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H.B. 257

             1     

STATE TREASURER AMENDMENTS

             2     
2013 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Jim Bird

             5     
Senate Sponsor: Howard A. Stephenson

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill modifies the State Money Management Act by amending provisions for the
             10      investment of public funds by the state treasurer.
             11      Highlighted Provisions:
             12          This bill:
             13          .    eliminates references in the State Money Management Act to Moody's Investor
             14      Service and Standard and Poor's and instead requires public funds investments in
             15      assets classified or rated by two nationally recognized statistical ratings
             16      organizations;
             17          .    allows public funds investments in assets that are fixed rate corporate obligations in
             18      secured obligations, excluding covered bonds, in addition to unsecured obligations,
             19      and expands the allowable remaining term to final maturity from 13 months to 15
             20      months or less;
             21          .    allows public funds investments in assets that are variable rate securities in secured
             22      obligations, excluding covered bonds, in addition to unsecured obligations, and
             23      expands the allowable remaining term to final maturity from not to exceed two
             24      years to not to exceed three years; and
             25          .    makes technical changes.
             26      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             27          None


             28      Other Special Clauses:
             29          None
             30      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             31      AMENDS:
             32          51-7-3, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 342
             33          51-7-11, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 276
             34          51-7-12.1, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2000, Chapter 351
             35          51-7-12.5, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2002, Chapter 103
             36     
             37      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             38          Section 1. Section 51-7-3 is amended to read:
             39           51-7-3. Definitions.
             40          As used in this chapter:
             41          (1) "Agent" means "agent" as defined in Section 61-1-13 .
             42          (2) "Certified dealer" means:
             43          (a) a primary reporting dealer recognized by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York
             44      who is certified by the director as having met the applicable criteria of council rule; or
             45          (b) a broker dealer who:
             46          (i) has and maintains an office and a resident registered principal in the state;
             47          (ii) meets the capital requirements established by council rules;
             48          (iii) meets the requirements for good standing established by council rule; and
             49          (iv) is certified by the director as meeting quality criteria established by council rule.
             50          (3) "Certified investment adviser" means a federal covered adviser, as defined in
             51      Section 61-1-13 , or an investment adviser, as defined in Section 61-1-13 , who is certified by
             52      the director as having met the applicable criteria of council rule.
             53          (4) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of financial institutions.
             54          (5) "Council" means the State Money Management Council created by Section
             55      51-7-16 .
             56          (6) "Covered bond" means a publicly placed debt security issued by a bank, other
             57      regulated financial institution, or a subsidiary of either that is secured by a pool of loans that
             58      remain on the balance sheet of the issuer or its subsidiary.


             59          [(6)] (7) "Director" means the director of the Utah State Division of Securities of the
             60      Department of Commerce.
             61          [(7)] (8) (a) "Endowment funds" means gifts, devises, or bequests of property of any
             62      kind donated to a higher education institution from any source.
             63          (b) "Endowment funds" does not mean money used for the general operation of a
             64      higher education institution that is received by the higher education institution from:
             65          (i) state appropriations;
             66          (ii) federal contracts;
             67          (iii) federal grants;
             68          (iv) private research grants; and
             69          (v) tuition and fees collected from students.
             70          [(8)] (9) "First tier commercial paper" means commercial paper rated by at least two
             71      nationally recognized statistical rating organizations in the highest short-term rating category.
             72          [(9)] (10) "Funds functioning as endowments" means funds, regardless of source,
             73      whose corpus is intended to be held in perpetuity by formal institutional designation according
             74      to the institution's policy for designating those funds.
             75          [(10)] (11) "GASB" or "Governmental Accounting Standards Board" means the
             76      Governmental Accounting Standards Board that is responsible for accounting standards used
             77      by public entities.
             78          [(11)] (12) "Hard put" means an unconditional sell-back provision or a redemption
             79      provision applicable at issue to a note or bond, allowing holders to sell their holdings back to
             80      the issuer or to an equal or higher-rated third party provider at specific intervals and specific
             81      prices determined at the time of issuance.
             82          [(12)] (13) "Higher education institution" means the institutions specified in Section
             83      53B-1-102 .
             84          [(13)] (14) "Investment adviser representative" [means "investment adviser
             85      representative" as defined] is as defined in Section 61-1-13 .
             86          [(14)] (15) (a) "Investment agreement" means any written agreement that has
             87      specifically negotiated withdrawal or reinvestment provisions and a specifically negotiated
             88      interest rate.
             89          (b) "Investment agreement" includes any agreement to supply investments on one or


             90      more future dates.
             91          [(15)] (16) "Local government" means a county, municipality, school district, local
             92      district under Title 17B, Limited Purpose Local Government Entities - Local Districts, special
             93      service district under Title 17D, Chapter 1, Special Service District Act, or any other political
             94      subdivision of the state.
             95          [(16)] (17) "Market value" means market value as defined in the Master Repurchase
             96      Agreement.
             97          [(17)] (18) "Master Repurchase Agreement" means the current standard Master
             98      Repurchase Agreement approved by the Public Securities Association or by any successor
             99      organization.
             100          [(18)] (19) "Maximum amount" means, with respect to qualified depositories, the total
             101      amount of:
             102          (a) deposits in excess of the federal deposit insurance limit; and
             103          (b) nonqualifying repurchase agreements.
             104          [(19)] (20) "Money market mutual fund" means an open-end managed investment
             105      fund:
             106          (a) that complies with the diversification, quality, and maturity requirements of Rule
             107      2a-7 or any successor rule of the Securities and Exchange Commission applicable to money
             108      market mutual funds; and
             109          (b) that assesses no sales load on the purchase of shares and no contingent deferred
             110      sales charge or other similar charges, however designated.
             111          [(20)] (21) "Nationally recognized statistical rating organization" means an
             112      organization that has been designated as a nationally recognized statistical rating organization
             113      by the Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Market Regulation.
             114          [(21)] (22) "Nonqualifying repurchase agreement" means a repurchase agreement
             115      evidencing indebtedness of a qualified depository arising from the transfer of obligations of the
             116      United States Treasury or other authorized investments to public treasurers that is:
             117          (a) evidenced by a safekeeping receipt issued by the qualified depository;
             118          (b) included in the depository's maximum amount of public funds; and
             119          (c) valued and maintained at market value plus an appropriate margin collateral
             120      requirement based upon the term of the agreement and the type of securities acquired.


             121          [(22)] (23) "Operating funds" means current balances and other funds that are to be
             122      disbursed for operation of the state government or any of its boards, commissions, institutions,
             123      departments, divisions, agencies, or other similar instrumentalities, or any county, city, school
             124      district, political subdivision, or other public body.
             125          [(23)] (24) "Permanent funds" means funds whose principal may not be expended, the
             126      earnings from which are to be used for purposes designated by law.
             127          [(24)] (25) "Permitted depository" means any out-of-state financial institution that
             128      meets quality criteria established by rule of the council.
             129          [(25)] (26) "Public funds" means money, funds, and accounts, regardless of the source
             130      from which the money, funds, and accounts are derived, that are owned, held, or administered
             131      by the state or any of its boards, commissions, institutions, departments, divisions, agencies,
             132      bureaus, laboratories, or other similar instrumentalities, or any county, city, school district,
             133      political subdivision, or other public body.
             134          [(26)] (27) (a) "Public money" means "public funds."
             135          (b) "Public money," as used in Article VII, Sec. 15, Utah Constitution, means the same
             136      as "state funds."
             137          [(27)] (28) "Public treasurer" includes the state treasurer and the official of any state
             138      board, commission, institution, department, division, agency, or other similar instrumentality,
             139      or of any county, city, school district, political subdivision, or other public body who has the
             140      responsibility for the safekeeping and investment of any public funds.
             141          [(28)] (29) "Qualified depository" means a Utah depository institution or an
             142      out-of-state depository institution, as those terms are defined in Section 7-1-103 , that is
             143      authorized to conduct business in this state under Section 7-1-702 or Title 7, Chapter 19,
             144      Acquisition of Failing Depository Institutions or Holding Companies, whose deposits are
             145      insured by an agency of the federal government and that has been certified by the commissioner
             146      of financial institutions as having met the requirements established under this chapter and the
             147      rules of the council to be eligible to receive deposits of public funds.
             148          [(29)] (30) "Qualifying repurchase agreement" means a repurchase agreement
             149      evidencing indebtedness of a financial institution or government securities dealer acting as
             150      principal arising from the transfer of obligations of the United States Treasury or other
             151      authorized investments to public treasurers only if purchased securities are:


             152          (a) delivered to the public treasurer's safekeeping agent or custodian as contemplated
             153      by Section 7 of the Master Repurchase Agreement; and
             154          (b) valued and maintained at market value plus an appropriate margin collateral
             155      requirement based upon the term of the agreement and the type of securities acquired.
             156          [(30)] (31) "Securities division" means Utah's Division of Securities created within the
             157      Department of Commerce by Section 13-1-2 .
             158          [(31)] (32) "State funds" means:
             159          (a) public money raised by operation of law for the support and operation of the state
             160      government; and
             161          (b) all other money, funds, and accounts, regardless of the source from which the
             162      money, funds, or accounts are derived, that are owned, held, or administered by the state or any
             163      of its boards, commissions, institutions, departments, divisions, agencies, bureaus, laboratories,
             164      or other similar instrumentalities.
             165          Section 2. Section 51-7-11 is amended to read:
             166           51-7-11. Authorized deposits or investments of public funds.
             167          (1) (a) Except as provided in Subsection (1)(b), a public treasurer may conduct
             168      investment transactions only through qualified depositories, certified dealers, or directly with
             169      issuers of the investment securities.
             170          (b) A public treasurer may designate a certified investment adviser to make trades on
             171      behalf of the public treasurer.
             172          (2) The remaining term to maturity of the investment may not exceed the period of
             173      availability of the funds to be invested.
             174          (3) Except as provided in Subsection (4), all public funds may be deposited or invested
             175      only in the following assets that meet the criteria of Section 51-7-17 :
             176          (a) negotiable or nonnegotiable deposits of qualified depositories;
             177          (b) qualifying or nonqualifying repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase
             178      agreements with qualified depositories using collateral consisting of:
             179          (i) Government National Mortgage Association mortgage pools;
             180          (ii) Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation mortgage pools;
             181          (iii) Federal National Mortgage Corporation mortgage pools;
             182          (iv) Small Business Administration loan pools;


             183          (v) Federal Agriculture Mortgage Corporation pools; or
             184          (vi) other investments authorized by this section;
             185          (c) qualifying repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements with certified
             186      dealers, permitted depositories, or qualified depositories using collateral consisting of:
             187          (i) Government National Mortgage Association mortgage pools;
             188          (ii) Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation mortgage pools;
             189          (iii) Federal National Mortgage Corporation mortgage pools;
             190          (iv) Small Business Administration loan pools; or
             191          (v) other investments authorized by this section;
             192          (d) commercial paper that is classified as "first tier" by two nationally recognized
             193      statistical rating organizations, [one of which must be Moody's Investors Service or Standard
             194      and Poor's,] which has a remaining term to maturity of:
             195          (i) 270 days or [less] fewer for paper issued under 15 U.S.C. Sec. 77c(a)(3); or
             196          (ii) 365 days or [less] fewer for paper issued under 15 U.S.C. Sec. 77d(2);
             197          (e) bankers' acceptances that:
             198          (i) are eligible for discount at a Federal Reserve bank; and
             199          (ii) have a remaining term to maturity of 270 days or [less] fewer;
             200          (f) fixed rate negotiable deposits issued by a permitted depository that have a
             201      remaining term to maturity of 365 days or [less] fewer;
             202          (g) obligations of the United States Treasury, including United States Treasury bills,
             203      United States Treasury notes, and United States Treasury bonds;
             204          (h) obligations other than mortgage pools and other mortgage derivative products
             205      issued by, or fully guaranteed as to principal and interest by, the following agencies or
             206      instrumentalities of the United States in which a market is made by a primary reporting
             207      government securities dealer, unless the agency or instrumentality has become private and is no
             208      longer considered to be a government entity:
             209          (i) Federal Farm Credit banks;
             210          (ii) Federal Home Loan banks;
             211          (iii) Federal National Mortgage Association;
             212          (iv) Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation;
             213          (v) Federal Agriculture Mortgage Corporation; and


             214          (vi) Tennessee Valley Authority;
             215          (i) fixed rate corporate obligations that:
             216          (i) are rated "A" or higher or the equivalent of "A" or higher by two nationally
             217      recognized statistical rating organizations[, one of which must be by Moody's Investors Service
             218      or Standard and Poor's];
             219          (ii) are senior unsecured or secured obligations of the issuer, excluding covered bonds;
             220          (iii) are publicly traded; and
             221          (iv) have a remaining term to final maturity of [13] 15 months or less or [is] are subject
             222      to a hard put at par value or better, within 365 days;
             223          (j) tax anticipation notes and general obligation bonds of the state or of any county,
             224      incorporated city or town, school district, or other political subdivision of this state, including
             225      bonds offered on a when-issued basis without regard to the [limitation] limitations in
             226      Subsection (7);
             227          (k) bonds, notes, or other evidence of indebtedness of any county, incorporated city or
             228      town, school district, or other political subdivision of the state that are payable from
             229      assessments or from revenues or earnings specifically pledged for payment of the principal and
             230      interest on these obligations, including bonds offered on a when-issued basis without regard to
             231      the [limitation] limitations in Subsection (7);
             232          (l) shares or certificates in a money market mutual fund [as defined in Section 51-7-3 ];
             233          (m) variable rate negotiable deposits that:
             234          (i) are issued by a qualified depository or a permitted depository;
             235          (ii) are repriced at least semiannually; and
             236          (iii) have a remaining term to final maturity not to exceed [two] three years; and
             237          (n) variable rate securities that:
             238          (i) (A) are rated "A" or higher or the equivalent of "A" or higher by two nationally
             239      recognized statistical rating organizations[, one of which must be by Moody's Investors Service
             240      or Standard and Poor's];
             241          (B) are senior unsecured or secured obligations of the issuer, excluding covered bonds;
             242          (C) are publicly traded;
             243          (D) are repriced at least semiannually; and
             244          (E) have a remaining term to final maturity not to exceed [two] three years or are


             245      subject to a hard put at par value or better, within 365 days; and
             246          (ii) are not mortgages, mortgage-backed securities, mortgage derivative products, or
             247      any security making unscheduled periodic principal payments other than optional redemptions.
             248          (4) The following public funds are exempt from the requirements of Subsection (3):
             249          (a) the Employers' Reinsurance Fund created in Section 34A-2-702 ;
             250          (b) the Uninsured Employers' Fund created in Section 34A-2-704 ; and
             251          (c) a local government other post-employment benefits trust fund under Section
             252      51-7-12.2 .
             253          (5) If any of the deposits authorized by Subsection (3)(a) are negotiable or
             254      nonnegotiable large time deposits issued in amounts of $100,000 or more, the interest shall be
             255      calculated on the basis of the actual number of days divided by 360 days.
             256          (6) A public treasurer may maintain fully insured deposits in demand accounts in a
             257      federally insured nonqualified depository only if a qualified depository is not reasonably
             258      convenient to the entity's geographic location.
             259          (7) [The] Except as provided under Subsections (3)(j) and (k), the public treasurer shall
             260      ensure that all purchases and sales of securities are settled within:
             261          (a) 15 days of the trade date for outstanding issues; and
             262          (b) 30 days on new issues.
             263          Section 3. Section 51-7-12.1 is amended to read:
             264           51-7-12.1. Deposit or investment of Tobacco Settlement Endowment --
             265      Authorized deposits and investments -- Asset manager.
             266          (1) Notwithstanding the requirements of Section 51-7-11 , money in the permanent state
             267      trust fund created by and operated under Utah Constitution Article XXII, Section 4, shall be
             268      deposited or invested only in the following:
             269          (a) any deposit or investment authorized by Section 51-7-11 ;
             270          (b) equity securities, including common and preferred stock issued by corporations
             271      listed on a major securities exchange, in accordance with the following criteria applied at the
             272      time of investment:
             273          (i) the treasurer may not invest more than 5%, determined on a cost basis, of the total
             274      endowment assets in the securities of any one issuer;
             275          (ii) the treasurer may not invest more than 25%, determined on a cost basis, of the total


             276      endowment assets in a particular industry;
             277          (iii) the treasurer may not invest more than 5%, determined on a cost basis, of the total
             278      endowment assets in securities of corporations that have been in continuous operation for less
             279      than three years;
             280          (iv) the endowment may not hold in excess of 5% of the outstanding voting securities
             281      of any one corporation; and
             282          (v) at least 75% of the corporations in which investments are made under Subsection
             283      (1)(b) must appear on the Standard and Poor's 500 Composite Stock Price Index;
             284          (c) fixed-income securities, including bonds, notes, mortgage securities, zero coupon
             285      securities, and convertible securities issued by domestic corporations rated "A" or higher [by
             286      Moody's Investor's Service, Inc. or by Standard and Poor's Corporation] or the equivalent of
             287      "A" or higher by two nationally recognized statistical rating organizations in accordance with
             288      the following criteria applied at the time of investment:
             289          (i) the treasurer may not invest more than 5%, determined on a cost basis, of the total
             290      endowment assets in the securities of any one issuer;
             291          (ii) the treasurer may not invest more than 25%, determined on a cost basis, of the total
             292      endowment assets in a particular industry;
             293          (iii) the treasurer may not invest more than 5%, determined on a cost basis, of the total
             294      fund assets in the securities of corporations that have been in continuous operation for less than
             295      three years; and
             296          (iv) the dollar-weighted average maturity of fixed-income securities acquired under
             297      Subsection (1)(c) may not exceed 10 years;
             298          (d) fixed-income securities issued by agencies of the United States and
             299      government-sponsored organizations, including mortgage-backed pass-through certificates and
             300      mortgage-backed bonds;
             301          (e) shares of an open-end diversified management investment company established
             302      under the Investment Company Act of 1940; and
             303          (f) shares of or deposits in a pooled-investment program.
             304          (2) (a) No more than 80% of the total fund assets of any of this endowment, on a cost
             305      basis, may be invested in common or preferred stocks at any one time.
             306          (b) At least 20% of the total assets of this endowment shall be invested in fixed-income


             307      securities authorized by Subsections (1)(a), (c), and (d).
             308          (3) The treasurer shall use appropriate investment strategies to protect the principal of
             309      the endowment administered under this section during periods of financial market volatility.
             310          (4) (a) The treasurer may employ professional asset managers to assist in the
             311      investment of assets of the endowment.
             312          (b) The treasurer may provide compensation to asset managers from earnings generated
             313      by the funds' investments.
             314          (5) The council shall give suggestions, advice, and opinions to the treasurer in regard to
             315      this section.
             316          Section 4. Section 51-7-12.5 is amended to read:
             317           51-7-12.5. Deposit or investment of the Employers' Reinsurance Fund and
             318      Uninsured Employers' Fund -- Authorized deposits and investments -- Asset manager.
             319          (1) The principal of the Employers' Reinsurance Fund created in Section 34A-2-702 ,
             320      and the Uninsured Employers' Fund created in Section 34A-2-704 shall be deposited or
             321      invested only in the following:
             322          (a) any deposit or investment authorized by Section 51-7-11 ;
             323          (b) equity securities, including common and preferred stock issued by corporations
             324      listed on a major securities exchange, in accordance with the following criteria applied at the
             325      time of investment:
             326          (i) the treasurer may not invest more than 5%, determined on a cost basis, of the total
             327      fund assets in the securities of any one issuer;
             328          (ii) the treasurer may not invest more than 25%, determined on a cost basis, of total
             329      fund assets in a particular industry;
             330          (iii) the treasurer may not invest more than 5%, determined on a cost basis, of the total
             331      fund assets in securities of corporations that have been in continuous operation for less than
             332      three years;
             333          (iv) the fund may not hold in excess of 5% of the outstanding voting securities of any
             334      one corporation; and
             335          (v) at least 75% of the corporations in which investments are made under Subsection
             336      (1)(b) must appear on the Standard and Poor's 500 Composite Stock Price Index;
             337          (c) fixed-income securities, including bonds, notes, mortgage securities, zero coupon


             338      securities and convertible securities issued by domestic corporations rated "A" or higher [by
             339      Moody's Investors Service, Inc. or by Standard and Poor's Corporation] or the equivalent of
             340      "A" or higher by two nationally recognized statistical rating organizations in accordance with
             341      the following criteria applied at the time of investment:
             342          (i) the treasurer may not invest more than 5%, determined on a cost basis, of the total
             343      fund assets in the securities of any one issuer;
             344          (ii) the treasurer may not invest more than 25%, determined on a cost basis, of the total
             345      fund assets in a particular industry;
             346          (iii) the treasurer may not invest more than 5%, determined on a cost basis, of the total
             347      fund assets in securities of corporations that have been in continuous operation for less than
             348      three years; and
             349          (iv) the dollar-weighted average maturity of fixed-income securities acquired under
             350      Subsection (1)(c) may not exceed 10 years;
             351          (d) fixed-income securities issued by agencies of the United States and
             352      government-sponsored organizations, including mortgage-backed pass-through certificates and
             353      mortgage-backed bonds;
             354          (e) shares of an open-end diversified management investment company established
             355      under the Investment Companies Act of 1940; or
             356          (f) shares of or deposits in a pooled-investment program.
             357          (2) (a) No more than 65% of the total fund assets of any of these funds, on a cost basis,
             358      may be invested in common or preferred stocks at any one time.
             359          (b) At least 35% of the total assets of these funds shall be invested in fixed-income
             360      securities authorized by Section 51-7-11 and Subsections (1)(c) and (d).
             361          (3) The state treasurer shall use appropriate investment strategies to protect the
             362      principal of the funds administered under this section during periods of financial market
             363      volatility.
             364          (4) (a) The state treasurer may employ professional asset managers to assist in the
             365      investment of assets of the funds.
             366          (b) The treasurer may provide compensation to asset managers from earnings generated
             367      by the funds' investments.





Legislative Review Note
    as of 1-14-13 10:06 AM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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