Bill Text: CA AB1052 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Amended


Bill Title: State Teachers' Retirement System: board of administration: investments.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Failed) 2016-11-30 - Died on inactive file. [AB1052 Detail]

Download: California-2015-AB1052-Amended.html
BILL NUMBER: AB 1052	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  AUGUST 19, 2016
	AMENDED IN SENATE  AUGUST 17, 2015
	AMENDED IN SENATE  JULY 6, 2015

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Cooley

                        FEBRUARY 26, 2015

   An act to amend Sections 22203 and 22257 of the Education Code,
  and to amend Section 20172 of, and to add Section 20211 to,
the Government Code,   relating to retirement.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1052, as amended, Cooley.  Retirement  
State Teachers' Retirement System:  board  authority:
  of administration:  investments.
   The California Constitution grants the retirement board of a
public pension or retirement system plenary authority and fiduciary
responsibility for investment of moneys and administration of the
system, as specified. The California Constitution also requires the
retirement board of a public pension or retirement system, consistent
with the exclusive fiduciary responsibilities vested in it, to have
the sole and exclusive power to provide for actuarial services in
order to assure the competency of the assets of the public pension or
retirement system.
   The Teachers' Retirement Law creates the State Teachers'
Retirement System for the provision of service, disability, and other
benefits to members. The law requires the assets of the plan,
including, but not limited to, employee contributions, employer
contributions, and investment income, to be deposited into the
Teachers' Retirement Fund, and continuously appropriates the fund
for, among other things, the payment of member benefits. The Teachers'
Retirement Law authorizes the board to appoint investment managers
to manage the assets of the fund.
   This bill would  specify   provide 
that, without regard to state contracting laws,  except as
specified,  the board is authorized to contract for services for
the investment of the fund  or appoint investment managers
to manage the assets of the fund  under the terms and
conditions and utilizing the processes the board deems necessary and
consistent with its fiduciary  duties, as specified.
  duties.  The bill would require the board's
processes to be  competitive, except as elected by the board,
as specified.   competitive, except as specified, and
would prescribe standards for those processes. The bill would grant
an investment manager, as specified, who is not selected in the
course of a noncompetitive contract process for investment services
to have the opportunity to protest. The bill would also make
conforming changes.  
   The Public Employees' Retirement Law (PERL) creates the Public
Employees' Retirement System (PERS) and the Public Employees'
Retirement Plan for the provision of pension benefits to members.
PERL requires the assets of the system, including, but not limited
to, employee contributions, employer contributions, and investment
income, to be deposited into the Public Employees' Retirement Fund, a
continuously appropriated fund. PERL grants the Board of
Administration of PERS exclusive control of and fiduciary
responsibility for the investment of the fund and authorizes the
board to retain a bank or trust company to serve as a custodian for
services in connection with the investment of the fund. 

   This bill would specify that, without regard to state contracting
laws, the board of administration is authorized to contract for
services with a bank or trust company for those custodial services
and to invest the assets of the fund under the terms, conditions, and
processes the board deems necessary and consistent with its
fiduciary duties and is not required to comply with any law or rule
pertaining to state contracting to do so. The bill would require the
board's processes to be competitive, except as specified. The bill
would specify that the board is authorized to contract with
individuals or outside firms with demonstrated expertise in trade
order management services in connection with investment of the
retirement fund without regard to state contracting laws. The bill
would require the board's processes in this regard to be competitive,
except as specified. 
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 22203 of the Education Code is amended to read:

   22203.  (a) The board has exclusive control of the investment of
the Teachers' Retirement Fund. Except as otherwise restricted by the
California Constitution and by law, the board may in its discretion
invest the assets of the fund through the purchase, holding, or sale
thereof of any investment, financial instrument, or financial
transaction when the investment, financial instrument, or financial
transaction is prudent in the informed opinion of the board.
   (b)  Notwithstanding any other law pertaining to state 
contracting,   contracting, except for Section 8546.7 of
the Government Code,  the board, in exercising its discretion
pursuant to this section, may contract for  investment 
services under the terms and conditions and utilizing the processes
the board deems necessary and consistent with its fiduciary duties.
   (c) The processes utilized by the board pursuant to subdivision
(b) shall be competitive except as  elected by the board as
follows:   provided in paragraph (2).  
   (1) The competitive processes utilized shall include all of the
following:  
   (A) Standardized solicitation documents.  
   (B) Minimum qualifications.  
   (C) Public advertisement.  
   (D) Opportunity for protest.  
   (2) The board may contract for investment services pursuant to
this section without utilizing a competitive process under any of the
following circumstances:  
   (1) 
    (A)  Competitive bids or proposals are not required
under subdivision (b) of Section 10340 of the Public Contract Code.

   (2) 
    (B)  At the time of the contract, an executed contract
with an investment manager qualifies that person as an emerging
investment manager, as defined by the  board.  
board pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 22228. The board
shall monitor and assess investment managers selected pursuant to
this  paragraph   subparagraph  in
accordance with all other provisions under this part and consistent
with its fiduciary duties.  An investment manager with a contract
that qualified that person as an emerging investment manager who is
not selected pursuant to this paragraph   shall have the
opportunity to protest any selection made pursuant to this
subparagraph.  
   (d) Nothing in this section shall modify any other law restricting
the eligibility of persons or entities to bid or be awarded a
contract with the board. 
  SEC. 2.  Section 22257 of the Education Code is amended to read:
   22257.  (a)  Notwithstanding any other law pertaining to
state contracting, the   The  board may contract
with or appoint one or more investment managers to manage the assets
of the retirement fund  under the terms and conditions and
utilizing the processes the board deems necessary and consistent with
its fiduciary duties. In selecting investment managers, the
processes utilized by the board shall be competitive,
pursuant to  subdivision (c) of  Section 22203. If
the board has acted with care, skill, prudence, and diligence in
meeting the requirements of Sections 22252 and 22253 in selecting and
monitoring the investment managers, then, notwithstanding Sections
22250, 22252, 22253, 22254, and 22256, no board member shall be
liable for the acts or omissions of the investment managers or be
under any obligation to invest or otherwise manage any assets of the
retirement fund that are subject to the management of the investment
managers.
   (b) Incorporation of the fiduciary duty set forth in Section 22250
into the terms of a contract between the system and an investment
manager shall be admissible as evidence that the board has acted with
care, skill, prudence, and diligence in the selection of the
investment manager. 
  SEC. 3.    Section 20172 of the Government Code is
amended to read:
   20172.  Notwithstanding any other law, the board may retain a bank
or trust company to serve as custodian for safekeeping, delivery,
securities valuation, investment performance reporting, and other
services in connection with investment of the retirement fund. The
board, without compliance with any law, rule, provision, or procedure
pertaining to state contracting, may enter into agreements,
contracts, or other arrangements with a bank or trust company for
custodian and custodian-related services under the terms and
conditions the board deems necessary and consistent with its
fiduciary duties. In selecting a custodian, the processes utilized by
the board shall be competitive, except where a competitive bid or
proposal is not required under subdivision (b) of Section 10340 of
the Public Contract Code. Notwithstanding Section 13340, all moneys
in the fund are continuously appropriated, without regard to fiscal
years, for payments which shall be made upon warrants drawn by the
Controller upon demands made by the board. Upon demand of the board,
warrants shall be drawn for the purpose of making payments by
electronic fund transfers.  
  SEC. 4.    Section 20211 is added to the
Government Code, to read:
   20211.  The board may contract with individuals or outside firms
with demonstrated expertise to perform trade order management
services in connection with investment of the retirement fund. The
board, without compliance with any law, rule, provision, or procedure
pertaining to state contracting, may enter into agreements,
contracts, or other arrangements for the providing of trade order
management services under the terms and conditions the board deems
necessary and consistent with its fiduciary duties. In selecting an
individual or outside firm for trade order management services, the
processes utilized by the board shall be competitive, except where a
competitive bid or proposal is not required under subdivision (b) of
Section 10340 of the Public Contract Code. 
                                                       
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