HOUSE BILL No. 5570

 

May 8, 2014, Introduced by Reps. Yonker and Walsh and referred to the Committee on Detroit's Recovery and Michigan's Future.

 

     A bill to amend 1965 PA 314, entitled

 

"Public employee retirement system investment act,"

 

by amending sections 12e and 13 (MCL 38.1132e and 38.1133), section

 

12e as added by 1996 PA 485 and section 13 as amended by 2012 PA

 

347, and by adding section 13g.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 12e. (1) "Qualified system" means a system created and

 

established by a city with a population of more than 600,000.

 

     (2) (1) "Small business" means a corporation, partnership,

 

sole proprietorship, or other entity which that does not meet the

 

specific requirements of investments permitted under this act.

 

     (3) (2) "Small business investment company" means an

 

incorporated body or a limited partnership under section 301 of

 

title III of the small business investment act of 1958, Public Law

 

85-699, 15 U.S.C. USC 681.


 

     (4) (3) "Soft dollar" means brokerage commissions that are

 

used by the system to purchase goods or services.

 

     (5) (4) "Stock" means capital stock, common stock, preferred

 

stock, American depository receipts, or any other evidence of

 

residual ownership of a corporation.

 

     (6) (5) "System" means a public employee retirement system

 

created and established by this state or any political subdivision

 

of this state.

 

     Sec. 13. (1) The provisions of this This act shall supersede

 

any investment authority previously granted to a system under any

 

other law of this state.

 

     (2) The assets of a system may be invested, reinvested, held

 

in nominee form, and managed by an investment fiduciary subject to

 

the terms, conditions, and limitations provided in this act. An

 

investment fiduciary of a defined contribution plan may arrange for

 

1 or more investment options to be directed by the participants of

 

the defined contribution plan. The limitations on the percentage of

 

total assets for investments provided in this act do not apply to a

 

defined contribution plan in which a participant directs the

 

investment of the assets in his or her individual account, and that

 

participant is not considered an investment fiduciary under this

 

act.

 

     (3) An investment fiduciary shall discharge his or her duties

 

solely in the interest of the participants and the beneficiaries,

 

and shall do all of the following:

 

     (a) Act with the same care, skill, prudence, and diligence

 

under the circumstances then prevailing that a prudent person


 

acting in a similar capacity and familiar with those matters would

 

use in the conduct of a similar enterprise with similar aims.

 

     (b) Act with due regard for the management, reputation, and

 

stability of the issuer and the character of the particular

 

investments being considered.

 

     (c) Make investments for the exclusive purposes of providing

 

benefits to participants and participants' beneficiaries, and of

 

defraying reasonable expenses of investing the assets of the

 

system.

 

     (d) Give appropriate consideration to those facts and

 

circumstances that the investment fiduciary knows or should know

 

are relevant to the particular investment or investment course of

 

action involved, including the role the investment or investment

 

course of action plays in that portion of the system's investments

 

for which the investment fiduciary has responsibility; and act

 

accordingly. For purposes of this subsection, "appropriate

 

consideration" includes, but is not limited to, a determination by

 

the investment fiduciary that a particular investment or investment

 

course of action is reasonably designed, as part of the investments

 

of the system, to further the purposes of the system, taking into

 

consideration the risk of loss and the opportunity for gain or

 

other return associated with the investment or investment course of

 

action; and consideration of the following factors as they relate

 

to the investment or investment course of action:

 

     (i) The diversification of the investments of the system.

 

     (ii) The liquidity and current return of the investments of the

 

system relative to the anticipated cash flow requirements of the


 

system.

 

     (iii) The projected return of the investments of the system

 

relative to the funding objectives of the system.

 

     (e) Give appropriate consideration to investments that would

 

enhance the general welfare of this state and its citizens if those

 

investments offer the safety and rate of return comparable to other

 

investments permitted under this act and available to the

 

investment fiduciary at the time the investment decision is made.

 

     (f) Prepare and maintain written objectives, policies, and

 

strategies with clearly defined accountability and responsibility

 

for implementing and executing the system's investments.

 

     (g) Monitor the investment of the system's assets with regard

 

to the limitations on those investments pursuant to under this act.

 

Upon discovery that an investment causes the system to exceed a

 

limitation prescribed in this act, the investment fiduciary shall

 

reallocate assets in a prudent manner in order to comply with the

 

prescribed limitation.

 

     (h) Prepare and maintain written policies regarding ethics and

 

professional training and education, including travel, which

 

policies contain clearly defined accountability and reporting

 

requirements for the system's investment fiduciaries.

 

     (i) Publish a summary annual report that includes all of the

 

following:

 

     (i) The name of the system.

 

     (ii) The names of the system's investment fiduciaries.

 

     (iii) The names of the system's service providers.

 

     (iv) The system's assets and liabilities and changes in net


 

plan assets on a plan-year basis.

 

     (v) The system's funded ratio based upon the ratio of

 

valuation assets to actuarial accrued liabilities on a plan-year

 

basis.

 

     (vi) Except as otherwise provided in this subparagraph, the

 

system's investment performance net of fees on a rolling calendar-

 

year basis for the previous 1-, 3-, 5-, 7-, and 10-year periods.

 

For a system for which the state treasurer is the investment

 

fiduciary, the summary annual report shall include the system's

 

investment performance net of fees on a rolling calendar-year and

 

fiscal-year basis for the previous 1-, 3-, 5-, 7-, and 10-year

 

periods.

 

     (vii) The system's administrative and investment expenditures

 

pursuant to standards of the governmental accounting standards

 

board, including, but not limited to, a list of all expenditures

 

made with soft dollars and all expenditures for professional

 

training and education, including travel expenditures, by or on

 

behalf of system board members that are paid by the system, if any.

 

     (viii) The system's itemized budget containing all projected

 

expenditures, including, but not limited to, expenditures for

 

professional training and education, including travel expenditures,

 

by or on behalf of system board members that are paid by the

 

system.

 

     (ix) The following information as provided in the system's most

 

recent annual actuarial valuation report:

 

     (A) The number of active members.

 

     (B) The number of retirees and beneficiaries.


 

     (C) The average annual retirement allowance.

 

     (D) The total annual retirement allowances being paid.

 

     (E) The valuation payroll.

 

     (F) The employer's computed normal cost of benefits expressed

 

as a percentage of valuation payroll.

 

     (G) The employer's total contribution rate expressed as a

 

percentage of valuation payroll.

 

     (H) The weighted average of member contributions, if any.

 

     (I) The actuarial assumed rate of investment return.

 

     (J) The actuarial assumed rate of long-term wage inflation.

 

     (K) The smoothing method utilized to determine the funding

 

value of assets.

 

     (l) The amortization method and period utilized for funding the

 

system's unfunded actuarial accrued liabilities, if any.

 

     (M) The system's actuarial cost method.

 

     (N) Whether system membership is open or closed to specific

 

groups of employees.

 

     (x) In addition to the expenditures reported under

 

subparagraph (vii), for a qualified system a travel report listing

 

all travel outside this state in the immediately preceding fiscal

 

year that was funded in whole or in part with public funds. The

 

report must include the total expenses for all out-of-state travel

 

funded during the immediately preceding fiscal year and all of the

 

following information for each travel occurrence:

 

     (A) The name of each person receiving reimbursement for travel

 

outside this state or whose travel costs were paid by the qualified

 

system.


 

     (B) The destination.

 

     (C) The dates.

 

     (D) A brief statement of the reason for the travel.

 

     (E) An itemization of the transportation and related costs,

 

including, but not limited to, the amount for food, lodging, and

 

vehicle rental and listing the names of hotels, restaurants,

 

vehicle rental agencies, and vehicle models.

 

     (4) An investment fiduciary who is an investment fiduciary of

 

any of the following shall comply with the divestment from terror

 

act, 2008 PA 234, MCL 129.291 to 129.301, in making investments

 

under this act:

 

     (a) The Tier 1 retirement plan available under the state

 

employees' retirement act, 1943 PA 240, MCL 38.1 to 38.69.

 

     (b) The Tier 1 retirement plan available under the judges

 

retirement act of 1992, 1992 PA 234, MCL 38.2101 to 38.2670.

 

     (c) The Michigan state police retirement system created under

 

the state police retirement act of 1986, 1986 PA 182, MCL 38.1601

 

to 38.1648.

 

     (d) The Michigan public school employees' retirement system

 

created under the public school employees retirement act of 1979,

 

1980 PA 300, MCL 38.1301 to 38.1437.

 

     (5) An Subject to section 13g, an investment fiduciary may use

 

a portion of the income of the system to defray the costs of

 

investing, managing, and protecting the assets of the system; may

 

retain investment and all other goods and services necessary for

 

the conduct of the affairs of the system, including investment

 

advisors, consultants, custodians, accountants, auditors,


 

attorneys, actuaries, investment personnel, administrators, and

 

physicians; and may enter into contracts for and pay reasonable

 

compensation for those services. Subject to an annual appropriation

 

by the legislature, a deduction from the income of a state-

 

administered system resulting from the payment of those costs shall

 

be made.

 

     (6) Subject to this subsection and subsection (13), an

 

investment fiduciary may use a portion of the income of the system

 

to defray the costs of professional training and education,

 

including travel costs, of system board members, which professional

 

training and education, including travel, are directly related to

 

the administration, management, and operation of the system. The

 

governing board vested with the general administration, management,

 

and operation of the system or other decision-making body that is

 

responsible for implementation and supervision of the system shall

 

adopt an annual budget for professional training and education,

 

including travel, authorized under this subsection. The budget

 

adopted under this subsection shall reflect the number of board

 

members, the size of the system, and the educational objectives of

 

the system. The system's total aggregate cost for professional

 

training and education, including travel costs, authorized under

 

this subsection for a fiscal year shall not exceed $150,000.00 or

 

an amount that is equal to the total number of system board members

 

multiplied by $12,000.00, whichever is less. The system's total

 

cost for professional training and education, including travel

 

costs, authorized under this subsection for an individual system

 

board member in a fiscal year shall not exceed $30,000.00.


 

Beginning January 1, 2013, the department of treasury shall adjust

 

the dollar amounts in this subsection by an amount determined by

 

the state treasurer at the end of the immediately preceding

 

calendar year to reflect the cumulative annual percentage change in

 

the consumer price index. As used in this subsection, "consumer

 

price index" means the most comprehensive index of consumer prices

 

available for this state from the bureau of labor statistics of the

 

United States department of labor.

 

     (7) Before any investment services are provided, an investment

 

service provider shall provide the investment fiduciary of the

 

system with a complete written disclosure of all fees or other

 

compensation associated with its relationship with the system.

 

After investment services are provided to the investment fiduciary

 

of the system, an investment service provider shall provide on an

 

annual basis written disclosure of all fees including, but not

 

limited to, commissions, 12b-1 and related fees, compensation paid

 

or to be paid to third parties, and any other compensation paid by

 

the system to the investment fiduciary of the system. As used in

 

this subsection, "investment service provider" means any

 

individual, third-party agent or consultant, or other entity that

 

receives direct or indirect compensation for consulting, investment

 

management, brokerage, or custody services related to the system's

 

assets. Investment service provider does not include a retirement

 

system.

 

     (8) The system shall be a separate and distinct trust fund and

 

the assets of the system shall be for the exclusive benefit of the

 

participants and their beneficiaries and of defraying reasonable


 

expenses of investing the assets of the system. With respect to a

 

system, an investment fiduciary shall not cause the system to

 

engage in a transaction if he or she knows or should know that the

 

transaction is any of the following, either directly or indirectly:

 

     (a) A sale or exchange or a leasing of any property from the

 

system to a party in interest for less than the fair market value,

 

or from a party in interest to the system for more than the fair

 

market value.

 

     (b) A lending of money or other extension of credit from the

 

system to a party in interest without the receipt of adequate

 

security and a reasonable rate of interest, or from a party in

 

interest to the system with the provision of excessive security or

 

at an unreasonably high rate of interest.

 

     (c) A transfer to, or use by or for the benefit of, the

 

political subdivision sponsoring the system of any assets of the

 

system for less than adequate consideration.

 

     (d) The furnishing of goods, services, or facilities from the

 

system to a party in interest for less than adequate consideration,

 

or from a party in interest to the system for more than adequate

 

consideration.

 

     (9) With respect to a system subject to this act, an

 

investment fiduciary shall not do any of the following:

 

     (a) Deal with the assets of the system in his or her own

 

interest or for his or her own account.

 

     (b) In his or her individual or any other capacity act in any

 

transaction involving the system on behalf of a party whose

 

interests are adverse to the interests of the system or the


 

interest of its participants or participants' beneficiaries.

 

     (c) Receive any consideration for his or her own personal

 

account from any party dealing with the system in connection with a

 

transaction involving the assets of the system.

 

     (10) This section does not prohibit an investment fiduciary

 

from doing any of the following:

 

     (a) Receiving any benefit to which he or she may be entitled

 

as a participant or participant's beneficiary of the system.

 

     (b) Receiving any reimbursement of expenses properly and

 

actually incurred in the performance of his or her duties for the

 

system.

 

     (c) Serving as an investment fiduciary in addition to being an

 

officer, employee, agent, or other representative of the political

 

subdivision sponsoring the system.

 

     (d) Receiving agreed upon compensation for services from the

 

system.

 

     (11) Except for an employee of a system, this state, or the

 

political subdivision sponsoring a system, when acting in the

 

capacity as an investment fiduciary, an investment fiduciary who is

 

qualified under section 12c(1)(b) shall meet 1 of the following

 

requirements:

 

     (a) Be a registered investment adviser under the investment

 

advisers act of 1940, 15 USC 80b-1 to 80b-21, or the uniform

 

securities act (2002), 2008 PA 551, MCL 451.2101 to 451.2703.

 

     (b) Be a bank as defined under the investment advisers act of

 

1940, 15 USC 80b-1 to 80b-21.

 

     (c) Be an insurance company qualified under section 16(3).


 

     (12) An investment fiduciary shall not invest in a debt

 

instrument issued by a foreign country that has been designated by

 

the United States department of state as a state sponsor of terror.

 

     (13) A qualified system shall not pay the expenses for a

 

person to travel outside this state from funds under its control

 

unless 1 or more of the following conditions apply to the travel:

 

     (a) It is required by legal mandate or court order or for law

 

enforcement purposes.

 

     (b) It is necessary to protect the health or safety of

 

citizens of, or visitors to, this state or to assist other states

 

in similar circumstances.

 

     (c) It is necessary to produce budgetary savings or to

 

increase revenues, including protecting existing federal funds or

 

securing additional federal funds.

 

     (d) It is necessary to comply with federal requirements.

 

     (e) It is necessary to secure specialized training for staff

 

that is essential to performing the duties of the position and is

 

not available within this state.

 

     (f) It is financed entirely by federal funds or by private

 

funds granted expressly for the purpose of the travel.

 

     Sec. 13g. (1) Subject to a plan for adjustment, each qualified

 

system shall establish an investment committee.

 

     (2) The investment committee shall recommend to the governing

 

board of the qualified system investment management decisions,

 

including, but not limited to, all of the following:

 

     (a) The development of investment objectives, investment

 

assumptions, and performance measurement standards consistent with


 

the needs of the qualified system.

 

     (b) The selection, monitoring, evaluation, and removal of

 

custodians and qualified investment managers.

 

     (c) Asset allocation.

 

     (d) Benefit enhancements or restorations.

 

     (e) Performing or ordering asset liability valuation studies

 

for the qualified system not less frequently than every 2 years.

 

     (f) Approval or acceptance of all annual audits and actuarial

 

and financial reports before finalization.

 

     (g) Interpretation of the qualified system's governing

 

documents, applicable laws, plans of adjustment approved by United

 

States bankruptcy courts, and other financial determinations

 

affecting the qualified system's funding or benefit levels.

 

     (h) Approval and implementation of any fiscal responsibility

 

actions provided for in the qualified system's governing documents,

 

including increased member contributions or benefit reductions.

 

     (3) The investment committee shall do all of the following:

 

     (a) Select, appoint, monitor, and evaluate advisors or

 

consultants to the investment committee.

 

     (b) Select, appoint, monitor, and evaluate advisors or

 

consultants to the qualified system.

 

     (c) Select, appoint, monitor, and evaluate the qualified

 

system's chief financial officer.

 

     (d) Notwithstanding section 20h(6), approve a qualified

 

system's summary annual report created under section 13 before the

 

summary annual report is made public.

 

     (4) The investment committee may remove an advisor,


 

consultant, or chief financial officer appointed under subsection

 

(3).

 

     (5) The investment committee shall submit its recommendation

 

under subsection (2) to the board. The board shall have not more

 

than 45 days from the date of the submission, or 10 business days

 

if the committee determines in good faith that emergency action is

 

required, to approve or disapprove the recommendation. If the board

 

does not act within 45 days or 10 days, as applicable, the

 

recommendation is considered approved by the board and the chief

 

financial officer shall implement the recommendation.

 

     (6) If the board disapproves the investment committee's

 

recommendation within 45 days or 10 days, as applicable, the board

 

shall, within 45 days of its disapproval of the committee's

 

recommendation, submit to the committee a written alternative

 

recommendation. The committee shall have 45 days to review the

 

board's alternative recommendation and may request a conference

 

with the board to discuss the alternative recommendation. After the

 

conference with the board or, if no conference is held, not later

 

than 45 days after the committee receives the alternative

 

recommendation, the committee shall approve either the committee's

 

recommendation or the board's alternative recommendation. If the

 

committee rejects the board's alternative recommendation, the

 

committee shall provide the board with written explanation of the

 

rejection. The chief financial officer shall implement the

 

alternate recommendation submitted by the board or the

 

recommendation submitted by the committee, whichever is approved by

 

the committee.


 

     (7) As used in this section:

 

     (a) "Board" means the governing board of a qualified system.

 

     (b) "Chief financial officer" means the chief financial

 

officer of a qualified system.

 

     (c) "Investment committee" or "committee" means an investment

 

committee established under subsection (1).

 

     (d) "Plan for adjustment" means the plan for the adjustment of

 

debts entered and approved by a federal bankruptcy court for a city

 

that has established a qualified system.