CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

 

                        SENATE BILL 5931

 

                   Chapter 344, Laws of 1995

 

 

                        54th Legislature

                      1995 Regular Session

 

 

          PARITY BETWEEN STATE AND FEDERALLY CHARTERED

                     FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

 

 

                    EFFECTIVE DATE:  7/23/95

Passed by the Senate April 19, 1995

  YEAS 47   NAYS 0

 

 

 

JOEL PRITCHARD

President of the Senate

 

Passed by the House April 4, 1995

  YEAS 96   NAYS 0

             CERTIFICATE

 

I, Marty Brown, Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SENATE BILL 5931 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth.

 

 

 

  CLYDE BALLARD

Speaker of the

      House of Representatives

MARTY BROWN

                            Secretary

 

 

Approved May 11, 1995 Place Style On Codes above, and Style Off Codes below.

                                FILED          

 

 

             May 11, 1995 - 1:36 p.m.

 

 

 

    MIKE LOWRY

Governor of the State of Washington

                   Secretary of State

                  State of Washington


          _______________________________________________

 

                         SENATE BILL 5931

          _______________________________________________

 

                      AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE

 

             Passed Legislature - 1995 Regular Session

 

State of Washington      54th Legislature     1995 Regular Session

 

By Senators Prentice and Hale

 

Read first time 02/15/95.  Referred to Committee on Financial Institutions & Housing.

 

Providing parity among financial institutions.



    AN ACT Relating to state-chartered financial institutions parity with federally chartered financial institutions; amending RCW 30.04.111 and 30.08.180; and reenacting and amending RCW 30.04.215 and 30.08.190.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

 

    Sec. 1.  RCW 30.04.111 and 1994 c 92 s 12 are each amended to read as follows:

    The total loans and extensions of credit by a bank or trust company to a person outstanding at any one time shall not exceed twenty percent of the capital and surplus of such bank or trust company.  The following loans and extensions of credit shall not be subject to this limitation:

    (1) Loans or extensions of credit arising from the discount of commercial or business paper evidencing an obligation to the person negotiating it with recourse;

    (2) Loans or extensions of credit secured by bonds, notes, certificates of indebtedness, or treasury bills of the United States or by other such obligations wholly guaranteed as to principal and interest by the United States;

    (3) Loans or extensions of credit to or secured by unconditional takeout commitments or guarantees of any department, agency, bureau, board, commission, or establishment of the United States or any corporation wholly owned directly or indirectly by the United States;

    (4) Loans or extensions of credit fully secured by a segregated deposit account or accounts in the lending bank;

    (5) Loans or extensions of credit secured by collateral having a readily ascertained market value of at least one hundred fifteen percent of the outstanding amount of the loan or extension of credit;

    (6) Loans or extensions of credit secured by bills of lading, warehouse receipts, or similar documents transferring or securing title to readily marketable staples shall be subject to a limitation of thirty-five percent of capital and surplus in addition to the general limitations, if the market value of the staples securing each additional loan or extension of credit at all times equals or exceeds one hundred fifteen percent of the outstanding amount of the loan or extension of credit.  The staples shall be fully covered by insurance whenever it is customary to insure the staples;

    (7) The purchase of bankers' acceptances of the kind described in section 13 of the federal reserve act and issued by other banks shall not be subject to any limitation based on capital and surplus;

    (8) The unpaid purchase price of a sale of bank property, if secured by such property.

    For the purposes of this section "capital" shall include the amount of common stock outstanding and unimpaired, the amount of preferred stock outstanding and unimpaired, and capital notes or debentures issued pursuant to chapter 30.36 RCW.

    For the purposes of this section "surplus" shall include capital surplus, reflecting the amounts paid in excess of the par or stated value of capital stock, or amounts contributed to the bank other than for capital stock, and ((amounts transferred to surplus from)) undivided profits ((pursuant to resolution of the board of directors)).

    The term "person" shall include an individual, sole proprietor, partnership, joint venture, association, trust, estate, business trust, corporation, sovereign government or agency, instrumentality, or political subdivision thereof, or any similar entity or organization.

    The director may prescribe rules to administer and carry out the purposes of this section, including without limitation rules to define or further define terms used in this section and to establish limits or requirements other than those specified in this section for particular classes or categories of loans or extensions of credit, and to determine when a loan putatively made to a person shall, for purposes of this section, be attributed to another person.  In adopting the rules, the director shall be guided by rulings of the comptroller of the currency that govern lending limits applicable to national commercial banks.

 

    Sec. 2.  RCW 30.04.215 and 1994 c 256 s 37 and 1994 c 92 s 20 are each reenacted to read as follows:

    (1) Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, in addition to all powers enumerated by this title, and those necessarily implied therefrom, a bank may engage in other business activities that have been determined by the board of governors of the federal reserve system or by the United States Congress to be closely related to the business of banking, as of December 31, 1993.

    (2) A bank that desires to perform an activity that is not expressly authorized by subsection (1) of this section shall first apply to the director for authorization to conduct such activity.  Within thirty days of the receipt of this application, the director shall determine whether the activity is closely related to the business of banking, whether the public convenience and advantage will be promoted, whether the activity is apt to create an unsafe or unsound practice by the bank and whether the applicant is capable of performing such an activity.  If the director finds the activity to be closely related to the business of banking and the bank is otherwise qualified, he or she shall forthwith inform the applicant that the activity is authorized.  If the director determines that such activity is not closely related to the business of banking or the bank is not otherwise qualified, he or she shall forthwith inform the applicant in writing.  The applicant shall have the right to appeal from an unfavorable determination in accordance with the procedures of the Administrative Procedure Act, chapter 34.05 RCW.  In determining whether a particular activity is closely related to the business of banking, the director shall be guided by the rulings of the board of governors of the federal reserve system and the comptroller of the currency in making determinations in connection with the powers exercisable by bank holding companies, and the activities performed by other commercial banks or their holding companies.

    (3) ((In addition to all powers enumerated by this title, and those necessarily implied therefrom, a bank may engage in other business activities that are determined by the director, by rule adopted pursuant to chapter 34.05 RCW, to be closely related to the business of banking, or necessary or convenient thereto, and the exercise thereof will promote the public convenience and advantage.  Provided, however, that such other business activities shall also have been determined by the board of governors of the federal reserve system or by the United States congress to be closely related to the business of banking.)) Notwithstanding any restrictions, limitations, and requirements of law, in addition to all powers, express or implied, that a bank has under the laws of this state, a bank shall have the powers and authorities conferred as of August 31, 1994, upon federally chartered bank doing business in this state.  A bank may exercise the powers and authorities conferred on a federally chartered bank after this date, only if the director finds that the exercise of such powers and authorities:

    (a) Serves the convenience and advantage of depositors, borrowers, or the general public; and

    (b) Maintains the fairness of competition and parity between state-chartered banks and federally chartered banks.

    As used in this section, "powers and authorities" include without limitation powers and authorities in corporate governance and operational matters.

    The restrictions, limitations, and requirements applicable to specific powers or authorities of federally chartered banks shall apply to banks exercising those powers or authorities permitted under this subsection but only insofar as the restrictions, limitations, and requirements relate to exercising the powers or authorities granted banks solely under this subsection.

    (4) Any activity which may be performed by a bank, except the taking of deposits, may be performed by (a) a corporation or (b) another entity approved by the director, which in either case is owned in whole or in part by the bank.

 

    Sec. 3.  RCW 30.08.180 and 1994 c 92 s 60 are each amended to read as follows:

    Every bank and trust company shall make at least three regular reports each year to the director, as of the dates which he or she shall designate, according to form prescribed by him or her, verified by the president, manager or cashier and attested by at least two directors, which shall exhibit under appropriate heads the resources and liabilities of such corporation.  The dates designated by the director shall be the dates designated by the comptroller of the currency of the United States for reports of national banking associations.  ((Each such report in condensed form, to be prescribed by the director, shall be published once in a newspaper of general circulation, published in a place where the corporation is located, or if there be no newspaper published in such place, then in some newspaper published in the same county.))

    Every such corporation shall also make such special reports as the director shall call for.

 

    Sec. 4.  RCW 30.08.190 and 1994 c 256 s 51 and 1994 c 92 s 61 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

    (1) Every regular report shall be filed with the director within thirty days from the date of issuance of the notice.  Every special report shall be filed with the director within such time as shall be specified by him or her in the notice therefor.

    (2) The director shall provide a copy of any regular report free of charge to any person that submits a written request for the report.

    (3) Every bank and trust company which fails to file any report, required to be filed under subsection (1) of this section and within the time specified, shall be subject to a penalty of fifty dollars per day for each day's delay.  A civil action for the recovery of any such penalty may be brought by the attorney general in the name of the state.


    Passed the Senate April 19, 1995.

    Passed the House April 4, 1995.

Approved by the Governor May 11, 1995.

    Filed in Office of Secretary of State May 11, 1995.