Title 12Banks and BankingRelease 119-73not60

§3012 General Corporate Powers

Title 12 › Chapter 31— NATIONAL CONSUMER COOPERATIVE BANK › Subchapter I— ESTABLISHMENT AND OPERATION › § 3012

Last updated Apr 3, 2026|Official source

Summary

Allows the Bank to make and manage loans and credit, guarantee loans, offer financial and technical services, share research results, and issue its own debt within the limits in section 3017. The Bank must operate under its Board of Directors. The Board can set bylaws, create stock classes and rules for issuing or retiring stock, pick officers and staff, require bonds to protect against losses, and approve pay. The Bank can sign contracts (and make advance payments) even without following sections 3324(a) and (b) of title 31, sue and be sued, and buy, sell, lease, mortgage, insure, or otherwise own property. It can change loan terms, work with government or private agencies, borrow and issue notes or bonds within section 3017 limits, issue certificates of indebtedness to stockholders, join with other institutions on loans, accept guarantees, open branches and advisory councils, and buy U.S. government or agency obligations. After the final Government Equity Redemption Date it may make other Board-approved investments. General Schedule pay rules apply until all class A stock held by the Secretary of the Treasury is retired. It also has other powers needed to do its job.

Full Legal Text

Title 12, §3012

Banks and Banking — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The Bank shall have the power to make and service loans, commitments for credit, guarantees, furnish financially related services, technical assistance and the results of research, issue its obligations within the limitations imposed by section 3017 of this title in such amounts, at such times, and on such terms as the Bank may determine, and to exercise the other powers and duties prescribed in this chapter, and shall have the power to—
(1)operate under the direction of its Board of Directors;
(2)adopt, alter, and use a corporate seal, which shall be judicially noted;
(3)elect by its Board of Directors a president, one or more vice presidents, a secretary, a treasurer, and provide for such other officers, employees, and agents as may be necessary, and define their duties in accordance with regulations and standards adopted by the Board, and require surety bonds or make other provisions against losses occasioned by acts of employees;
(4)prescribe by its Board of Directors its bylaws not inconsistent with law, which shall establish the terms of office and the procedure for election of elective members; provide in a manner not inconsistent with this chapter for the classes of its stock and the manner in which its stock shall be issued, transferred, and retired; and prescribe the manner in which its officers, employees, and agents are elected or selected, its property acquired, held and transferred, its loans, commitments, other financial assistance, guarantees and appraisals may be made, its general business conducted, and the privilege granted it by law exercised and enjoyed;
(5)enter into contracts and make advance, progress, or other payments with respect to such contracts, without regard to the provisions of section 3324(a) and (b) of title 31;
(6)sue and be sued in its corporate name and complain and defend, in any court of competent jurisdiction, State or Federal;
(7)acquire, hold, lease, mortgage, or dispose of, at public or private sale, real and personal property and sell or exchange any securities or obligations, and otherwise exercise all the usual incidents of ownership of property necessary or convenient to its business: Provided, That any such acquisition or ownership of real property shall not deprive a State or political subdivision thereof of its civil or criminal jurisdiction in and over such property or impair the civil rights of the inhabitants of such property under Federal, State, or local laws;
(8)obtain insurance against loss in connection with property and other assets;
(9)modify or consent to the modification with respect to the rate of interest, time of payment of any installment of principal or interest, security, or any other term of any contract or agreement to which it is a party or has an interest pursuant to this chapter;
(10)utilize and act through any Federal, State, or local public agency or instrumentality, or private agency or organization, with the consent of the agency or organization concerned, and contract with such agency, instrumentality, or organization for furnishing or receiving technical services and benefits of research, services, funds or facilities; and make advance, progress, or other payments with respect to such contracts without regard to section 3324(a) and (b) of title 31;
(11)within the limitations of section 3017 of this title, borrow money and issue notes, bonds and debentures or other obligations individually or in concert with other financial institutions, agencies or instrumentalities, of such character and such terms and conditions and at rates of interest as may be determined;
(12)issue certificates of indebtedness to its stockholders or members and pay interest on funds left with the Bank, and accept grants or interest free temporary use of funds made available to it;
(13)participate with one or more other financial institutions, agencies, instrumentalities, or foundations in loans or guarantees under this chapter on terms as may be agreed upon;
(14)accept guarantees from other agencies for which loans made by the Bank may be eligible;
(15)establish one or more branch offices and one or more advisory councils in connection with any such branch offices, as may from time to time be authorized by the Board of Directors;
(16)buy and sell obligations of, or insured by, the United States or any agency or instrumentalities thereof, or securities backed by the full faith and credit of any such agency or instrumentality and, after the final Government Equity Redemption Date, make such other investments as may be authorized by the Board of Directors;
(17)approve the salary scale of officers and employees of the Bank, in accordance with regulations and standards adopted by the Board of Directors, without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5 relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates, but, except as otherwise provided in this chapter, the General Schedule pay rates shall be applicable until all class A stock held by the Secretary of the Treasury has been retired; and
(18)have such other incidental powers as may be necessary or expedient to carry out its duties under this chapter.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Securities Act of 1933, referred to in text, is act May 27, 1933, ch. 38, title I, 48 Stat. 74, which is classified generally to subchapter I (§ 77a et seq.) of chapter 2A of Title 15, Commerce and Trade. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 77a of Title 15 and Tables. Codification In pars. (5) and (10), “section 3324(a) and (b) of title 31” substituted for “section 3648 of the Revised Statutes [31 U.S.C. 529]” on authority of Pub. L. 97–258, § 4(b), Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 1067, the first section of which enacted Title 31, Money and Finance.

Amendments

1981—Pub. L. 97–35 substituted provisions relating to a public offering for purposes of the Securities Act of 1933, for provisions setting forth criteria for the term “exempt securities”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1981 Amendment Pub. L. 97–35, title III, § 394(d)(2), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 436, provided that: “The amendment made by paragraph (1) [amending this section] shall take effect on the day after the Final Government Equity Redemption Date [Dec. 31, 1981].” See section 396(a) of Pub. L. 97–35 set out below. “Final Government Equity Redemption Date” Defined Pub. L. 97–35, title III, § 396(a), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 439, provided that: “For purposes of this subtitle [see

Short Title

of 1981 Amendment note set out under section 3001 of this title], the term ‘Final Government Equity Redemption Date’ shall have the same meaning given such term in section 101(5) of the National Consumer Cooperative Bank Act (12 U.S.C. 3011(5)).”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

12 U.S.C. § 3012

Title 12Banks and Banking

Last Updated

Apr 3, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60