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12 U.S. Code § 481 - Appointment of examiners; examination of member banks, State banks, and trust companies; reports

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The Comptroller of the Currency, with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, shall appoint examiners who shall examine every national bank as often as the Comptroller of the Currency shall deem necessary. The examiner making the examination of any national bank shall have power to make a thorough examination of all the affairs of the bank and in doing so he shall have power to administer oaths and to examine any of the officers and agents thereof under oath and shall make a full and detailed report of the condition of said bank to the Comptroller of the Currency: Provided, That in making the examination of any national bank the examiners shall include such an examination of the affairs of all its affiliates other than member banks as shall be necessary to disclose fully the relations between such bank and such affiliates and the effect of such relations upon the affairs of such bank; and in the event of the refusal to give any information required in the course of the examination of any such affiliate, or in the event of the refusal to permit such examination, all the rights, privileges, and franchises of the bank shall be subject to forfeiture in accordance with section 2 of the Federal Reserve Act, as amended (U.S.C., title 12, secs. 141, 222–225, 281–286, and 502).[1] The Comptroller of the Currency shall have power, and he is authorized, to publish the report of his examination of any national banking association or affiliate which shall not within one hundred and twenty days after notification of the recommendations or suggestions of the Comptroller, based on said examination, have complied with the same to his satisfaction. Ninety days’ notice prior to such publicity shall be given to the bank or affiliate.

The examiner making the examination of any affiliate of a national bank shall have power to make a thorough examination of all the affairs of the affiliate, and in doing so he shall have power to administer oaths and to examine any of the officers, directors, employees, and agents thereof under oath and to make a report of his findings to the Comptroller of the Currency. If any affiliate of a national bank refuses to pay any assessments, fees, or other charges imposed by the Comptroller of the Currency pursuant to this subchapter or fails to make such payment not later than 60 days after the date on which they are imposed, the Comptroller of the Currency may impose such assessments, fees, or charges against the affiliated national bank, and such assessments, fees, or charges shall be paid by such national bank. If the affiliation is with 2 or more national banks, such assessments, fees, or charges may be imposed on, and collected from, any or all of such national banks in such proportions as the Comptroller of the Currency may prescribe. The examiners and assistant examiners making the examinations of national banking associations and affiliates thereof herein provided for and the chief examiners, reviewing examiners and other persons whose services may be required in connection with such examinations or the reports thereof, shall be employed by the Comptroller of the Currency with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury; the employment and compensation of examiners, chief examiners, reviewing examiners, assistant examiners, and of the other employees of the office of the Comptroller of the Currency whose compensation is and shall be paid from assessments on banks or affiliates thereof or from other fees or charges imposed pursuant to this subchapter shall be set and adjusted subject to chapter 71 of title 5 and without regard to the provisions of other laws applicable to officers or employees of the United States. The funds derived from such assessments, fees, or charges may be deposited by the Comptroller of the Currency in accordance with the provisions of section 192 of this title and shall not be construed to be Government funds or appropriated monies; and the Comptroller of the Currency is authorized and empowered to prescribe regulations governing the computation and assessment of the expenses of examinations herein provided for and the collection of such assessments from the banks and/or affiliates examined or of other fees or charges imposed pursuant to this subchapter. Such funds shall not be subject to apportionment for the purpose of chapter 15 of title 31 or under any other authority. If any affiliate of a national bank shall refuse to permit an examiner to make an examination of the affiliate or shall refuse to give any information required in the course of any such examination, the national bank with which it is affiliated shall be subject to a penalty of not more than $5,000 for each day that any such refusal shall continue. Such penalty may be assessed by the Comptroller of the Currency and collected in the same manner as expenses of examinations. The Comptroller of the Currency, upon the request of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, is authorized to assign examiners appointed under this subchapter to examine foreign operations of State banks which are members of the Federal Reserve System.

(R.S. § 5240 (pars.); Feb. 19, 1875, ch. 89, 18 Stat. 329; Dec. 23, 1913, ch. 6, § 21, 38 Stat. 271; June 16, 1933, ch. 89, § 28, 48 Stat. 192; Aug. 23, 1935, ch. 614, title II, § 203(a), title III, § 343, 49 Stat. 704, 722; June 30, 1948, ch. 762, § 1, 62 Stat. 1163; Apr. 30, 1956, ch. 228, § 1, 70 Stat. 124; Pub. L. 96–221, title VII, § 709, Mar. 31, 1980, 94 Stat. 188; Pub. L. 100–86, title V, § 505(b), Aug. 10, 1987, 101 Stat. 633; Pub. L. 101–73, title IX, § 907(f), Aug. 9, 1989, 103 Stat. 470; Pub. L. 102–242, title I, § 114(b), Dec. 19, 1991, 105 Stat. 2248; Pub. L. 111–203, title III, § 318(a)(1), July 21, 2010, 124 Stat. 1526.)

[1]  See References in Text note below.

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Section 2 of the Federal Reserve Act, referred to in first par., is section 2 of act Dec. 23, 1913, ch. 6, 38 Stat. 251, which is classified to former section 141, sections 222 to 225 and 281 to 283, former section 284, and sections 285, 286, 501a, and 502 of this title. See Codification note set out under section 222 of this title.

This subchapter, referred to in second par., was in the original a reference to this section, meaning section 5240 of the Revised Statutes.

Codification

R.S. § 5240 derived from act June 3, 1864, ch. 106, § 54, 13 Stat. 116, which was part of the National Bank Act. See section 38 of this title.

R.S. § 5240, as amended by acts Dec. 23, 1913, July 2, 1932, June 16, 1933, Pub. L. 101–73, and Pub. L. 102–242, is comprised of 7 undesignated paragraphs. Pars. 1 and 2 are classified to section 481 of this title, pars. 3 and 4 are classified to section 482 of this title, and pars. 5 to 7 are classified to sections 483 to 485, respectively, of this title.

Amendments

2010—Pub. L. 111–203, in fourth sentence of second par., substituted “set and adjusted subject to chapter 71 of title 5 and without regard to the provisions of other laws applicable to officers or employees of the United States” for “without regard to the provisions of other laws applicable to officers or employees of the United States”.

1991—Pub. L. 102–242, in second par., inserted second and third sentences and struck out former second and third sentences which read as follows: “The expense of examinations of such affiliates may be assessed by the Comptroller of the Currency upon the affiliates examined in proportion to assets or resources held by the affiliates upon the dates of examination of the various affiliates. If any such affiliate shall refuse to pay such expenses or shall fail to do so within sixty days after the date of such assessment, then such expenses may be assessed against the affiliated national bank and, when so assessed, shall be paid by such national bank: Provided, however, That, if the affiliation is with two or more national banks, such expenses may be assessed against, and collected from, any or all of such national banks in such proportions as the Comptroller of the Currency may prescribe.”, in fourth sentence, inserted “or from other fees or charges imposed pursuant to this subchapter” after “assessments on banks or affiliates thereof”, and in fifth sentence, inserted “, fees, or charges” before “may be deposited” and “or of other fees or charges imposed pursuant to this subchapter” before period.

1989—Pub. L. 101–73, in second par., increased the penalty for refusal to allow the examination from $100 to $5,000.

1987—Pub. L. 100–86 inserted after fifth sentence of second par. “Such funds shall not be subject to apportionment for the purpose of chapter 15 of title 31 or under any other authority.”

1980—Pub. L. 96–221 inserted provisions relating to examination of foreign operations of State banks which are members of the Federal Reserve System, and substituted provisions authorizing examinations as often as the Comptroller deems necessary, for provisions requiring examinations twice in every calendar year, and provisions authorizing the Comptroller to waive one examination or require additional examinations.

1956—Act Apr. 30, 1956, allowed Comptroller to waive 1 of the 2 examinations required each year, but not more than one waiver every two years.

1948—Act June 30, 1948, struck out in first sentence after first proviso of second par. “, including retirement annuities to be fixed by the Comptroller of the Currency,”.

1935—Act Aug. 23, 1935, § 343, substituted in first sentence after first proviso of second par. “including retirement annuities to be fixed by the Comptroller of the Currency, is and shall be” for “is”.

1933—Act June 16, 1933, inserted proviso and last two sentences at end of first par. and added second par.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Section 203(a) of act Aug. 23, 1935, changed name of Federal Reserve Board to Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

Effective Date of 2010 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 111–203 effective on the transfer date, see section 318(e) of Pub. L. 111–203, set out as an Effective Date note under section 16 of this title.

Effective Date of 1989 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 101–73 applicable to conduct engaged in after Aug. 9, 1989, except that increased maximum penalties of $5,000 and $25,000 may apply to conduct engaged in before such date if such conduct is not already subject to a notice issued by the appropriate agency and occurred after completion of the last report of the examination of the institution by the appropriate agency occurring before Aug. 9, 1989, see section 907(l) of Pub. L. 101–73, set out as a note under section 93 of this title.

Effective Date of 1948 Amendment

Amendment by act June 30, 1948, effective on first day of first pay period beginning at least 30 days after June 30, 1948, see section 5 of that act.

Executive Documents

Exception as to Transfer of Functions

Functions vested by any provision of law in Comptroller of the Currency, referred to in this section, not included in transfer of functions to Secretary of the Treasury, see note set out under section 1 of this title.