Sec. 1A-108.5. Economic opportunity investments.

401 words·~2 min read·/il/chapter-40/act-5/1a-108-5

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(a)For the purposes of this Section:

"Economic opportunity investment" means a qualified investment, managed passively or actively by the pension fund, that promotes economic development within the State of Illinois by providing financially prudent investment opportunities in or through the use of

(a)Illinois businesses or

(b)Illinois-based projects that promote the economy of the State or a region of the State, including without limitation promotion of venture capital programs, coal and other natural resource development, tourism development, infrastructure development, real estate development, and job development within the State of Illinois, while producing a competitive rate of return commensurate with the risk of investment.

"Illinois business" means a business, including an investment adviser, that is headquartered in Illinois.

"Illinois-based project" means an individual project of a business, including the provision of products and investment and other services to the pension fund, that will result in the conduct of business within the State, the employment of individuals within the State, or the acquisition of real property located within the State.

(b)It is the public policy of the State of Illinois to encourage the pension funds, and any State entity investing funds on behalf of pension funds, to promote the economy of Illinois through the use of economic opportunity investments to the greatest extent feasible within the bounds of financial and fiduciary prudence.

(c)Each pension fund, except pension funds created under Articles 3 and 4 of this Code, shall submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly by September 1 of each year, beginning in 2009, that identifies the economic opportunity investments made by the fund, the primary location of the business or project, the percentage of the fund's assets in economic opportunity investments, and the actions that the fund has undertaken to increase the use of economic opportunity investments.

(d)Pension funds created under Articles 2, 14, 15, 16, and 18 of this Act, and any State agency investing funds on behalf of those pension funds, must make reasonable efforts to invest in economic opportunity investments.

(e)In making economic opportunity investments, trustees and fiduciaries must comply with the relevant requirements and restrictions set forth in Sections 1-109, 1-109.1, 1-109.2, 1-110, and 1-111 of this Code. Economic opportunity investments that otherwise comply with this Code shall not be deemed imprudent solely because they are investments in an Illinois business or Illinois-based project.