Sec. 208.7 Prohibition against use of interstate branches primarily for deposit production.

(a) Purpose and scope—(1) Purpose. The purpose of this section is to implement section 109 (12 U.S.C. 1835a) of the Riegle-Neal Interstate Banking and Branching Efficiency Act of 1994 (Interstate Act).

(2) Scope. (i) This section applies to any State member bank that has operated a covered interstate branch for a period of at least one year, and any foreign bank that has operated a covered interstate branch licensed by a State for a period of at least one year.

(ii) This section describes the requirements imposed under 12 U.S.C. 1835a, which requires the appropriate Federal banking agencies (the Board, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) to prescribe uniform rules that prohibit a bank from using any authority to engage in interstate branching pursuant to the Interstate Act, or any amendment made by the Interstate Act to any other provision of law, primarily for the purpose of deposit production.

(b) Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) Bank means, unless the context indicates otherwise:

(i) A State member bank as that term is defined in 12 U.S.C. 1813(d)(2); and

(ii) A foreign bank as that term is defined in 12 U.S.C. 3101(7) and 12 CFR 211.21.

(2) Covered interstate branch means:

(i) Any branch of a State member bank, and any uninsured branch of a foreign bank licensed by a State, that:

(A) Is established or acquired outside the bank's home State pursuant to the interstate branching authority granted by the Interstate Act or by any amendment made by the Interstate Act to any other provision of law; or

(B) Could not have been established or acquired outside of the bank's home State but for the establishment or acquisition of a branch described in paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section; and

(ii) Any bank or branch of a bank controlled by an out-of-State bank holding company.

(3) Home State means:

(i) With respect to a State bank, the State that chartered the bank;

(ii) With respect to a national bank, the State in which the main office of the bank is located;

(iii) With respect to a bank holding company, the State in which the total deposits of all banking subsidiaries of such company are the largest on the later of:

(A) July 1, 1966; or

(B) The date on which the company becomes a bank holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act.

(iv) With respect to a foreign bank:

(A) For purposes of determining whether a U.S. branch of a foreign bank is a covered interstate branch, the home State of the foreign bank as determined in accordance with 12 U.S.C. 3103(c) and 12 CFR 211.22; and

(B) For purposes of determining whether a branch of a U.S. bank controlled by a foreign bank is a covered interstate branch, the State in which the total deposits of all banking subsidiaries of such foreign bank are the largest on the later of:

(1) July 1, 1966; or

(2) The date on which the foreign bank becomes a bank holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act.

(4) Host State means a State in which a covered interstate branch is established or acquired.

(5) Host state loan-to-deposit ratio generally means, with respect to a particular host state, the ratio of total loans in the host state relative to total deposits from the host state for all banks (including institutions covered under the definition of “bank” in 12 U.S.C. 1813(a)(1)) that have that state as their home state, as determined and updated periodically by the appropriate Federal banking agencies and made available to the public.

(6) Out-of-State bank holding company means, with respect to any State, a bank holding company whose home State is another State.

(7) State means state as that term is defined in 12 U.S.C. 1813(a)(3).

(8) Statewide loan-to-deposit ratio means, with respect to a bank, the ratio of the bank's loans to its deposits in a state in which the bank has one or more covered interstate branches, as determined by the Board.

(c)(1) Application of screen. Beginning no earlier than one year after a covered interstate branch is acquired or established, the Board will consider whether the bank's statewide loan-to-deposit ratio is less than 50 percent of the relevant host State loan-to-deposit ratio.

(2) Results of screen. (i) If the Board determines that the bank's statewide loan-to-deposit ratio is 50 percent or more of the host state loan-to-deposit ratio, no further consideration under this section is required.

(ii) If the Board determines that the bank's statewide loan-to-deposit ratio is less than 50 percent of the host state loan-to-deposit ratio, or if reasonably available data are insufficient to calculate the bank's statewide loan-to-deposit ratio, the Board will make a credit needs determination for the bank as provided in paragraph (d) of this section.

(d) Credit needs determination—(1) In general. The Board will review the loan portfolio of the bank and determine whether the bank is reasonably helping to meet the credit needs of the communities in the host state that are served by the bank.

(2) Guidelines. The Board will use the following considerations as guidelines when making the determination pursuant to paragraph (d)(1) of this section:

(i) Whether covered interstate branches were formerly part of a failed or failing depository institution;

(ii) Whether covered interstate branches were acquired under circumstances where there was a low loan-to-deposit ratio because of the nature of the acquired institution's business or loan portfolio;

(iii) Whether covered interstate branches have a high concentration of commercial or credit card lending, trust services, or other specialized activities, including the extent to which the covered interstate branches accept deposits in the host state;

(iv) The Community Reinvestment Act ratings received by the bank, if any, under 12 U.S.C. 2901 et seq.;

(v) Economic conditions, including the level of loan demand, within the communities served by the covered interstate branches;

(vi) The safe and sound operation and condition of the bank; and

(vii) The Board's Regulation BB—Community Reinvestment (12 CFR part 228) and interpretations of that regulation.

(e) Sanctions—(1) In general. If the Board determines that a bank is not reasonably helping to meet the credit needs of the communities served by the bank in the host state, and that the bank's statewide loan-to-deposit ratio is less than 50 percent of the host state loan-to-deposit ratio, the Board:

(i) May order that a bank's covered interstate branch or branches be closed unless the bank provides reasonable assurances to the satisfaction of the Board, after an opportunity for public comment, that the bank has an acceptable plan under which the bank will reasonably help to meet the credit needs of the communities served by the bank in the host state; and

(ii) Will not permit the bank to open a new branch in the host state that would be considered to be a covered interstate branch unless the bank provides reasonable assurances to the satisfaction of the Board, after an opportunity for public comment, that the bank will reasonably help to meet the credit needs of the community that the new branch will serve.

(2) Notice prior to closure of a covered interstate branch. Before exercising the Board's authority to order the bank to close a covered interstate branch, the Board will issue to the bank a notice of the Board's intent to order the closure and will schedule a hearing within 60 days of issuing the notice.

(3) Hearing. The Board will conduct a hearing scheduled under paragraph (e)(2) of this section in accordance with the provisions of 12 U.S.C. 1818(h) and 12 CFR part 263.