Texas 2017 85th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1003 Introduced / Bill

Filed 01/12/2017

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                    85R1969 KLA-F
 By: Capriglione H.B. No. 1003


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to investment of public funds.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  Section 2256.009(a), Government Code, is amended
 to read as follows:
 (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b), the following are
 authorized investments under this subchapter:
 (1)  obligations, including letters of credit, of the
 United States or its agencies and instrumentalities;
 (2)  direct obligations of this state or its agencies
 and instrumentalities;
 (3)  collateralized mortgage obligations directly
 issued by a federal agency or instrumentality of the United States,
 the underlying security for which is guaranteed by an agency or
 instrumentality of the United States;
 (4)  other obligations, the principal and interest of
 which are unconditionally guaranteed or insured by, or backed by
 the full faith and credit of, this state or the United States or
 their respective agencies and instrumentalities, including
 obligations that are fully guaranteed or insured by the Federal
 Deposit Insurance Corporation or by the explicit full faith and
 credit of the United States;
 (5)  obligations of states, agencies, counties,
 cities, and other political subdivisions of any state rated as to
 investment quality by a nationally recognized investment rating
 firm not less than A or its equivalent; [and]
 (6)  bonds issued, assumed, or guaranteed by the State
 of Israel; and
 (7)  interest-bearing banking deposits that are
 guaranteed or insured by:
 (A)  the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or
 its successor; or
 (B)  the National Credit Union Share Insurance
 Fund or its successor.
 SECTION 2.  Section 2256.010, Government Code, is amended by
 adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
 (c)  An investment in negotiable certificates of deposit
 issued by a bank that has a certificate of deposit rating of at
 least 1 or the equivalent by a nationally recognized credit rating
 agency, or that is associated with a holding company having a
 commercial paper rating of at least A-1, P-1, or the equivalent by a
 nationally recognized credit rating agency, is an authorized
 investment under this subchapter.
 SECTION 3.  Section 2256.011, Government Code, is amended by
 adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:
 (e)  Section 1371.059(c) applies to the execution of a
 repurchase agreement by an investing entity.
 SECTION 4.  Section 2256.014(a), Government Code, is amended
 to read as follows:
 (a)  A no-load money market mutual fund is an authorized
 investment under this subchapter if the mutual fund:
 (1)  is registered with and regulated by the Securities
 and Exchange Commission;
 (2)  provides the investing entity with a prospectus
 and other information required by the Securities Exchange Act of
 1934 (15 U.S.C. Section 78a et seq.) or the Investment Company Act
 of 1940 (15 U.S.C. Section 80a-1 et seq.); and
 (3)  complies with federal Securities and Exchange
 Commission Rule 2a-7 (17 C.F.R. Section 270.2a-7), promulgated
 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. Section 80a-1 et
 seq.) [has a dollar-weighted average stated maturity of 90 days or
 fewer; and
 [(4)     includes in its investment objectives the
 maintenance of a stable net asset value of $1 for each share].
 SECTION 5.  Section 2256.014(b), Government Code, is amended
 to read as follows:
 (b)  In addition to a no-load money market mutual fund
 permitted as an authorized investment in Subsection (a), a no-load
 mutual fund is an authorized investment under this subchapter if
 the mutual fund:
 (1)  is registered with the Securities and Exchange
 Commission;
 (2)  has an average weighted maturity of less than two
 years;
 (3)  is invested exclusively in obligations approved by
 this subchapter;
 (4)  is continuously rated as to investment quality by
 at least one nationally recognized investment rating firm of not
 less than the highest liquidity rating given to United States
 Treasury obligations [AAA or its equivalent]; and
 (5)  conforms to the requirements set forth in Sections
 2256.016(b) and (c) relating to the eligibility of investment pools
 to receive and invest funds of investing entities.
 SECTION 6.  Section 2256.015, Government Code, is amended by
 adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:
 (d)  Section 1371.059(c) applies to the execution of a
 guaranteed investment contract by an investing entity.
 SECTION 7.  Sections 2256.016(b), (f), and (h), Government
 Code, are amended to read as follows:
 (b)  To be eligible to receive funds from and invest funds on
 behalf of an entity under this chapter, an investment pool must
 furnish to the investment officer or other authorized
 representative of the entity an offering circular or other similar
 disclosure instrument that contains, at a minimum, the following
 information:
 (1)  the types of investments in which money is allowed
 to be invested;
 (2)  the maximum average dollar-weighted maturity
 allowed, based on the stated maturity date, of the pool;
 (3)  the maximum stated maturity date any investment
 security within the portfolio has;
 (4)  the objectives of the pool;
 (5)  the size of the pool;
 (6)  the names of the members of the advisory board of
 the pool and the dates their terms expire;
 (7)  the custodian bank that will safekeep the pool's
 assets;
 (8)  whether the intent of the pool is to maintain a net
 asset value of one dollar and the risk of market price fluctuation;
 (9)  whether the only source of payment is the assets of
 the pool at market value or whether there is a secondary source of
 payment, such as insurance or guarantees, and a description of the
 secondary source of payment;
 (10)  the name and address of the independent auditor
 of the pool;
 (11)  the requirements to be satisfied for an entity to
 deposit funds in and withdraw funds from the pool and any deadlines
 or other operating policies required for the entity to invest funds
 in and withdraw funds from the pool; [and]
 (12)  the performance history of the pool, including
 yield, average dollar-weighted maturities, and expense ratios; and
 (13)  the pool's policy regarding holding deposits in
 cash.
 (f)  To be eligible to receive funds from and invest funds on
 behalf of an entity under this chapter, a public funds investment
 pool created to function as a money market mutual fund must mark its
 portfolio to market daily, and, to the extent reasonably possible,
 stabilize at a $1 net asset value.  If the ratio of the market value
 of the portfolio divided by the book value of the portfolio is less
 than 0.995 or greater than 1.005, the governing body of the public
 funds investment pool shall take action as the body determines
 necessary to eliminate or reduce to the extent reasonably
 practicable any dilution or unfair result to existing participants,
 including a sale of portfolio holdings to attempt [shall be sold as
 necessary] to maintain the ratio between 0.995 and 1.005.  In
 addition to the requirements of its investment policy and any other
 forms of reporting, a public funds investment pool created to
 function as a money market mutual fund shall report yield to its
 investors in accordance with regulations of the federal Securities
 and Exchange Commission applicable to reporting by money market
 funds.
 (h)  To maintain eligibility to receive funds from and invest
 funds on behalf of an entity under this chapter, an investment pool
 must be continuously rated no lower than the highest liquidity
 rating given to United States Treasury obligations [AAA or AAA-m or
 at an equivalent rating] by at least one nationally recognized
 rating service.
 SECTION 8.  Section 2256.019, Government Code, is amended to
 read as follows:
 Sec. 2256.019.  RATING OF CERTAIN INVESTMENT POOLS. A
 public funds investment pool must be continuously rated no lower
 than the highest liquidity rating given to United States Treasury
 obligations [AAA or AAA-m or at an equivalent rating] by at least
 one nationally recognized rating service.
 SECTION 9.  Subchapter A, Chapter 2256, Government Code, is
 amended by adding Section 2256.0206 to read as follows:
 Sec. 2256.0206.  AUTHORIZED INVESTMENTS: HEDGING
 TRANSACTIONS. (a)  In this section:
 (1)  "Eligible entity" means a state agency or
 political subdivision that is an issuer as defined by Section
 1371.001.
 (2)  "Hedging" means acting to protect against economic
 loss due to price fluctuation of an investment, debt obligation, or
 commodity by entering into an offsetting position in a related
 security or by using a financial agreement or producer price
 agreement.
 (b)  This section prevails to the extent of any conflict
 between this section and an eligible entity's municipal charter, if
 applicable.
 (c)  The governing body of an eligible entity shall establish
 its policy regarding hedging transactions.
 (d)  An eligible entity may enter into hedging contracts and
 related security and insurance agreements related to commodities
 used in the general operations of an eligible entity or used in
 connection with the acquisition or construction of a capital
 project by the eligible entity. A hedging transaction must comply
 with the regulations of the federal Commodity Futures Trading
 Commission and the federal Securities and Exchange Commission.
 (e)  An eligible entity may credit any amount the entity
 receives under a hedging contract or agreement against expenses
 associated with a commodity purchase.
 (f)  An eligible entity's payment under a hedging contract or
 agreement may be considered:
 (1)  an operation and maintenance expense of the
 eligible entity;
 (2)  an acquisition expense of the eligible entity; or
 (3)  a construction expense of the eligible entity.
 SECTION 10.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only
 to authorized investments of public funds governed by Chapter 2256,
 Government Code, as amended by this Act, that are made on or after
 the effective date of this Act. An authorized investment of public
 funds made before the effective date of this Act is governed by the
 law in effect immediately before that date, and that law is
 continued in effect for that purpose.
 SECTION 11.  This Act takes effect immediately if it
 receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each
 house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.
 If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate
 effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2017.