§ 1786.
Termination of insured credit union status; cease and desist orders; removal or suspension from office; procedure
(e)
Opinion of Board as to unsound condition of credit union; notice of charges; hearing; order to cease and desist; judicial review
(1)
If, in the opinion of the Board, any insured credit union, credit union which has insured accounts, or any institution-affiliated party is engaging or has engaged, or the Board has reasonable cause to believe that the credit union or any institution-affiliated party is about to engage, in an unsafe or unsound practice in conducting the business of such credit union, or is violating or has violated, or the Board has reasonable cause to believe that the credit union or any institution-affiliated party is about to violate, a law, rule, or regulation, or any condition imposed in writing by the Board in connection with the granting of any application or other request by the credit union or any written agreement entered into with the Board, the Board may issue and serve upon the credit union or such party a notice of charges in respect thereof. The notice shall contain a statement of the facts constituting the alleged violation or violations or the unsafe or unsound practice or practices, and shall fix a time and place at which a hearing will be held to determine whether an order to cease and desist therefrom should issue against the credit union or the institution-affiliated party. Such hearing shall be fixed for a date not earlier than thirty days nor later than sixty days after service of such notice unless an earlier or a later date is set by the Board at the request of any party so served. Unless the party or parties so served shall appear at the hearing by a duly authorized representative, they shall be deemed to have consented to the issuance of the cease-and-desist order. In the event of such consent, or if upon the record made at any such hearing, the Board shall find that any violation or unsafe or unsound practice specified in the notice of charges has been established, the Board may issue and serve upon the credit union or the institution-affiliated party an order to cease and desist from any such violation or practice. Such order may, by provisions which may be mandatory or otherwise, require the credit union or its institution-affiliated parties to cease and desist from the same, and, further, to take affirmative action to correct the conditions resulting from any such violation or practice.
(2)
A cease-and-desist order shall become effective at the expiration of thirty days after the service of such order upon the credit union or other person concerned (except in the case of a cease-and-desist order issued upon consent, which shall become effective at the time specified therein), and shall remain effective and enforceable as provided therein, except to such extent as it is stayed, modified, terminated, or set aside by action of the Board or a reviewing court.
(3)
Affirmative action to correct conditions resulting from violations or practices.—
The authority to issue an order under this subsection and subsection (f) which requires an insured credit union or any institution-affiliated party to take affirmative action to correct any conditions resulting from any violation or practice with respect to which such order is issued includes the authority to require such insured credit union or such party to—
(A)
make restitution or provide reimbursement, indemnification, or guarantee against loss if—
(i)
such credit union or such party was unjustly enriched in connection with such violation or practice; or
(ii)
the violation or practice involved a reckless disregard for the law or any applicable regulations or prior order of the Board;
(B)
restrict the growth of the institution;
(C)
rescind agreements or contracts;
(D)
dispose of any loan or asset involved;
(E)
employ qualified officers or employees (who may be subject to approval by the Board at the direction of such Board); and
(F)
take such other action as the Board determines to be appropriate.
(4)
Authority to limit activities.—
The authority to issue an order under this subsection or subsection (f) includes the authority to place limitations on the activities or functions of an insured credit union or any institution-affiliated party.
(g)
Removal and prohibition authority
(1)
Authority to issue order.—
Whenever the Board determines that—
(A)
any institution-affiliated party has, directly or indirectly—
(i)
violated—
(I)
any law or regulation;
(II)
any cease-and-desist order which has become final;
(III)
any condition imposed in writing by the Board in connection with any action on any application, notice, or request by such credit union or institution-affiliated party; or
(IV)
any written agreement between such credit union and the Board;
(ii)
engaged or participated in any unsafe or unsound practice in connection with any insured credit union or business institution; or
(iii)
committed or engaged in any act, omission, or practice which constitutes a breach of such party’s fiduciary duty;
(B)
by reason of the violation, practice, or breach described in any clause of subparagraph (A)—
(i)
such insured credit union or business institution has suffered or will probably suffer financial loss or other damage;
(ii)
the interests of the insured credit union’s members have been or could be prejudiced; or
(iii)
such party has received financial gain or other benefit by reason of such violation, practice or breach; and
(C)
such violation, practice, or breach—
(i)
involves personal dishonesty on the part of such party; or
(ii)
demonstrates such party’s unfitness to serve as a director or officer of, or to otherwise participate in the conduct of the affairs of, an insured credit union,
the Board may serve upon such party a written notice of the Board’s intention to remove such party from office or to prohibit any further participation, by such party, in any manner in the conduct of the affairs of any insured credit union.
(2)
Specific violations.—
(A)
In general.—
Whenever the Board determines that—
(i)
an institution-affiliated party has committed a violation of any provision of subchapter II of chapter 53 of title 31, unless such violation was inadvertent or unintentional;
(ii)
an officer or director of an insured credit union has knowledge that an institution-affiliated party of the insured credit union has violated any such provision or any provision of law referred to in subsection (i)(1)(A)(ii); or
(iii)
an officer or director of an insured credit union has committed any violation of the Depository Institution Management Interlocks Act [
12 U.S.C. 3201 et seq.],
the Board may serve upon such party, officer, or director a written notice of the Board’s intention to remove such officer or director from office.
(B)
Factors to be considered.—
In determining whether an officer or director should be removed as a result of the application of subparagraph (A)(ii), the Board shall consider whether the officer or director took appropriate action to stop, or to prevent the recurrence of, a violation described in such subparagraph.
(3)
Suspension order.—
(A)
Suspension or prohibition authorized.—
If the Board serves written notice under paragraph (1) or (2) to any institution-affiliated party of the Board’s intention to issue an order under such paragraph, the Board may suspend such party from office or prohibit such party from further participation in any manner in the conduct of the affairs of the institution, if the Board—
(i)
determines that such action is necessary for the protection of the credit union or the interests of the credit union’s members; and
(ii)
serves such person with written notice of the suspension order.
(B)
Effective period.—
Any suspension order issued under subparagraph (A)—
(i)
shall become effective upon service; and
(ii)
unless a court issues a stay of such order under paragraph (6), shall remain in effect and enforceable until—
(I)
the date the Board dismisses the charges contained in the notice served under paragraph (1) or (2) with respect to such party; or
(II)
the effective date of an order issued by the Board to such person under paragraph (1) or (2).
(C)
Copy of order.—
If the Board issues a suspension order under subparagraph (A) to any institution-affiliated party, the Board shall serve a copy of such order on any insured credit union with which such party is associated at the time such order is issued.
(4)
A notice of intention to remove a director, committee member, officer, or other person from office or to prohibit his participation in the conduct of the affairs of an insured credit union, shall contain a statement of the facts constituting grounds therefor, and shall fix a time and place at which a hearing will be held thereon. Such hearing shall be fixed for a date not earlier than thirty days nor later than sixty days after the date of service of such notice, unless an earlier or a later date is set by the Board at the request of (A) such director, committee member, or officer or other person, and for good cause shown, or (B) the Attorney General of the United States. Unless such director, committee member, officer, or other person shall appear at the hearing in person or by a duly authorized representative, he shall be deemed to have consented to the issuance of an order of such removal or prohibition. In the event of such consent, or if upon the record made at any such hearing the Board shall find that any of the grounds specified in such notice have been established, the Board may issue such orders of suspension or removal from office, or prohibition from participation in the conduct of the affairs of the credit union, as it may deem appropriate. Any such order shall become effective at the expiration of thirty days after service upon such credit union and the director, committee member, officer, or other person concerned (except in the case of an order issued upon consent, which shall become effective at the time specified therein). Such order shall remain effective and enforceable except to such extent as it is stayed, modified, terminated, or set aside by action of the Board or a reviewing court.
(5)
Prohibition of certain specific activities.—
Any person subject to an order issued under this subsection shall not—
(A)
participate in any manner in the conduct of the affairs of any institution or agency specified in paragraph (7)(A);
(B)
solicit, procure, transfer, attempt to transfer, vote, or attempt to vote any proxy, consent, or authorization with respect to any voting rights in any institution described in subparagraph (A);
(C)
violate any voting agreement previously approved by the appropriate Federal banking agency; or
(D)
vote for a director, or serve or act as an institution-affiliated party.
(6)
Within ten days after any director, officer, committee member, or other person has been suspended from office and/or prohibited from participation in the conduct of the affairs of an insured credit union under paragraph (3) of this subsection, such director, officer, committee member, or other person may apply to the United States district court for the judicial district in which the principal office of the credit union is located, or the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, for a stay of such suspension and/or prohibition pending the completion of the administrative proceedings pursuant to the notice served upon such director, officer, committee member, or other person under paragraph (1) or (2) of this subsection, and such court shall have jurisdiction to stay such suspension and/or prohibition.
(7)
Industrywide Prohibition.—
(A)
In general.—
Except as provided in subparagraph (B), any person who, pursuant to an order issued under this subsection or subsection (i), has been removed or suspended from office in an insured credit union or prohibited from participating in the conduct of the affairs of an insured credit union may not, while such order is in effect, continue or commence to hold any office in, or participate in any manner in the conduct of the affairs of—
(i)
any insured depository institution;
(iii)
any insured credit union;
(iv)
any institution chartered under the Farm Credit Act of 1971 [
12 U.S.C. 2001 et seq.];
(v)
any appropriate Federal financial institution regulatory agency; and
(vi)
the Federal Housing Finance Agency and any Federal home loan bank.
(B)
Exception if agency provides written consent.—
If, on or after the date an order is issued under this subsection which removes or suspends from office any institution-affiliated party or prohibits such party from participating in the conduct of the affairs of an insured credit union, such party receives the written consent of—
(ii)
the appropriate Federal financial institutions regulatory agency of the institution described in any clause of subparagraph (A) with respect to which such party proposes to become an institution-affiliated party,
subparagraph (A) shall, to the extent of such consent, cease to apply to such party with respect to the institution described in each written consent. If any person receives such a written consent from the Board, the Board shall publicly disclose such consent. If the agency referred to in clause (ii) grants such a written consent, such agency shall report such action to the Board and publicly disclose such consent.
(C)
Violation of paragraph treated as violation of order.—
Any violation of subparagraph (A) by any person who is subject to an order described in such subparagraph shall be treated as a violation of the order.
(D)
“Appropriate federal financial institutions regulatory agency” defined.—
For purposes of this paragraph, the term “appropriate Federal financial institutions regulatory agency” means—
(ii)
the Farm Credit Administration, in the case of an institution chartered under the Farm Credit Act of 1971 [
12 U.S.C. 2001 et seq.];
(iv)
the Secretary of the Treasury, in the case of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and any Federal home loan bank;
2
So in original. The semicolon probably should be a period.
(E)
Consultation between agencies.—
The agencies referred to in clauses (i) and (ii) of subparagraph (B) shall consult with each other before providing any written consent described in subparagraph (B).
(F)
Applicability.—
This paragraph shall only apply to a person who is an individual, unless the Board specifically finds that it should apply to a corporation, firm, or other business enterprise.
([June 26, 1934, ch. 750], title II, § 206, as added [Pub. L. 91–468, § 1(3)], Oct. 19, 1970, [84 Stat. 1003]; amended [Pub. L. 93–383, title VII, § 728], Aug. 22, 1974, [88 Stat. 720]; [Pub. L. 95–22, title III, § 307], Apr. 19, 1977, [91 Stat. 52]; [Pub. L. 95–630, title I], §§ 107(a)(4), (c)(4), (d)(4), (e)(4), 111(d), title V, § 502(b), Nov. 10, 1978, [92 Stat. 3652], 3656, 3659, 3663, 3670, 3681; [Pub. L. 97–320, title I], §§ 132, 141(a)(8), title IV, §§ 424(a), (d)(9), (e), 427(c), Oct. 15, 1982, [96 Stat. 1487], 1489, 1522, 1523, 1525; [Pub. L. 98–369, div. B, title VIII, § 2812], July 18, 1984, [98 Stat. 1206]; [Pub. L. 99–570, title I, § 1359(d)], Oct. 27, 1986, [100 Stat. 3207–29]; [Pub. L. 100–86, title V, § 509(a)], title VII, §§ 709–713, Aug. 10, 1987, [101 Stat. 635], 653, 654; [Pub. L. 101–73, title IX], §§ 901(a), (b)(2), 902(b), 903(b), 904(b), 905(b), 906(b), 907(b), 908(b), 913(b), 915(b), 920(b), title XII, § 1217(b), Aug. 9, 1989, [103 Stat. 446], 448, 451, 455, 458, 460, 462, 464, 477, 484, 486, 488, 546; [Pub. L. 101–647, title XXV], §§ 2523(b), 2532(c), 2547(b), Nov. 29, 1990, [104 Stat. 4870], 4881, 4887; [Pub. L. 102–233, title III, § 302(a)], Dec. 12, 1991, [105 Stat. 1767]; [Pub. L. 102–550, title XV], §§ 1501(b), 1503(b), 1504(b), Oct. 28, 1992, [106 Stat. 4044], 4050, 4053; [Pub. L. 103–325, title IV, § 411(c)(2)(B)], Sept. 23, 1994, [108 Stat. 2253]; [Pub. L. 105–219, title III, § 301(b)(1)], (g)(1), (2), Aug. 7, 1998, [112 Stat. 930], 931; [Pub. L. 108–458, title VI, § 6303(c)], Dec. 17, 2004, [118 Stat. 3753]; [Pub. L. 109–351, title VII], §§ 708(b), 715(b), 716(b), 723(b), 726(14)–(19), Oct. 13, 2006, [120 Stat. 1989], 1995, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2003; [Pub. L. 111–203, title III, § 362(3)], July 21, 2010, [124 Stat. 1549].)