Collapse to view only § 5012. Effect on other law
- § 5001. Findings; purposes
- § 5002. Definitions
- § 5003. General provisions governing substitute checks
- § 5004. Substitute check warranties
- § 5005. Indemnity
- § 5006. Expedited recredit for consumers
- § 5007. Expedited recredit procedures for banks
- § 5008. Delays in an emergency
- § 5009. Measure of damages
- § 5010. Statute of limitations and notice of claim
- § 5011. Consumer awareness
- § 5012. Effect on other law
- § 5013. Variation by agreement
- § 5014. Regulations
- § 5015. Study and report on funds availability
- § 5016. Statistical reporting of costs and revenues for transporting checks between reserve banks
- § 5017. Evaluation and report by the Comptroller General
- § 5018. Depositary services efficiency and cost reduction
The term “account” means a deposit account at a bank.
The term “collecting bank” means any bank handling a check for collection except the paying bank.
The term “returning bank” means a bank (other than the paying or depositary bank) handling a returned check or notice in lieu of return.
No provision of this chapter shall be construed as affecting the treatment of a returning bank as a collecting bank for purposes of section 4–202(b) of the Uniform Commercial Code.
The term “Board” means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
The term “business day” has the same meaning as in section 4001(3) of this title.
The term “consumer account” has the same meaning as in section 4001(10) of this title.
The term “customer” means a person having an account with a bank.
The term “forward collection” means the transfer by a bank of a check to a collecting bank for settlement or the paying bank for payment.
The term “indemnifying bank” means a bank that is providing an indemnity under section 5005 of this title with respect to a substitute check.
The terms “MICR line” and “magnetic ink character recognition line” mean the numbers, which may include the bank routing number, account number, check number, check amount, and other information, that are printed near the bottom of a check in magnetic ink in accordance with generally applicable industry standards.
The term “noncash item” has the same meaning as in section 4001(14) of this title.
The term “person” means a natural person, corporation, unincorporated company, partnership, government unit or instrumentality, trust, or any other entity or organization.
The term “State” has the same meaning as in section 1813(a) of this title.
The term “truncate” means to remove an original paper check from the check collection or return process and send to a recipient, in lieu of such original paper check, a substitute check or, by agreement, information relating to the original check (including data taken from the MICR line of the original check or an electronic image of the original check), whether with or without subsequent delivery of the original paper check.
The term “Uniform Commercial Code” means the Uniform Commercial Code in effect in a State.
Unless the context requires otherwise, the terms not defined in this section shall have the same meanings as in the Uniform Commercial Code.
A person may deposit, present, or send for collection or return a substitute check without an agreement with the recipient, so long as a bank has made the warranties in section 5004 of this title with respect to such substitute check.
A bank shall ensure that the substitute check for which the bank is the reconverting bank bears all endorsements applied by parties that previously handled the check (whether in electronic form or in the form of the original paper check or a substitute check) for forward collection or return.
A bank shall identify itself as a reconverting bank on any substitute check for which the bank is a reconverting bank so as to preserve any previous reconverting bank identifications in conformance with generally applicable industry standards.
A substitute check that is the legal equivalent of the original check under subsection (b) shall be subject to any provision, including any provision relating to the protection of customers, of part 229 of title 12 of the Code of Federal Regulations, the Uniform Commercial Code, and any other applicable Federal or State law as if such substitute check were the original check, to the extent such provision of law is not inconsistent with this chapter.
A reconverting bank and each bank that subsequently transfers, presents, or returns a substitute check in any electronic or paper form, and receives consideration for such transfer, presentment, or return shall indemnify the transferee, any subsequent collecting or returning bank, the depositary bank, the drawee, the drawer, the payee, the depositor, and any endorser, up to the amount described in subsections (b) and (c), as applicable, to the extent of any loss incurred by any recipient of a substitute check if that loss occurred due to the receipt of a substitute check instead of the original check.
The amount of the indemnity under subsection (a) shall be the amount of any loss (including costs and reasonable attorney’s fees and other expenses of representation) proximately caused by a breach of a warranty provided under section 5004 of this title.
If a loss described in subsection (a) results in whole or in part from the negligence or failure to act in good faith on the part of an indemnified party, then that party’s indemnification under this section shall be reduced in proportion to the amount of negligence or bad faith attributable to that party.
Nothing in this subsection reduces the rights of a consumer or any other person under the Uniform Commercial Code or other applicable provision of Federal or State law.
The production of the original check, a substitute check, or a copy under paragraph (1) by an indemnifying bank shall not absolve the bank from any liability on a warranty established under this chapter or any other provision of law.
Each indemnifying bank shall be subrogated to the rights of any indemnified party to the extent of the indemnity.
A bank that indemnifies a party under this section may attempt to recover from another party based on a warranty or other claim.
Each indemnified party shall have a duty to comply with all reasonable requests for assistance from an indemnifying bank in connection with any claim the indemnifying bank brings against a warrantor or other party related to a check that forms the basis for the indemnification.
If the ability of the consumer to submit the claim within the 40-day period under paragraph (2) is delayed due to extenuating circumstances, including extended travel or the illness of the consumer, the 40-day period shall be extended by a reasonable amount of time.
The bank holding the consumer account that is the subject of a claim by the consumer under subsection (a) may, in the discretion of the bank, require the consumer to submit the information required under paragraph (1) in writing.
A bank that requires a submission of information under subparagraph (A) may permit the consumer to make the submission electronically, if the consumer has agreed to communicate with the bank in that manner.
The bank shall recredit the consumer’s account for the amount described in paragraph (1) no later than the end of the business day following the business day on which the bank determines the consumer’s claim is valid.
Except as provided in paragraph (2), a bank that provides a recredit to a consumer account under subsection (c) shall make the recredited funds available for withdrawal by the consumer by the start of the next business day after the business day on which the bank recredits the consumer’s account under subsection (c).
The claim is made during the 30-day period beginning on the business day the consumer account was established.
The bank has reasonable cause to believe that the claim is fraudulent, based on facts (other than the fact that the check in question or the consumer is of a particular class) that would cause a well-grounded belief in the mind of a reasonable person that the claim is fraudulent.
No bank that, in accordance with paragraph (2), delays the availability of a recredit under subsection (c) to any consumer account may impose any overdraft fees with respect to drafts drawn by the consumer on such recredited amount before the end of the 5-day period beginning on the date notice of the delay in the availability of such amount is sent by the bank to the consumer.
A notice described in this subsection shall be delivered by United States mail or by any other means through which the consumer has agreed to receive account information.
Providing a recredit in accordance with this section shall not absolve the bank from liability for a claim made under any other law, such as a claim for wrongful dishonor under the Uniform Commercial Code, or from liability for additional damages under section 5005 or 5009 of this title.
A consumer who was provided a substitute check may make a claim for an expedited recredit under this section with regard to a transaction involving the substitute check whether or not the consumer is in possession of the substitute check.
This section shall only apply to customers who are consumers.
Any claim under paragraph (1) may be submitted by the claimant bank to an indemnifying bank before the end of the 120-day period beginning on the date of the transaction that gave rise to the claim.
An indemnifying bank may, in the discretion of the bank, require the claimant bank to submit the information required by paragraph (1) in writing, including a copy of the written or electronically submitted claim, if any, that the consumer provided in accordance with section 5006(b) of this title.
An indemnifying bank that requires a submission of information under subparagraph (A) may permit the claimant bank to make the submission electronically, if the claimant bank has agreed to communicate with the indemnifying bank in that manner.
Providing a recredit under this subsection to a claimant bank with respect to a substitute check shall not absolve the indemnifying bank from liability for claims brought under any other law or from additional damages under section 5005 or 5009 of this title with respect to such check.
If a claimant bank reverses, in accordance with section 5006(e) of this title, a recredit previously made to a consumer account under section 5006(c) of this title, or otherwise receives a credit or recredit with regard to such substitute check, the claimant bank shall promptly refund to any indemnifying bank any amount previously advanced by the indemnifying bank in connection with such substitute check.
If the indemnifying bank provides the claimant bank with the original check or a copy of the original check (including an image or a substitute check) under subsection (c)(1)(A), section 5005(d) of this title shall govern any right of the indemnifying bank to any repayment of any funds the indemnifying bank has recredited to the claimant bank pursuant to subsection (c).
A delay by a bank beyond the time limits prescribed or permitted by this chapter shall be excused if the delay is caused by interruption of communication or computer facilities, suspension of payments by another bank, war, emergency conditions, failure of equipment, or other circumstances beyond the control of a bank and if the bank uses such diligence as the circumstances require.
The amount of damages any person receives under paragraph (1), if any, shall be reduced by the amount, if any, that the claimant receives and retains as a recredit under section 5006 or 5007 of this title.
If a person incurs damages that resulted in whole or in part from the negligence or failure of that person to act in good faith, then the amount of any liability due to that person under subsection (a) shall be reduced in proportion to the amount of negligence or bad faith attributable to that person.
Nothing in this subsection reduces the rights of a consumer or any other person under the Uniform Commercial Code or other applicable provision of Federal or State law.
An action to enforce a claim under this chapter may be brought in any United States district court, or in any other court of competent jurisdiction, before the end of the 1-year period beginning on the date the cause of action accrues.
A cause of action accrues as of the date the injured party first learns, or by which such person reasonably should have learned, of the facts and circumstances giving rise to the cause of action.
Except as provided in subsection (c), unless a person gives notice of a claim to the indemnifying or warranting bank within 30 days after the person has reason to know of the claim and the identity of the indemnifying or warranting bank, the indemnifying or warranting bank is discharged from liability in an action to enforce a claim under this chapter to the extent of any loss caused by the delay in giving notice of the claim.
A timely claim by a consumer under section 5006 of this title for expedited recredit constitutes timely notice of a claim by the consumer for purposes of subsection (b).
With respect to consumers who are customers of a bank on the effective date of this chapter and who receive original checks or substitute checks, a bank shall provide the notice described in subsection (a) to each such consumer no later than the first regularly scheduled communication with the consumer after the effective date of this chapter.
A bank shall provide the notice described in subsection (a) to each consumer who will receive original checks or substitute checks, other than existing customers referred to in paragraph (1), at the time at which the customer relationship is initiated.
A bank may send the notices required by this subsection by United States mail or by any other means through which the consumer has agreed to receive account information.
Notice shall be provided to each consumer of the bank that requests a copy of a check and receives a substitute check, at the time of the request.
Before the end of the 9-month period beginning on October 28, 2003, the Board shall publish model forms and clauses that a bank may use to describe each of the elements required by subsection (a).
A bank shall be treated as being in compliance with the requirements of subsection (a) if the bank’s substitute check notice uses a model form or clause published by the Board and such model form or clause accurately describes the bank’s policies and practices.
A bank may delete any information in the model form or clause that is not required by this chapter or rearrange the format.
This section shall not be construed as requiring any bank to use a model form or clause that the Board prepares under this subsection.
This chapter shall supersede any provision of Federal or State law, including the Uniform Commercial Code, that is inconsistent with this chapter, but only to the extent of the inconsistency.
Any provision of section 5007 of this title may be varied by agreement of the banks involved.
Except as provided in subsection (a), no provision of this chapter may be varied by agreement of any person or persons.
The Board may prescribe such regulations as the Board determines to be necessary to implement, prevent circumvention or evasion of, or facilitate compliance with the provisions of this chapter.
Before the end of the 30-month period beginning on the effective date of this chapter, the Board shall submit a report to the Congress containing the results of the study conducted under this section, together with recommendations for legislative action.
In the annual report prepared by the Board for the first full calendar year after October 28, 2003, and in each of the 9 subsequent annual reports by the Board, the Board shall include the amount of operating costs attributable to, and an estimate of the Federal Reserve banks’ imputed revenues derived from, the transportation of commercial checks between Federal Reserve bank check processing centers.
Before the end of the 5-year period referred to in subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall submit a report to the Congress containing the findings and conclusions of the Comptroller General in connection with the evaluation conducted pursuant to subsection (a), together with such recommendations for legislative and administrative action as the Comptroller General may determine to be appropriate.
There are authorized to be appropriated for fiscal years beginning after fiscal year 2003 to the Secretary of the Treasury such sums as may be necessary for reimbursing financial institutions in their capacity as depositaries and financial agents of the United States for all services required or directed by the Secretary of the Treasury, or a designee of the Secretary, to be performed by such financial institutions on behalf of the Secretary of the Treasury or another Federal agency, including services rendered before fiscal year 2004.
As appropriations authorized in subsection (b) become available, the Secretary of the Treasury shall promptly begin the process of phasing in the use of the appropriations to pay financial institutions serving as depositaries and financial agents of the United States, and transitioning from the use of compensating balances to fund these services.
Following the transition to the use of the appropriations authorized in subsection (b), the Secretary of the Treasury may use the compensating balances to pay financial institutions serving as depositaries and financial agents of the United States only in extraordinary situations where the Secretary determines that they are needed to ensure the fiscal operations of the Government continue to function in an efficient and effective manner.
Any use of compensating balances pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall promptly be reported by the Secretary of the Treasury to the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate.
For each fiscal year, the Secretary of the Treasury shall submit a report to the Congress on the use of compensating balances and on the use of appropriations authorized in subsection (b) during that fiscal year.
The report required under clause (i) may be submitted as part of the budget submitted by the President under section 1105 of title 31 for the following fiscal year and if so, the report shall be submitted concurrently to the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate.
Following completion of the transition from the use of compensating balances to the use of the appropriations authorized in subsection (b) to pay financial institutions for their services as depositaries and financial agents of the United States, the Secretary of the Treasury shall submit a report on the transition to the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate.
Notwithstanding section 20,1