Arizona is evaluating whether to add exposure to digital assets in government pension funds’ investment portfolios.
A new resolution passed by the Arizona state legislature would take a step toward converting pension funds for government and public safety employees into exchange-traded funds (ETFs) based on digital assets.
The proposal comes about a month after the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved Bitcoin (BTC) spot ETFs. The agency may also approve additional ETFs for other digital assets like Ethereum (ETH) at some point in the future.
If passed, the resolution calls on the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) and Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS) to take several actions that could lead to retirement funds gaining exposure to digital assets.
There are three main actions that ASRS and PSPRS must take:
“a) consider the implications of including a digital asset ETF in your investment portfolios.
b) closely monitor the development of Bitcoin ETFs and other digital asset ETFs and consider the implications of including such assets in your investment portfolio after consulting with any company to which the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has granted approval to offer a Bitcoin ETF digital assets.
c) present a comprehensive report on the feasibility, risk, and potential benefits of allocating a portion of state retirement system money to digital asset ETFs, including a list of options and recommendations on how the state could safely invest in the class of digital assets for the State. Treasurer, President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives at least three months before the beginning of the Fifty-seventh Legislature, First Regular Session.”
The Republican-sponsored resolution recently passed the state Senate by a vote of 16 to 13. Only Republicans voted for it, while only Democrats opposed it. The resolution is now being considered by the state House.