§36-21 Short-term investment of state moneys. (a) The director of finance may invest any moneys of the State which in the director's judgment are in excess of the amounts necessary for meeting the immediate requirements of the State and where in the director's judgment the action will not impede or hamper the necessary financial operations of the State in:

(1) Any bonds or interest-bearing notes or obligations:

(A) Of the State (including state director of finance's warrant notes issued pursuant to chapter 40);

(B) Of the United States;

(C) For which the faith and credit of the United States are pledged for the payment of principal and interest;

(2) Federal Farm Credit System notes and bonds;

(3) Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation notes and bonds;

(4) Federal Home Loan Bank notes and bonds;

(5) Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation bonds;

(6) Federal National Mortgage Association notes and bonds;

(7) Tennessee Valley Authority notes and bonds;

(8) Securities of a mutual fund whose portfolio is limited to bonds or securities issued or guaranteed by the United States or an agency thereof or repurchase agreements fully collateralized by any such bonds or securities;

(9) Securities of a money market mutual fund that is rated AAA, or its equivalent, by a nationally recognized rating agency or whose portfolio consists of securities that are rated as first tier securities by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization as provided in 17 Code of Federal Regulations section 270.2a-7;

(10) Federally insured savings accounts;

(11) Time certificates of deposit;

(12) Certificates of deposit open account;

(13) Repurchase agreements with federally insured banks, savings and loan associations, and financial services loan companies;

(14) Commercial paper with an A1/P1 or equivalent rating by any national securities rating service; and

(15) Bankers' acceptances with an A1/P1 or equivalent rating by any national securities rating service;

provided that for authorized investments with stated maturity dates, the investment, as well as the underlying securities of those investments, are due to mature not more than five years from the date of investment. Income derived from those investments shall be a realization of the general fund; provided that income earned from moneys invested by the general funds, special funds, bond funds, and trust and agency funds on an investment pool basis shall be paid into and credited to the respective funds based on the contribution of moneys into the investment pool by each fund. As used in this section, "investment pool" means the aggregate of state treasury moneys that are maintained in the custody of the director of finance for investment and reinvestment without regard to fund designation.

(b) Except with respect to an early withdrawal penalty on an investment permitted by this section, the amount of such penalty being mutually agreed at the time of acquisition of such investment, no investment permitted by this section shall require or may in the future require payments by the State, whether unilateral, reciprocal, or otherwise, including margin payments, or shall bear interest at a variable rate which causes or may cause the market price of such investment to fluctuate; provided that such limitation shall not apply to money market mutual funds which:

(1) Invest solely in:

(A) Direct and general obligations of the United States of America; or

(B) Obligations of any agency or instrumentality of the United States of America the payment of the principal and interest on which are unconditionally guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the United States of America;

(2) Are rated at the time of purchase "AAAm-G" or its equivalent by Standard & Poor's Ratings Group; and

(3) Are open-end management investment companies regulated under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, which calculate their current price per share pursuant to Rule 2a-7 (17 Code of Federal Regulations section 270.2a-7) promulgated under such act.

(c) Furthermore, the State shall not acquire any investment or enter into any agreement in connection with the acquisition of any investment or related to any existing investment held by the State, which would require or may in the future require any payment by the State, whether unilateral, reciprocal, or otherwise, such as swap agreements, hedge agreements, or other similar agreements. For purposes of this section, a swap or hedge payment is any payment made by the State in consideration or in exchange for a reciprocal payment by any person, such as a variable rate payment in exchange for a fixed rate payment, a fixed rate payment in exchange for a variable rate payment, a payment when a cap or a floor amount is exceeded, or other similar payment. [L 1945, c 59, §1; am L 1947, c 244, §1; RL 1955, §132-12; am L 1959, c 119, §1; am L Sp 1959 2d, c 1, §14; am L 1963, c 114, §1; HRS §36-21; am L 1977, c 105, §1; am L 1982, c 155, §1; gen ch 1985; am L 1988, c 78, §1; am L 1993, c 107, §1; am L 1995, c 109, §1; am L 1996, c 117, §1; am L 1997, c 47, §1; am L 1998, c 119, §1 and c 273, §1; am L 1999, c 160, §23; am L 2000, c 26, §1; am L 2001, c 39, §1; am L 2009, c 79, §§31, 34(4); am L 2010, c 127, §2; am L 2015, c 35, §50; am L 2017, c 9, §2]

Attorney General Opinions

Interest from moneys deposited in qualified depository credited to special fund. Interest on other short term investments credited to general fund. Att. Gen. Op. 85-22.