72 Pa. Stat. § 3837.2

Current through Pa Acts 2024-53, 2024-56 through 2024-92
Section 3837.2 - Definitions

The following words and phrases when used in this act shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Alternative investments." An investment in a private equity fund, private debt fund, venture fund, real estate fund, hedge fund or absolute return fund.

"Board." As defined in section 102 of the act of February 1, 1974 (P.L. 34, No. 15), known as the Pennsylvania Municipal Retirement Law,24 Pa.C.S. § 8102 (relating to definitions) or 71 Pa.C.S. § 5102 (relating to definitions).

"Business activities." Owning or controlling property or assets located in, having employees or facilities located in, providing goods or services to, having distribution agreements with, issuing credit or loans to, purchasing bonds or commercial paper issued by, investing in or having equity ties to or with Iran, Sudan or any company domiciled in Iran or Sudan.

"Company." Any sole proprietorship, organization, association, corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, limited liability company or other entity or business association that exists for the purpose of making a profit.

"Direct holdings." All securities of a company that are held directly by the public fund.

"Foreign company." Any entity which is not organized under the laws of the United States.

"Government of Iran." The government of Iran and its instrumentalities and companies owned or controlled by the government of Iran.

"Government of Sudan." The government in Khartoum, Sudan, which is led by the National Congress Party, formerly known as the National Islamic Front, or any successor government formed on or after October 13, 2006, including the coalition the National Unity Government agreed upon in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement for Sudan. The term does not include the regional government of southern Sudan.

"Inactive business activities." The continued holding or renewal of rights to property previously operated for the purpose of generating revenues but not presently deployed for that purpose.

"Indemnitee." Each current or former board member, duly appointed designee of a board member, officer, employee, including, without limitation, the attorneys in the Office of Chief Counsel that serve a public fund, agent, research firm or investment manager of a public fund who was or is a party to, or is threatened to be made a party to or is otherwise involved in any proceeding by reason of the fact that the person is or was a board member, designee of a board member, officer, employee, agent, research firm or investment manager of a public fund.

"Indirect holdings." All securities held in an account or fund such as a mutual fund managed by one or more persons not employed by a public fund, in which the public fund owns shares or interests together with other investors.

"Iran." The Islamic Republic of Iran.

"List of State Sponsors of Terrorism." The list of countries designated by the United States Secretary of State as having repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism as reported annually in Country Reports on Terrorism under section 140 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1988 and 1989 ( Public Law 100-24, 26 U.S.C. § 2656(f) ).

"Marginalized populations of Sudan." Include, but are not limited to, the portion of the population in the Darfur region that has been genocidally victimized; the portion of the population of southern Sudan victimized by Sudan's North-South civil war; the Beja, Rashidiya and other similarly underserved groups of eastern Sudan; the Nubian and other similarly underserved groups in Sudan's Abyei, Southern Blue Nile and Nuba Mountain regions; and the Amri, Hamadab, Manasir and other similarly underserved groups of northern Sudan.

"Military equipment." Weapons, arms, military supplies and equipment that may be used readily for military purposes, including, but not limited to, radar systems or military-grade transport vehicles. This term shall also include supplies or services sold or provided directly or indirectly to any force actively participating in armed conflict in Sudan.

"Mineral extraction activities." Include exploring, extracting, processing, transporting or wholesale selling or trading of elemental minerals or associated metal alloys or oxides (ore), including gold, copper, chromium, chromite, diamonds, iron, iron ore, silver, tungsten, uranium and zinc, as well as facilitating such activities, including by providing supplies or services in support of such activities.

"Oil-related activities." The term includes all of the following:

(1) Development of petroleum or natural gas resources of Iran or Sudan. This paragraph does not include the mere sale of gasoline and related consumer products.
(2) Owning rights to oil or natural gas blocks.
(3) Exporting, extracting, producing, refining, processing, exploring for, transporting, selling or trading oil or natural gas.
(4) Constructing, maintaining or operating any pipeline, refinery, liquefaction facility or other oil or natural gas infrastructure.
(5) Facilitating activities referred to in paragraph (1), (2), (3) or (4), including by supplying services in support of the activities.

"Power production activities." Business activities that involve a project commissioned by the National Electricity Corporation (NEC) of Sudan or other similar government of Sudan entity whose purpose is to facilitate power generation and delivery, including, but not limited to, establishing power-generating plants or hydroelectric dams, selling or installing components for the project, providing service contracts related to the installation or maintenance of the project, as well as facilitating such activities, including by providing supplies or services in support of such activities.

"Proceeding." Any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, including, without limitation, an action, suit or proceeding by or in the right of a public fund, relating to compliance with any investment limitations imposed by statute, whether civil, criminal, administrative, investigative or through arbitration.

"Public fund." Any of the following:

(1) The State Employees' Retirement Fund established pursuant to 71 Pa.C.S. Pt. XXV (relating to retirement for State employees and officers).
(2) The Public School Employees' Retirement Fund established pursuant to 24 Pa.C.S. Pt. IV (relating to retirement for school employees).
(3) The Pennsylvania Municipal Retirement Fund.
(4) Any Commonwealth fund of which the State Treasurer is the custodian.

"Scrutinized business activities." Business activities that have resulted in a company becoming a scrutinized company.

"Scrutinized company." Any of the following:

(1) Any foreign company that has:
(i) invested at least $20,000,000 in oil-related activities in Iran in any 12-month period since August 5, 1996;
(ii) supplied military equipment to the government of Iran within the 12-month period prior to the effective date of this section; or
(iii) knowingly and intentionally violated the United States export controls with respect to Iran during the 12-month period prior to the effective date of this section.
(2) Any foreign company that meets the criteria set forth either in subparagraph (i) or (ii):
(i) The company has business activities that involve contracts with or provision of supplies or services to the government of Sudan, companies in which the government of Sudan has any direct equity share, government of Sudan-commissioned consortiums or projects, or companies involved in government of Sudan-commissioned consortiums or projects; and
(A) more than 10% of the company's revenue or assets linked to Sudan involve oil-related activities or mineral extraction activities; less than 75% of the company's revenues or assets linked to Sudan involve contracts with or provision of oil-related or mineral extracting products or services to the regional government of southern Sudan or a project or consortium created exclusively by that regional government; and the company has failed to take substantial action specific to Sudan; or
(B) more than 10% of the company's revenues or assets linked to Sudan involve power production activities; less than 75% of the company's power production activities include projects whose intent is to provide power or electricity to the marginalized populations of Sudan; and the company has failed to take substantial action specific to Sudan.
(ii) The company supplies military equipment within Sudan, unless it clearly shows that the military equipment cannot be used to facilitate offensive military actions in Sudan or the company implements rigorous and verifiable safeguards to prevent use of that equipment by forces actively participating in armed conflict, for example, through post-sale tracking of such equipment by the company, certification from a reputable and objective third party that such equipment is not being used by a party participating in armed conflict in Sudan or sale of such equipment solely to the regional government of southern Sudan or any internationally recognized peacekeeping force or humanitarian organization.

The term does not include a foreign company that is a social development company.

"Social development company." A company whose primary purpose in Iran or Sudan is to provide humanitarian goods or services, including medicine or medical equipment, agricultural supplies or infrastructure; educational opportunities; journalism-related activities; information or information materials; spiritual-related activities; services of a purely clerical or reporting nature; food, clothing or general consumer goods.

"Substantial action specific to Iran." Adopting, publicizing and implementing a formal plan to cease scrutinized business activities within one year and to refrain from any such new business activities in Iran.

"Substantial action specific to Sudan." Adopting, publicizing and implementing a formal plan to cease scrutinized business activities within one year and to refrain from any such new business activities; undertaking significant humanitarian efforts in conjunction with an international organization, the government of Sudan, the regional government of southern Sudan or a nonprofit entity and evaluated and certified by an independent third party to be substantial in relationship to the company's Sudan business activities and of benefit to one or more marginalized populations of Sudan; or through engagement with the government of Sudan, materially improving conditions for the genocidally victimized population in Darfur.

"Sudan." The Democratic Republic of Sudan.

72 P.S. § 3837.2

2010, July 2, P.L. 266, No. 44, § 2, imd. effective.