Housing bonds legal investments and security.

The state and all public officers, municipal corporations, political subdivisions, and public bodies, all banks, bankers, trust companies, savings banks and institutions, building and loan associations, savings and loan associations, investment companies, all insurance companies, insurance associations, and other persons carrying on an insurance business, and guardians holding funds received from or currently in receipt of funds from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to the extent of those funds alone may legally invest any sinking funds, moneys, or other funds belonging to them or within their control in any bonds or other obligations issued by a housing authority pursuant to the Housing Authorities Law of this state (chapter 421), or issued by any public housing authority or agency in the United States, when such bonds or other obligations are secured by a pledge of annual contributions to be paid by the United States Government or any agency thereof, and such bonds and other obligations shall be authorized security for all public deposits; it being the purpose of this section to authorize any person, associations, political subdivisions, bodies, and officers, public or private, to use any funds owned or controlled by them, including, but not limited to, sinking, insurance, investment, retirement, compensation, pension, and trust funds, and funds held on deposit, for the purchase of any bonds or other obligations; provided, however, that nothing contained in this section shall be construed as relieving any person from any duty of exercising reasonable care in selecting securities.