147-69.3. Administration of State Treasurer's investment programs.

(a) The State Treasurer shall establish, maintain, administer, manage, and operate within the Department of State Treasurer one or more investment programs for the deposit and investment of assets pursuant to the provisions of G.S. 147-69.1 and G.S. 147-69.2. Different Retirement Systems and other funds held by the State Treasurer may be invested collectively or separately in the State Treasurer's discretion consistent with the fiduciary duties stated in G.S. 147-69.7.

(b) Any official, board, commission, other public authority, local government, school administrative unit, local ABC board, or community college of the State having custody of any funds not required by law to be deposited with and invested by the State Treasurer may deposit all or any portion of those funds with the State Treasurer for investment in one of the investment programs established pursuant to this section, subject to any provisions of law with respect to eligible investments, provided that any occupational licensing board as defined in G.S. 93B-1 may participate in one of the investment programs established pursuant to this section regardless of whether or not the funds were required by law to be deposited with and invested by the State Treasurer. In the absence of specific statutory provisions to the contrary, any of those funds may be invested in accordance with the provisions of G.S. 147-69.2 and 147-69.3. Upon request from any depositor eligible under this subsection, the State Treasurer may authorize moneys invested pursuant to this subsection to be withdrawn by warrant on the State Treasurer.

(c) The State Treasurer's investment programs shall be so managed that in the judgment of the State Treasurer funds may be readily converted into cash when needed.

(d) Except as provided by G.S. 147-69.1(d), the total return earned on investments shall accrue pro rata to the fund whose assets are invested according to the formula prescribed by the State Treasurer with the approval of the Governor and Council of State.

(e) The State Treasurer has full powers as a fiduciary to hold, purchase, sell, assign, transfer, lend and dispose of any of the securities or investments in which any of the programs created pursuant to this section have been invested, and may reinvest the proceeds from the sale of those securities or investments and any other investable assets of the program.

(f) The cost of administration, management, and operation of investment programs established pursuant to this section shall be apportioned equitably among the programs in such manner as may be prescribed by the State Treasurer, such costs to be paid from each program, and to the extent not otherwise chargeable directly to the income or assets of the specific investment program or pooled investment vehicle, shall be deposited with the State Treasurer as a General Fund nontax revenue. The cost of administration, management, and operation of investment programs established pursuant to this section and not directly paid from the income or assets of such program shall be covered by an appropriation to the State Treasurer for this purpose in the Current Operations Appropriations Act.

(g) The State Treasurer is authorized to retain the services of independent appraisers, auditors, actuaries, attorneys, investment counseling firms, statisticians, custodians, or other persons or firms possessing specialized skills or knowledge necessary for the proper administration of investment programs created pursuant to this section.

(h), (i) Repealed by Session Laws 2016-55, s. 2.1, effective January 31, 2017.

(i1) The State Treasurer shall report the incentive bonus paid to the Chief Investment Officer to the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations by October 1 of each year.

(i2) In order to promote achievement of long-term investment objectives and to retain key public employees with investment functions, the State Treasurer is authorized to establish, consistent with the State Treasurer's fiduciary duties, market-oriented compensation plans, including salaries and performance-related bonuses, for employees possessing specialized skills or knowledge necessary for the proper administration of investment programs, who shall be exempt from the classification and compensation rules established by the Office of State Human Resources. The design and administration of those compensation plans shall be based on compensation studies conducted by a nationally recognized firm specializing in public fund investment compensation. The compensation and other associated employee benefits shall be apportioned directly from the investment program. The Treasurer shall report the salaries and bonuses paid to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on General Government annually.

(j) Subject to the provisions of G.S. 147-69.1(d), the State Treasurer shall adopt any rules necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.