1036
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________


                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO INVESTMENTS OF THE EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  Section 88-119, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 2 amended to read as follows:
 
 3      "§88-119  Investments.  Investments may be made in:
 
 4      (1)  Real estate loans and mortgages.  Obligations (as
 
 5           defined in section 431:6-101) of any of the following
 
 6           classes:
 
 7           (A)  Obligations secured by mortgages of nonprofit
 
 8                corporations desiring to build multirental units
 
 9                (ten units or more) subject to control of the
 
10                government for occupancy by families displaced as
 
11                a result of government action;
 
12           (B)  Obligations secured by mortgages insured by the
 
13                Federal Housing Administration;
 
14           (C)  Obligations for the repayment of home loans made
 
15                under the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 or
 
16                under Title II of the National Housing Act;
 
17           (D)  Other obligations secured by first mortgages on
 
18                unencumbered improved real estate owned in fee
 
19                simple; provided that the amount of the obligation
 

 
a                                                     BUF-16(99)
Page 2                                                     1036
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1                shall not at the time investment is made therein
 
 2                exceed eighty per cent of the value of the real
 
 3                estate and improvements mortgaged to secure it,
 
 4                and except that the amount of the obligation at
 
 5                the time investment is made therein may exceed
 
 6                eighty per cent but no more than ninety per cent 
 
 7                of the value of the real estate and improvements
 
 8                mortgaged to secure it; provided further that the
 
 9                obligation is insured or guaranteed against
 
10                default or loss under a mortgage insurance policy
 
11                issued by a casualty insurance company licensed to
 
12                do business in the State.  The coverage provided
 
13                by the insurer should be sufficient to reduce the
 
14                system's exposure to not more than eighty per cent
 
15                of the value of the real estate and improvements
 
16                mortgaged to secure it.  Such insurance coverage
 
17                shall remain in force until the principal amount
 
18                of the obligation is reduced to eighty per cent of
 
19                the market value of the real estate and
 
20                improvements mortgaged to secure it, at which time
 
21                the coverage shall be subject to cancellation
 
22                solely at the option of the board of trustees.
 
23                Real estate shall not be deemed to be encumbered
 

 
a                                                     BUF-16(99)
Page 3                                                     1036
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1                within the meaning of this subparagraph by reason
 
 2                of the existence of any of the restrictions,
 
 3                charges, or claims described in section 431:6-308;
 
 4           (E)  Other obligations secured by first mortgages of
 
 5                leasehold interests in improved real estate;
 
 6                provided that:
 
 7                (i)  Each such leasehold interest at such time
 
 8                     shall have a current term extending at least
 
 9                     two years beyond the stated maturity of the
 
10                     obligation it secures; and
 
11               (ii)  The amount of the obligation shall not at the
 
12                     time investment is made therein exceed eighty
 
13                     per cent of the value of the respective
 
14                     leasehold interest and improvements, and
 
15                     except that the amount of the obligation, at
 
16                     the time investment is made therein, may
 
17                     exceed eighty per cent but no more than
 
18                     ninety per cent of the value of the leasehold
 
19                     interest and improvements mortgaged to secure
 
20                     it; provided further that the obligation is
 
21                     insured or guaranteed against default or loss
 
22                     under a mortgage insurance policy issued by a
 
23                     casualty insurance company licensed to do
 

 
a                                                     BUF-16(99)
Page 4                                                     1036
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1                     business in the State.  The coverage provided
 
 2                     by the insurer should be sufficient to reduce
 
 3                     the system's exposure to not more than eighty
 
 4                     per cent of the value of the leasehold
 
 5                     interest and improvements mortgaged to secure
 
 6                     it.  Such insurance coverage shall remain in
 
 7                     force until the principal amount of the
 
 8                     obligation is reduced to eighty per cent of
 
 9                     the market value of the leasehold interest
 
10                     and improvements mortgaged to secure it, at
 
11                     which time the coverage shall be subject to
 
12                     cancellation solely at the option of the
 
13                     board of trustees;
 
14           (F)  Obligations for the repayment of home loans
 
15                guaranteed by the department of Hawaiian home
 
16                lands pursuant to section 214(b) of the Hawaiian
 
17                Homes Commission Act, 1920; and
 
18           (G)  Obligations secured by second mortgages on
 
19                improved real estate for which the mortgagor
 
20                procures a second mortgage on the improved real
 
21                estate for the purpose of acquiring the
 
22                leaseholder's fee simple interest in the improved
 
23                real estate; provided that any prior mortgage does
 

 
a                                                     BUF-16(99)
Page 5                                                     1036
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1                not contain provisions which might jeopardize the
 
 2                security position of the retirement system or the
 
 3                borrower's ability to repay the mortgage loan.
 
 4           The board of trustees may retain such real estate,
 
 5           including leasehold interests therein, as it may
 
 6           acquire by foreclosure of mortgages or in enforcement
 
 7           of security, or as may be conveyed to it in
 
 8           satisfaction of debts previously contracted; provided
 
 9           that all such real estate, other than leasehold
 
10           interests, shall be sold within five years after
 
11           acquiring the same, subject to extension by the
 
12           governor for additional periods not exceeding five
 
13           years each, and that all such leasehold interests shall
 
14           be sold within one year after acquiring the same,
 
15           subject to extension by the governor for additional
 
16           periods not exceeding one year each;
 
17      (2)  Government obligations, etc.  Obligations of any of the
 
18           following classes:
 
19           (A)  Obligations issued or guaranteed as to principal
 
20                and interest by the United States or by any state
 
21                thereof or by any municipal or political
 
22                subdivision or school district of any of the
 
23                foregoing; provided that principal of and interest
 

 
a                                                     BUF-16(99)
Page 6                                                     1036
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1                on such obligations are payable in currency of the
 
 2                United States; or sovereign debt instruments
 
 3                issued by agencies of, or guaranteed by foreign
 
 4                governments;
 
 5           (B)  Revenue bonds, whether or not permitted by any
 
 6                other provision hereof, of the State or any
 
 7                municipal or political subdivision thereof,
 
 8                including the board of water supply of the city
 
 9                and county of Honolulu, and street or improvement
 
10                district bonds of any district or project in the
 
11                State; and
 
12           (C)  Obligations issued or guaranteed by any federal
 
13                home loan bank including consolidated federal home
 
14                loan bank obligations, the Home Owner's Loan
 
15                Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage
 
16                Association, or the Small Business Administration;
 
17      (3)  Corporate obligations.  Investments may be made in
 
18           below investment grade or nonrated debt instruments,
 
19           foreign or domestic, in accordance with investment
 
20           guidelines adopted by the board of trustees;
 
21      (4)  Preferred and common stocks.  Shares of preferred or
 
22           common stock of any corporation created or existing
 
23           under the laws of the United States or of any state or
 

 
a                                                     BUF-16(99)
Page 7                                                     1036
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1           district thereof or of any country;
 
 2      (5)  Obligations eligible by law for purchase in the open
 
 3           market by federal reserve banks;
 
 4      (6)  Obligations issued or guaranteed by the International
 
 5           Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Inter-
 
 6           American Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank,
 
 7           or the African Development Bank;
 
 8      (7)  Obligations secured by collateral consisting of any of
 
 9           the securities or stock listed above and worth, at the
 
10           time the investment is made, at least fifteen per cent
 
11           more than the amount of the respective obligations;
 
12      (8)  Insurance company obligations.  Contracts and
 
13           agreements supplemental thereto providing for
 
14           participation in one or more accounts of a life
 
15           insurance company authorized to do business in Hawaii,
 
16           including its separate accounts, and whether the
 
17           investments allocated thereto are comprised of stocks
 
18           or other securities or of real or personal property or
 
19           interests therein;
 
20      (9)  Interests in real property.  Interests in improved or
 
21           productive real property in which, in the informed
 
22           opinion of the board of trustees, it is prudent to
 
23           invest funds of the system.  For purposes of this
 

 
a                                                     BUF-16(99)
Page 8                                                     1036
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1           paragraph, "real property" includes any property
 
 2           treated as real property either by local law or for
 
 3           federal income tax purposes.  Investments in improved
 
 4           or productive real property may be made directly or
 
 5           through pooled funds, including common or collective
 
 6           trust funds of banks and trust companies, group or unit
 
 7           trusts, limited partnerships, limited liability
 
 8           companies, investment trusts, title-holding
 
 9           corporations recognized under section [501(c)(2) or
 
10           section 501(c)(23)] 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code
 
11           of 1986, as amended, similar entities that would
 
12           protect the system's interest, and other pooled funds
 
13           invested on behalf of the system by investment managers
 
14           retained by the system;
 
15     (10)  Other securities and futures contracts.  Securities and
 
16           futures contracts in which in the informed opinion of
 
17           the board of trustees it is prudent to invest funds of
 
18           the system, including currency, interest rate, bond,
 
19           and stock index futures contracts and options on such
 
20           contracts to hedge against anticipated changes in
 
21           currencies, interest rates, and bond and stock prices
 
22           that might otherwise have an adverse effect upon the
 
23           value of the system's securities portfolios; covered
 

 
a                                                     BUF-16(99)
Page 9                                                     1036
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1           put and call options on securities; and stock; whether
 
 2           or not the securities, stock, futures contracts, or
 
 3           options on futures are expressly authorized by or
 
 4           qualify under the foregoing paragraphs, and
 
 5           notwithstanding any limitation of any of the foregoing
 
 6           paragraphs (including paragraph (4)); and
 
 7     (11)  Private placements.  Investments in institutional blind
 
 8           pool limited partnerships or direct investments which
 
 9           make private debt and equity investments in privately
 
10           held companies."
 
11      SECTION 2.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed.
 
12 New statutory material is underscored.
 
13      SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval. 
 
14 
 
15                           INTRODUCED BY:  _______________________
 

 
a                                                     BUF-16(99)