as follows:
  (a)  Banks and trust companies — two percent of the paid-in capital, surplus, and undivided profits.
  (b)  Stock life insurance companies — one percent of capital and unassigned surplus.
  (c)  Mutual life insurance companies — one percent of the unassigned surplus.
  (d)  All other insurance companies — one-tenth of one percent of the assets.
  (e)  Other financial institutions — such limits as may be approved by the board of directors of the development corporation.
  (2)  Provided that the lending limit of any one member shall not exceed two hundred fifty thousand dollars.
  4.  Each call for loan shall be prorated among the members in substantially the same proportion that the adjusted loan limit of each member bears to the aggregate of the adjusted loan limits of all members. The adjusted loan limit of a member shall be the amount of such member’s loan limit, reduced by the balance of outstanding obligations of the corporation to such member and the investment in capital stock of the corporation held by such member at the time of such call.
  5.  All loans to a development corporation by a member shall be evidenced by registered bonds, debentures, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness of the development corporation, which shall be freely transferable by the registered holder thereof on the books of the corporation.
[C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §496B.9]
2012 Acts, ch 1017, §97; 2012 Acts, ch 1023, §157

See Code editor’s note on simple harmonization at the end of Vol VI
Subsection 3, paragraph b amended

  496B.10  Duration of membership.
  Membership in any development corporation shall be for the duration of the respective development corporation; provided, however, that upon written notice given to the development corporation five years in advance a member thereof may withdraw from membership in such corporation at the expiration date of such notice. Provided that a financial institution may at any time withdraw from membership without such notice in the event of its merger with another financial institution, after commencement of proceedings for voluntary or involuntary dissolution, receivership, or reorganization pursuant to or by operation of federal or state law or in the event of conversion from a state financial institution to a federal financial institution or the reverse. If there shall be a legislative amendment of this chapter affecting the rights and obligations of the members and shareholders or otherwise affecting the articles of incorporation of such corporation which shall not have been approved by the members and shareholders within the time set forth and in the manner provided in this chapter, any member not approving such amendment may immediately withdraw from membership upon giving written notice to the corporation not later than ninety days from the effective date of the amendment. A member shall not be obligated to make any loans to a development corporation pursuant to calls made subsequent to the withdrawal of said member therefrom.
[C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §496B.10]

  496B.11  Powers of shareholders.
  The shareholders and the members of the development corporation shall have the following powers of such corporation:
  1.  Those powers granted in the Iowa business corporation Act, chapter 490, which are not inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter.
  2.  To determine the number and elect directors as provided herein.
  3.  To amend the articles of incorporation as provided herein.
  4.  To dissolve the corporation as provided herein.
  5.  To exercise such other of the powers of the corporation as may be conferred on the shareholders and the members by the bylaws. As to all matters requiring action by the shareholders and the members of the corporation, such shareholders and such members shall vote separately thereon by classes and, except as may be otherwise herein provided, approval of such matters shall require the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes to which the shareholders present or represented at the meeting are entitled, and the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes to which the members present or represented at the meeting are entitled. Each shareholder shall have one vote, in person or by proxy, for each share of capital stock held by the shareholder, and each member shall have one vote, in person or by proxy, except that any member having a loan limit of more than one thousand dollars shall have one additional vote, in person or by proxy, for each additional one thousand dollars which such member is authorized to have outstanding on loans to the corporation at any one time as determined herein.
[C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §496B.11]
2001 Acts, ch 24, §62

  496B.12  Articles amended.
  1.  The articles of incorporation of any development corporation may be amended by the votes of the shareholders and the members thereof voting separately by classes.
  2.  Any amendment shall require approval by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the votes to which the shareholders shall be entitled and two-thirds of the votes to which the members shall be entitled. No amendment, however, shall be made which:  
  a.   Is inconsistent with this chapter. 
  b.   Authorizes any additional class or classes of shares of capital stock. 
  c.   Eliminates or curtails the authority of the authority with respect to the corporation.
  3.  Without the consent of each of the members affected, no amendment shall be made which does any of the following:  
  a.   Increases the obligation of a member to make loans to the corporation. 
  b.   Makes any change in the principal amount, interest rate, maturity date, or in the security or credit position of any outstanding loan of a member to the corporation. 
  c.   Affects a member’s right to withdraw from membership, as provided herein. 
  d.   Affects a member’s voting rights in the corporation.
  4.  Within thirty days after any meeting at which amendment of any such articles has been adopted, articles of amendment signed and sworn to by the president, secretary, and majority of the directors, setting forth such amendment and the due adoption thereof, shall be submitted to the director of the authority who shall examine them, and if the director finds that they conform to the requirements of this chapter, shall so certify and endorse the director’s approval thereof. Thereupon, the articles of amendment shall be filed in the office of the secretary of state in the manner set forth and as provided in the Iowa business corporation Act, chapter 490, and no such amendment shall take effect until such articles of amendment shall have been approved and filed as aforesaid.
  5.  Within sixty days after the effective date of any legislative amendment affecting the rights and obligations of the members and shareholders or otherwise affecting the articles of incorporation, the approval of such legislative amendments shall be voted on by the shareholders and the members of the development corporation at a meeting duly called for that purpose. If such legislative amendment is not approved by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the votes to which such shareholders shall be entitled and two-thirds of the votes to which such members shall be entitled, any such member voting against the approval of such legislative amendment shall have the right to withdraw from membership as provided in this chapter.
  6.  Within thirty days after any meeting at which a legislative amendment affecting the articles of incorporation of a development corporation has been voted on, a certificate filed and sworn to by the secretary or other recording officer of such corporation setting forth the action taken at such meeting with respect to such amendment shall be submitted to the director of the authority and upon receipt of such approval shall be filed in the office of the secretary of state.
[C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §496B.12]
2001 Acts, ch 24, §62; 2011 Acts, ch 118, §85, 89; 2012 Acts, ch 1021, §95
Section amended

  496B.13  Board of directors.
  The board of directors shall consist of such number not less than fifteen as shall be determined in the first instance by the incorporators and thereafter annually by the members and the shareholders at each annual meeting or at any special meeting held in lieu of the annual meeting. At each annual meeting or at any special meeting held in lieu of the annual meeting, the members of each corporation shall elect two-thirds of the board of directors and the shareholders shall elect the remaining directors. The directors shall hold office until the next annual meeting of the corporation or special meeting held in lieu of the annual meeting after their election, and until their successors are elected and qualify unless sooner removed in accordance with the provisions of the bylaws. Any vacancy in the office of a director elected by the members shall be filled by the directors elected by the members, and any vacancy in the office of a director elected by the shareholders shall be filled by the directors elected by the shareholders.
  Notwithstanding any provisions of law to the contrary, officers and directors of insurance companies and other financial institutions may be members of the board of directors of any corporation organized for the purposes of this chapter to which the insurance company or other financial institution may make a loan or may make an investment.
[C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §496B.13]

  496B.14  Earned surplus set aside.
  Each year each development corporation shall set apart as earned surplus not less than ten percent of its net earnings for the preceding fiscal year until such surplus shall be equal in value to one-half of the amount paid in on the capital stock then outstanding. Whenever the amount of surplus established herein shall become impaired, it shall be built up again to the required amount in the manner provided for its original accumulation. Net earnings and surplus shall be determined by the board of directors, after providing for such reserves as said directors deem desirable, and the directors’ determination made in good faith shall be conclusive on all persons.
[C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §496B.14]

  496B.15  Deposit of funds.
  No development corporation shall deposit any of its funds in any financial institution unless such institution has been designated as a depository by a vote of a majority of the directors present at any authorized meeting of the board of directors exclusive of any director who is an officer or director of the depository so designated. No development corporation shall receive money on deposit.
[C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §496B.15]
  496B.16  Reports to department of economic development.  Repealed by 2006 Acts, ch 1100, §  7. 

  496B.17  Certificate to do business.
  Upon the approval of the authority as required in this chapter and the issuance of a certificate as provided in the Iowa business corporation Act, chapter 490, a development corporation shall then be authorized to commence business and to issue stock thereof to the extent authorized in its articles of incorporation.
[C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §496B.17]
2001 Acts, ch 24, §64; 2011 Acts, ch 118, §85, 89
  496B.18  Repealed by 79 Acts, ch 120, §  18. 

  496B.19  Dissolution.
  A development corporation may be dissolved upon the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the votes to which the shareholders thereof shall be entitled and two-thirds of the votes to which the members shall be entitled. Upon any dissolution of a development corporation, none of the corporation’s assets shall be distributed to the shareholders until all sums due the members of the corporation as creditors thereof have been paid in full.
[C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §496B.19]

  496B.20  State credit not available.
  Under no circumstances is the credit of the state of Iowa pledged herein.
[C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §496B.20]