In furtherance of its purposes and in addition to the powers now or hereafter conferred on business corporations by Title 23B RCW and upon limited liability companies by chapter 25.15 RCW, as applicable, a business development company has, subject to the restrictions and limitations in this section, the following powers:

(1) To assess stockholders, or a class of stockholders, of the business development company, if authorized by the articles of incorporation and approved by the department pursuant to a plan of assessment as provided for in RCW 31.24.066;

(2) To make qualified loans to borrowers in relation to business development projects;

(3) To make qualified investments in businesses in relation to business development projects;

(4) To facilitate and arrange qualified participation loans by qualified loan participants to borrowers in relation to business development projects;

(5) To participate in the partial funding of qualified participation loans;

(6) To elect, appoint, and employ officers, agents, and employees;

(7) To make contracts and incur liabilities for any of the purposes of the business development company. However, a business development company shall not incur any secondary liability by way of guaranty or endorsement of the obligations of any person, firm, company, association, or trust, or in any other manner;

(8) To the extent permitted by other applicable law, to borrow money from the federal small business administration and any other similar federal or state agency, for any of the purposes of a business development company;

(9) To borrow money from a financial institution or other financial entity;

(10) To issue bonds, debentures, notes, or other evidence of indebtedness, whether secured or unsecured, and 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 or interest therein, without securing stockholder approval;

(11) To purchase, receive, hold, lease, or otherwise acquire, and to sell, convey, transfer, lease, or otherwise dispose of real and personal property, together with such rights and privileges as may be incidental and appurtenant thereto and the use thereof, including, but not restricted to, any real or personal property acquired by the business development company in the satisfaction of debts or enforcement of obligations;

(12) To acquire the good will, business, rights, real and personal property, and other assets, or any part thereof, or interest therein, of any persons, firms, corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, limited partnerships, associations, or trusts, and to assume, undertake, or pay the obligations, debts, and liabilities of any such person, firm, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, limited partnership, association, or trust;

(13) To acquire improved or unimproved real estate for the purpose of constructing industrial plants or other business establishments thereon or for the purpose of disposing of such real estate to others for the construction of industrial plants or other business establishments; and to acquire, construct or reconstruct, alter, repair, maintain, operate, sell, convey, transfer, lease, or otherwise dispose of industrial plants or business establishments;

(14) To acquire, subscribe for, own, hold, sell, assign, transfer, mortgage, pledge, or otherwise dispose of the stock, shares, bonds, debentures, notes, or other securities and evidences of interest in, or indebtedness of, any person, firm, limited liability company, partnership, limited partnership, association, or trust, and while the owner or holder thereof to exercise all the rights, powers, and privileges of ownership, including the right to vote thereon;

(15) To mortgage, pledge, or otherwise encumber any property, right or things of value, acquired pursuant to the powers contained in subsections (11), (12), and (14) of this section, as security for the payment of any part of the purchase price thereof;

(16) To cooperate with and avail itself of the facilities and assistance programs of the United States department of commerce, the United States department of the treasury, the United States department of housing and urban development, the department of commerce, and any other similar state or federal governmental agencies; and to cooperate with and assist, and otherwise encourage organizations in the various communities of the state in the promotion, assistance, and development of the business prosperity and economic welfare of such communities or of this state or of any part thereof; and

(17) To do all acts and things necessary or convenient to carry out the powers expressly granted in this chapter.

Explanatory statement—2023 c 470: See note following RCW 10.99.030.

Effective date—Severability—1985 c 466: See notes following RCW 43.31.125.