Colorado Code § 24-75-601.1

Legal investments of public funds - definition
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(1) It is lawful to invest
public funds in any of the following securities:
(a) Any security issued by, fully guaranteed by, or for which the full credit of the United
States treasury is pledged for payment and, notwithstanding paragraph (a) of subsection (1.3) of
this section, inflation indexed securities issued by the United States treasury. The period from
the date of settlement of this type of security to its maturity date shall be no more than five years
unless the governing body of the public entity authorizes investment for a period in excess of
five years.
(b) (I) Any security issued by, fully guaranteed by, or for which the full credit of the
following is pledged for payment: The federal farm credit bank, the federal land bank, a federal
home loan bank, the federal home loan mortgage corporation, the federal national mortgage
association, the export-import bank, the Tennessee valley authority, the government national
mortgage association, the world bank, or an entity or organization that is not listed in this
paragraph (b) but that is created by, or the creation of which is authorized by, legislation enacted
by the United States congress and that is subject to control by the federal government that is at
least as extensive as that which governs an entity or organization listed in this paragraph (b). The
period from the date of settlement of this type of security to its maturity date shall be no more
than five years unless the governing body of the public entity authorizes investment for a period
in excess of five years.
(II) No subordinated security may be purchased pursuant to this paragraph (b).
(c) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2006, p. 552, § 3, effective August 7, 2006.)
(d) (I) Any security that is a general obligation of any state of the United States, the
District of Columbia, or any territorial possession of the United States or of any political
subdivision, institution, department, agency, instrumentality, or authority of any of such
governmental entities.
(II) No security may be purchased pursuant to this subsection (1)(d) unless:
(A) At the time of purchase, the security carries at least two credit ratings at or above
"A- or A3" or its equivalent from NRSROs if it is a general obligation of this state or of any
political subdivision, institution, department, agency, instrumentality, or authority of this state or
carries at least two credit ratings at or above "AA- or Aa3" or its equivalent from such NRSROs
if it is a general obligation of any other governmental entity listed in subsection (1)(d)(I) of this
section;
(B) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2006, p. 552, § 3, effective August 7, 2006.)
(C) The period from the date of settlement of this type of security to its maturity date or
date of optional redemption that has been exercised as of the date the security is purchased is no
more than five years unless the governing body of the public entity authorizes investment for a
period in excess of five years.
(e) (I) Any security that is a revenue obligation of any state of the United States, the
District of Columbia, or any territorial possession of the United States or of any political
subdivision, institution, department, agency, instrumentality, or authority of any of such
governmental entities.
(II) No security may be purchased pursuant to this subsection (1)(e) unless, at the time of
purchase, the security carries at least two credit ratings at or above "A- or A3" or its equivalent
from NRSROs if it is a revenue obligation of this state or of any political subdivision, institution,
department, agency, instrumentality, or authority of this state or carries at least two credit ratings
at or above "AA- or Aa3" or its equivalent from such NRSROs if it is a revenue obligation of
any other governmental entity listed in subsection (1)(e)(I) of this section.
(III) The period from the date of settlement of this type of security to its maturity date or
date of optional redemption that has been exercised as of the date the security is purchased shall
be no more than five years.
(f) and (g) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2006, p. 552, § 3, effective August 7, 2006.)
(h) Any security of the investing public entity or any certificate of participation or other
security evidencing rights in payments to be made by the investing public entity under a lease,
financed purchase of an asset agreement, or similar arrangement;
(h.5) Any certificate of participation or other security evidencing rights in payments to
be made by a school district under a lease, financed purchase of an asset agreement, or similar
arrangement if the security, at the time of purchase, carries at least two credit ratings from
NRSROs and is rated at or above "A- or A3" or its equivalent by all such organizations that have
provided a rating;
(i) Any interest in any local government investment pool organized pursuant to part 7 of
this article;
(j) The purchase of any repurchase agreement concerning any securities referred to in
paragraph (a) or (b) of this subsection (1) that can otherwise be purchased under this section if
all of the conditions of subparagraphs (I) to (VI) of this paragraph (j) are met:
(I) The securities subject to the repurchase agreement must be marketable.
(II) The title to or a perfected security interest in such securities along with any
necessary transfer documents must be transferred to the investing public entity or to a custodian
acting on behalf of the investing public entity.
(III) Such securities must be actually delivered versus payment to the public entity's
custodian or to a third-party custodian or third-party trustee for safekeeping on behalf of the
public entity.
(IV) The collateral securities of the repurchase agreement must be collateralized at no
less than one hundred two percent and marked to market no less frequently than weekly.
(V) The securities subject to the repurchase agreement may have a maturity in excess of
five years.
(VI) The period from the date of settlement of a repurchase agreement to its maturity
date shall be no more than five years unless the governing body of the public entity authorizes
investment for a period in excess of five years.
(j.5) Any reverse repurchase agreement concerning any securities referred to in
paragraph (a) or (b) of this subsection (1) that can otherwise be purchased under this section if
all of the conditions of subparagraphs (I) to (VII) of this paragraph (j.5) are met:
(I) Any necessary transfer documents must be transferred to the investing public entity.
(II) Cash must be received by the investing public entity or a custodian acting on behalf
of the investing public entity in a deliver versus payment settlement.
(III) The cash received from a reverse repurchase agreement must be collateralized at no
more than one hundred and five percent and marked to market no less frequently than weekly.
(IV) The repurchase agreement is not greater than ninety days in maturity from the date
of settlement unless the governing body of the public entity authorizes investment for a period in
excess of ninety days.
(V) The counter-party meets the credit conditions of an issuer that would qualify under
paragraph (m) of this subsection (1).
(VI) The value of all securities reversed under this paragraph (j.5) does not exceed
eighty percent of the total deposits and investments of the public entity.
(VII) No securities are purchased with the proceeds of the reverse repurchase agreement
that are greater in maturity than the term of the reverse repurchase agreement.
(j.7) A securities lending agreement in which the public entity lends securities in
exchange for securities authorized for investment in this section, if all of the following
conditions are met:
(I) Any necessary transfer documents must be transferred to the investing public entity.
(II) Securities must be received by the investing public entity or a custodian acting on
behalf of the investing public entity in a simultaneous settlement.
(III) The securities received in the securities lending agreement must be no less than one
hundred two percent of the value of the securities lent and marked to market no less frequently
than weekly.
(IV) The counter-party meets the conditions of an issuer specified in paragraph (m) of
this subsection (1).
(V) In the case of a local government, the securities lending agreement shall be approved
and designated by written resolution adopted by a majority vote of the governing body of the
local government, which resolutions shall be recorded in its minutes.
(k) Any money market fund that is registered as an investment company under the
federal "Investment Company Act of 1940", as amended, if, at the time the investing public
entity invests in such fund:
(I) The investment policies of the fund include seeking to maintain a constant share
price;
(II) No sales or load fee is added to the purchase price or deducted from the redemption
price of the investments in the fund and no fee may be charged unless the governing body of the
public entity authorizes such a fee at the time of the initial purchase;
(III) The fund operates in accordance with rule 2a-7 under the federal "Investment
Company Act of 1940", as amended, or any successor regulation under that act regulating money
market funds. The fund must have an investment policy or objective which seeks to maintain a
stable net asset value of one dollar per share.
(IV) Repealed.
(l) (I) Any guaranteed investment contract, guaranteed interest contract, annuity
contract, or funding agreement if, at the time the contract or agreement is entered into, the long-
term credit rating, financial obligations rating, claims paying ability rating, or financial strength
rating of the party, or of the guarantor of the party, with whom the public entity enters the
contract or agreement is, at the time of issuance, rated in one of the two highest rating categories
by two or more NRSROs.
(II) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2004, p. 950, § 7, effective May 21, 2004.)
(III) (A) Except as provided in sub-subparagraph (B) of this subparagraph (III), the
contracts or agreements purchased under this paragraph (l) shall not have a maturity period
greater than three years.
(B) Contracts or agreements with a maturity period greater than three years shall only be
purchased with proceeds of the sale of securities of a public entity and proceeds of certificates of
participation or other securities evidencing rights in payments to be made by a public entity
under a lease, financed purchase of an asset agreement, or other similar arrangement or if
purchased by revenues pledged to the payment of such securities or certificates; except that no
contract or agreement may be purchased pursuant to this subsection (1)(l) with the proceeds of
any of the foregoing that are held in an escrow or otherwise for the purpose of refunding bonds
or other obligations of a public entity.
(m) (I) Any corporate or bank security that is denominated in United States dollars, that
matures within three years from the date of settlement, that at the time of purchase carries at
least two credit ratings from any of the NRSROs, and that is not rated below:
(A) "A1, P1, or F1" or their equivalents by either rating used to fulfill the requirements
of this subparagraph (I) if the security is a money market instrument such as commercial paper
or bankers' acceptance; or
(B) "AA- or Aa3" or their equivalents by either rating used to fulfill the requirements of
this subparagraph (I) if the security is any other kind of security.
(C) These rating requirements first apply to the security being purchased and second, if
the security itself is unrated, to the issuer, provided the security contains no provisions
subordinating it from being a senior debt obligation of the issuer.
(II) At no time shall the book value of a public entity's investment in notes evidencing a
debt pursuant to this paragraph (m) exceed the following:
(A) Fifty percent of the book value of the public entity's investment portfolio unless the
governing body of the public entity authorizes a greater percent of such book value; or
(B) Five percent of the book value of the public entity's investment portfolio if the notes
are issued by a single corporation or bank unless the governing body of the public entity
authorizes a greater percent of such book value.
(III) No subordinated security may be purchased pursuant to this paragraph (m). No
security issued by a corporation or bank that is not organized and operated within the United
States may be purchased pursuant to this paragraph (m) unless the governing body of the public
entity authorizes investment in such securities.
(IV) As used in this subsection (1)(m), the term "bank security" includes negotiable
certificates of deposit issued by banks organized and chartered within the United States. Public
entities must consider these bank securities as investments and not deposits subject to the
protections of the "Public Deposit Protection Act", article 10.5 of title 11, or insured by the
federal deposit insurance corporation.
(n) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2006, p. 552, § 3, effective August 7, 2006.)
(1.3) (a) Except as provided in subsections (1)(a) and (1.3)(b) of this section, public
funds must not be invested in any security on which the coupon rate is not fixed, or a schedule of
specific fixed coupon rates is not established, from the time the security is settled until its
maturity date, other than shares in qualified money market mutual funds, unless the coupon rate
is:
(I) Established by reference to the United States dollar London interbank offer rate of
one year or less maturity, the secured overnight financing rate, the federal funds rate, or other
reference rates which are similar to the United States dollar London interbank offer rate, the
secured overnight financing rate, the federal funds rate, the cost of funds index, or the prime rate
as published by the federal reserve; and
(II) Expressed as a positive value of the referenced index plus or minus a fixed number
of basis points.
(b) A municipal index may be used for the investment of bond or note accounts from
issues with coupons linked to the same index.
(c) For purposes of this section, "maturity date" means the last possible date, barring
default, that principal can be repaid to the purchaser.
(1.5) Any firm that sells any financial instrument that fails to comply with the provisions
of this section to any public entity in the state of Colorado shall, upon demand of the public
entity through the state treasurer, repurchase such instruments for the greater of the original
purchase principal amount or the original face value, plus any and all accrued interest, within
one business day of the demand.
(2) Investments made pursuant to this section shall be made in conformance with the
standard set forth in section 15-1-304, C.R.S.
(2.3) Public entities shall adopt criteria designating eligible broker-dealers for the
purchase of term securities, except for bond proceed investments, under this section.
(2.5) (a) If a public entity invests public moneys through an investment firm offering for
sale corporate stocks, bonds, notes, debentures, or a mutual fund that contains corporate
securities, the investment firm shall disclose, in any research or other disclosure documents
provided in support of the securities being offered, to the public entity whether the investment
firm has an agreement with a for-profit corporation that is not a government-sponsored
enterprise, whose securities are being offered for sale to the public entity and because of such
agreement the investment firm:
(I) Had received compensation for investment banking services within the most recent
twelve months; or
(II) May receive compensation for investment banking services within the next three
consecutive months.
(b) For the purposes of this subsection (2.5), "investment firm" means a bank, brokerage
firm, or other financial services firm conducting business within this state, or any agent thereof.
(3) Nothing in this section is intended to limit:
(a) The power of any public entity to invest any public funds in any security or other
investment permitted to such public entities under any other valid law of the state; or
(b) The power of any home rule city, city and county, town, or county to invest any
public funds in any security or other investment permitted under the charter or ordinance of such
home rule city, city and county, town, or county; or
(c) The authority of the state board of regents to invest any funds available to the board
in any security or other investment otherwise provided by law.
(3.5) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2006, p. 552, § 3, effective August 7, 2006.)
(4) Nothing in this section is intended to apply to public funds held or invested as part of
any pension plan, full or supplemental retirement plan, or deferred compensation plan.

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