§ 6-8-7 — Powers and duties of the state investment council and state

investment officer; investment policy; investment managers. A. Subject to the limitations, conditions and restrictions contained in policymaking regulations or resolutions adopted by the council, the council may make purchases, sales, exchanges, investments and reinvestments of the assets of all funds in accordance with the Uniform Prudent Investor Act [45-7-601 to 45-7-612 NMSA 1978]. The state investment officer and the council are trustees of all funds under their control and shall see that money invested is at all times handled in the best interests of the state. The council may delegate administrative and investment-related functions to the state investment officer. B. The state investment officer shall formulate and recommend to the council for approval investment regulations or resolutions pertaining to the kind or nature of investments and limitations, conditions and restrictions upon the methods, practices or procedures for investment, reinvestment, purchase, sale or exchange transactions that should govern the activities of the investment office. C. The council shall meet at least ten times per year, and as often as exigencies may demand, to consult with the state investment officer concerning the work of the investment office. The council shall have access to all files and records of the investment office and shall require the state investment officer to report on and provide information necessary to the performance of council functions. The council may hire investment management or consulting firms to advise the council with respect to the council's investment decisions for the investment of funds managed by the investment office and pay reasonable compensation for such management or consulting services from the assets of the applicable funds, subject to budgeting and appropriation by the legislature. The terms of any such investment management or consulting services contract shall incorporate the statutory requirements for investment of funds under the council's jurisdiction. Prior to being hired, a prospective investment management, advisory or consulting services firm shall submit to the council a disclosure detailing all campaign contributions made within the last two years by the firm or the principals of the firm to any member of the council, or to a political committee or other entity that is intended to aid or promote the nomination or election of any council member to a political office. D. The council shall provide an opportunity for public comment at meetings of the council. Advance notice of meetings shall be published on the council's web site and in a newspaper of general circulation at least ten days in advance of the meeting. E. All funds managed by the state investment officer shall be managed in accordance with the Uniform Prudent Investor Act. The council may form and use committees to study and make recommendations to the council. Prior to commencing work for the council, a committee member who is not a member of the council shall submit to the council a disclosure detailing all campaign contributions made within the last two years to any member of the council or to a political committee or other entity that is intended to aid or promote the nomination or election of any council member to a political office. F. Fiduciaries of the permanent funds are: (1) the council; (2) the state investment officer and investment office staff; (3) any person providing investment advice to the council, the state investment officer or investment office staff for an investment management, advisory or consulting services fee; and (4) all persons exercising discretionary authority over or control of funds under the management of the council. G. The council may contract for legal services for litigation on a contingent or partly contingent fee basis, subject to an expedited solicitation process devised and approved by the council; provided that: (1) amounts recovered by the legal services contractor shall be deposited in the state investment council suspense fund; (2) the council shall submit each proposed contract to the attorney general and the department for review of the contingency fee. The attorney general's and the department's review shall take into account the complexity of the factual and legal issues presented by the claims to be pursued under the contract. If the attorney general or the department advises the council that the proposed contingency fee is not reasonable, the council may nevertheless approve the contract and the contingency fee by a majority vote of its members; and (3) each prospective legal services contractor seeking to represent the council on a contingent or partly contingent fee basis shall file with the council the disclosure required by Section 13-1-191.1 NMSA 1978 disclosing all campaign contributions made to the governor, attorney general, state treasurer or any member of the council, or to a political committee that is intended to aid or promote the nomination or election of any candidate to a state office if the committee is: (a) established by any of the foregoing persons or their agents; (b) established in consultation with or at the request of any of the foregoing persons or their agents; or (c) controlled by one of the foregoing persons or their agents. H. The council may select and contract for the services of one or more custodian banks for all funds under the council's management. For the purpose of this subsection, "custodian bank" means a financial institution with the general fiduciary duties to manage, control and collect the assets of an investment fund, including receiving all deposits and paying all disbursements as directed by staff, safekeeping of assets, coordination of asset transfers, timely settlement of securities transactions and accurate and timely reporting of the assets by individual account and in total. I. For funds available for investment for more than one year, the council may contract with any state agency to provide investment advisory or investment management services, separately or through a pooled investment fund; provided that the state agency enters into a joint powers agreement with the council and that the state agency pays at least the direct cost of such services. Notwithstanding any statutory provision governing state agency investments, the council may invest funds available from a state agency pursuant to a joint powers agreement in any type of investment permitted for the land grant permanent funds under the prudent investor rule. In performing investment services for a state agency, the council and the state investment officer and investment office staff are exempt from the New Mexico Uniform Securities Act [58-13C-101 to 58-13C-701 NMSA 1978]. As used in this subsection, "state agency" means any branch, agency, department, board, instrumentality, institution or political subdivision of the state, the New Mexico finance authority, the New Mexico mortgage finance authority and any tax-exempt private endowment entity whose sole beneficiary is a state agency or whose beneficiaries are students attending a public educational institution in the state. J. The state investment officer shall provide quarterly performance reports to the legislative finance committee. Annually, the state investment officer shall ratify and provide written investment policies, including any amendments, to the legislative finance committee. K. Council members, the state investment officer and investment office staff and committee members appointed by the council, jointly and severally, shall be indemnified by the state, out of the permanent funds, from all claims, demands, suits, actions, damages, judgments, costs, charges and expenses, including court costs and attorney fees, against all claims, liability, losses or damages arising from any decisions made or actions taken while acting within the scope of duty and pursuant to law as a council member, the state investment officer, investment office staff or a committee member appointed by the council. Following indemnification, if it is shown that the indemnified person acted fraudulently or with intentional malice, the state shall have the right to recover from the indemnified person any amount expended under this subsection.

Legislative History

1953 Comp., § 11-2-8.10, enacted by Laws 1957, ch. 179, § 7; 1977, ch. 247,