Section 5-13B-86

Powers of branch and agency.

(a) Except as otherwise specifically provided in this division or in regulations or orders adopted by the superintendent, and notwithstanding any other law or regulation of this state to the contrary, operations of a foreign bank at an Alabama state branch or Alabama state agency shall be conducted with the same rights, privileges, and powers as an Alabama state bank at the same location, including, but not limited to, the eligibility to exercise fiduciary or trust powers, and shall be subject to all the same duties, restrictions, penalties, liabilities, conditions, and limitations that would apply under the laws of this state to an Alabama state bank doing business at the same location.

(b) Among other exceptions to the provisions of subsection (a) that may be required or authorized by the superintendent pursuant to the provisions of this division:

(1) An Alabama state branch that was not grandfathered as an "insured branch" within the meaning of Section 6(c)(2) of the Federal International Banking Act (12 U.S.C. §3104(c)(2)) may not accept, from citizens or residents of the United States, deposits, other than credit balances that are incidental to or arise out of its exercise of other lawful banking powers, of less than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), except to the extent that such deposits are determined by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation not to constitute "domestic retail deposit activities requiring deposit insurance protection" within the meaning of Section 6 of the Federal International Banking Act (12 U.S.C. §3104);

(2) An Alabama state agency may not accept any deposits from citizens or residents of the United States, other than credit balances that are incidental to or arise out of its exercise of other lawful banking powers, but it may accept deposits from persons who are neither citizens nor residents of the United States;

(3) An Alabama state branch or Alabama state agency shall not be required to maintain federal or state deposit insurance under any law, regulation, or order of this state that requires Alabama state banks and other depository institutions to maintain such deposit insurance, and the superintendent may, by regulation or order, exclude or exempt uninsured Alabama state branches and/or Alabama agencies from, or otherwise modify the applicability to uninsured Alabama state branches and/or Alabama agencies of, any law or regulation of this state that is generally applicable to insured Alabama state banks, or that would otherwise be applicable to an insured Alabama state bank doing business at the same location, as the superintendent may deem necessary or desirable, taking into account applicable limitations on the retail deposit-taking powers and privileges of Alabama state branches and Alabama agencies;

(4) Any limitation or restriction based on the capital stock and surplus of an Alabama state bank shall be deemed to refer, as applied to an Alabama state branch or Alabama state agency, to the dollar equivalent of the capital stock and surplus of the foreign bank, and if the foreign bank has more than one Alabama state branch or Alabama state agency in this state, the business transacted by all such Alabama state branches and Alabama state agencies shall be aggregated in determining compliance with the limitation; and

(5) The superintendent is expressly authorized to adopt such additional or modify the applicability of any existing standards, conditions, or requirements, by regulation or order, as he or she may deem necessary to ensure the safety and soundness and the protection of creditors of the operations of branches and agencies of foreign banks in this state.

(Acts 1995, No. 95-115, p. 134, §34.)