PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

The Comptroller of the Currency can give national banks a special permit to act as trustees, executors, guardians, stock registrars, receivers, or do other trust jobs that similar state banks are allowed to do, so long as state or local law does not forbid it. Banks that do trust work must keep trust assets separate from the bank’s own assets and must keep separate books and records for trust activities. State banking regulators may see the Comptroller’s exam reports about the bank’s trust work, but they cannot examine the bank’s books and assets themselves. A bank’s trust department cannot take regular checking deposits or collection accounts. Money held awaiting investment must be in a separate account and cannot be used by the bank unless the bank first sets aside U.S. bonds or other Comptroller-approved securities. If the bank fails, owners of those trust funds have a lien on the set-aside securities. Banks must follow any state rules about depositing securities for protection of private or court trusts. Bank officers can sign required oaths. No bank may lend trust funds to its officers, directors, or employees; violators face up to $5,000 fine, up to five years in prison, or both. When deciding on a permit, the Comptroller looks at capital and surplus, community needs, and other facts. No permit goes to a bank with less capital and surplus than state law requires for similar state institutions. A bank can give up its permit by a board resolution and get a certificate from the Comptroller saying it no longer may do trust work and may get back deposited securities. The Comptroller can make rules and can revoke a bank’s trust authority for unlawful or unsound use, failure to comply, or if the bank fails to use the powers for five consecutive years. The Comptroller must give notice, state the charges, and set a hearing 30 to 60 days later under section 1818(h). If the bank does not appear, it is treated as consenting. A revocation can bar the bank from taking new trust accounts but usually lets it finish servicing existing ones. Revocation takes effect not earlier than 30 days after it is served unless the order says otherwise.

Title 12, §92a

Banks and Banking, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Authority of Comptroller of the Currency

The Comptroller of the Currency shall be authorized and empowered to grant by special permit to national banks applying therefor, when not in contravention of State or local law, the right to act as trustee, executor, administrator, registrar of stocks and bonds, guardian of estates, assignee, receiver, or in any other fiduciary capacity in which State banks, trust companies, or other corporations which come into competition with national banks are permitted to act under the laws of the State in which the national bank is located.

(b)Grant and exercise of powers deemed not in contravention of State or local law

Whenever the laws of such State authorize or permit the exercise of any or all of the foregoing powers by State banks, trust companies, or other corporations which compete with national banks, the granting to and the exercise of such powers by national banks shall not be deemed to be in contravention of State or local law within the meaning of this section.

(c)Segregation of fiduciary and general assets; separate books and records; access of State banking authorities to reports of examinations, books, records, and assets

National banks exercising any or all of the powers enumerating in this section shall segregate all assets held in any fiduciary capacity from the general assets of the bank and shall keep a separate set of books and records showing in proper detail all transactions engaged in under authority of this section. The State banking authorities may have access to reports of examination made by the Comptroller of the Currency insofar as such reports relate to the trust department of such bank, but nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing the State banking authorities to examine the books, records, and assets of such bank.

(d)Prohibited operations; separate investment account; collateral for certain funds used in conduct of business

No national bank shall receive in its trust department deposits of current funds subject to check or the deposit of checks, drafts, bills of exchange, or other items for collection or exchange purposes. Funds deposited or held in trust by the bank awaiting investment shall be carried in a separate account and shall not be used by the bank in the conduct of its business unless it shall first set aside in the trust department United States bonds or other securities approved by the Comptroller of the Currency.

(e)Lien and claim upon bank failure

In the event of the failure of such bank the owners of the funds held in trust for investment shall have a lien on the bonds or other securities so set apart in addition to their claim against the estate of the bank.

(f)Deposits of securities for protection of private or court trusts; execution of and exemption from bond

Whenever the laws of a State require corporations acting in a fiduciary capacity to deposit securities with the State authorities for the protection of private or court trusts, national banks so acting shall be required to make similar deposits and securities so deposited shall be held for the protection of private or court trusts, as provided by the State law. National banks in such cases shall not be required to execute the bond usually required of individuals if State corporations under similar circumstances are exempt from this requirement. National banks shall have power to execute such bond when so required by the laws of the State.

(g)Officials’ oath or affidavit

In any case in which the laws of a State require that a corporation acting as trustee, executor, administrator, or in any capacity specified in this section, shall take an oath or make an affidavit, the president, vice president, cashier, or trust officer of such national bank may take the necessary oath or execute the necessary affidavit.

(h)Loans of trust funds to officers and employees prohibited; penalties

It shall be unlawful for any national banking association to lend any officer, director, or employee any funds held in trust under the powers conferred by this section. Any officer, director, or employee making such loan, or to whom such loan is made, may be fined not more than $5,000, or imprisoned not more than five years, or may be both fined and imprisoned, in the discretion of the court.

(i)Considerations determinative of grant or denial of applications; minimum capital and surplus for issuance of permit

In passing upon applications for permission to exercise the powers enumerated in this section, the Comptroller of the Currency may take into consideration the amount of capital and surplus of the applying bank, whether or not such capital and surplus is sufficient under the circumstances of the case, the needs of the community to be served, and any other facts and circumstances that seem to him proper, and may grant or refuse the application accordingly: Provided, That no permit shall be issued to any national banking association having a capital and surplus less than the capital and surplus required by State law of State banks, trust companies, and corporations exercising such powers.

(j)Surrender of authorization; board resolution; Comptroller certification; activities affected; regulations

Any national banking association desiring to surrender its right to exercise the powers granted under this section, in order to relieve itself of the necessity of complying with the requirements of this section, or to have returned to it any securities which it may have deposited with the State authorities for the protection of private or court trusts, or for any other purpose, may file with the Comptroller of the Currency a certified copy of a resolution of its board of directors signifying such desire. Upon receipt of such resolution, the Comptroller of the Currency, after satisfying himself that such bank has been relieved in accordance with State law of all duties as trustee, executory, administrator, registrar of stocks and bonds, guardian of estates, assignee, receiver, or other fiduciary, under court, private, or other appointments previously accepted under authority of this section, may, in his discretion, issue to such bank a certificate certifying that such bank is no longer authorized to exercise the powers granted by this section. Upon the issuance of such a certificate by the Comptroller of the Currency, such bank (1) shall no longer be subject to the provisions of this section or the regulations of the Comptroller of the Currency made pursuant thereto, (2) shall be entitled to have returned to it any securities which it may have deposited with the State authorities for the protection of private or court trusts, and (3) shall not exercise thereafter any of the powers granted by this section without first applying for and obtaining a new permit to exercise such powers pursuant to the provisions of this section. The Comptroller of the Currency is authorized and empowered to promulgate such regulations as he may deem necessary to enforce compliance with the provisions of this section and the proper exercise of the powers granted therein.

(k)Revocation; procedures applicable

(1)In addition to the authority conferred by other law, if, in the opinion of the Comptroller of the Currency, a national banking association is unlawfully or unsoundly exercising, or has unlawfully or unsoundly exercised, or has failed for a period of five consecutive years to exercise, the powers granted by this section or otherwise fails or has failed to comply with the requirements of this section, the Comptroller may issue and serve upon the association a notice of intent to revoke the authority of the association to exercise the powers granted by this section. The notice shall contain a statement of the facts constituting the alleged unlawful or unsound exercise of powers, or failure to exercise powers, or failure to comply, and shall fix a time and place at which a hearing will be held to determine whether an order revoking authority to exercise such powers should issue against the association.

(2)Such hearing shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of section 1818(h) of this title, and subject to judicial review as provided in such section, and shall be fixed for a date not earlier than thirty days nor later than sixty days after service of such notice unless an earlier or later date is set by the Comptroller at the request of any association so served.

(3)Unless the association so served shall appear at the hearing by a duly authorized representative, it shall be deemed to have consented to the issuance of the revocation order. In the event of such consent, or if upon the record made at any such hearing, the Comptroller shall find that any allegation specified in the notice of charges has been established, the Comptroller may issue and serve upon the association an order prohibiting it from accepting any new or additional trust accounts and revoking authority to exercise any and all powers granted by this section, except that such order shall permit the association to continue to service all previously accepted trust accounts pending their expeditious divestiture or termination.

(4)A revocation order shall become effective not earlier than the expiration of thirty days after service of such order upon the association so served (except in the case of a revocation order issued upon consent, which shall become effective at the time specified therein), and shall remain effective and enforceable, except to such extent as it is stayed, modified, terminated, or set aside by action of the Comptroller or a reviewing court.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2012—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 112–231, § 2(b)(1)(A), struck out “committee of estates of lunatics,” before “or in any other fiduciary capacity”. Subsec. (j). Pub. L. 112–231, § 2(b)(1)(B), struck out “committee of estates of lunatics” before “or other fiduciary, under court, private,”. 1980—Subsec. (k). Pub. L. 96–221 added subsec. (k).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Savings Provision

Pub. L. 87–722, § 2, Sept. 28, 1962, 76 Stat. 669, provided that: “Nothing contained in this Act [enacting this section, amending section 581 and 584(a)(2) of Title 26, and repealing section 248(k) of this title] shall be deemed to affect or curtail the right of any national bank to act in fiduciary capacities under a permit granted before the date of enactment of this Act [Sept. 28, 1962] by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, nor to affect the validity of any transactions entered into at any time by any national bank pursuant to such permit. On and after the date of enactment of this Act the exercise of fiduciary powers by national banks shall be subject to the provisions of this Act and the requirements of

Regulations

issued by the Comptroller of the Currency pursuant to the authority granted by this Act.”

§92a Trust Powers