2023 Utah Code › Title 53B - State System of Higher Education › Chapter 8a - Utah Educational Savings Plan › Part 1 - Utah Educational Savings Plan › Section 107 - Program, administrative, and endowment funds -- Investment and payments from funds -- Proxy voting -- State treasurer access.

Effective 5/3/2023
53B-8a-107.
Program, administrative, and endowment funds -- Investment and payments from funds -- Proxy voting -- State treasurer access.
(1) The plan shall segregate money received by the plan into three funds, the program fund, the administrative fund, and the endowment fund.
(2) The board shall:
(a) invest the plan in a manner that is consistent with the prudent investor rule for trustees established in Title 75, Chapter 7, Part 9, Utah Uniform Prudent Investor Act;
(b) in accordance with the board's fiduciary responsibilities, make investment decisions with the sole purpose of maximizing the risk-adjusted return on the investments; and
(c) to the extent practicable:
(i)
(A) retain the right to vote investor proxies; or
(B) if the investments are commingled with another investor's funds, request the right to vote investor proxies; and
(ii) ensure proxy voting is exercised to maximize risk-adjusted returns for the exclusive benefit of beneficiaries.
(3) Transfers may be made from the program fund to the administrative fund to pay operating costs:
(a) associated with administering the plan and as required under Sections 53B-8a-103 through 53B-8a-105; and
(b) as included in the budget approved by the board.
(4)
(a) All money paid by account owners in connection with account agreements shall be deposited as received into separate accounts within the program fund which shall be invested and accounted for separately.
(b) Money accrued by account owners in the program fund may be used for:
(i) payments to any institution of higher education;
(ii) payments to the account owner or beneficiary;
(iii) transfers to another 529 plan; or
(iv) other expenditures or transfers made in accordance with the account agreement.
(5)
(a) All money received by the plan from the proceeds of gifts and other endowments for the purposes of the plan shall be:
(i) deposited, according to the nature of the donation, as received into the endowment fund or the administrative fund; and
(ii) invested and accounted for separately.
(b) Any gifts, grants, or donations made by any governmental unit or any person, firm, partnership, or corporation to the plan for deposit to the endowment fund or the administrative fund is a grant, gift, or donation to the state for the accomplishment of a valid public eleemosynary, charitable, and educational purpose and is not included in the income of the donor for Utah tax purposes.
(c) The endowment fund or the administrative fund may be used to enhance the savings of low income account owners investing in the plan, for scholarships, or for other college savings incentive programs as approved by the board.
(d) Transfers may be made between the endowment fund and the administrative fund upon approval by the board.
(e) Endowment fund earnings not accruing to a beneficiary under an account agreement, not transferred to the administrative fund, or not otherwise approved by the board for expenditure, shall be reinvested in the endowment fund.
(6) Subsection (2) does not prohibit the board from offering individual account owners a variety of voluntary investment options that have different risk profiles and investment objectives.
(7)
(a) The board shall make proxy voting records available to the state treasurer upon the state treasurer's request.
(b) The state treasurer is subject to the same restrictions on disclosure of the proxy voting records as the board.
Amended by Chapter 242, 2023 General Session