SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

SENATE BILL 231

51st legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AN ACT

RELATING TO PUBLIC MONEY; ALLOWING SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND CERTAIN CHARTER SCHOOLS TO MAKE INVESTMENTS OF PUBLIC MONEY; ALLOWING SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND CERTAIN CHARTER SCHOOLS TO DETERMINE DEPOSITS WITH LOCAL QUALIFIED DEPOSITORIES.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. Section 6-10-1.1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1987, Chapter 79, Section 3, as amended) is amended to read:

     "6-10-1.1. DEFINITIONS.--As used in Chapter 6, Article 10 NMSA 1978:

          A. "department" means the department of finance and administration;

          B. "deposit" includes share, share certificate and share draft;

          C. "eligible governing body" means a local governing body, the governing authority of a tribe or any other governmental or quasi-governmental body created or authorized to be created pursuant to New Mexico statutes;

          D. "finance officer" means the chief financial officer of an eligible governing body or a participating government;

          E. "local governing body" means a political subdivision of the state, including a school district, a charter school whose governing body has been designated as a board of finance or a post-secondary educational institution;

          F. "participating government" means an eligible governing body or the state treasurer on behalf of the general fund that has invested money in the participating government investment fund;

          G. "secretary" means the secretary of finance and administration;

          H. "treasury" means the master depository or cash concentration account held at the state's fiscal agent bank and administered by the office of the state treasurer, unless the context otherwise clearly indicates; and

          I. "tribe" means a federally recognized Indian nation, tribe or pueblo or a subdivision or agency of a federally recognized Indian nation, tribe or pueblo, located wholly or partially in New Mexico."

     SECTION 2. Section 6-10-10 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1933, Chapter 175, Section 4, as amended) is amended to read:

     "6-10-10. DEPOSIT AND INVESTMENT OF FUNDS.--

          A. Upon the certification or designation of a bank, savings and loan association or credit union whose deposits are insured by an agency of the United States to receive public money on deposit, the state treasurer [and], county or municipal treasurers and school district designees who have on hand any public money by virtue of their offices shall make deposit of that money in banks and savings and loan associations and may make deposit of that money in credit unions whose deposits are insured by an agency of the United States, designated by the authority authorized by law to so designate to receive the deposits of all money thereafter received or collected by the treasurers or school district designees.

          B. County or municipal treasurers or school district designees may deposit money in one or more accounts with any such bank, savings and loan association or credit union located in their respective counties, subject to limitation on credit union accounts.

          C. The state treasurer may deposit money in one or more accounts with any such bank, savings and loan association or credit union, subject to the limitation on credit union accounts.

          D. Duplicate receipts or deposit slips shall be taken for each deposit made pursuant to Subsection A, B or C of this section. When deposits are made by the state treasurer, one copy of the receipt or deposit slip shall be retained by the state treasurer and the other copy shall be filed monthly on the first day of each month with the financial control division of the department of finance and administration. When deposits are made by the treasurer or any other authorized person making the deposits for a board of finance of a public or educational institution, one copy of the receipt or deposit slip shall be retained by the treasurer or authorized person making the deposit and the other copy shall be filed monthly on the first day of each month with that board of finance. When deposits are made by a county or municipal treasurer, one of the duplicate receipts or deposit slips shall be retained by the treasurer making the deposit and the other copy shall be filed monthly on the first day of each month with the secretary of the board of finance of the county or municipality for which that treasurer is acting.

          E. "Deposit", as used in this section, means either investment or deposit and includes share, share certificate and share draft.

          F. County or municipal treasurers or school district designees, with the advice and consent of their respective boards of finance charged with the supervision and control of the respective funds, may invest all sinking funds or money remaining unexpended from the proceeds of any issue of bonds or other negotiable securities of any county, municipality or school district that is entrusted to their care and custody and all money not immediately necessary for the public uses of the counties, municipalities or school districts not invested or deposited in banks, savings and loan associations or credit unions in:

                (1) bonds or negotiable securities of the United States, the state or a county, municipality or school district that has a taxable valuation of real property for the last preceding year of at least one million dollars ($1,000,000) and that has not defaulted in the payment of any interest or sinking fund obligation or failed to meet any bonds at maturity at any time within five years last preceding; or

                (2) securities that are issued by the United States government or by its agencies or instrumentalities and that are either direct obligations of the United States, the federal home loan mortgage [association] corporation, the federal national mortgage association, the federal farm credit bank or federal home loan banks [or the student loan marketing association] or that are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government.

          G. The treasurer of a class A county or the treasurer of a municipality having a population of more than sixty-five thousand according to the most recent federal decennial census and located within a class A county, or the designee of a school district having a student enrollment of more than three thousand, with the advice and consent of the boards of finance charged with the supervision and control of the funds, may invest all sinking funds or money remaining unexpended from the proceeds of any issue of bonds or other negotiable securities of the county or municipality that is entrusted to the treasurer's care and custody and all money not immediately necessary for the public uses of the county or municipality not invested or deposited in banks, savings and loan associations or credit unions in:

                (1) shares of a diversified investment company registered pursuant to the federal Investment Company Act of 1940 that invests in fixed-income securities or debt instruments that are listed in a nationally recognized, broad-market, fixed-income-securities market index; provided that the investment company or manager has total assets under management of at least one hundred million dollars ($100,000,000) and provided that the board of finance of the county or municipality may allow reasonable administrative and investment expenses to be paid directly from the income or assets of these investments;

                (2) individual, common or collective trust funds of banks or trust companies that invest in fixed-income securities or debt instruments that are listed in a nationally recognized, broad-market, fixed-income-securities market index; provided that the investment company or manager has total assets under management of at least one hundred million dollars ($100,000,000) and provided that the board of finance of the county or municipality may allow reasonable administrative and investment expenses to be paid directly from the income or assets of these investments; or

                (3) shares of pooled investment funds managed by the state investment officer, as provided in Subsection E of Section 6-8-7 NMSA 1978; provided that the board of finance of the county or municipality may allow reasonable administrative and investment expenses to be paid directly from the income or assets of these investments.

          H. A local public body, with the advice and consent of the body charged with the supervision and control of the local public body's respective funds, may invest all sinking funds or money remaining unexpended from the proceeds of any issue of bonds or other negotiable securities of the investor that is entrusted to the local public body's care and custody and all money not immediately necessary for the public uses of the investor and not otherwise invested or deposited in banks, savings and loan associations or credit unions in contracts with banks, savings and loan associations or credit unions for the present purchase and resale at a specified time in the future of specific securities at specified prices at a price differential representing the interest income to be earned by the investor. The contract shall be fully secured by obligations of the United States or other securities backed by the United States having a market value of at least one hundred two percent of the contract. The collateral required for investment in the contracts provided for in this subsection shall be shown on the books of the financial institution as being the property of the investor and the designation shall be contemporaneous with the investment. As used in this subsection, "local public body" includes all political subdivisions of the state and agencies, instrumentalities and institutions thereof; provided that home rule municipalities that prior to July 1, 1994 had enacted ordinances authorizing the investment of repurchase agreements may continue investment in repurchase agreements pursuant to those ordinances.

          I. The state treasurer, with the advice and consent of the state board of finance, may invest money held in demand deposits and not immediately needed for the operation of state government and money held in the participating government investment fund, except as provided in Section 6-10-10.1 NMSA 1978. The investments may be made in securities that are issued by the United States government or by its departments or agencies and are either direct obligations of the United States or are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government or agencies sponsored by the United States government.

          J. The state treasurer, with the advice and consent of the state board of finance, may also invest in contracts for the present purchase and resale at a specified time in the future, not to exceed one year or, in the case of bond proceeds, not to exceed three years, of specific securities at specified prices at a price differential representing the interest income to be earned by the state. Such contract shall not be invested in unless the contract is fully secured by obligations of the United States or its agencies or instrumentalities or by other securities backed by the United States or its agencies or instrumentalities having a market value of at least one hundred two percent of the amount of the contract. The securities required as collateral under this subsection shall be delivered to a third-party custodian bank pursuant to a contract with the state and the counterparty or to the fiscal agent of New Mexico or its designee. Delivery shall be made simultaneously with the transfer of funds or as soon as practicable, but no later than the same day that the funds are transferred.

          K. The state treasurer, with the advice and consent of the state board of finance, may also invest in contracts for the temporary exchange of state-owned securities for the use of broker-dealers, banks or other recognized institutional investors in securities, for periods not to exceed one year for a specified fee rate. Such contract shall not be invested in unless the contract is fully secured by exchange of an irrevocable letter of credit running to the state, cash or equivalent collateral of at least one hundred two percent of the market value of the securities plus accrued interest temporarily exchanged. The collateral required by this subsection shall be delivered to the fiscal agent of New Mexico or its designee simultaneously with the transfer of funds or as soon as practicable, but no later than the same day that the state-owned securities are transferred.

          L. Neither of the contracts in Subsection J or K of this section shall be invested in unless the contracting bank, brokerage firm or recognized institutional investor has a net worth in excess of five hundred million dollars ($500,000,000).

          M. The state treasurer, with the advice and consent of the state board of finance, may also invest in any of the following investments in an amount not to exceed forty percent of any fund that the state treasurer invests:

                (1) commercial paper rated "prime" quality by a national rating service, issued by corporations organized and operating within the United States;

                (2) medium-term notes and corporate notes with a maturity not exceeding five years that are rated A or its equivalent or better by a nationally recognized rating service and that are issued by a corporation organized and operating in the United States; or

                (3) an asset-backed obligation with a maturity not exceeding five years that is rated AAA or its equivalent by a nationally recognized rating service.

          N. The state treasurer, with the advice and consent of the state board of finance, may also invest in:

                (1) shares of an open-ended diversified investment company that:

                     (a) is registered with the United States securities and exchange commission;

                     (b) complies with the diversification, quality and maturity requirements of Rule 2a-7, or any successor rule, of the United States securities and exchange commission applicable to money market mutual funds; and

                     (c) assesses no fees pursuant to Rule 12b-1, or any successor rule, of the United States securities and exchange commission, no sales load on the purchase of shares and no contingent deferred sales charge or other similar charges, however designated, provided that the state shall not, at any time, own more than five percent of a money market mutual fund's assets;

                (2) individual, common or collective trust funds of banks or trust companies that invest in United States fixed-income securities or debt instruments authorized pursuant to Subsections I, J and M of this section, provided that the investment manager has assets under management of at least one billion dollars ($1,000,000,000) and the investments made by the state treasurer pursuant to this paragraph are less than five percent of the assets of the individual, common or collective trust fund; or

                (3) the participating government investment fund managed by the office of the state treasurer. Investments made pursuant to this paragraph shall be less than five percent of the total assets of the participating government investment fund.

          O. Public funds to be invested in negotiable securities or loans to financial institutions fully secured by negotiable securities at current market value shall not be paid out unless there is a contemporaneous transfer of the securities at the earliest time industry practice permits, but in all cases, settlement shall be on a same-day basis either by physical delivery or, in the case of uncertificated securities, by appropriate book entry on the books of the issuer, to the purchaser or to a reputable safekeeping financial institution acting as agent or trustee for the purchaser, which agent or trustee shall furnish timely confirmation to the purchaser.

          P. As used in this section "school district designee" means the school district or charter school employee who has been designated by the superintendent of a school district or head administrator of a charter school to handle the funds of the school board or governing board."

     SECTION 3. Section 6-10-36 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1977, Chapter 136, Section 1, as amended) is amended to read:

     "6-10-36. PUBLIC MONEY DEPOSITS OF CERTAIN GOVERNMENTAL UNITS--DISTRIBUTION--INTEREST.--

          A. All public money, except that in the custody of the state treasurer, institutions of higher education, technical and vocational institutes, incorporated municipalities and counties that have adopted home rule charters as authorized by the constitution of New Mexico and local school boards and governing bodies of charter schools that have been designated as boards of finance, shall be deposited in qualified depositories in accordance with the terms of this section or invested as otherwise provided by law.

          B. Deposits of funds of a governmental unit may be made in noninterest-bearing checking accounts in one or more banks or savings and loan associations designated as checking depositories located within the geographical boundaries of the governmental unit. In addition, deposits of funds may be in noninterest-bearing checking accounts in one or more credit unions designated as checking depositories located within the geographical boundaries of the governmental unit to the extent the deposits are insured by an agency of the United States. If there is no checking depository within the geographical boundaries of the governmental unit, one or more banks, savings and loan associations or credit unions within the county in which the principal office of the governmental unit is located may be so designated, but credit union deposits shall be insured by an agency of the United States.

          C. Public money placed in interest-bearing deposits in banks, [and] savings and loan associations or credit unions shall be [equitably] proportionately distributed among all banks [and], savings and loan associations and credit unions pursuant to the formula established by the director of the financial institutions division of the regulation and licensing department:

                (1) having their main or staffed branch offices within the geographical boundaries of the governmental unit;

                (2) that have qualified as public depositories by reason of insurance of the account by an agency of the United States or by depositing collateral security or by giving bond as provided by law, except that deposits of credit unions must be insured by an agency of the United States; and

                (3) that [desire] request a deposit of public money pursuant to this section.

          D. The deposits shall be in the proportion that the deposits in offices located within the geographical boundaries of the governmental unit of each [bank's or] bank, savings and loan [association's] association or credit union that requests to receive deposits bears to the total deposits in offices located within the geographical boundaries of the governmental unit of all banks, [and] savings and loan associations and credit unions that have their main office or staffed branch office within the geographical boundaries of the governmental unit and that [desire] have a main or staffed branch within the geographical boundaries of the governmental unit and that have their main office or staffed branch office within the geographical boundaries of the governmental unit and that request a deposit of public money pursuant to this section. [The deposits of the main office of a savings and loan association and its staffed branch offices within the geographical boundaries of a governmental unit is the total deposits of the association multiplied by the percentage that deposits of the main office and the staffed branch offices located within the geographical boundaries of the governmental unit are of the total deposits of the association, net of any public fund deposits. The deposits of each staffed branch office or aggregate of staffed branch offices of a savings and loan association located outside the geographical boundaries of the governmental unit in which the main office is located is the total deposits of the association multiplied by the percentage that deposits of the branch or the aggregate of branches located outside the geographical boundaries of the governmental unit in which the main office is located are of the total deposits of the association, net of any public fund deposits.] The director of the financial institutions division of the regulation and licensing department shall promulgate a formula for determining the deposits of banks', savings and loan associations' and credit unions' main offices and branches for the purposes of distribution of public money as provided for by this section.

          [D. Public money may be placed at the discretion of the designated board of finance or treasurer in interest-bearing deposits in credit unions having their main or staffed branch offices within the geographical boundaries of the governmental unit to the extent the deposits are insured by an agency of the United States.]

          E. The rate of interest for all public money deposited in interest-bearing accounts in banks, savings and loan associations and credit unions shall be set by the state board of finance, but in no case shall the rate of interest be less than [one hundred percent of the asked price on] would be earned by investing the funds in United States treasury bills of the same maturity on the day of deposit. Any bank or savings and loan association that fails to pay the minimum rate of interest at the time of deposit provided for in this subsection for any respective deposit forfeits its right to an equitable share of that deposit under this section. If the deposit is part or all of the proceeds of a bond issue and the interest rate prescribed in this subsection materially exceeds the rate of interest of the bonds, the interest rate prescribed by this subsection shall be reduced on that deposit to an amount not materially exceeding the interest rate of the bonds if the bond issue would lose its tax-exempt status pursuant to the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

          F. Public money in excess of that for which banks, savings and loan associations and credit unions within the geographical boundaries of the governmental unit have qualified may be deposited in qualified depositories in other areas within the state under the same requirements for payment of interest as if the money were deposited within the geographical boundaries of the governmental unit or may be invested as provided by law.

          G. The department of finance and administration may monitor the deposits of public money by governmental units to assure full compliance with the provisions of this section."

     SECTION 4. Section 22-8-40 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1977, Chapter 136, Section 2, as amended) is amended to read:

     "22-8-40. DEPOSIT OF PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDS-- DISTRIBUTION--INTEREST.--

          A. [All] Public money in the custody of school districts or state-chartered charter schools that have been designated as boards of finance [shall] may be deposited in qualified depositories in accordance with the [terms of this section.

          B. Deposits of funds of the school district or state-chartered charter school may be made in noninterest-bearing checking accounts in one or more banks, savings and loan associations or credit unions, as long as the credit union deposits are insured by an agency of the United States, located within the geographical limits of the school district.

          C. Deposits of funds of the school district or state-chartered charter school may be made in interest-bearing checking accounts, commonly known as "NOW" accounts, in one or more banks, savings and loan associations or credit unions, as long as the credit union deposits are insured by an agency of the United States, located within the geographical limits of the school district.

          D. Public money placed in interest-bearing deposits, in banks and savings and loan associations, other than interest-bearing checking accounts as defined in Subsection C of this section, shall be equitably distributed among all banks and savings and loan associations having their main or manned branch offices within the geographical boundaries of the school district that have qualified as public depositories by reason of insurance of the account by an agency of the United States or by depositing collateral security or by giving bond as provided by law in the proportion that each such bank's or savings and loan association's net worth bears to the total net worth of all banks and savings and loan associations having their main office or a manned branch office within the geographical boundaries of the school district. The net worth of the main office of a savings and loan association and its manned branch offices within the geographical boundaries of a school district is the total net worth of the association multiplied by the percentage that deposits of the main office and the manned branch offices located within the geographical boundaries of the school district are of the total deposits of the association. The net worth of each manned branch office or aggregate of manned branch offices of a savings and loan association located outside the geographical boundaries of the school district in which the main office is located is the total net worth of the association multiplied by the percentage that deposits of the branch or aggregate of branches located outside the geographical boundaries of the school district in which the main office is located are of the total deposits of the association. The director of the financial institutions division of the regulation and licensing department shall promulgate a formula for determining the net worth of banks' main offices and branches for the purposes of distribution of public money as provided for by this section. "Net worth" means assets less liabilities as reported by such banks and savings and loan associations on their most recent semiannual reports to the state or federal supervisory authority having jurisdiction.

          E. Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection D of this section, public money may be placed in interest-bearing deposits, other than interest-bearing checking accounts as defined in Subsection C of this section, at the discretion of the board of finance, in credit unions having their main or manned branch offices within the geographical boundaries of the school district to the extent such deposits are insured by an agency of the United States.

          F. The rate of interest for all public money deposited in interest-bearing accounts in banks, savings and loan associations and credit unions shall be set by the state board of finance, but in no case shall the rate of interest be less than one hundred percent of the asked price on United States treasury bills of the same maturity on the date of deposit. Any bank or savings and loan association that fails to pay the minimum rate of interest at the time of deposit provided for herein for any respective deposit forfeits its right to an equitable share of that deposit under this section.] provisions of Section 6-10-36 NMSA 1978; provided that, if the deposit is part or all of the proceeds of a bond issue and the interest rate [prescribed in this subsection] materially exceeds the rate of interest of the bonds, the interest rate [prescribed by this subsection] shall be reduced on the deposit to an amount not materially exceeding the interest rate of the bonds if the bond issue would lose its tax-exempt status under Section 103 of the United States Internal Revenue Code [of 1954], as amended.

          [G.] B. Public money in excess of that for which banks [and], savings and loan associations and credit unions within the geographical boundaries of the school district have qualified may be deposited in qualified depositories, including credit unions, in other areas within the state under the same requirements for payment of interest as if the money were deposited within the geographical boundaries of the school district.

          [H.] C. The board of finance of the school district or state-chartered charter school may temporarily invest money held in demand deposits and not immediately needed for the operation of the school district or state-chartered charter school [Such temporary investments shall be made only in securities that are issued by the state or by the United States government, or by their departments or agencies, and that are either direct obligations of the state or the United States or are backed by the full faith and credit of those governments] in investments permitted by Section 6-10-10 NMSA 1978.

          [I.] D. The department of finance and administration may monitor the deposits of public money by school districts or state-chartered charter schools to assure full compliance with the provisions of this section." 

- 22 -