HARRISBURG -- State Rep. Josh Shapiro is going to try again to oppose corporate investments in the countries of Iran and Sudan, which he says engage in "terrorism and genocide."

The Montgomery County Democrat is introducing "terror-free investing legislation" that would prohibit Pennsylvania's two large pension funds and the state treasury from investing in foreign companies that have "significant business activities'' in those two countries.

The pension funds, which have millions of dollars to invest, are the Pennsylvania State Education Retirement System and the State Employee Retirement System. Newly elected state Treasurer Rob McCord already agrees that the state shouldn't invest in companies that do business with those two countries.

The bill was approved last year by the state House, but wasn't acted on in the Senate. Mr. Shapiro said he'll talk to senators this year about approving it, once the House acts again.

"It makes practical sense that a company's association with terrorism and human rights abuses creates risk and could undermine the value of the Commonwealth's investment in such a company," said Mr. Shapiro, who is thinking about running for the U.S. Senate next year.

State Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Squirrel Hill, is a strong backer of the bill, which now goes to the House's State Government Committee.