Chapter 655 — Chapter 655

The purposes of the financial institutions codes are to:(1) Provide general regulatory powers to be exercised by the Financial Services Commission and the Office of Financial Regulation in relation to the regulation of financial institutions. The financial institutions codes appl…

(1) As used in the financial institutions codes, unless the context otherwise requires, the term:(a) “Affiliate” means a holding company of a financial institution established pursuant to state or federal law, a subsidiary or service corporation of such holding company, or a subs…

(1) In addition to other powers conferred by the financial institutions codes, the office shall have:(a) General supervision over all state financial institutions, their subsidiaries, and service corporations.(b) Access to all books and records of all persons over whom the office…

The charters of state financial institutions existing on July 1, 1992, shall continue in full force and effect. However, after that date, all state financial institutions and, to the extent applicable, all financial institutions shall operate in accordance with the financial inst…

(1) The financial institutions codes shall be liberally construed and applied to promote their purposes and policies.(2) The purposes and policies as stated in s. 655.001 constitute standards to be observed by the commission and office in the exercise of their discretionary power…

No person acting, or who has acted, in good faith reliance upon a rule, order, or declaratory statement issued by the commission or office shall be subject to any criminal, civil, or administrative liability for such action, notwithstanding a subsequent decision by a court of com…

(1) A county or municipality may not enact or enforce a resolution, ordinance, or rule that regulates financial or lending activities, including a resolution, ordinance, or rule that disqualifies persons from doing business with a county or municipality based on lending interest …

(1) Notwithstanding any other Florida law, this section establishes the proper location for service of process upon a financial institution for all types of service of process to be made on a financial institution.(2) A financial institution authorized by federal or state law to …

(1) In imposing any administrative remedy or penalty provided for in the financial institutions codes, the office shall take into account the appropriateness of the penalty with respect to the size of the financial resources and good faith of the person charged, the gravity of th…

(1) The office may make investigations, within or outside this state, which it deems necessary to determine whether a person has violated or is about to violate any provision of the financial institutions codes or of the rules adopted by the commission pursuant to such codes.(2)(…

The office shall consider the public purposes specified in 1s. 119.14(4)(b) in determining whether the hearings and proceedings conducted pursuant to s. 655.033 for the issuance of cease and desist orders and s. 655.037 for the issuance of suspension or removal orders shall be cl…

(1) As used in this section, the term “financial institution” means a financial institution as defined in s. 655.005 or other business entity as defined by the commission by rule, whether organized under the laws of this state, the laws of another state, or the laws of the United…

(1) Financial institutions must make determinations about the provision or denial of services based on an analysis of risk factors unique to each current or prospective customer or member and may not engage in an unsafe and unsound practice as provided in subsection (2). This sub…

(1) The office may issue and serve upon any state financial institution, subsidiary, or service corporation, or upon any financial institution-affiliated party, a complaint stating charges whenever the office has reason to believe that such state financial institution, subsidiary…

(1) If the office determines that a violation of the financial institutions codes or a violation of a formal enforcement action has occurred or is threatened or impending, the circuit court has jurisdiction to hear a complaint filed by the office and, upon proper showing, to issu…

Pursuant to s. 655.032, the office may conduct an investigation that it deems necessary to determine whether a financial institution, a subsidiary, a service corporation, an affiliate, or other person is engaging in or has engaged in conduct that is a violation of any provision o…

(1) The office may issue and serve upon any financial institution-affiliated party and upon the financial institution, subsidiary, or service corporation involved, a complaint stating charges if the office has reason to believe that the financial institution-affiliated party is e…

(1) Each state financial institution shall notify the office of the proposed appointment of any individual to the board of directors or the appointment or employment of any individual as an executive officer or equivalent position at least 60 days before such appointment or emplo…

(1) If a state financial institution has an insufficient number of directors to meet the minimum requirements of s. 657.021 or s. 658.33 for 30 days or longer, there are an insufficient number of executive officers, or the qualifications of the executive officers are insufficient…

(1) CONFLICT OF INTEREST.—A financial institution-affiliated party may not engage or participate, directly or indirectly, in any business or transaction conducted on behalf of or involving the state financial institution, subsidiary, or service corporation which would result in a…

A state financial institution may not cause to be performed, by contract or otherwise, any financial-institution services for itself, whether at or away from its main or branch office or on or off its premises, unless assurances satisfactory to the office are furnished to the off…

Any financial institution, except a credit union, organized under the laws of this state or federal law may apply for space in any building owned or leased by the state, political subdivision, or municipality in the community or political subdivision in which the financial instit…

(1) The office may, by complaint, initiate a proceeding pursuant to chapter 120 to impose an administrative fine against any person found to have violated a provision of the financial institutions codes or the rules adopted thereunder, an order of the office, or a written agreeme…

A bank, trust company, or association may not amend its articles of incorporation without the written approval of the office.

(1) Except as otherwise provided by law, a state financial institution shall observe United States generally accepted accounting principles. The commission may authorize exceptions to such accounting principles by rule.(2) A state financial institution, subsidiary, or service cor…

(1) The office shall conduct an examination of the condition of each state financial institution at least every 18 months. The office may conduct more frequent examinations based upon the risk profile of the financial institution, prior examination results, or significant changes…

(1) Each state financial institution shall pay to the office a semiannual assessment based on the total assets as shown on the statement of condition of the financial institution on the last business day in December and the last business day in June of each year.(2) If mailed, th…

The assessments, application fees, late payment penalties, civil penalties, administrative fines, and other fees or penalties provided for in the financial institutions codes shall, in all cases, be paid directly to the office, which shall deposit all thereof in the Financial Ins…

(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section and except for such portions thereof which are otherwise public record, all records and information relating to an investigation by the office are confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitu…

(1) The books and records of a financial institution are confidential and shall be made available for inspection and examination only:(a) To the office or its duly authorized representative;(b) To any person duly authorized to act for the financial institution;(c) To any federal …

(1) If any person who is required to submit documents or other information to the office pursuant to the financial institutions codes, or by rule or order of the office or commission, claims that such submission contains a trade secret, such person may file with the office a noti…

Subject to the prior approval of the office pursuant to commission rule or office order of general application, state financial institutions subject to the financial institutions codes may make any loan or investment or exercise any power which they could make or exercise if inco…

(1) “International banking facility” means a set of asset and liability accounts segregated on the books and records of a banking organization, as that term is defined in s. 201.23, that includes only international banking facility deposits, borrowings, and extensions of credit, …

As used in ss. 655.41-655.419, the term:(1) “Financial entity” means a financial institution whose principal office is in this state.(2) “Capital stock financial institution” means a financial institution that is authorized to issue capital stock.(3) “Mutual financial institution…

(1) A financial entity may apply to the office for permission to convert its charter without changing its business form or to do business as another type of financial entity in accordance with the following procedures:(a) The board of directors must approve a plan of conversion b…

(1) With the approval of the office, any capital stock financial institution may be merged into or consolidated with another capital stock financial institution or a mutual financial institution. The provisions of ss. 658.41-658.45 govern any merger or consolidation pursuant to t…

With prior approval of the office, and upon such conditions as the commission prescribes by rule, a financial institution may acquire 50 percent or more of the assets of, liabilities of, or a combination of assets and liabilities of any other financial institution in accordance w…

Upon the effective date of a merger, consolidation, conversion, or acquisition pursuant to ss. 655.41-655.419, an asset may not be carried on the books of the resulting financial entity at a valuation higher than that at which it was carried on the books of a participating or con…

From and after the effective date of a merger, consolidation, conversion, or acquisition, the resulting financial entity or entities may conduct business in accordance with the terms of the plan as approved, subject to the following conditions and limitations:(1) CONTINUING ENTIT…

If, as a result of a merger, consolidation, conversion, or acquisition, the resulting financial entity is to be of a different type or of a different character than any one or all of the participating or converting financial institutions, such resulting financial entity is subjec…

(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of the financial institutions codes or chapter 120, if the office or the appropriate federal regulatory agency, or the appropriate home state regulatory agency for an out-of-state state financial institution, finds that immediate action is …

The provisions of ss. 655.41-655.419 relating to merger, consolidation, conversion, or acquisition of assets of any financial institution are cumulative with all other provisions of the financial institutions codes and do not modify, limit, or repeal any other provisions except a…

(1) This section may be cited as the “Florida Control of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing in Financial Institutions Act.”(2) The purpose of this section is to require the submission to the office of certain reports and the maintenance of certain records of customers, acco…

(1) It is not unlawful for any person to provide employment information to a financial institution or a financial institution regulatory agency, or to any person providing employment information to a financial institution or a financial institution regulatory agency, about an emp…

(1) The law of this state, excluding its law regarding comity and conflict of laws, governs all aspects, including without limitation the validity and effect, of any deposit account in a branch or office in this state of a deposit or lending institution, including a deposit accou…

No fines, interest, or premiums paid on the following loans made by any financial institution shall be deemed usurious, and the same may be collected as debts of like amount are now collected by law in this state and according to the terms and stipulations of the agreement betwee…

(1) The office is authorized to cause appraisals to be made of real estate or other property held by a state financial institution, subsidiary, or service corporation or securing the assets of the state financial institution, subsidiary, or service corporation if specific facts o…

A state financial institution may sell any asset in the ordinary course of business or with the approval of the office in any other circumstances.

As used in ss. 655.77-655.91, the term:(1) “Check” includes a share draft of a credit union.(2) “Deposit” includes a share of a credit union.(3) “Depositor” includes a member of a credit union.(4) “Institution” means any state or national bank, state or federal association, or st…

Deposits made by a minor, or made in the minor’s name by other than a court-appointed guardian, may be withdrawn by the minor in the absence of an agreement to the contrary made between the institution and the depositor at the time the account is opened. In case of any such agree…