- § 1752. Definitions
- § 1752a. National Credit Union Administration
- § 1753. Federal credit union organization
- § 1754. Approval of organization certificate
- § 1755. Fees
- § 1756. Reports and examinations
- § 1756a. Omitted
- § 1757. Powers
- § 1757a. Limitation on member business loans
- § 1758. Bylaws
- § 1759. Membership
- § 1760. Members’ meetings
- § 1761. Management
- § 1761a. Officers of the board
- § 1761b. Board of directors; meetings; powers and duties; executive committee; membership officers; membership application
- § 1761c. Credit committee
- § 1761d. Supervisory committee; powers and duties; suspension of members; passbook
- § 1762. Repealed.
- § 1763. Dividends
- § 1764. Expulsion and withdrawal
- § 1765. Minors
- § 1766. Powers of Board
- § 1767. Fiscal agents and depositories; authorization to secure deposits by governmental bodies
- § 1768. Taxation
- § 1769. Separability; right to alter, amend, or repeal chapter
- § 1770. Allotment of space in Federal buildings or Federal land
- § 1771. Conversion from Federal to State credit union and from State to Federal credit union
- § 1772. Territorial application of chapter
- § 1772a. Gifts; acceptance of conditional gifts; deposit
- § 1772b. Apportionment
- § 1772c. Trust fund
- § 1772c-1. Community development revolving loan fund for credit unions
- § 1772d. Forfeiture of organization certificate for money laundering or cash transaction reporting offenses
- § 1772e. Data standards
- § 1772f. Open data publication
- § 1773. District of Columbia credit unions; conversion to Federal status
- § 1774. Approval of certificate; assets and obligations of applicant credit union
- § 1775. Conditions upon conversion to Federal status
There is established in the executive branch of the Government an independent agency to be known as the National Credit Union Administration. The Administration shall be under the management of a National Credit Union Administration Board.
The Board shall consist of three members, who are broadly representative of the public interest, appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. In appointing the members of the Board, the President shall designate the Chairman. Not more than two members of the Board shall be members of the same political party.
In considering appointments to the Board under paragraph (1), the President shall give consideration to individuals who, by virtue of their education, training, or experience relating to a broad range of financial services, financial services regulation, or financial policy, are especially qualified to serve on the Board.
Not more than one member of the Board may be appointed to the Board from among individuals who, at the time of the appointment, are, or have recently been, involved with any insured credit union as a committee member, director, officer, employee, or other institution-affiliated party.
The term of office of each member of the Board shall be six years, except that the terms of the two members, other than the Chairman, initially appointed shall expire one upon the expiration of two years after the date of appointment, and the other upon the expiration of four years after the date of appointment. Board members shall not be appointed to succeed themselves except the initial members appointed for less than a six-year term may be reappointed for a full six-year term and future members appointed to fill unexpired terms may be reappointed for a full six-year term. Any Board member may continue to serve as such after the expiration of said member’s term until a successor has qualified.
The management of the Administration shall be vested in the Board. The Board shall adopt such rules as it sees fit for the transaction of its business and shall keep permanent and complete records and minutes of its acts and proceedings. A majority of the Board shall constitute a quorum. Not later than April 1 of each calendar year, and at such other times as the Congress shall determine, the Board shall make a report to the President and to the Congress. Such a report shall summarize the operations of the Administration and set forth such information as is necessary for the Congress to review the financial program approved by the Board.
The Chairman of the Board shall be the spokesman for the Board and shall represent the Board and the National Credit Union Administration in its official relations with other branches of the Government. The Chairman shall determine each Board member’s area of responsibility and shall review such assignments biennially. It shall be the Chairman’s responsibility to direct the implementation of the adopted policies and regulations of the Board.
The financial transactions of the Administration shall be subject to audit by the Government Accountability Office in accordance with the principles and procedures applicable to commercial corporate transactions and under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the Comptroller General of the United States. The audit shall be conducted at the place or places where the accounts of the Administration are kept.
The organization certificate shall be presented to the Board for approval. Before any organization certificate is approved, an appropriate investigation shall be made for the purpose of determining (1) whether the organization certificate conforms to the provisions of this chapter; (2) the general character and fitness of the subscribers thereto; and (3) the economic advisability of establishing the proposed Federal credit union. Upon approval of such organization certificate by the Board it shall be the charter of the corporation, and one of the originals thereof shall be delivered to the corporation after the payment of the fee required therefor. Upon such approval the Federal credit union shall be a body corporate and as such, subject to the limitations herein contained, shall be vested with all of the powers and charged with all of the liabilities conferred and imposed by this chapter upon corporations organized hereunder.
In accordance with rules prescribed by the Board, each Federal credit union shall pay to the Administration an annual operating fee which may be composed of one or more charges identified as to the function or functions for which assessed.
The fee assessed under this section shall be determined according to a schedule, or schedules, or other method determined by the Board to be appropriate, which gives due consideration to the expenses of the Administration in carrying out its responsibilities under this chapter and to the ability of Federal credit unions to pay the fee. The Board shall, among other things, determine the periods for which the fee shall be assessed and the date or dates for the payment of the fee or increments thereof.
If the annual operating fee is composed of separate charges, no supervision charge shall be payable by a Federal credit union, and the Board may waive payment of any or all other charges comprising the fee, with respect to the year in which its charter is issued, or in which final distribution is made in its liquidation or the charter is canceled.
All operating fees shall be deposited with the Treasurer of the United States for the account of the Administration and may be expended by the Board to defray the expenses incurred in carrying out the provisions of this chapter including the examination and supervision of Federal credit unions.
Federal credit unions shall be under the supervision of the Board, and shall make financial reports to it as and when it may require, but at least annually. Each Federal credit union shall be subject to examination by, and for this purpose shall make its books and records accessible to, any person designated by the Board.
An insured credit union that has, on August 7, 1998, a total amount of outstanding member business loans that exceeds the amount permitted under subsection (a) shall, not later than 3 years after August 7, 1998, reduce the total amount of outstanding member business loans to an amount that is not greater than the amount permitted under subsection (a).
In implementing this section, the Board shall consult and seek to work cooperatively with State officials having jurisdiction over State-chartered insured credit unions.
In order to simplify the organization of Federal credit unions the Board shall from time to time cause to be prepared a form of organization certificate and a form of bylaws, consistent with this chapter, which shall be used by Federal credit union incorporators, and shall be supplied to them on request. At the time of presenting the organization certificate the incorporators shall also submit proposed bylaws to the Board for its approval.
Subject to subsection (b), Federal credit union membership shall consist of the incorporators and such other persons and incorporated and unincorporated organizations, to the extent permitted by rules and regulations prescribed by the Board, as may be elected to membership and as such shall each, subscribe to at least one share of its stock and pay the initial installment thereon and a uniform entrance fee if required by the board of directors. Shares may be issued in joint tenancy with right of survivorship with any persons designated by the credit union member, but no joint tenant shall be permitted to vote, obtain loans, or hold office, unless he is within the field of membership and is a qualified member.
One group that has a common bond of occupation or association.
Persons or organizations within a well-defined local community, neighborhood, or rural district.
If the common bond of any group referred to in subparagraph (A) is defined by any particular organization or business entity, subparagraph (A) shall continue to apply with respect to any successor to the organization or entity.
Except as provided in paragraph (2), only a group with fewer than 3,000 members shall be eligible to be included in the field of membership category of a credit union described in subsection (b)(2).
The Board shall issue guidelines or regulations, after notice and opportunity for comment, setting forth the criteria that the Board will apply in determining under this subsection whether or not an additional group may be included within the field of membership category of an existing credit union described in subsection (b)(2).
No individual shall be eligible for membership in a credit union on the basis of the relationship of the individual to another person who is eligible for membership in the credit union, unless the individual is a member of the immediate family or household (as those terms are defined by the Board, by regulation) of the other person.
Except as provided in section 1764 of this title, once a person becomes a member of a credit union in accordance with this subchapter, that person or organization may remain a member of that credit union until the person or organization chooses to withdraw from the membership of the credit union.
The definition prescribed by the Board under paragraph (1) shall apply with respect to any application to form a new credit union, or to alter or expand the field of membership of an existing credit union, that is filed with the Board after August 7, 1998.
The fiscal year of all Federal credit unions shall end December 31. The annual meeting of each Federal credit union shall be held at such place as its bylaws shall prescribe. Special meetings may be held in the manner indicated in the bylaws. No member shall be entitled to vote by proxy, but a member other than a natural person may vote through an agent designated for the purpose. Irrespective of the number of shares held, no member shall have more than one vote.
The management of a Federal credit union shall be by a board of directors, a supervisory committee, and where the bylaws so provide, a credit committee. The board shall consist of an odd number of directors, at least five in number, to be elected annually by and from the members as the bylaws provide. Any vacancy occurring on the board shall be filled until the next annual election by appointment by the remainder of the directors.
The supervisory committee shall be appointed by the board of directors and shall consist of not less than three members nor more than five members, one of whom may be a director other than the compensated officer of the board. A record of the names and addresses of the executive officers, members of the supervisory committee, credit committee, and loan officers, shall be filed with the Administration within ten days after their election or appointment.
No member of the board or of any other committee shall, as such, be compensated, except that reasonable health, accident, similar insurance protection, and the reimbursement of reasonable expenses incurred in the execution of the duties of the position shall not be considered compensation.
At their first meeting after the annual meeting of the members, the directors shall elect from their number the board officers specified in the bylaws. Only one board officer may be compensated as an officer of the board and the bylaws shall specify such position as well as the specific duties of each of the board officers. The board shall elect from their number a financial officer who shall give adequate fidelity coverage in accordance with section 1761b(2) of this title.
If the bylaws provide for a credit committee, then pursuant to the provisions of the bylaws, the board of directors may appoint or the members may elect a credit committee which shall consist of an odd number of members of the credit union, but which shall not include more than one loan officer. The method used shall be set forth in the bylaws. The credit committee shall hold such meetings as the business of the Federal credit union may require, not less frequently than once a month, to consider applications for loans or lines of credit. Reasonable notice of such meetings shall be given to all members of the committee. Except for those loans or lines of credit required to be approved by the board of directors in section 1757(5) of this title, approval of an application shall be by majority of the committee who are present at the meeting at which it is considered provided that a majority of the full committee is present. The credit committee may appoint and delegate to loan officers the authority to approve applications.
If the bylaws provide for a credit committee, all applications not approved by the loan officer shall be reviewed by the credit committee, and the approval of a majority of the members who are present at the meeting when such review is undertaken shall be required to reverse the loan officer’s decision provided a majority of the full committee is present. If there is not a credit committee, a member shall have the right upon written request of review by the board of directors of a loan application which has been denied. No individual shall have authority to disburse funds of the Federal credit union with respect to any loan or line of credit for which the application has been approved by him in his capacity as a loan officer.
The supervisory committee shall make or cause to be made an annual audit and shall submit a report of that audit to the board of directors and a summary of the report to the members at the next annual meeting of the credit union; shall make or cause to be made such supplementary audits as it deems necessary or as may be ordered by the Board, and submit reports of the supplementary audits to the board of directors; may by a unanimous vote suspend any officer of the credit union or any member of the credit committee or of the board of directors, until the next members’ meeting, which shall be held not less than seven or more than fourteen days after any such suspension, at which meeting any such suspension shall be acted upon by the members; and may call by a majority vote a special meeting of the members to consider any violations of this chapter, the charter, or the bylaws, or any practice of the credit union deemed by the supervisory committee to be unsafe or unauthorized. Any member of the supervisory committee may be suspended by a majority vote of the board of directors. The members shall decide, at a meeting held not less than seven nor more than fourteen days after any such suspension, whether the suspended committee member shall be removed from or restored to the supervisory committee. The supervisory committee shall cause the passbooks and accounts of the members to be verified with the records of the treasurer from time to time, and not less frequently than once every two years. As used in this section, the term “passbook” shall include any book, statement of account, or other record approved by the Board for use by Federal credit unions.
At such intervals as the board of directors may authorize, and after provision for required reserves, the board of directors may declare a dividend to be paid at different rates on different types of shares, at different rates and maturity dates in the case of share certificates, and at different rates on different types of share draft accounts. Dividends credited may be accrued on various types of shares, share certificates, and share draft accounts as authorized by the board of directors. If the par value of a share exceeds $5, dividends shall be paid on all funds in the regular share account once a full share has been purchased.
Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this section, a member may be expelled by a two-thirds vote of the members of a Federal credit union present at a special meeting called for the purpose, but only after opportunity has been given to the member to be heard.
The board of directors of a Federal credit union may, by majority vote of a quorum of directors, adopt and enforce a policy with respect to expulsion from membership based on nonparticipation by a member in the affairs of the credit union. In establishing its policy, the board should consider a member’s failure to vote in annual credit union elections or failure to purchase shares from, obtain a loan from, or lend to the Federal credit union. If such a policy is adopted, written notice of the policy as adopted and the effective date of such policy shall be mailed to each member of the credit union at the member’s current address appearing on the records of the credit union not less than thirty days prior to the effective date of such policy. In addition, each new member shall be provided written notice of any such policy prior to or upon applying for membership.
Except as provided in subsections (a) and (b) of this section, a member may be expelled for cause by a two-thirds vote of a quorum of the directors of the Federal credit union pursuant to a policy which the National Credit Union Administration Board shall adopt, pursuant to a rulemaking, not later than the end of the 18-month period following March 15, 2022.
A Federal credit union may not expel a member pursuant to this subsection unless the Federal credit union has provided, in written or electronic form, a copy of the policy adopted by the National Credit Union Administration Board under paragraph (1) to each member of the Federal credit union.
If a member will, subject to the policy adopted under paragraph (1), be subject to expulsion, the member shall be notified in advance of the expulsion, along with the reason for such expulsion. Such notice shall be provided in person, by mail to the member’s address, or, if the member has elected to receive electronic communications from the Federal credit union, may be provided electronically.
A member shall have 60 days from the date of receipt of a notification under subparagraph (A) to request a hearing from the board of directors of the Federal credit union.
If a member does not request a hearing during the 60-day period described under clause (i), the member shall be expelled after the end of the 60-day period.
If a member is expelled under subparagraph (B)(ii) or (C)(ii), notice of the expulsion of the member shall be provided to the member in person, by mail to the member’s address, in written form or, if the member has elected to receive electronic communications from the Federal credit union, may be provided electronically.
Nothing in this paragraph may be construed to require that an expelled member be allowed to attend the meeting described in subparagraph (A)(ii) in person.
Withdrawal or expulsion of a member pursuant to subsection (a), (b), or (c) of this section shall not operate to relieve the member from liability to the Federal credit union. The amount to be paid a withdrawing or expelled member by a Federal credit union shall be determined and paid in a manner specified in the bylaws.
An expulsion of a member pursuant to this section shall be done individually, on a case-by-case basis, and neither the Board nor any Federal credit union may expel a class of members.
Shares may be issued in the name of a minor or in trust, subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by the bylaws. When shares are issued in trust, the name of the beneficiary shall be disclosed to the Federal credit union.
The Federal credit unions organized hereunder, their property, their franchises, capital, reserves, surpluses, and other funds, and their income shall be exempt from all taxation now or hereafter imposed by the United States or by any State, Territorial, or local taxing authority; except that any real property and any tangible personal property of such Federal credit unions shall be subject to Federal, State, Territorial, and local taxation to the same extent as other similar property is taxed. Nothing herein contained shall prevent holdings in any Federal credit union organized hereunder from being included in the valuation of the personal property of the owners or holders thereof in assessing taxes imposed by authority of the State or political subdivision thereof in which the Federal credit union is located; but the duty or burden of collecting or enforcing the payment of such a tax shall not be imposed upon any such Federal credit union and the tax shall not exceed the rate of taxes imposed upon holdings in domestic credit unions.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, upon application by any credit union organized under State law or by any Federal credit union organized in accordance with the terms of this chapter, which application shall be addressed to the officer or agency of the United States charged with the allotment of space on lands reserved for the use of, and under the exclusive or concurrent jurisdiction of, the United States or in the Federal buildings in the community or district in which such credit union does business, such officer or agency may in his or its discretion lease land or allot space to such credit union without charge for rent or services if at least 95 percent of the membership of the credit union to be served by the allotment of space or the facility built on the lease land is composed of persons who either are presently Federal employees or were Federal employees at the time of admission into the credit union, and members of their families, and if space is available. For the purpose of this section, the term “services” includes, but is not limited to, the providing of lighting, heating, cooling, electricity, office furniture, office machines and equipment, telephone service (including installation of lines and equipment and other expenses associated with telephone service), and security systems (including installation and other expenses associated with security systems). Where there is an agreement for the payment of costs associated with the provision of space or services, nothing in title 31 or any other provision of law, shall be construed to prohibit or restrict payment by reimbursement to the miscellaneous receipts or other appropriate account of the Treasury.
The provisions of this chapter shall apply to the several States, the District of Columbia, the several Territories, including the trust territories, and possessions of the United States, the Panama Canal Zone, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
The Board is authorized to accept gifts of money made unconditionally by will or otherwise for the carrying out of any of the functions under this chapter. A conditional gift of money made by will or otherwise for such purposes may be accepted and used in accordance with its conditions, but no such gift shall be accepted which is conditioned upon any expenditure not to be met therefrom or from income thereof unless the Board determines that supplementation of such gift from the fees it may expend pursuant to sections 1755 and 1756 of this title or from any funds appropriated pursuant to section 1766(f)(2)(C) of this title for the purpose of making such expenditure will not adversely affect the sound administration of this chapter. Any such gift shall be deposited in the Treasury of the United States for the account of the Administration and may be expended in accordance with section 1755 of this title or as provided in the preceding sentence.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, funds received by the Board pursuant to any method provided by this chapter, and interest, dividend, or other income thereon, shall not be subject to apportionment for the purpose of chapter 15 of title 31 or under any other authority.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all moneys of the Board shall be treated as trust funds for the purpose of section 906(a)(2) 1
The Board may exercise the authority granted to it by the Community Development Credit Union Revolving Loan Fund Transfer Act, including any additional appropriation made or earnings accrued, subject only to this section and to regulations prescribed by the Board.
The Board may invest any idle Fund moneys in United States Treasury securities. Any interest accrued on such securities shall become a part of the Fund.
The Board may require that any loans made from the Fund be matched by increased shares in the borrower credit union.
Interest earned by the Fund may be allocated by the Board for technical assistance to community development credit unions, subject to an appropriations Act.
As used in this section, the term “Fund” means the Community Development Credit Union Revolving Loan Fund.
If a credit union has been convicted of any criminal offense under section 1956 or 1957 of title 18, the Attorney General shall provide to the Board a written notification of the conviction and shall include a certified copy of the order of conviction from the court rendering the decision.
After receiving written notification from the Attorney General of such a conviction, the Board shall issue to such credit union a notice of its intention to terminate all rights, privileges, and franchises of the credit union and schedule a pretermination hearing.
If a credit union is convicted of any criminal offense under section 5322 or 5324 of title 31 after receiving written notification from the Attorney General, the Board may issue to such credit union a notice of its intention to terminate all rights, privileges, and franchises of the credit union and schedule a pretermination hearing.
Section 1786(j) of this title shall apply to any proceeding under this section.
This section shall not apply to a successor to the interests of, or a person who acquires, a credit union that violated a provision of law described in subsection (a), if the successor succeeds to the interests of the violator, or the acquisition is made, in good faith and not for purposes of evading this section or regulations prescribed under this section.
The Board shall, by rule, adopt data standards for all collections of information and reports regularly filed with or submitted to the Administration under this chapter.
The data standards required under subsection (a) shall incorporate, and ensure compatibility with (to the extent feasible), all applicable data standards established in the rules promulgated under section 5334 of this title, including, to the extent practicable, by having the characteristics described in clauses (i) through (vi) of subsection (c)(1)(B) of such section 5334.
Any credit union organized under the District of Columbia Credit Unions Act, as amended, may apply for conversion into a Federal credit union by filing with the National Credit Union Administration Board (in sections 1773 to 1775 of this title referred to as the Board), pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of its directors, an organization certificate meeting the requirements of section 1753 of this title.
The Board shall approve any such organization certificate meeting such requirements. Upon such approval, the applicant credit union shall become a Federal credit union, and shall be vested with all of the assets and shall continue responsible for all of the obligations of such applicant credit union to the same extent as though the conversion had not taken place.