[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7896 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7896
To prohibit investments under the Thrift Savings Plan in certain mutual
funds that make investment decisions based primarily on environmental,
social, or governance criteria.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 27, 2022
Mr. Roy (for himself, Mr. Good of Virginia, Mr. Johnson of Ohio, Mr.
Cloud, Mr. Gohmert, Mr. Budd, Mrs. Miller of Illinois, and Mr. Posey)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Oversight and Reform
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To prohibit investments under the Thrift Savings Plan in certain mutual
funds that make investment decisions based primarily on environmental,
social, or governance criteria.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``No ESG at TSP Act''.
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN MUTUAL FUNDS UNDER THE THRIFT SAVINGS
PLAN.
(a) In General.--Section 8438(b)(5) of title 5, United States Code,
is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:
``(E) The Board may not offer through the mutual fund window any
mutual fund, exchange traded fund (as defined in section 270.6c-11 of
title 17, Code of Federal Regulations), or other investment vehicle
that invests in bonds or equities that is invested based on any one or
more of the following criteria to the extent that such criteria are
unrelated to maximizing monetary returns for investors:
``(i) Environmental criteria, including--
``(I) emissions, climate change, sustainability,
environmental justice, pollution, or conservation; or
``(II) whether a company is engaged in the
exploration, production, utilization, transportation,
sale, or manufacturing of fossil fuel-based energy.
``(ii) Social criteria, including--
``(I) diversity criteria, including--
``(aa) the race, ethnicity, gender
identity, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic
status of the owners, board members, employees,
or customers of companies; or
``(bb) whether such board members,
employees, or customers are members of a labor
organization (as such term is defined in
section 2 of the National Labor Relations Act
(29 U.S.C. 152)); or
``(II) whether a company is engaged in the
manufacture, transportation, or sale of firearms,
firearms accessories, or ammunition.
``(iii) Political criteria, including the perceived or
actual political affiliations, donations, or associations of
companies.
``(iv) Criteria for corporate governance standards that
differ from the applicable standards required under State and
Federal law as in effect on the date of the enactment of this
subparagraph.
``(F) The Board may not offer through the mutual fund window any
mutual fund, exchange traded fund (as defined in section 270.6c-11 of
title 17, Code of Federal Regulations), or other investment vehicle
that is marketed as being invested based on environmental, social, or
governance criteria, commonly known as `ESG criteria'.''.
(b) Existing Investments in Impermissible Mutual Funds.--
(1) In general.--An employee or Member (or former employee
or Member) may elect to have any covered sums credited to the
account of such individual in the Thrift Savings Fund
reinvested in accordance with section 8438 of title 5, United
States Code, as amended by this Act.
(2) Notice.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Board shall notify each employee or
Member (or former employee or Member) that may make an election
under paragraph (1) of the option to make such election.
(3) Mandatory reinvestment.--Not later than the date that
is 30 days after the date on which notice is provided under
paragraph (2) to an employee or Member (or former employee or
Member), the Board shall reinvest, in accordance with section
8438 of title 5, United States Code, as amended by this Act,
any covered sums credited to the account of such individual in
the Thrift Savings Fund with respect to which such individual
has not made an election under paragraph (1).
(4) Definitions.--In this subsection:
(A) Board; employee; member.--The terms ``Board'',
``employee'', and ``Member'' have the meanings given
such terms in section 8401 of title 5, United States
Code.
(B) Covered sums.--The term ``covered sum'' means
any sums of the Thrift Savings Fund that, on the date
of the enactment of this Act, are invested in a mutual
described in section 8438(b)(5)(E) of title 5, United
States Code.
(C) Thrift savings fund.--The term ``Thrift Savings
Fund'' means the fund established under section 8437 of
title 5, United States Code.
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