Trustees, conservators, curators, banks, trust companies, insurance companies, assurance, casualty, fidelity, and guaranty companies, and savings and loan associations may invest any funds held by them in notes, bonds, debentures or other similar obligations issued by the federal land banks, federal intermediate credit banks, or banks for cooperatives or any other obligations issued pursuant to the provisions of an act of the Congress of the United States known as the Farm Credit Act of 1971, and acts amendatory thereto, and bonds issued under the provisions of the act of Congress approved July 15, 1949, and known as “United States Housing Act of 1949”, and the bonds shall be accepted as security for all public deposits and in all cases where bonds are required by law to be deposited with any department or public official of this state or any political subdivision thereof.