§ 11-49-100.9. Duties of Board.

A.  The Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and Retirement Board shall discharge their duties with respect to the System solely in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries and:

1.  For the exclusive purpose of:

a.providing benefits to participants and their beneficiaries, and

b.defraying reasonable expenses of administering the System;

2.  With the care, skill, prudence, and diligence under the circumstances then prevailing that a prudent person acting in a like capacity and familiar with such matters would use in the conduct of an enterprise of a like character and with like aims;

3.  By diversifying the investments of the System so as to minimize the risk of large losses, unless under the circumstances it is clearly prudent not to do so; and

4.  In accordance with the laws, documents and instruments governing the System.

B.  The State Board may procure insurance indemnifying the members of the State Board from personal loss or accountability from liability resulting from a member's action or inaction as a member of the State Board.

C.  The State Board may establish an investment committee.  The investment committee shall be composed of not more than five (5) members of the State Board appointed by the chairman of the State Board.  The committee shall make recommendations to the full State Board on all matters related to the choice of custodians and managers of the assets of the System, on the establishment of investment and fund management guidelines, and in planning future investment policy.  The committee shall have no authority to act on behalf of the State Board in any circumstances whatsoever.  No recommendation of the committee shall have effect as an action of the State Board nor take effect without the approval of the State Board as provided by law.

D.  The Board shall retain qualified investment managers to provide for the investment of the monies of the System.  The investment managers shall be chosen by a solicitation of proposals on a competitive bid basis pursuant to standards set by the State Board.  Subject to the overall investment guidelines set by the State Board, the investment managers shall have full discretion in the management of those monies of the System allocated to the investment managers.  The State Board shall manage those monies not specifically allocated to the investment managers.  The monies of the System allocated to the investment managers shall be actively managed by the investment managers, which may include selling investments and realizing losses if such action is considered advantageous to longer term return maximization.  Because of the total return objective, no distinction shall be made for management and performance evaluation purposes between realized and unrealized capital gains and losses.

E.  Funds and revenues for investment by the investment managers or the State Board shall be placed with a custodian selected by the State Board.  The custodian shall be a bank or trust company offering pension fund master trustee and master custodial services and any related custodial agreement or trust agreement is incorporated herein by reference.  The custodian shall be chosen by a solicitation of proposals on a competitive bid basis pursuant to standards set by the State Board.  In compliance with the investment policy guidelines of the State Board, the custodian bank or trust company shall be contractually responsible for ensuring that all monies of the System are invested in income-producing investment vehicles at all times.  If a custodian bank or trust company has not received direction from the investment managers of the System as to the investment of the monies of the System in specific investment vehicles, the custodian bank or trust company shall be contractually responsible to the State Board for investing the monies in appropriately collateralized short-term interest-bearing investment vehicles.  Any assets of the System may be invested in a collective investment fund or group trust that satisfies the requirements of Revenue Ruling 81-100, as further amended by Revenue Ruling 2004-67, Revenue Ruling 2008-40, and Revenue Ruling 2011-1, and as subsequently amended by future guidance.  Each such collective investment fund or group trust is adopted, with respect to any monies invested therein, as part of the System, its trust, and custodial account and each such declaration of trust or trust agreement and related adoption, participation, investment management, subtrust or other agreements, as amended from time to time, with respect to any monies invested therein, are incorporated by reference into the System, its trust agreement(s) or custodial agreement(s), upon approval by the State Board.

F.  By November 1, 1988, and prior to August 1 of each year thereafter, the State Board shall develop a written investment plan for the System.

G.  The State Board shall compile a quarterly financial report of all the funds of the System on a fiscal year basis.  The report shall be compiled pursuant to uniform reporting standards prescribed by the Oklahoma State Pension Commission for all state retirement systems.  The report shall include several relevant measures of investment value, including acquisition cost and current fair market value with appropriate summaries of total holdings and returns.  The report shall contain combined and individual rate of returns of the investment managers by category of investment, over periods of time.  The State Board shall include in the quarterly reports all commissions, fees or payments for investment services performed on behalf of the State Board.  The report shall be distributed to the Governor, the Oklahoma State Pension Commission, the Legislative Service Bureau, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.

H.  After July 1 and before December 1 of each year, the State Board shall publish widely an annual report presented in simple and easily understood language pursuant to uniform reporting standards prescribed by the Oklahoma State Pension Commission for all state retirement systems.  The report shall be submitted to the Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Oklahoma State Pension Commission and the members of the System.  The annual report shall cover the operation of the System during the past fiscal year, including income, disbursements, and the financial condition of the System at the end of the fiscal year.  The annual report shall also contain the information issued in the quarterly reports required pursuant to subsection G of this section as well as a summary of the results of the most recent actuarial valuation to include total assets, total liabilities, unfunded liability or over funded status, contributions and any other information deemed relevant by the State Board.  The annual report shall be written in such a manner as to permit a readily understandable means for analyzing the financial condition and performance of the System for the fiscal year.

I.  Effective July 1, 2000, the State Board is hereby authorized to do all acts and things necessary and proper to carry out the purpose of the System and to make the least costly amendments and changes, if any, as may be necessary to qualify the System under the applicable sections of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

Added by Laws 1988, c. 321, § 5, operative July 1, 1988.  Amended by Laws 1992, c. 354, § 1; Laws 1995, c. 81, § 1, eff. July 1, 1995; Laws 2000, c. 327, § 4, eff. July 1, 2000; Laws 2002, c. 391, § 3, eff. July 1, 2002; Laws 2006, 2nd Ex.Sess., c. 46, § 12, eff. July 1, 2006; Laws 2011, c. 379, § 2, eff. Sept. 1, 2011; Laws 2012, c. 364, § 3.