State law does not articulate an investment policy for the state, although state law does impose a fiduciary duty upon the Board of Control of the Retirement Systems of Alabama. This bill would establish an investment policy for the State Treasurer and the Board of Control of the Retirement System of Alabama and the Teachers' Retirement System of Alabama prohibit investments and business transactions with any financial institutions that prioritize environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria above or in concert with the traditional fiduciary duty to maximize financial benefit. This bill would also prohibit any state entity from considering environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria when awarding a public contract wholly funded by state funds for the procurement of goods and services and the purchase of professional services and would require state entities to only consider pecuniary factors.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 36-27-25, 16-25-20