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HB474 • 2026

Public Investments; to prohibit the Board of Control of the Employees' Retirement System and the Teachers' Retirement System from investing with restricted entities affiliated with Communist Chinese military companies

Public Investments; to prohibit the Board of Control of the Employees' Retirement System and the Teachers' Retirement System from investing with restricted entities affiliated with Communist Chinese military companies

Education Labor
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Butler (M)
Last action
2026-02-17
Official status
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official bill text does not provide specific details on enforcement mechanisms beyond prohibiting investment activities and creating a restricted entity list.

Prohibiting Investments in Certain Chinese Companies

This bill stops Alabama's retirement systems from investing in companies linked to China's military.

What This Bill Does

  • Forbids the Board of Control for both the Teachers' and Employees' Retirement Systems of Alabama from making investments with restricted entities connected to Communist Chinese military companies.
  • Requires the State Auditor or their designee to create a list of these restricted entities by January 1, 2027, and update it every six months.
  • Directs the retirement systems to sell off any holdings in restricted entities as soon as possible after the list is published.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Board of Control for both the Teachers' and Employees' Retirement Systems of Alabama
  • Retirees who are part of these retirement systems

Terms To Know

Restricted Entity
A Chinese company or entity that is listed on specific U.S. government lists due to its ties with the Chinese military.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if a restricted entity is added after January 1, 2027.
  • It's unclear how this will affect existing investments before the list is published.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-17 House

    Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

  2. 2026-02-17 House

    Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Financial Services

Official Summary Text

Public Investments; to prohibit the Board of Control of the Employees' Retirement System and the Teachers' Retirement System from investing with restricted entities affiliated with Communist Chinese military companies

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB474 INTRODUCED
Page 0
HB474
5VJVL6M-1
By Representatives Butler, Harrison
RFD: Financial Services
First Read: 17-Feb-26
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5VJVL6M-1 02/17/2026 KMS (L)cr 2026-610
Page 1
First Read: 17-Feb-26
SYNOPSIS:
Under existing law, the Board of Control of the
Retirement Systems of Alabama is authorized to act as
trustee of several funds and is granted full power to
invest and reinvest funds.
This bill would enforce the prohibition placed
on investment activities by certain Presidential
Executive Orders addressing an identified national
emergency regarding the threat from securities
investments that finance Communist Chinese military
companies.
This bill would also prohibit the purchase or
sale of any publicly traded securities to or from
certain entities affiliated with Communist Chinese
military companies or any publicly traded securities
that are derivative of such securities or are designed
to provide investment exposure to such securities.
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to public investments; to add Section
16-25-20.1, to the Code of Alabama 1975, to prohibit the Board
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HB474 INTRODUCED
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16-25-20.1, to the Code of Alabama 1975, to prohibit the Board
of Control of the Teachers' Retirement System of Alabama from
making certain investments; and to add Section 36-27-25.1 to
the Code of Alabama 1975, to prohibit the Board of Control for
the Employees' Retirement System of Alabama from making
certain investments.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. Sections 16-25-20.1 and 36-27-25.1 are added
to the Code of Alabama 1975, to read as follows:
§16-25-20.1
(a) As used in this section, the following terms have
the following meanings:
(1) INVESTMENT ACTIVITIES. The act of investing or the
lending of assets of the Teachers' Retirement System of
Alabama.
(2) RESTRICTED ENTITY. All of the following:
a. A Chinese entity that is:
1. Designated by Presidential Executive Order 13959,
relating to addressing the threat from securities investments
that finance communist Chinese military companies;
2. Designated by presidential Executive Order 14105(88
Fed. Reg. 54867), relating to addressing United States
investments in certain national security technologies and
products in countries of concern; and
3. Included in the List of Specially Designated
Nationals and Blocked Persons maintained by the U.S.
Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control.
b. A Chinese entity that is:
1. Included on the Non-SDN Chinese Military-Industrial
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HB474 INTRODUCED
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1. Included on the Non-SDN Chinese Military-Industrial
Complex Companies List (NS-CMIC List) maintained by the U.S.
Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control
under Presidential Executive Order 14032;
2. A Chinese military company or a military-civil
fusion contributor and included on the list maintained by the
Department of Defense in accordance with Section 1260H(b) of
the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2021;
3. Included on the list required under Section 1237 of
the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 1999;
4. Included on the Entity List in 15 C.F.R. Supplement
No. 4 to Part 744 of the federal government's Export
Administration regulations;
5. Included on the Denied Persons List described in 15
C.F.R. § 764.3(a)(2) of the federal government's Export
Administration regulations;
6. Included on the Unverified List set forth in 15
C.F.R. Supplement No.6 to Part 744 of the Export
Administration regulations;
7. Included on the Military End User List set forth in
15 C.F.R. Supplement No.7 to Part 744 of the Export
Administration regulations;
8. Produces or provides communications equipment or
service on the list published by the Federal Communications
Commission under 47 U.S.C. § 1601(a) of the Secure and Trusted
Communications Networks Act of 2019;
9. Included on the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act
entity list maintained by the Department of Homeland Security;
10. Included on the Withhold Release Orders and
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HB474 INTRODUCED
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10. Included on the Withhold Release Orders and
Findings List maintained by the Commissioner of U.S. Customs
and Border Protection pursuant to the Uyghur Forced Labor
Prevention Act 88 Fed. Reg. 85899;
11. Included on the list of covered issuers, as defined
in Section 104 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002 15 U.S.C. §
7214, maintained by the Securities and Exchange Commission;
and
12. Otherwise included on any other list maintained by
the United States Government that designates a Chinese entity
for a restriction relating to investment, contracting, or
procurement.
c. A Chinese entity otherwise subject to the control of
a Chinese entity listed in paragraph a. or b.
d. Any agency or instrumentality of the People's
Republic of China.
(b) The State Auditor or his or her designee, no later
than January 1, 2027, shall create a list of restricted
entities and shall update the list every six months
thereafter. The retirement system shall not engage in
investment activities with a listed restricted entity.
(c) Upon publication of the restricted entity list, the
Board of Control shall identify any holdings of the retirement
system in a restricted entity and, acting as a prudent
investor, shall expeditiously divest from any holdings or
other investment activity in that restricted entity.
§36-27-25.1
(a) As used in this section, the following terms have
the following meanings:
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HB474 INTRODUCED
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the following meanings:
(1) INVESTMENT ACTIVITIES. The act of investing or the
lending of assets of the retirement system.
(2) RESTRICTED ENTITY. All of the following:
a. A Chinese entity that is:
1. Designated by Presidential Executive Order 13959,
relating to addressing the threat from securities investments
that finance communist Chinese military companies;
2. Designated by Presidential Executive Order 14105 (88
Fed. Reg. 54867), relating to addressing United States
investments in certain national security technologies and
products in countries of concern; and
3. Included in the List of Specially Designated
Nationals and Blocked Persons maintained by the U.S.
Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control.
b. A Chinese entity that is:
1. Included on the Non-SDN Chinese Military-Industrial
Complex Companies List (NS-CMIC List) maintained by the U.S.
Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control
under Presidential Executive Order 14032;
2. A Chinese military company or a military-civil
fusion contributor and included on the list maintained by the
Department of Defense in accordance with Section 1260H(b) of
the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2021;
3. Included on the list required under Section 1237 of
the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 1999;
4. Included on the Entity List in 15 C.F.R. Supplement
No. 4 to Part 744 of the federal government's Export
Administration regulations;
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HB474 INTRODUCED
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Administration regulations;
5. Included on the Denied Persons List described in 15
C.F.R. § 764.3(a)(2) of the federal government's Export
Administration regulations;
6. Included on the Unverified List set forth in 15
C.F.R. Supplement No.6 to Part 744 of the Export
Administration regulations;
7. Included on the Military End User List set forth in
15 C.F.R. Supplement No.7 to Part 744 of the Export
Administration regulations;
8. Produces or provides communications equipment or
service on the list published by the Federal Communications
Commission under 47 U.S.C. § 1601(a) of the Secure and Trusted
Communications Networks Act of 2019;
9. Included on the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act
entity list maintained by the Department of Homeland Security;
10. Included on the Withhold Release Orders and
Findings List maintained by the Commissioner of U.S. Customs
and Border Protection pursuant to the Uyghur Forced Labor
Prevention Act 88 Fed. Reg. 855899;
11. Included on the list of covered issuers, as defined
in Section 104 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002, 15 U.S.C. §
7214, maintained by the Securities and Exchange Commission;
and
12. Otherwise included on any other list maintained by
the United States Government that designates a Chinese entity
for a restriction relating to investment, contracting, or
procurement.
c. A Chinese entity otherwise subject to the control of
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HB474 INTRODUCED
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c. A Chinese entity otherwise subject to the control of
a Chinese entity listed in paragraph b.
d. Any agency or instrumentality of the People's
Republic of China.
(b) The State Auditor or his or her designee, no later
than January 1, 2027, shall create a list of restricted
entities and shall update the list every six months
thereafter. The retirement system shall not engage in
investment activities with a listed restricted entity.
(c) Upon publication of the restricted entity list, the
Board of Control shall identify any holdings of the retirement
system in a restricted entity and, acting as a prudent
investor, shall expeditiously divest from any holdings or
other investment activity in that restricted entity.
Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2026.
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