12 USC 3011 - Creation and charter; principal office; venue; purposes

Collapse to view only § 3011. Creation and charter; principal office; venue; purposes

§ 3011. Creation and charter; principal office; venue; purposes
§ 3012. General corporate powers
§ 3013. Board of Directors
§ 3014. Capitalization
§ 3015. Eligibility of cooperatives
§ 3016. Annual meetings; notice, agenda, etc.
§ 3017. Bonds, debentures, notes and other evidences of indebtedness
§ 3017a. Class A notes as paid-in capital of the Bank
§ 3018. Loans
§ 3019. Taxation by State, county, etc., taxing authority; Federal tax status
§ 3020. Quarters and space for principal and other offices
§ 3021. Annual report to Congress; contents
§ 3022. Authorization of additional appropriations; restrictions on use
§ 3023. Appeal procedures applicable upon denial or restriction of application for assistance
§ 3024. Conflict of interest rules; adoption and publication; requirements
§ 3025. Examination and audit
§ 3026. Acceleration of the Final Government Equity Redemption Date

§ 3011. Creation and charter; principal office; venue; purposes

The Congress of the United States hereby creates and charters a body corporate to be known as the National Consumer Cooperative Bank (hereinafter in this chapter referred to as the “Bank”). The Bank shall have perpetual existence unless and until its charter is revoked or modified by Act of Congress. The right to revise, amend, or modify the charter of the Bank is specifically and exclusively reserved to the Congress. The principal office of the Bank shall be in Washington, District of Columbia, and, for the purpose of venue, shall be considered a resident thereof. It shall make loans and offer its services throughout the United States, its territories and possessions, and in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The Bank shall—

(1) encourage the development of new and existing cooperatives eligible for its assistance by providing specialized credit and technical assistance;

(2) maintain broad-based control of the Bank by its voting stockholders;

(3) encourage broad-based ownership, control, and active participation by members in eligible cooperatives;

(4) assist in improving the quality and availability of goods and services to consumers; and

(5) encourage ownership of its equity securities by cooperatives and others as provided in section 3014 of this title, so that the date when all of the Bank’s class A stock owned by the United States has been fully redeemed (the “Final Government Equity Redemption Date”) occurs as early as practicable.

(Pub. L. 95–351, title I, § 101, Aug. 20, 1978, 92 Stat. 499; Pub. L. 97–35, title III, § 396(b), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 439.)

§ 3012. General corporate powers

The Bank shall have the power to make and service loans, commitments for credit, guarantees, furnish financially related services, technical assistance and the results of research, issue its obligations within the limitations imposed by section 3017 of this title in such amounts, at such times, and on such terms as the Bank may determine, and to exercise the other powers and duties prescribed in this chapter, and shall have the power to—

(1) operate under the direction of its Board of Directors;

(2) adopt, alter, and use a corporate seal, which shall be judicially noted;

(3) elect by its Board of Directors a president, one or more vice presidents, a secretary, a treasurer, and provide for such other officers, employees, and agents as may be necessary, and define their duties in accordance with regulations and standards adopted by the Board, and require surety bonds or make other provisions against losses occasioned by acts of employees;

(4) prescribe by its Board of Directors its bylaws not inconsistent with law, which shall establish the terms of office and the procedure for election of elective members; provide in a manner not inconsistent with this chapter for the classes of its stock and the manner in which its stock shall be issued, transferred, and retired; and prescribe the manner in which its officers, employees, and agents are elected or selected, its property acquired, held and transferred, its loans, commitments, other financial assistance, guarantees and appraisals may be made, its general business conducted, and the privilege granted it by law exercised and enjoyed;

(5) enter into contracts and make advance, progress, or other payments with respect to such contracts, without regard to the provisions of section 3324(a) and (b) of title 31;

(6) sue and be sued in its corporate name and complain and defend, in any court of competent jurisdiction, State or Federal;

(7) acquire, hold, lease, mortgage, or dispose of, at public or private sale, real and personal property and sell or exchange any securities or obligations, and otherwise exercise all the usual incidents of ownership of property necessary or convenient to its business: Provided, That any such acquisition or ownership of real property shall not deprive a State or political subdivision thereof of its civil or criminal jurisdiction in and over such property or impair the civil rights of the inhabitants of such property under Federal, State, or local laws;

(8) obtain insurance against loss in connection with property and other assets;

(9) modify or consent to the modification with respect to the rate of interest, time of payment of any installment of principal or interest, security, or any other term of any contract or agreement to which it is a party or has an interest pursuant to this chapter;

(10) utilize and act through any Federal, State, or local public agency or instrumentality, or private agency or organization, with the consent of the agency or organization concerned, and contract with such agency, instrumentality, or organization for furnishing or receiving technical services and benefits of research, services, funds or facilities; and make advance, progress, or other payments with respect to such contracts without regard to section 3324(a) and (b) of title 31;

(11) within the limitations of section 3017 of this title, borrow money and issue notes, bonds and debentures or other obligations individually or in concert with other financial institutions, agencies or instrumentalities, of such character and such terms and conditions and at rates of interest as may be determined;

(12) issue certificates of indebtedness to its stockholders or members and pay interest on funds left with the Bank, and accept grants or interest free temporary use of funds made available to it;

(13) participate with one or more other financial institutions, agencies, instrumentalities, or foundations in loans or guarantees under this chapter on terms as may be agreed upon;

(14) accept guarantees from other agencies for which loans made by the Bank may be eligible;

(15) establish one or more branch offices and one or more advisory councils in connection with any such branch offices, as may from time to time be authorized by the Board of Directors;

(16) buy and sell obligations of, or insured by, the United States or any agency or instrumentalities thereof, or securities backed by the full faith and credit of any such agency or instrumentality and, after the final Government Equity Redemption Date, make such other investments as may be authorized by the Board of Directors;

(17) approve the salary scale of officers and employees of the Bank, in accordance with regulations and standards adopted by the Board of Directors, without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5 relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates, but, except as otherwise provided in this chapter, the General Schedule pay rates shall be applicable until all class A stock held by the Secretary of the Treasury has been retired; and

(18) have such other incidental powers as may be necessary or expedient to carry out its duties under this chapter.

In determining whether a public offering is taking place for the purpose of the Securities Act of 1933 [15 U.S.C. 77a et seq.], there shall be excluded from consideration all class B and class C stock purchases which took place prior to August 13, 1981.

(Pub. L. 95–351, title I, § 102, Aug. 20, 1978, 92 Stat. 500; Pub. L. 97–35, title III, § 394(d)(1), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 436.)

§ 3013. Board of Directors

(a) Composition; term of office; removal by President

(b) Appointment by President; election by stockholders

(1) The President shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate—

(A) one member who shall be selected from among proprietors of small business concerns, as defined under section 632 of title 15, which are manufacturers or retailers;

(B) one member who shall be selected from among the officers of the agencies and departments of the United States; and

(C) one member who shall be selected from among persons having extensive experience in the cooperative field representing low-income cooperatives eligible to borrow from the Bank.

(2) Twelve members of the Board shall be elected by the holders of class B stock and class C stock in accordance with the provisions of subsection (d) and the bylaws of the Bank.

(1) On the day after the Final Government Equity Redemption Date, all members of the Board of Directors of the Bank who were appointed by the President shall resign, except that—

(A) the member who shall have been appointed by the President from among proprietors of small business concerns, and

(B) one member who shall be designated by the President and who shall have been appointed by the President from among the officers and employees of the agencies and departments of the United States Government,

may continue to serve until their successors have been appointed and qualified.

(2) Any member of the Board of Directors of the Bank who was elected by the holders of class B or class C stock before the Final Government Equity Redemption Date shall serve the remainder of the term for which such member was elected.

(3) Any member appointed pursuant to subsection (b)(1) shall be entitled to sit on any committee of the Board, but not more than one member so appointed may sit on any one committee.

(d) Elections; nominations by cooperative classes; vacancies filled; representation requirements

(1) All elections of members of the Board by the holders of class B stock and class C stock shall be conducted in accordance with the bylaws of the Bank. Such bylaws shall conform to the requirements of this section. Nominations for such elections shall be made by the following classes of cooperatives: (A) housing, (B) consumer goods, (C) low-income cooperatives, (D) consumer services, and (E) all other eligible cooperatives.

(2)

(A) Vacant shareholder directorships shall be filled so that at any time when there are three or more shareholder directors on the Board, there shall be at least one director representing each of the following classes of cooperatives: (i) housing cooperatives, (ii) low-income cooperatives, and (iii) consumer goods and services cooperatives.

(B) Each nominee for a shareholder directorship of a particular class shall have at least three years experience as a director or senior officer in the class of cooperatives to be represented.

(C) No one class of cooperatives specified in paragraph (1) shall be represented on the Board by more than three directors.

(e) Terms; officer of Bank not to serve as director; notice requirements of Bank and voting shareholders

(f) Annual election of chairman and vice chairman and selection of secretary; eligibility; establishment of Bank policies and direction of management

(g) Conduct of meetings; rules governing

(h) Compensation and expenses

(Pub. L. 95–351, title I, § 103, Aug. 20, 1978, 92 Stat. 502; Pub. L. 96–149, Dec. 16, 1979, 93 Stat. 1089; Pub. L. 97–35, title III, § 393(a), (b), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 435, 436.)

§ 3014. Capitalization

(a) Subscriptions for capital; authorization of appropriations

(b) Classes of stock; general requirements respecting rights, powers, privileges, and preferences

(d) Class B stock; ownership requirements, etc.

(e) Class C stock; purchase, dividends, etc.

(f) Nonvoting stock of other classifications and priorities; issuance, etc.

(g) Voting requirements of bylaws

(1) The bylaws of the Bank may provide for more than one vote on the basis of—

(A) the amount of class B stock, class C stock, or both classes held, with such limitations as will encourage investments in class C stock;

(B) the amount of patronage of the Bank; and

(2) Such bylaws shall avoid—

(A) voting control of the Bank from becoming concentrated with the larger affluent or smaller less affluent organizations;

(B) a disproportionately larger vote in one or more of the groups of cooperatives referred to in section 3013(d)(2)(A) of this title; and

(h) Acceptance by Bank of nonreturnable capital contributions

(i) Patronage refunds

(Pub. L. 95–351, title I, § 104, Aug. 20, 1978, 92 Stat. 503; Pub. L. 97–35, title III, §§ 394(c)(1), 395(b)(2), 396(c), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 436, 439; Pub. L. 101–206, § 2, Dec. 7, 1989, 103 Stat. 1832.)

§ 3015. Eligibility of cooperatives

(a) General requirements

For the purpose of all subchapters of this chapter, subject to the limitations of subsection (d) of this section, an eligible cooperative is an organization chartered or operated on a cooperative, not-for-profit basis for producing or furnishing goods, services or facilities, primarily for the benefit of its members or voting stockholders who are ultimate consumers of such goods, services, or facilities, or a legally chartered entity primarily owned and controlled by any such organization or organizations, if it—

(1) makes such goods, services or facilities directly or indirectly available to its members or voting stockholders on a not-for-profit basis;

(2) does not pay dividends on voting stock or membership capital in excess of such percentage per annum as may be approved under the bylaws of the Bank;

(3) provides that its net savings shall be allocated or distributed to all members or patrons, in proportion to their patronage, or shall be retained for the actual or potential expansion of its services or the reduction of its charges to the patrons, or for such other purposes as may be authorized by its membership not inconsistent with its purposes;

(4) makes membership available on a voluntary basis, without any social, political, racial, or religious discrimination and without any discrimination on the basis of age, sex, or marital status, to all persons who can make use of its services and are willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, subject only to limitations under applicable Federal or State laws or regulations;

(5) in the case of primary cooperative organizations restricts its voting control to members or voting stockholders on a one vote per person basis (except that this requirement shall not apply to any housing cooperative in existence on March 21, 1980, which did not meet such requirement on such date) and takes positive steps to insure economic democracy and maximum participation by members of the cooperative including the holding of annual meetings and, in the case of organizations owned by groups of cooperatives, provides positive protections to insure economic democracy; and

(6) is not a credit union, mutual savings bank, or mutual savings and loan association.

(b) Primary producers

(d) Cooperatives eligible for other Federal credit assistance

(e) Credit unions eligible for technical assistance from Office of Self-Help Development and Technical Assistance

(Pub. L. 95–351, title I, § 105, Aug. 20, 1978, 92 Stat. 506; Pub. L. 97–35, title III, § 394(e)(1), (f), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 436, 437; Pub. L. 115–334, title VI, § 6602(b)(18), Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4777.)

§ 3016. Annual meetings; notice, agenda, etc.

The Bank shall hold an annual meeting of its stockholders which shall be open to the public. At least 30 days’ advance notice of the time and place of the annual meeting shall be given to all stockholders. Borrowers from the Bank shall also give notice of the meeting to their members, who shall be entitled to attend. At such meeting the Bank shall give a full report of its activities during the year and its financial condition and may present proposals for future action and other matters of general concern to borrowers and organizations eligible to borrow from the Bank. Members and representatives of borrowers may present motions or resolutions relating to matters within the scope of this chapter and may participate in the discussion thereof and other matters on the agenda.

(Pub. L. 95–351, title I, § 106, Aug. 20, 1978, 92 Stat. 507.)

§ 3017. Bonds, debentures, notes and other evidences of indebtedness

(a) Authorization for public or private sale; time of issuance, interest rates, and terms and conditions; outstanding amount

(b) Purchase and sale by Bank; methods of sale and delivery

(Pub. L. 95–351, title I, § 107, Aug. 20, 1978, 92 Stat. 507; Pub. L. 97–35, title III, §§ 394(g)(1), 396(d), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 437, 440.)

§ 3017a. Class A notes as paid-in capital of the Bank

Only for purposes of section 3017(a) of this title, class A notes shall be deemed to be paid-in capital of the Bank.

(Pub. L. 97–35, title III, § 391(b)(1), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 434.)

§ 3018. Loans

(a) General requirements for loans and commitments for loans; limitations; allocation of assistance for low-income persons; criteria and factors for making loans, etc.; publication

The Bank may make loans and commitments for loans under this subsection to any organization determined by the Bank to be eligible under the provisions of section 3015 of this title, and may purchase or discount obligations of members of such organizations if the Bank, to the exclusion of all other persons, entities, agencies, or jurisdictions, also determines that the applicant has or will have a sound organizational and financial structure, income in excess of its operating costs and assets in excess of its obligations, and a reasonable expectation of a continuing demand for its production, goods, commodities, or services, or the use of its facilities, so that the loan will be fully repayable in accordance with its terms and conditions. Commencing on October 1, 1985, the Bank shall not make any loan to a cooperative for the purpose of financing the construction, ownership, acquisition, or improvement of any structure used primarily for residential purposes if, after giving effect to such loan, the aggregate amount of all loans outstanding for such purpose would exceed 30 per centum of the gross assets of the Bank. The Board of Directors shall use its best efforts to insure that at the end of each fiscal year of the Bank at least 35 per centum of its outstanding loans are to—

(1) cooperatives at least a majority of the members of which are low-income persons, and

(2) other cooperatives, if the proceeds of such loans are directly applied to finance a facility, activity, or service that the Board finds will be used predominantly by low-income persons.

The Board shall adopt and publish in the Federal Register rules defining the term “low-income persons” for purposes of this subsection. The criteria to be applied and the factors to be considered by the Bank in making loans, loan commitments, purchases, discounts, and guarantees shall include an assessment of the impact of the loan on existing small businesses in the eligible organizations’ business territory. The criteria and factors shall be stated in rules of the Bank which shall be published and made available to applicants and, upon request, to any other person or organization.

(b) Repayment requirements; criteria for terms, rates, and charges; advancement of loan proceeds

(d) Assignment of guaranteed loans; contestability of guarantee; criteria for purchase by Bank of guaranteed loan in lieu of requiring service by lender

(e) Aggregate amount of commitments to make or guarantee loans

(Pub. L. 95–351, title I, § 108, Aug. 20, 1978, 92 Stat. 508; Pub. L. 97–35, title III, §§ 394(b), 396(e), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 436, 440; Pub. L. 99–514, § 2, Oct. 22, 1986, 100 Stat. 2095.)

§ 3019. Taxation by State, county, etc., taxing authority; Federal tax status

(a) The Bank, including its franchise, capital, reserves, surplus, mortgages, or other security holdings and income shall be exempt from taxation now or hereafter imposed by any State, county, municipality, or local taxing authority, but any real property held by the Bank shall be subject to any State, county, municipal, or local taxation to the same extent according to its value as other real property is taxed.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for purposes of subchapter T of chapter 1 of title 26—

(1) the Bank shall be treated as a corporation operating on the cooperative basis within the meaning of section 1381(a)(2) of title 26;

(2) the term “patronage dividend”, as defined in section 1388(a) of title 26 includes, only as such section applies to the Bank, any patronage refunds in the form of class B or class C stock or allocated surplus that are distributed or set aside by the Bank pursuant to section 3014(i) of this title;

(3) the terms “written notice of allocation” and “qualified written notices of allocation”, as defined in sections 1388(b) and (c) of title 26, include (to the extent of par value), only as such sections apply to the Bank, any class B or class C stock distributed by the Bank pursuant to section 3014(i) of this title and shall also include any allocated surplus set aside by the Bank pursuant to section 3014(i) of this title;

(4) patrons of the Bank shall be deemed to have consented under section 1388(c)(2) of title 26 to the inclusion in their incomes of any qualified written notices of allocation received by such patrons from the Bank; and

(5) any amounts required to be included in the incomes of patrons of the Bank with respect to class B or class C stock or allocated surplus shall be treated as earnings from business done by such patrons of the Bank with or for their own patrons.

(Pub. L. 95–351, title I, § 109, Aug. 20, 1978, 92 Stat. 509; Pub. L. 97–35, title III, § 392(a), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 434; Pub. L. 99–514, § 2, Oct. 22, 1986, 100 Stat. 2095.)

§ 3020. Quarters and space for principal and other offices

Until the Final Government Equity Redemption Date, space for the principal office and any branch offices of the Bank shall be provided by the General Services Administration. Thereafter, the Bank may lease, construct, or own quarters and provide for the space requirements of its principal and other offices.

(Pub. L. 95–351, title I, § 110, Aug. 20, 1978, 92 Stat. 510.)

§ 3021. Annual report to Congress; contents

The Board of the Bank shall report annually to the appropriate committees of the Congress on the Bank’s capital, operations, and financial condition and make recommendations for legislation needed to improve its services.

(Pub. L. 95–351, title I, § 111, Aug. 20, 1978, 92 Stat. 510.)

§ 3022. Authorization of additional appropriations; restrictions on use

In addition to appropriations specifically authorized in this chapter, there are authorized to be appropriated $2,000,000 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1979, and for each of the two succeeding fiscal years, ending September 30, 1980, and September 30, 1981, such sums as may be necessary: Provided, That none of these appropriated sums shall be used to retire any indebtedness of the Bank incurred pursuant to section 3017 of this title. Any sums so appropriated shall remain available until expended.

(Pub. L. 95–351, title I, § 112, Aug. 20, 1978, 92 Stat. 510.)

§ 3023. Appeal procedures applicable upon denial or restriction of application for assistance

(a) If an application for assistance under this chapter is denied in whole or in part, the applicant shall be informed within thirty days in writing of the reasons for the denial or restriction.

(b) Any applicant for assistance under this chapter receiving notice of denial or restriction of the application may, within thirty days of receipt of such notice, request the Board of Directors to review the application and notice of denial or restriction for a determination of whether the action of the Bank was correctly within the terms of this chapter, the regulations, and the policy of the Board. The Board shall consider the request for review at its next meeting and promptly inform the applicant of its determination and the reasons therefor.

(Pub. L. 95–351, title I, § 113, Aug. 20, 1978, 92 Stat. 510.)

§ 3024. Conflict of interest rules; adoption and publication; requirements

The Board of Directors shall adopt and publish its own conflict of interest rules which shall be no less stringent in effect than the Federal Executive conflict of interest rules contained in Executive Order Numbered 11222 in prohibiting participation or action or the use of inside information for personal advantage on any matter involving a corporation, trust, partnership, or cooperative organization in which a board member, officer, or employee holds a substantial financial interest or holds a position as board member or senior officer, the activities of which organization might be relevant to, be competitive with, or be inconsistent with the objectives of any bank created under this chapter. These rules shall require—

(1) each nominee for elected membership on the Board established under this chapter to make public and file with the election official before the date of election a statement of his financial interest and position, if any, in such organizations; and

(2) each senior executive officer and appointed member of the Board to file with the appointing officer, before entering that office a statement of his financial interest and position, if any, in such organizations, which shall be available for inspection upon request.

(Pub. L. 95–351, title I, § 114, Aug. 20, 1978, 92 Stat. 510; Pub. L. 97–35, title III, § 396(f), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 440.)

§ 3025. Examination and audit

The Farm Credit Administration and the Government Accountability Office are hereby authorized and directed to examine and audit the Bank. Reports regarding such examinations and audits shall be promptly forwarded to both Houses of the Congress. The Bank shall reimburse the Farm Credit Administration for the costs of any examination or audit conducted by the Farm Credit Administration.

(Pub. L. 95–351, title I, § 115, Aug. 20, 1978, 92 Stat. 511; Pub. L. 97–35, title III, § 394(a)(1), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 436; Pub. L. 108–271, § 8(b), July 7, 2004, 118 Stat. 814.)

§ 3026. Acceleration of the Final Government Equity Redemption Date

(a)

(1)

(A) The Final Government Equity Redemption Date shall occur on December 31, 1981, or not later than 10 days after the date of the enactment of the first Act providing for appropriations for fiscal year 1982 (other than continuing appropriations) for the Department of Housing and Urban Development and Independent Agencies, whichever occurs later.

(B) Not later than 5 days after the Final Government Equity Redemption Date, the Secretary of the Treasury shall publish a notice in the Federal Register indicating the day on which the Final Government Equity Redemption Date occurred.

(2)

(A) Before the Final Government Equity Redemption Date, the Secretary of the Treasury shall purchase all class A stock for which the Congress has appropriated funds.

(B) After the Final Government Equity Redemption Date, the Secretary of the Treasury shall not purchase any class A stock.

(3)

(A) On the Final Government Equity Redemption Date, all class A stock held by the Secretary of the Treasury on such date shall be redeemed by the Bank in exchange for class A notes which are issued by the Bank to the Secretary of the Treasury on behalf of the United States and which have a total face value equal to the total par value of the class A stock which is so redeemed, plus any unpaid dividends on such stock.

(B) During the period beginning on the Final Government Equity Redemption Date and ending on December 31, 1990, not less than 30 percent of the revenue derived from the sale of stock by the Bank, other than the sale of class B stock or class C stock, shall be used, upon receipt, to retire class A notes.

(C) After December 31, 1990, the Bank shall maintain a repayment schedule for class A notes which will assure full repayment of all class A notes not later than December 31, 2020. The requirement specified in the previous sentence is in addition to the requirement regarding the redemption of class A notes which is specified in section 3014(c) of this title.

(b)

(1) The United States shall not be responsible for any obligation of the Bank which is incurred after the Final Government Equity Redemption Date.

(2) As soon as practicable after August 13, 1981, the Board shall adopt bylaws which will assist in expediting and coordinating the activities which will occur with respect to the Final Government Equity Redemption Date.

(Pub. L. 95–351, title I, § 116, as added Pub. L. 97–35, title III, § 391(a)(1), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 433.)