Local Agency Investment Fund

LAIF Statutes

16429.1 Creation, maintenance, and operation of Local Agency Investment Fund

  1. There is in trust in the custody of the Treasurer the Local Agency Investment Fund, which fund is hereby created. The Controller shall maintain a separate account for each governmental unit having deposits in this fund.
  2. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, a local governmental official, with the consent of the governing body of that agency, having money in its treasury not required for immediate needs, may remit the money to the Treasurer for deposit in the Local Agency Investment Fund for the purpose of investment.
  3. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, an officer of any nonprofit corporation whose membership is confined to public agencies or public officials, or an officer of a qualified quasi-governmental agency, with the consent of the governing body of that agency, having money in its treasury not required for immediate needs, may remit the money to the Treasurer for deposit in the Local Agency Investment Fund for the purpose of investment.
  4. Notwithstanding any other provision of law or of this section, a local agency, with the approval of its governing body, may deposit in the Local Agency Investment Fund proceeds of the issuance of bonds, notes, certificates of participation, or other evidences of indebtedness of the agency pending expenditure of the proceeds for the authorized purpose of their issuance. In connection with these deposits of proceeds, the Local Agency Investment Fund is authorized to receive and disburse moneys, and to provide information, directly with or to an authorized officer of a trustee or fiscal agent engaged by the local agency, the Local Agency Investment Fund is authorized to hold investments in the name and for the account of that trustee or fiscal agent, and the Controller shall maintain a separate account for each deposit of proceeds.
  5. The local governmental unit, the nonprofit corporation, or the quasi-governmental agency has the exclusive determination of the length of time its money will be on deposit with the Treasurer.
  6. The trustee or fiscal agent of the local governmental unit has the exclusive determination of the length of time proceeds from the issuance of bonds will be on deposit with the Treasurer.
  7. The Local Investment Advisory Board shall determine those quasi-governmental agencies which qualify to participate in the Local Agency Investment Fund.
  8. The Treasurer may refuse to accept deposits into the fund if, in the judgment of the Treasurer, the deposit would adversely affect the state’s portfolio.
  9. The Treasurer may invest the money of the fund in securities prescribed in Section 16430. The Treasurer may elect to have the money of the fund invested through the Surplus Money Investment Fund as provided in Article 4 (commencing with Section 16470) of Chapter 3 of Part 2 of Division 4 of Title 2.
  10. Money in the fund shall be invested to achieve the objective of the fund which is to realize the maximum return consistent with safe and prudent treasury management.
  11. All instruments of title of all investments of the fund shall remain in the Treasurer’s vault or be held in safekeeping under control of the Treasurer in any federal reserve bank, or any branch thereof, or the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, with any trust company, or the trust department of any state or national bank.
  12. Immediately at the conclusion of each calendar quarter, all interest earned and other increment derived from investments shall be distributed by the Controller to the contributing governmental units or trustees or fiscal agents, nonprofit corporations, and quasi-governmental agencies in amounts directly proportionate to the respective amounts deposited in the Local Agency Investment Fund and the length of time the amounts remained therein. An amount equal to the reasonable costs incurred in carrying out the provisions of this section, not to exceed a maximum of 5 percent of the earnings of this fund and not to exceed the amount appropriated in the annual Budget Act for this function, shall be deducted from the earnings prior to distribution. However, if the 13-week Daily Treasury Bill Rate, as published by the United States Department of the Treasury on the last day of the state’s fiscal year is below 1 percent, then the above-noted reasonable costs shall not exceed a maximum of 8 percent of the earnings of this fund for the subsequent fiscal year, shall not exceed the amount appropriated in the annual Budget Act for this function, and shall be deducted from the earnings prior to distribution. The amount of the deduction shall be credited as reimbursements to the state agencies, including the Treasurer, the Controller, and the Department of Finance, having incurred costs in carrying out the provisions of this section.
  13. The Treasurer shall prepare for distribution a monthly report of investments made during the preceding month.
  14. As used in this section, “local agency,” “local governmental unit,” and “local governmental official” includes a campus or other unit and an official, respectively, of the California State University who deposits moneys in funds described in Sections 89721, 89722, and 89725 of the Education Code.

16429.2 Local Investment Advisory Board

There is created the Local Investment Advisory Board consisting of five members. The chairman shall be the State Treasurer or his or her designated representative. Two members who are qualified by training and experience in the field of investment or finance, shall be appointed by the State Treasurer. Two members who are treasurers, finance or fiscal officers or business managers, employed by any county, city or local district or municipal corporation of this state, shall be appointed by the Treasurer.

The term of office of each appointed member of the board is two years, but each appointed member serves at the pleasure of the appointing authority. A vacancy in the appointed membership, occurring other than by expiration of term, shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment, but for the unexpired term only.

Members of the board who are not state officers or employees shall not receive a salary, but shall be entitled to a per diem allowance of one hundred dollars ($100) for each day’s attendance at a meeting of the board, not to exceed three hundred dollars ($300) in any month. All members shall be entitled to reimbursement for expenses incurred in the performance of their duties under this part, including travel and other necessary expenses.

The board’s primary purpose shall be to advise and assist the State Treasurer in formulating the investment and reinvestment of moneys in the Local Agency Investment Fund, and the acquisition, retention, management, and disposition of investments of the fund. The board, from time to time, shall review those policies and advise therein as it considers necessary or desirable. The board shall advise the State Treasurer in the management of the fund and consult the State Treasurer on any matter relating to the investment and reinvestment of moneys in the fund.

16429.3 Deposits; prohibited transfers and loans; impoundment or seizure

Moneys placed with the Treasurer for deposit in the Local Agency Investment Fund by cities, counties, special districts, nonprofit corporations, or qualified quasi-governmental agencies shall not be subject to either of the following:

  1. Transfer or loan pursuant to Sections 16310, 16312, or 16313.
  2. Impoundment or seizure by any state official or state agency.

16429.4 Right of withdrawal

The right of a city, county, city and county, special district, nonprofit corporation, or qualified quasi-governmental agency to withdraw its deposited moneys from the Local Agency Investment Fund, upon demand, may not be altered, impaired, or denied, in any way, by any state official or state agency based upon the state’s failure to adopt a State Budget by July 1 of each new fiscal year.