2000
[DOCID: f:h2273ih.txt]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2273
To amend banking laws with respect to offshore activities, investments,
and affiliations of national banks, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 21, 2001
Mr. Conyers introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Financial Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend banking laws with respect to offshore activities, investments,
and affiliations of national banks, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``National Bank Offshore Activities
Act of 2001''.
SEC. 2. CLARIFICATION OF TERRITORIAL APPLICATION.
Section 14 of the Act entitled ``An Act to amend the national
banking laws to clarify or eliminate ambiguities, to repeal certain
laws which have become obsolete, and for other purposes'' and approved
September 8, 1959 (12 U.S.C. 42) is amended by inserting before the
period at the end ``, except that sections 5156B and 5211(d) of the
Revised Statutes of the United States shall apply with respect to
activities, investments, and affiliations of national banks without
regard to any territorial limitation.''.
SEC. 3. REPORTS ON OFFSHORE INTERESTS REQUIRED.
Section 5211 of the Revised Statutes of the United States (12
U.S.C. 161) is amended by adding at the end the following new
subsection:
``(d) Reports on Offshore Interests Required.--
``(1) In general.--If a national bank acquires, directly or
indirectly, a beneficial interest in any offshore company, the
national bank shall submit a written report on such acquisition
to the Comptroller of the Currency before the end of the 30-day
period beginning on the date the acquisition is consummated.
``(2) Contents of report.--A report submitted under
paragraph (1) shall contain the following information:
``(A) The names of all the shareholders,
principals, or holders of a beneficial interest in the
offshore company.
``(B) The names of any directors, officers, or
managing agent of the offshore company.
``(C) The purpose and business of the offshore
company.
``(D) The identity and value of any assets held or
owned by the offshore company.
``(E) All criminal convictions, indictments or
similar formal legal accusations of criminal offenses,
and government or regulatory investigations of, and any
complaints concerning, any person identified in
subparagraph (A) or (B).
``(F) Such other information as the Comptroller of
the Currency may require by regulation or order.
``(3) Update of report.--A national bank which submits a
report under paragraph (1) shall submit a supplemental report
whenever any change occurs with regard to any information
previously submitted to the Comptroller of the Currency under
this subsection.
``(4) Offshore company defined.--
``(A) In general.--The term `offshore company'
means any company (as defined in section 2(b) of the
Bank Holding Company Act of 1956) which is a person of
a foreign country (as defined in section 3502(d) of the
Primary Dealers Act of 1988).
``(B) Edge act and agreement corporations not
included.--The term `offshore company' shall not
include a company or corporation in which a national
bank holds an interest pursuant to section 25 or 25A of
the Federal Reserve Act.''.
SEC. 4. PROHIBITION ON RELATIONS BETWEEN NATIONAL BANKS AND CERTAIN
VIOLATORS.
(a) In General.--Chapter one of title LXII of the Revised Statutes
of the United States (12 U.S.C. 21 et seq.) is amended by adding at the
end the following new section:
``SEC. 5156B. PROHIBITION ON RELATIONS BETWEEN NATIONAL BANKS AND
CERTAIN VIOLATORS.
``(a) Notice of Certain Violations Required.--A national bank shall
submit a written notice in a timely manner with the Comptroller of the
Currency disclosing any violation of any Federal, State, or foreign
criminal law, banking or financial services law, or labor law, or
any regulation prescribed under any such law, by any agent or affiliate
of the national bank, or any other entity with which the national bank
maintains a correspondent banking relationship, which has been finally
adjudicated or determined by any adjudicative, regulatory, or other
governmental authority.
``(b) Notice and Petition by Others.--In addition to a national
bank, any other person or entity (including any Federal or State
official, department, or agency) may--
``(1) file a notice with the Comptroller of the Currency
under subsection (a) of any violation described in such
subsection; and
``(2) petition the Comptroller to prohibit any further
relationship between the national bank and the person with
respect to whom such notice is filed.
``(c) Prohibition on Relationship.--
``(1) In general.--Upon receiving any notice under
subsection (a) or (b)(1) of any violation described in
subsection (a) by any agent or affiliate of the national bank,
or any other entity with which the national bank maintains a
correspondent banking relationship, the Comptroller of the
Currency shall serve on the national bank a written notice to
show cause why the Comptroller should not issue an order
prohibiting any further relationship between the national bank
and any such agent, affiliate, or other entity.
``(2) Contents of show cause notice.--Any notice served on
a national bank by the Comptroller of the Currency under
paragraph (1) shall--
``(A) contain a statement of the facts constituting
grounds for the prohibition order; and
``(B) fix the time and place for a hearing to
determine whether a prohibition order shall be issued
against the national bank.
``(3) Notice and opportunity for hearing by 3rd party.--If
any person or entity filed a petition with the Comptroller of
the Currency under subsection (b)(2) concerning the
relationship at issue in the notice served by the Comptroller
on the national bank, the Comptroller shall--
``(A) provide, to such person or entity, a copy of
such notice; and
``(B) provide such person or entity an opportunity
to be heard on the record at the hearing referred to in
such notice.
``(4) Cease and desist order.--If the Comptroller of the
Currency determines that--
``(A) any violation of any Federal, State, or
foreign criminal law, banking or financial services
law, or labor law, or any regulation prescribed under
any such law, by any agent or affiliate of the national
bank, or any other entity with which the national bank
maintains a correspondent banking relationship, has
been finally adjudicated or determined by any
appropriate adjudicative, regulatory, or other
governmental authority;
710
and
``(B) good cause does not exist for continuing any
relationship between the national bank and such agent,
affiliate, or other entity,
the Comptroller of the Currency may issue a cease and desist
order prohibiting the national bank from any further
involvement or relationship with such agent, affiliate, or
other entity, and requiring the national bank to dispose of any
direct or indirect ownership interest of the national bank in
any such agent, affiliate, or other entity.
``(5) Applicability of section 8 of federal deposit
insurance act.--The provisions and requirements of section 8 of
the Federal Deposit Insurance Act relating to any determination
concerning the issuance of a cease and desist order under such
section (except the standard), the scope and content of any
such order, any judicial review of any such determination, the
enforcement of any such order, and the penalties for violating
any such order shall apply with respect to any cease and desist
order issued under this section.
``(d) Foreign Banks.--Any foreign bank having a Federal branch or
agency (as such terms are defined in section 1(b) of the International
Banking Act of 1978) shall be treated as a national bank for purposes
of this section.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter one of
title LXII of the Revised Statutes of the United States is amended by
inserting after the item relating to section 5156A the following new
item:
``5156B. Prohibition on relations between national banks and certain
violators.''.
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