(a)
Any corporation organized under the provisions of or for the purposes set forth in Part 6 (commencing with Section 10000) of this division or organized on or prior to December 31, 1979, under the provisions of or for purposes set forth in Part 3 (commencing with Section 10200) of this division, then in effect, or organized under or subject to Part 2 (commencing with Section 5110), or organized under or subject to Part 4 (commencing with Section 9110), may, if authorized so to do by its articles of incorporation, establish one or more common trust funds for the purpose of furnishing investments to such corporation or to any church, parish, congregation, society, chapel, mission, religious, beneficial, charitable or educational institution affiliated with it, or to any organization, society or corporation holding funds or property for the benefit of any of the foregoing, or holding funds for the purpose of supporting a bishop, priest, religious pastor, or teacher or any building or buildings used by or owned by any of the foregoing, whether holding such funds or property as fiduciary or otherwise. Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law in any way limiting the right of any of the foregoing or the officers or directors thereof, as fiduciary or otherwise, to invest funds held by them, it shall be lawful for any of the foregoing to invest any or all of their funds or property in shares or interests of such common trust fund or trust funds; provided, that, in the case of funds or property held as fiduciary, such investment is not prohibited by the wording of the will, deed or other instrument creating such fiduciary relationship.
(b)
The directors or trustees of any such common trust fund, or trust funds, so organized, may employ such officers or agents as they think best, define their duties, and fix their compensation. They may also appoint a trust company or bank as custodian of the trust estate and may employ an investment adviser or advisers, define their duties, and fix their compensation. Securities which constitute part or all of the trust estate may be deposited in a securities depository, as defined in Section 30004 of the Financial Code, which is licensed under Section 30200 of the Financial Code or exempted from licensing thereunder by Section 30005 or 30006 of the Financial Code, and such securities may be held by such securities depository in the manner authorized by Section 775 of the Financial Code.
(c)
The directors or trustees of any such common trust fund, or trust funds, shall pay ratably among the holders of shares or beneficial certificates then outstanding, semiannual dividends which shall approximately equal, in each fiscal year, the net income of the trust, or trusts.
(d)
The provisions of the Corporate Securities Law (Division 1 (commencing with Section 25000) of Title 4) shall not apply to the creation, administration, or termination of common trust funds created hereunder, nor to participation therein.