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Title 12, Banks and BankingRelease 119-110

§4403 Bilateral Netting

Title 12 › CHAPTER 45 — PAYMENT SYSTEM RISK REDUCTION › SUBCHAPTER I — BILATERAL AND CLEARING ORGANIZATION NETTING › § 4403

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Financial institutions must use their netting contracts to end, settle, speed up, and combine the payments they owe each other into one net amount. This rule applies even if other laws say something different, except for the rules in sections 1821(e), 5390(c), 4617, 1787(c), or any order under section 78eee(b)(2) of title 15, and except as provided in section 561(b)(2) of title 11. A bank’s payment duty to another bank is only the single net amount after netting; if the net is zero, no payment is due and no right to receive payment exists. If a bank fails, any net amount owed to it must be paid under the netting contract. Security or credit support tied to netting contracts can be enforced as written, except as in section 561(b)(2) of title 11, and cannot be blocked by other laws except the sections listed above.

Full Legal Text

Title 12, §4403

Banks and Banking, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)General rule
Notwithstanding any other provision of State or Federal law (other than section 1821(e) of this title, section 5390(c) of this title, section 4617 of this title, section 1787(c) of this title, or any order authorized under section 78eee(b)(2) of title 15), the covered contractual payment obligations and the covered contractual payment entitlements between any 2 financial institutions shall be terminated, liquidated, accelerated, and netted in accordance with, and subject to the conditions of, the terms of any applicable netting contract (except as provided in section 561(b)(2) of title 11).
(b)Limitation on obligation to make payment
The only obligation, if any, of a financial institution to make payment with respect to covered contractual payment obligations to another financial institution shall be equal to its net obligation to such other financial institution, and no such obligation shall exist if there is no net obligation.
(c)Limitation on right to receive payment
The only right, if any, of a financial institution to receive payments with respect to covered contractual payment entitlements from another financial institution shall be equal to its net entitlement with respect to such other financial institution, and no such right shall exist if there is no net entitlement.
(d)Payment of net entitlement of failed financial institution
The net entitlement of any failed financial institution, if any, shall be paid to the failed financial institution in accordance with, and subject to the conditions of, the applicable netting contract.
(e)Effectiveness notwithstanding status as financial institution
This section shall be given effect notwithstanding that a financial institution is a failed financial institution.
(f)Enforceability of security agreements
The provisions of any security agreement or arrangement or other credit enhancement related to one or more netting contracts between any 2 financial institutions shall be enforceable in accordance with their terms (except as provided in section 561(b)(2) of title 11), and shall not be stayed, avoided, or otherwise limited by any State or Federal law (other than section 1821(e) of this title, section 1787(c) of this title, and section 78eee(b)(2) of title 15).

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2010—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 111–203 inserted “section 5390(c) of this title, section 4617 of this title,” after “section 1821(e) of this title,”. 2006—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 109–390 struck out “paragraphs (8)(E), (8)(F), and (10)(B) of” before “section 1821(e)” and “section 1787(c)” and inserted “terminated, liquidated, accelerated, and” after “institutions shall be”. Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 109–390, § 4(a)(1), struck out “paragraphs (8)(E), (8)(F), and (10)(B) of” before “section 1821(e)” and “section 1787(c)”. 2005—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 109–8, § 906(b)(1), added subsec. (a) and struck out heading and text of former subsec. (a). Text read as follows: “Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the covered contractual payment obligations and the covered contractual payment entitlements between any 2 financial institutions shall be netted in accordance with, and subject to the conditions of, the terms of any applicable netting contract.” Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 109–8, § 906(b)(2), added subsec. (f).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2010 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 111–203 effective 1 day after July 21, 2010, except as otherwise provided, see section 4 of Pub. L. 111–203, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 5301 of this title.

Effective Date

of 2006 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 109–390 not applicable to any cases commenced under Title 11, Bankruptcy, or to appointments made under any Federal or State law, before Dec. 12, 2006, see section 7 of Pub. L. 109–390, set out as a note under section 101 of Title 11.

Effective Date

of 2005 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 109–8 effective 180 days after Apr. 20, 2005, and not applicable with respect to cases commenced under Title 11, Bankruptcy, before such

Effective Date

, except as otherwise provided, see section 1501 of Pub. L. 109–8, set out as a note under section 101 of Title 11.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

12 U.S.C. § 4403

Title 12, Banks and Banking

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110