Title 12 › CHAPTER 16 — FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION › § 1834b
A bank, or part of a bank, can count as a community development organization if it meets a few rules. It must be either a community development bank, control a community development corporation or a community development unit, put money into a low‑income community development credit union under rules from the National Credit Union Administration Board, or share control of a community development organization with other banks. Except for community development banks, the bank must invest at least the greater of one‑half of one percent (0.5%) of its capital or the total amounts invested in the community development group. The community development group must make loans for home purchases, home repairs, neighborhood projects, and other financial services (but not car loans or open‑end credit plans) to low‑ and moderate‑income people, nonprofits, and small businesses in qualified distressed areas. A community development bank must have a 15‑member advisory board called a Community Investment Board made up of community leaders, with initial staggered terms of 8, 16, and 24 months and then two‑year terms, nominate one‑third of the bank’s directors, and meet with the board at least every three months. A community development corporation or unit must give the community at least as much participation as that board would. A federal banking agency will only approve a new group if the area is not already being served. Definitions: Community development bank = any depository institution (see section 1813(c)(1)); Community development organization = a community development bank, corporation, unit inside an insured depository, or community development credit union; Low‑ and moderate‑income persons = as defined in 42 U.S.C. 5302(a)(20); Nonprofit organization and small business = as defined by agency regulations for this section; Qualified distressed community = as defined in 12 U.S.C. 1834a(b).
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Banks and Banking, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
12 U.S.C. § 1834b
Title 12, Banks and Banking
Last Updated
Sep 23, 2026
Release point: 119-110