SECTION 3. INTERIM GUIDANCE

AND RELIANCE

.01 GENERALLY

Pending the promulgation and effective date of future administrative or regulatory guidance, taxpayers may rely on the interim guidance provided in this notice and, to the extent not inconsistent with this

tive for obligations issued after October 3, 2008. The Act amended § 54A(d)(1) to provide that the term qualified tax credit bond (“QTCB”) means, in part, a qualified zone academy bond which is part of an issue that meets the requirements of §§ 54A(d)(2), (3), (4), (5), and (6) regarding expenditures of bond proceeds, information reporting, arbitrage, maturity limitations, and prohibitions against financial conflicts of interest. The Act also amended § 54A(d)(2)(C) to provide that, for purposes of § 54A(d)(2), the term “qualified purpose” for a QZAB means a purpose specified in § 54E(a)(1), described below.

The Act added § 54E(c)(1) to provide a national zone academy bond limitation authorization for QZABs of $400 million for each of calendar years 2008 and 2009. In addition, section 1522 of Title I of Division B of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Pub. L. No. 111–5, 123 Stat. 115 (2009) (“2009 Act”) further amended § 54E(c)(1) to provide an increased national zone academy bond limitation authorization for QZABs of $1.4 billion for each of calendar years 2009 and 2010.

.02 QUALIFIED ZONE ACADEMY BOND UNDER § 54E

Section 54E(d) defines “qualified zone academy” as any public school (or academic program within a public school) which is established by and operated under the supervision of an eligible local education agency to provide education or training below the postsecondary level provided: (A) the public school or program is designed in cooperation with business to enhance the academic curriculum, increase graduation and employment rates and prepare students for college and the workforce; (B) students will be subject to the same academic standards and assessments as other students educated by the eligible local education agency; (C) the comprehensive education plan is approved by the eligible local education agency; and (D)(i) such public school is located in an empowerment zone or enterprise community including such designated after October 3, 2008; or (ii) there is a reasonable expectation (as of the date of bond issuance) that at least 35 percent of the students will be eligible for free or reduced cost lunches under the school

lunch program established under the National School Lunch Act.

Section 54E(a) provides that a “qualified zone academy bond” or QZAB means any bond issued as part of an issue if: (1) 100 percent of the available project proceeds of such issue are to be used for a qualified purpose with respect to a qualified zone academy established by an eligible local education agency; (2) the bond is issued by a State or local government within the jurisdiction of which such academy is located, and (3) the issuer: (A) designates such bond for purposes of this section; (B) certifies that it has written assurances that the private business contribution requirement of § 54E(b) will be met; and, (C) certifies that it has the written approval of the eligible local education agency for such bond issuance.

Section 54E(d)(3) provides that a qualified purpose with respect to each academy means: (A) rehabilitating or repairing the public school facility; (B) providing equipment; (C) developing course materials; and, (D) training teachers and other school personnel. The private business contribution requirement of § 54E(b) is met if the eligible local education agency that established the qualified zone academy has written commitments from private entities to make qualified contributions having a present value (as of the date of issuance of the issue) of not of less than 10 percent of the proceeds of the issue. Section 54E(d)(4) defines “qualified contributions” as any contribution (of a type and quality acceptable to the eligible local education agency) of: (A) equipment for use in the qualified zone academy (including state-of-the-art technology and vocational equipment); (B) technical assistance in developing curriculum or in training teachers to promote appropriate market driven technology in the classroom; (C) employees’ services as volunteer mentors; (D) internships, field trips, or other educational opportunities outside the academy; or (E) any other property or service specified by the eligible education agency. Section 54E(d)(2) defines “eligible local education agency” as any local educational agency as defined in § 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.

Section 54E(c)(2) provides that the Department of the Treasury shall allocate the national zone academy bond limitation among the States on the basis of their re

2009–16 I.R.B. 853 April 20, 2009

The IRS publishes the long-term adjusted AFR, compounded semiannually, each month in a revenue ruling that is published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin. The Bureau of Public Debt publishes the permitted sinking fund yield for each month on its Internet site for State and Local Government Series securities at https://www.treasurydirect.gov .