BILL ANALYSIS Ó SENATE COMMITTEE ON BANKING AND FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS Senator Steven Glazer, Chair 2015 - 2016 Regular Bill No: AB 1784 Hearing Date: June 15, 2016 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Author: |Dababneh | |-----------+-----------------------------------------------------| |Version: |May 16, 2016 Amended | ----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Urgency: |No |Fiscal: |Yes | ----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Consultant:|Eileen Newhall | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: State banks SUMMARY Authorizes banks to participate in school-based financial education programs, as specified, without classifying the campuses on which those education programs are located as branches. DESCRIPTION 1. Authorizes a bank to participate in a financial education program that involves receiving deposits or paying withdrawals on the premises of, or at a facility used by, a school. 2. Provides that the school premises or facility will not be considered a branch office of the bank if: a. The bank does not establish and operate the school premises or facility in which the program is conducted. b. Bank employees work at the site only to participate in the program. c. The program is provided at the discretion of the school. d. The principal purpose of the program is financial education. A program is educational if it is designed to AB 1784 (Dababneh) Page 2 of ? teach students the principles of personal financial management, banking operations, or the benefits of saving for the future, and is not designed for the purpose of profitmaking. e. No services are provided to the general public. f. The program is conducted in a manner that is consistent with safe and sound banking practices and complies with applicable law. EXISTING LAW 3. Defines a branch office as any office at which core banking business is conducted, as specified, and defines core banking business as the business of receiving deposits, paying checks, making loans, and other activities that the Commissioner of Business Oversight (commissioner) may specify by order or regulation (Financial Code Section 1070). 4. Requires a bank to file a notice with the commissioner within 10 days of establishing, relocating, or redesignating an office and to pay an appropriate fee (Financial Code Section 1076). 5. Authorizes a bank to close or discontinue the operation of any branch office if, before the closing or discontinuance, the bank files a notice with the commissioner containing detailed information supporting the decision to close or discontinue the office. A branch office closure is deemed acceptable, if the commissioner issues a "no objection" letter or does not issue a written objection to the bank's notice (Financial Code Section 1078). COMMENTS 1. Purpose: This bill is sponsored by the California Bankers Association (CBA) to allow state-chartered banks to offer school-based savings programs, without having the locations of those programs classified as branches for purposes of the Banking Law. 2. Background and Discussion: School-based savings programs AB 1784 (Dababneh) Page 3 of ? are a collaborative effort between banks and elementary, middle, and high school administrators and teachers that provide financial education activities through presentations, classes and curriculum development. According to CBA, these programs range from mini-banks that offer student savings accounts to more complex programs that offer career-oriented banker training. These programs help students understand the value of saving by opening and managing savings accounts. California law does not currently prohibit the school-based savings accounts that are the focus of this measure. However, existing law includes the act of receiving deposits as one of the activities that is classified as core banking business, and defines a branch office as any office at which core banking business is conducted. Existing law contains several requirements applicable to branch offices, which would make it cost prohibitive for a bank to establish a branch office in every school where that bank wished to offer a school-based savings program. This bill allows banks to establish school-based savings programs offering limited banking services, without classifying those school premises as official branch offices and triggering a myriad of costly bureaucratic requirements as a result. California law previously authorized state-chartered banks to offer school-based savings programs. However, the section containing that authorization was deleted when the Financial Code was reorganized and streamlined (former Financial Code Section 511 was repealed by AB 1301, Gaines, Chapter 125, Statutes of 2008). In 2008, the then-Department of Financial Institutions was of the opinion that banks could engage in any activities not otherwise prohibited under the Financial Code; thus, language giving banks express authority to offer school-based programs was unnecessary. Since that time, some have suggested that banks may lack the authority to offer school-based savings programs, because the Financial Code no longer expressly authorizes those activities. This bill will resolve that uncertainty by expressly authorizing banks to offer school-based savings, as specified. The language of this bill is consistent with and tracks federal guidance encouraging financial institutions to develop youth AB 1784 (Dababneh) Page 4 of ? savings programs, which was issued in February 2015 by five federal financial regulators, including the Board of Governors of Federal Reserve System, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, National Credit Union Administration, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. 3. Summary of Arguments in Support: CBA is sponsoring AB 1784 in response to the February 2015 regulatory guidance cited above. CBA views the bill as a charter parity measure, which will allow state-chartered banks to offer the same types of school-based savings programs as federally-chartered banks. School-based savings programs provide a valuable service to the community and help banks meet their federally mandated Community Reinvestment Act obligations. The California Community Banking Network believes that "this measure will help encourage community banks in their efforts to increase the financial skills of young people." 4. Summary of Arguments in Opposition: None received. 5. Prior and Related Legislation: a. AB 1301 (Gaines), Chapter 125, Statutes of 2008; AB 2749 (Gaines), Chapter 501, Statutes of 2008; AB 1268 (Gaines), Chapter 532, Statutes of 2010; and SB 664 (Committee on Banking and Financial Institutions), Chapter 243, Statutes of 2011: The series of bills that updated, modernized, and renumbered provisions of the Financial Code administered by DFI. The provision of the Banking Law that previously authorized the activities that AB 1784 would re-authorize was deleted during the reorganization accomplished by these bills. LIST OF REGISTERED SUPPORT/OPPOSITION Support California Bankers Association (sponsor) California Community Banking Network Opposition AB 1784 (Dababneh) Page 5 of ? None received -- END --