Florida Statutes § 17.57 — Deposits and investments of state money.

17.57 Deposits and investments of state money.—(1)(a) As used in this subsection, the term “pecuniary factor” means a factor that the Chief Financial Officer, or other party authorized to invest on his or her behalf, prudently determines is expected to have a material effect on the risk or returns of an investment based on appropriate investment horizons consistent with applicable investment objectives and funding policy. The term does not include the consideration of the furtherance of any social, political, or ideological interests. (b) The Chief Financial Officer, or other parties with the permission of the Chief Financial Officer, shall deposit the money of the state or any money in the State Treasury in such qualified public depositories of the state as will offer satisfactory collateral security for such deposits, pursuant to chapter 280. It is the duty of the Chief Financial Officer, consistent with the cash requirements of the state, to keep such money fully invested or deposited as provided herein in order that the state may realize maximum earnings and benefits. Nothing in this section shall preclude credit unions designated as public depositories from participation. (c) Notwithstanding any other law except for s. 215.472, when deciding whether to invest and when investing, the Chief Financial Officer, or other party authorized to invest on his or her behalf, must make decisions based solely on pecuniary factors and may not subordinate the interests of the people of this state to other objectives, including sacrificing investment return or undertaking additional investment risk to promote any nonpecuniary factor. The weight given to any pecuniary factor must appropriately reflect a prudent assessment of its impact on risk or returns. (2) The Chief Financial Officer shall make funds available to meet the disbursement needs of the state. Funds which are not needed for this purpose shall be placed in qualified public depositories that will pay rates established by the Chief Financial Officer at levels not less than the prevailing rate for United States Treasury securities with a corresponding maturity. In the event money is available for interest-bearing time deposits or savings accounts as provided herein and qualified public depositories are unwilling to accept such money and pay thereon the rates established above, then such money which qualified public depositories are unwilling to accept shall be invested in:(a) Direct United States Treasury obligations. (b) Obligations of the Federal Farm Credit Banks. (c) Obligations of the Federal Home Loan Bank and its district banks. (d) Obligations of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, including participation certificates. (e) Obligations guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association. (f) Obligations of the Federal National Mortgage Association. (g) Commercial paper of prime quality of the highest letter and numerical rating as provided for by at least one nationally recognized rating service. (h) Time drafts or bills of exchange drawn on and accepted by a commercial bank, otherwise known as “bankers acceptances,” which are accepted by a member bank of the Federal Reserve System having total deposits of not less than $400 million or which are accepted by a commercial bank which is not a member of the Federal Reserve System with deposits of not less than $400 million and which is licensed by a state government or the Federal Government, and whose senior debt issues are rated in one of the two highest rating categories by a nationally recognized rating service and which are held in custody by a domestic bank which is a member of the Federal Reserve System. (i) Corporate obligations or corporate master notes of any corporation within the United States, if the long-term obligations of such corporation are rated by at least two nationally recognized rating services in any one of the four highest classifications. However, if such obligations are rated by only one nationally recognized rating service, then the obligations shall be rated in any one of the two highest classifications. (j) Obligations of the Student Loan Marketing Association. (k) Obligations of the Resolution Funding Corporation. (l) Mortgage-backed securities of the highest credit quality. (m) Asset-backed securities rated by at least two nationally recognized rating services in any one of the three highest classifications. However, if such obligations are rated by only one nationally recognized rating service, the obligations must be rated in any one of the two highest classifications. (n) Any obligations not previously listed which are guaranteed as to principal and interest by the full faith and credit of the United States Government or are obligations of United States agencies or instrumentalities which are rated in the highest category by a nationally recognized rating service. (o) Commingled no-load investment funds or no-load mutual funds in which all securities held by the funds are authorized in this subsection. (p) Money market mutual funds as defined and regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission. (q) Obligations of state and local governments rated in any of the four highest classifications by at least two nationally recognized rating services. However, if such obligations are rated by only one nationally recognized rating service, then the obligations shall be rated in any one of the two highest classifications. (r) Covered put and call options on investment instruments authorized in this subsection for the purpose of hedging transactions by investment managers to mitigate risk or to facilitate portfolio management. (s) Negotiable certificates of deposit issued by financial institutions whose long-term debt is rated in one of the three highest categories by at least two nationally recognized rating services, the investment in which shall not be prohibited by any provision of chapter 280. (t) Foreign bonds denominated in United States dollars and registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission for sale in the United States, if the long-term obligations of such issuers are rated by at least two nationally recognized rating services in any one of the four highest classifications. However, if such obligations are rated by only one nationally recognized rating service, the obligations shall be rated in any one of the two highest classifications. (u) Convertible debt obligations of any corporation domiciled within the United States, if the convertible debt issue is rated by at least two nationally recognized rating services in any one of the four highest classifications. However, if such obligations are rated by only one nationally recognized rating service, then the obligations shall be rated in any one of the two highest classifications. (v) Securities not otherwise described in this subsection. However, not more than 3 percent of the funds under the control of the Chief Financial Officer shall be invested in securities described in this paragraph. (w) Derivatives of investment instruments authorized in paragraphs (a)-(v). (x) Futures and options on futures, provided the instruments for such purpose are traded on a securities exchange or board of trade regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. These investments may be in varying maturities and may be in book-entry form. Investments made pursuant to this subsection may be under repurchase agreement or reverse repurchase agreement. The Chief Financial Officer may hire registered investment advisers and other consultants to assist in investment management and to pay fees directly from investment earnings. Investment securities, proprietary investment services related to contracts, performance evaluation services, investment-related equipment or software used directly to assist investment trading or investment accounting operations including bond calculators, telerates, Bloombergs, special program calculators, intercom systems, and software used in accounting, communications, and trading, and advisory and consulting contracts made under this section are exempt from the provisions of chapter 287. (3) In the event the financial institutions in the state do not make sufficient loan funds available for a residential conservation program pursuant to any plan approved by the Florida Public Service Commission under the Florida Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act, the board may authorize the investment of state funds, except retirement trust funds, in such a loan program at rates not less than prevailing United States Treasury bill rates. However, prior to investment of such funds, the Florida Public Service Commission shall develop a plan which must be approved by the Legislature before implementation. (4) All earnings on any investments made pursuant to this section are hereby appropriated to the General Revenue Fund, except that earnings attributable to moneys made available pursuant to s. 17.61(3)(a) and (b) shall be credited pro rata to the funds from which such moneys were made available. (5) The fact that a municipal officer or a state officer, including an officer of any municipal or state agency, board, bureau, commission, institution, or department, is a stockholder or an officer or director of a bank or savings and loan association will not bar such bank or savings and loan association from being a depository of funds coming under the jurisdiction of any such municipal officer or state officer if it shall appear in the records of the municipal or state office that the governing body of such municipality or state agency has investigated and determined that such municipal or state officer is not favoring such banks or savings and loan associations over other qualified banks or savings and loan associations. (6) The Chief Financial Officer is designated the cash management officer for the state and is charged with the coordination and supervision of procedures providing for the efficient handling of financial assets under the control of the State Treasury and each of the various state agencies, and of the judicial branch, as defined in s. 216.011. This responsibility shall include the supervision and approval of all banking relationships. Pursuant to this responsibility, the Chief Financial Officer may obtain information from financial institutions regarding depository accounts maintained by any agency or institution of the State of Florida. (7) In addition to the deposits authorized under this section and notwithstanding any other provisions of law, funds that are not needed to meet the disbursement needs of the state may be deposited by the Chief Financial Officer in accordance with the following conditions:(a) The funds are initially deposited in a qualified public depository, as defined in s. 280.02, selected by the Chief Financial Officer. (b) The selected depository arranges for depositing the funds in financial deposit instruments insured by:1. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in one or more federally insured banks or savings and loan associations, wherever located, for the account of the state. 2. For credit unions designated as qualified public depositories, the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund. (c) The full amount of the principal and accrued interest of each financial deposit instrument is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or, for credit unions designated as qualified public depositories, the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund. (d) The selected depository acts as custodian for the state with respect to each financial deposit instrument issued for its account.