USC Subchapter III

USC Subchapter III
in effect

12 U.S.C. § 2121 Establishment; titles; branches

The banks for cooperatives established pursuant to sections 2 and 30 of the Farm Credit Act of 1933, as amended, shall continue as federally chartered instrumentalities of the United States. The Farm Credit Administration shall approve amendments consistent with this chapter to charters and organizational certificates of banks for cooperatives. Unless an existing bank for cooperatives is merged with another bank, there shall be a bank for cooperatives in each farm credit district. A bank for cooperatives may include in its title the name of the city in which it is located or other geographical designation. When authorized by the Farm Credit Administration each bank for cooperatives may establish such branches or other offices as may be appropriate for the effective operation of its business.

12 U.S.C. § 2122 Corporate existence; general corporate powers

Each bank for cooperatives shall be a body corporate and, subject to regulation by the Farm Credit Administration, shall have power to— (1) Adopt and use a corporate seal. (2) Have succession until dissolved under the provisions of this chapter or other Act of Congress. (3) Make contracts. (4) Sue and be sued. (5) Acquire, hold, dispose, and otherwise exercise all of the usual incidents of ownership of real and personal property necessary or convenient to its business. (6) Make loans and commitments for credit, provide services and other assistance as authorized in this chapter, and charge fees therefor. (7) Operate under the direction of its board of directors. (8) Elect by its board of directors a president, any vice presidents, a secretary, a treasurer, and provide for such other officers, employees, and agents as may be necessary, including joint employees as provided in this chapter, define their duties and require surety bonds or make other provisions against losses occasioned by employees. (9) Prescribe by its board of directors its bylaws not inconsistent with law providing for the classes of its stock and the manner in which its stock shall be issued, transferred, and retired; its officers, employees, or agents elected or provided for; its property acquired, held, and transferred; its loans made; its general business conducted; and the privileges granted it by law exercised and enjoyed. (10) Borrow money and issue notes, bonds, debentures, or other obligations individually or in concert with one or more other banks of the System, of such character, and such terms, conditions, and rates of interest as may be determined. (11)(A) Participate in loans under this subchapter with one or more other banks for cooperatives and with commercial banks and other financial institutions upon such terms as may be agreed among them, and participate with one or more other Farm Credit System institutions in loans made under this subchapter or other subchapters of this chapter on the basis prescribed in section 2206 of this title. (B)(i) Participate in any loan of a type otherwise authorized under this subchapter that is made to a similar entity by any institution in the business of extending credit, including purchases of participations in loans to finance international trade transactions involving the sale of agricultural commodities or the products thereof, except that—(I) a bank for cooperatives may not participate in a loan—(aa) if the participation would cause the total amount of all loan participations by the bank under this subparagraph involving a single credit risk to exceed 10 percent of the bank’s total capital; or (bb) if the participation by the bank will itself equal or exceed 50 percent of the principal of the loan or, when taken together with participations in the loan by other Farm Credit System institutions, will cause the cumulative amount of the participations by all Farm Credit System institutions in the loan to equal or exceed 50 percent of the principal of the loan; (II) a bank for cooperatives may not participate in a loan to a similar entity under this subparagraph if the similar entity has a loan or loan commitment outstanding with a Farm Credit Bank or an association chartered under this chapter, unless agreed to by the Bank or association; and (III) the cumulative amount of participations that a bank for cooperatives may have outstanding under this subparagraph at any time may not exceed 15 percent of the bank’s total assets. (ii) As used in this subparagraph, the term “similar entity” means an entity that, while not eligible for a loan under section 2129 of this title, is functionally similar to an entity eligible for a loan under section 2129 of this title in that it derives a majority of its income from, or has a majority of its assets invested in, the conduct of activities functionally similar to those conducted by the entity. (iii) As used in this subparagraph, the term “participate” or “participation” refers to multilender transactions, including syndications, assignments, loan participations, subparticipations, or other forms of the purchase, sale, or transfer of interests in loans, other extensions of credit, or other technical and financial assistance. (12) Deposit its securities and its current funds with any member bank of the Federal Reserve System or any insured State nonmember bank (within the meaning of section 1813 of this title) or, to the extent necessary to facilitate transactions which may be financed under section 2128(b) of this title, any other financial organization, domestic or foreign, as may be authorized by its board of directors, and pay fees therefor and receive interest thereon as may be agreed. When designated for that purpose by the Secretary of the Treasury, it shall be a depository of public money, except receipts from customs, under such regulations as may be prescribed by the Secretary; may be employed as a fiscal agent of the Government, and shall perform all such reasonable duties as a depository of public money or financial agent of the Government as may be required of it. No Government funds deposited under the provisions of this subsection shall be invested in loans or bonds or other obligations of the bank. (13)(A) Buy and sell obligations of or insured by the United States or of any agency thereof, or securities backed by the full faith and credit of any such agency and make such other investments as may be authorized under regulations issued by the Farm Credit Administration. (B) As may be authorized by its board of directors, buy from and sell to Farm Credit System institutions interests in loans and in other financial assistance extended and nonvoting stock. (C) As may be authorized by its board of directors, and solely for the purposes of obtaining credit information and other services needed to facilitate transactions which may be financed under section 2128(b) of this title, invest in ownership interests in foreign business entities that are principally engaged in providing credit information to and performing such servicing functions for their members in connection with the members’ international activities. (14) Conduct studies and adopt standards for lending. (15) Amend and modify loan contracts, documents, and payment schedules, and release, subordinate, or substitute security for any of them. (16) Exercise by its board of directors or authorized officers, employees, or agents all such incidental powers as may be necessary or expedient to carry on the business of the bank. (17) As may be authorized by the board of directors, maintain credit balances and pay or receive fees or interest thereon, for the purpose of assisting in the transfer of funds to or from parties to transactions that may be financed under section 2128(b) of this title: Provided, however, That nothing herein shall authorize the banks for cooperatives to engage in the business of accepting domestic deposits. (18) As may be authorized by its board of directors, agree with other Farm Credit System institutions to share loan or other losses, whether to protect against capital impairment or for any other purpose.

12 U.S.C. § 2123 Board of directors

(a) In generalEach bank for cooperatives shall elect a board of directors of such number, for such term, in such manner, and with such qualifications as may be required in its bylaws, except that at least one member shall be elected by the other directors, which member shall not be a director, officer, employee, or stockholder of a System institution. (b) Nomination and election(1) In generalIf approved by the stockholders through a bylaw amendment, the nomination and election of one member from a bank for cooperatives shall be carried out with each voting stockholder of a bank for cooperatives having one vote, plus a number of votes (or fractional part thereof) equal to—(A) the number of stockholders eligible to vote; multiplied by (B) the percentage (or fractional part thereof) of the total equity interest (including allocated, but not unallocated, surplus and reserves) in the bank of all stockholders held by the individual voting stockholder at the close of the immediately preceding fiscal year of the bank. (2) Number of votesThe total number of votes under this subsection shall be the number of voting stockholders of a bank for cooperatives multiplied by two.

12 U.S.C. § 2124 Stock of banks for cooperatives

(a) AmountThe Capital stock of each bank for cooperatives shall be in such amount as its board determines is required for the purpose of providing adequate capital to permit the bank to meet the credit needs of borrowers from the bank and such amounts may be increased or decreased from time to time in accordance with such needs. (b) ValueThe capital stock of each bank shall be divided into shares of par value of $100 each and may be of such classes as the board may determine. Such stock may be issued in fractional shares. (c) Eligible holders of voting stockVoting stock may be issued or transferred to and held only by (i) cooperative associations eligible to borrow from the banks 11 So in original. There probably should be a semicolon after “banks”. (ii) other categories of persons and entities described in sections 2128 and 2129 of this title eligible to borrow from the bank, as determined by the bank’s board of directors; and (iii) other banks for cooperatives, and shall not be otherwise transferred, pledged, or hypothecated except as consented to by the issuing bank under regulations of the Farm Credit Administration. (d) Entitlement to voteEach holder of one or more shares of voting stock which is eligible to borrow from a bank for cooperatives shall be entitled only to one vote and only in the affairs of the bank in the district in which its principal office is located unless otherwise authorized under regulations issued by the Farm Credit Administration, except that if such holder has not been a borrower from the bank in which it holds such stock within a period of two years next preceding the date fixed by the Farm Credit Administration prior to the commencement of voting, it shall not be entitled to vote. (e) Nonvoting investment stockNonvoting investment stock may be issued in such series and in such amounts as may be determined by the board and may be exchanged for voting stock or sold or transferred to any person subject to the approval of the issuing bank. (f) Participation certificatesParticipation certificates may be issued to parties to whom voting stock may not be issued.

12 U.S.C. § 2125 Dividends

Dividends may be payable only on nonvoting investment stock, if declared by the board of directors of the bank, subject to the general direction of the Farm Credit Administration.

12 U.S.C. § 2126 Retirement of stock

Nonvoting investment stock and participation certificates may be called for retirement at par. With the approval of the issuing bank, the holder may elect not to have the called stock or participation certificates retired in response to a call, reserving the right to have such stock or participation certificates included in the next call for retirement. Voting stock may also be retired at par, on call or on such revolving basis as the board may determine with due regard for its total capital needs: Provided, however, That all equities in the banks issued or allocated with respect to 1971 and prior years shall be retired on a revolving basis according to the year of issue with the oldest outstanding equities being first retired. Equities issued for subsequent years shall not be called or retired until equities described in the preceding sentence of this proviso have been retired.

12 U.S.C. § 2127 Guaranty fund subscriptions in lieu of stock

If any cooperative association is not authorized under the laws of the State in which it is organized to take and hold stock in a bank for cooperatives, the bank shall, in lieu of any requirement for stock purchase, require the association to pay into or have on deposit in a guaranty fund, or the bank may retain out of the amount of the loan and credit to the guaranty fund account of the borrower, a sum equal to the amount of stock which the association would otherwise be required to own. Each reference to stock of the banks for cooperatives in this chapter shall include such guaranty fund equivalents. The holder of the guaranty fund equivalent and the bank shall each be entitled to the same rights and obligations with respect thereto as the rights and obligations associated with the class or classes of stock involved.

12 U.S.C. § 2128 Loans, commitments, and technical and financial assistance

(a) AuthoritiesThe banks for cooperatives are authorized to make loans and commitments to eligible cooperative associations and to extend to them other technical and financial assistance at any time (whether or not they have a loan from the bank outstanding), including but not limited to discounting notes and other obligations, guarantees, currency exchange necessary to service individual transactions that may be financed under subsection (b) of this section, collateral custody, or participation with other banks for cooperatives and commercial banks or other financial institutions in loans to eligible cooperatives, under such terms and conditions as may be determined to be feasible by the board of directors of each bank for cooperatives under regulations of the Farm Credit Administration. Each bank may own and lease, or lease with option to purchase, to stockholders eligible to borrow from the bank equipment needed in the operations of the stockholder and may make or participate in loans or commitments and extend other technical and financial assistance to other domestic parties for the acquisition of equipment and facilities to be leased to such stockholders for use in their operations in the United States. (b) Additional authorities(1) A bank for cooperatives is authorized to make or participate in loans and commitments to, and to extend other technical and financial assistance to a domestic or foreign party with respect to its transactions with an association that is a voting stockholder of the bank for the import of agricultural commodities or products thereof, agricultural supplies, or aquatic products through purchases, sales or exchanges, if the bank for cooperatives determines, under regulations of the Farm Credit Administration, that the voting stockholder will benefit substantially as a result of such loan, commitment, or assistance. (2)(A) A bank for cooperatives may make or participate in loans and commitments to, and extend other technical and financial assistance to—(i) any domestic or foreign party for the export, including (where applicable) the cost of freight, of agricultural commodities or products thereof, agricultural supplies, or aquatic products from the United States under policies and procedures established by the bank to ensure that the commodities, products, or supplies are originally sourced, where reasonably available, from one or more eligible cooperative associations described in section 2129(a) of this title on a priority basis, except that if the total amount of the balances outstanding on loans made by a bank under this clause that—(I) are made to finance the export of commodities, products, or supplies that are not originally sourced from a cooperative, and (II) are not guaranteed or insured, in an amount equal to at least 95 percent of the amount loaned, by a department, agency, bureau, board, commission, or establishment of the United States or a corporation wholly-owned directly or indirectly by the United States, exceeds an amount that is equal to 50 percent of the bank’s capital, then a sufficient interest in the loans shall be sold by the bank for cooperatives to commercial banks and other non-System lenders to reduce the total amount of such outstanding balances to an amount not greater than an amount equal to 50 percent of the bank’s capital; and (ii) except as provided in subparagraph (B), any domestic or foreign party in which an eligible cooperative association described in section 2129(a) of this title (including, for the purpose of facilitating its domestic business operations only, a cooperative or other entity described in section 2129(b)(1)(A) of this title) has an ownership interest, for the purpose of facilitating the domestic or foreign business operations of the association, except that if the ownership interest by an eligible cooperative association, or associations, is less than 50 percent, the financing shall be limited to the percentage held in the party by the association or associations. (B) A bank for cooperatives shall not use the authority provided in subparagraph (A)(ii) to provide financial assistance to a party for the purpose of financing the relocation of a plant or facility from the United States to another country. (3) A bank for cooperatives is authorized to provide such services as may be customary and normal in maintaining relationships with domestic or foreign entities to facilitate the activities specified in paragraphs (1) and (2), consistent with this chapter. (4) Definition of agricultural supply.—In this subsection, the term “agricultural supply” includes—(A) a farm supply; and (B)(i) agriculture-related processing equipment; (ii) agriculture-related machinery; and (iii) other capital goods related to the storage or handling of agricultural commodities or products. (c) Applicable policiesLoans, commitments, and assistance authorized by subsection (b) of this section shall be extended in accordance with policies adopted by the board of directors of the bank under regulations of the Farm Credit Administration. (d) Regulatory limitationsThe regulations of the Farm Credit Administration implementing subsection (b) of this section and other provisions of this subchapter relating to the authority under subsection (b) of this section may not confer upon the banks for cooperatives powers and authorities greater than those specified in this subchapter. The Farm Credit Administration shall, during the formulation of such regulations, closely consult on a continuing basis with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to insure that such regulations conform to national banking policies, objectives, and limitations. (e) Speculative futures transactionsNotwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, the banks for cooperatives shall not make or participate in loans or commitments for the purpose of financing speculative futures transactions by eligible borrowers in foreign currencies. (f) Installation, expansion, or improvement of water and waste disposal facilitiesThe banks for cooperatives may, for the purpose of installing, maintaining, expanding, improving, or operating water and waste disposal facilities in rural areas, make and participate in loans and commitments and extending other technical and financial assistance to—(1) cooperatives formed specifically for the purpose of establishing or operating such facilities; and (2) public and quasi-public agencies and bodies, and other public and private entities that, under authority of State or local law, establish or operate such facilities. For purposes of this subsection, the term “rural area” means all territory of a State that is not within the outer boundary of any city or town having a population of more than 20,000 based on the latest decennial census of the United States.

12 U.S.C. § 2129 Eligibility

(a) Any association of farmers, producers or harvesters of aquatic products, or any federation of such associations, which is operated on a cooperative basis, and has the powers for processing, preparing for market, handling, or marketing farm or aquatic products; or for purchasing, testing, grading, processing, distributing, or furnishing farm or aquatic supplies or furnishing farm or aquatic business services or services to eligible cooperatives and conforms to either of the two following requirements:(1) no member of the association is allowed more than one vote because of the amount of stock or membership capital he may own therein; or (2) does not pay dividends on stock or membership capital in excess of such per centum per annum as may be approved under regulations of the Farm Credit Administration; and in any case (3) does not deal in farm products or aquatic products, or products processed therefrom, farm or aquatic supplies, farm or aquatic business services, or services to eligible cooperatives with or for nonmembers in an amount greater in value than the total amount of such business transacted by it with or for members, excluding from the total of member and nonmember business transactions with the United States or any agency or instrumentality thereof or services or supplies furnished as a public utility; and (4) a percentage of the voting control of the association not less than 80 per centum (60 per centum (A) in the case of rural electric, telephone, public utility, and service cooperatives; (B) in the case of local farm supply cooperatives that have historically served needs of the community that would not adequately be served by other suppliers and have experienced a reduction in the percentage of farmer membership due to changed circumstances beyond their control such as, but not limited to, urbanization of the community; and (C) in the case of local farm supply cooperatives that provide or will provide needed services to a community and that are or will be in competition with a cooperative specified in paragraph (B)) or, with respect to any type of association or cooperative, such higher percentage as established by the bank board, is held by farmers, producers or harvesters of aquatic products, or eligible cooperative associations as defined herein; shall be eligible to borrow from a bank for cooperatives. Any such association that has received a loan from a bank for cooperatives shall, without regard to the requirements of paragraphs (1) through (4), continue to be eligible for so long as more than 50 percent (or such higher percentage as is established by the bank board) of the voting control of the association is held by farmers, producers or harvesters of aquatic products, or eligible cooperative associations. (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section:(1) The following entities shall also be eligible to borrow from a bank for cooperatives:(A) Cooperatives and other entities that have received a loan, loan commitment, or loan guarantee from the Rural Electrification Administration (or any successor agency), or that are eligible under the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 901 et seq.) for a loan, loan commitment, or loan guarantee from the Administration or the Bank (or a successor of the Administration or the Bank), and subsidiaries of such cooperatives or other entities. (B) Any legal entity that (i) holds more than 50 percent of the voting control of an association or other entity that is eligible to borrow from a bank for cooperatives under subsection (a) or subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, and (ii) borrows for the purpose of making funds available to that association or entity, and makes funds available to that association or entity under the same terms and conditions that the funds are borrowed from a bank for cooperatives. (C) Any cooperative or other entity described in subsection (b) or (f) of section 2128 of this title. (D) Any creditworthy private entity that satisfies the requirements for a service cooperative under paragraphs (1), (2), and (4), or under the last sentence, of subsection (a) and subsidiaries of the entity, if the entity is organized to benefit agriculture in furtherance of the welfare of its farmer-members and is operated on a not-for-profit basis. (2) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 2130 of this title, the board of directors of a bank for cooperatives may determine that, with respect to a loan to any borrower eligible to borrow from a bank under paragraph (1)(A) that is fully guaranteed by the United States, no stock purchase requirement shall apply, other than the requirement that a borrower eligible to own voting stock shall purchase one share of such stock. (3) Each association and other entity eligible to borrow from a bank for cooperatives under this subsection, for purposes of section 2128(a) of this title, shall be treated as an eligible cooperative association and a stockholder eligible to borrow from the bank. (4) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to adversely affect the eligibility, as it existed on January 6, 1988, of cooperatives and other entities for any other credit assistance under Federal law.

12 U.S.C. § 2130 Ownership of stock by borrowers

(a) Each borrower entitled to hold voting stock shall, at the time a loan is made by a bank for cooperatives, own at least one share of voting stock and shall be required by the bank to invest in additional voting stock or nonvoting investment stock at that time, or from time to time, as the lending bank may determine, but the requirement for investment in stock at the time the loan is closed shall not exceed an amount equal to 10 per centum of the face amount of the loan. Such additional ownership requirements may be based on the face amount of the loan, the outstanding loan balance or on a percentage of the interest payable by the borrower during any year or during any quarter thereof, or upon such other basis as the bank determines will provide adequate capital for the operation of the bank and equitable ownership thereof among borrowers. (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, the purchase of stock need not be required with respect to that part of any loan made by a bank for cooperatives which it sells to or makes in participation with financial institutions other than any of the banks for cooperatives. In such cases the distribution of earnings of the bank for cooperatives shall be on the basis of the interest in the loan retained by such bank.

12 U.S.C. § 2131 Loans

(a) Interest rates and chargesLoans made by a bank for cooperatives shall bear interest at a rate or rates determined by the board of directors of the bank from time to time. In setting rates and charges, it shall be the objective to provide the types of credit needed by eligible borrowers at the lowest reasonable cost on a sound business basis, taking into account the net cost of money to the bank, necessary reserves and expenses of the bank, and services provided. The loan documents may provide for the interest rate or rates to vary from time to time during the repayment period of the loan, in accordance with the rate or rates currently being charged by the bank. (b) SecurityLoans shall be made upon such terms, conditions, and security, if any, as may be determined by the bank in accordance with regulations of the Farm Credit Administration. (c) LienEach bank for cooperatives shall have a first lien on all stock or other equities in the bank as collateral for the payment of any indebtedness of the owner thereof to the bank. (d) Cancellation; application on indebtednessIn any case where the debt of a borrower is in default, or in any case of liquidation or dissolution of a present or former borrower from a bank for cooperatives, the bank may, but shall not be required to, retire and cancel all or a part of the stock, allocated surplus or contingency reserves, or any other equity in the bank owned by or allocated to such borrower, at the fair market value thereof not exceeding par, and, to the extent required in such cases, corresponding shares and allocations and other equity interests held by a bank in another bank for cooperatives (or any successor bank) on account of such indebtedness, shall be retired or equitably adjusted. In no event shall the bank’s equities be retired or canceled if the retirement or cancellation would adversely affect the bank’s capital structure, as determined by the Farm Credit Administration.

12 U.S.C. § 2132 Earnings and reserves; application of savings

(a) Application of savingsAt the end of each fiscal year, the net savings shall, under regulations prescribed by the Farm Credit Administration, continue to be applied on a cooperative basis with provision for sound, adequate capitalization to meet the changing financing needs of eligible cooperative borrowers and prudent corporate fiscal management, to the end that current year’s patrons carry their fair share of the capitalization, ultimate expenses, and reserves related to the year’s operations and the remaining net savings shall be distributed as patronage refunds as provided in subsection (b). Such regulations may provide for application of net savings to the restoration or maintenance of an allocated surplus account, reasonable additions to unallocated surplus, or to unallocated reserves after payment of operating expenses, and provide for allocations to patrons not qualified under title 26, or payment of such per centum of patronage refunds in cash, as the board may determine. (b) Patronage refundsThe net savings of each bank for cooperatives, after the earnings for the fiscal year have been applied in accordance with subsection (a) of this section shall be paid in stock, participation certificates, or cash, or in any of them, as determined by its board, as patronage refunds to borrowers to whom such refunds are payable who are borrowers of the fiscal year for which such patronage refunds are distributed. All patronage refunds shall be paid in proportion that the amount of interest and service fees on the loans to each borrower during the year bears to the interest and service fees on the loans of all borrowers during the year or on such other proportionate patronage basis as may be approved by the board of directors. (c) Loss carryoverIn the event of a net loss in any fiscal year after providing for all operating expenses (including reasonable valuation reserves and losses in excess of any applicable reserves), such loss may be carried forward or carried back, if appropriate, or otherwise shall be absorbed by charges to unallocated reserve or surplus accounts established after December 10, 1971; charges to allocated contingency reserve account; charges to allocated surplus accounts; charges to other contingency reserve and surplus accounts; the impairment of voting stock; or the impairment of all other stock. (d) Charge of unrecognized costs or expenses to reserve, surplus, or patronage allocationsNotwithstanding any other provisions of this section any costs or expenses attributable to a prior year or years but not recognized in determining the net savings for such year or years may be charged to reserves or surplus of the bank or to patronage allocations for such years, as may be determined by the board of directors. (e) Payment of patronage refunds in cashA bank for cooperatives may pay in cash such portion of its patronage refunds as will permit its taxable income to be determined without taking into account savings applied as allocated surplus, allocated contingency reserves, and patronage refunds under subsection (a) of this section.

12 U.S.C. § 2133 Distribution of assets on liquidation or dissolution

In the case of liquidation or dissolution of any bank for cooperatives, after payment or retirement, first, of all liabilities; second, of all capital stock issued before January 1, 1956, at par, and all nonvoting stock at par; and third, all voting stock at par; any surplus and reserves existing on January 1, 1956, shall be paid to the holders of stock issued before that date, and voting stock pro rata; and any remaining allocated surplus and reserves shall be distributed to those entities to which they are allocated on the books of the bank, and any other remaining surplus shall be paid to the holders of outstanding voting stock. If it should become necessary to use any surplus or reserves to pay any liabilities or to retire any capital stock, unallocated reserves or surplus, allocated reserves and surplus shall be exhausted in accordance with rules prescribed by the Farm Credit Administration.

12 U.S.C. § 2134 Taxation

Each bank for cooperatives and its obligations are instrumentalities of the United States and as such any and all notes, debentures, and other obligations issued by such bank shall be exempt, both as to principal and interest from all taxation (except surtaxes, estate, inheritance, and gift taxes) now or hereafter imposed by the United States or any State, territorial, or local taxing authority, except that interest on such obligations shall be subject to Federal income taxation in the hands of the holder.

12 U.S.C. § 2141 Charter, powers, and operation

(a) CharterThe National Bank for Cooperatives (hereinafter in this part referred to as the “consolidated bank”), established under section 413 of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1987, shall be a federally chartered instrumentality of the United States and an institution of the Farm Credit System. (b) PowersThe consolidated bank and the board of directors of such bank shall have all of the powers, rights, responsibilities, and obligations of the constituent banks described in section 413(b) of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1987 (12 U.S.C. 2121 note; Public Law 100–233) and the boards of directors of such banks, except as otherwise provided for in this chapter. (c) OperationThe consolidated bank shall be organized and operated on a cooperative basis.

12 U.S.C. § 2143 Credit delivery office

On a determination by the board of directors of the consolidated bank that the bank’s loan portfolio is concentrated in any one district or districts (according to the district boundaries in effect immediately prior to the effective date of the establishment of the bank under section 413 of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1987), the bank may consider the creation of regional service centers to accommodate such loan concentrations.

12 U.S.C. § 2144 Consolidation of functions

Subject to section 2143 of this title, to the greatest extent practicable, the functions of the consolidated bank shall be consolidated in the central office of the bank.

12 U.S.C. § 2145 Exchange of ownership interests

On the establishment of the consolidated bank, ownership interests of the stockholders and subscribers to the guaranty funds of the constituent district banks for cooperatives (including stock, participation certificates, and allocated equities) shall be exchanged for like ownership interests in the consolidated bank on a book value basis.

12 U.S.C. § 2146 Capitalization

In accordance with section 2154a of this title, each consolidated bank shall provide, through bylaws and subject to Farm Credit Administration regulations, for the capitalization of the bank and the manner in which bank stock shall be issued, held, transferred, and retired and bank earnings distributed.

12 U.S.C. § 2147 Patronage pools

Under such terms and conditions as may be determined by its board of directors, the consolidated bank may— (1) for a period of at least 3 years following January 6, 1988, establish separate patronage pools consisting of loans to eligible borrowers located in each constituent farm credit district (as such district existed on January 6, 1988); and (2) allocate revenues, expenses, and net savings among such pools on an equitable basis.

12 U.S.C. § 2148 Transactions to accomplish merger

The receipt of assets or assumption of liabilities by the consolidated bank, the exchange of stock, equities, or other ownership interests, and any other transaction carried out in accomplishing the merger of the banks for cooperatives shall not be treated as a taxable event under the laws of the United States or of any State or political subdivision thereof. The preceding sentence shall also apply to the receipt of assets and liabilities by a cooperative to the extent that the net amount of the distribution is immediately reinvested in stock of a consolidated bank (and in such case the basis of such stock shall be appropriately reduced by the amount of gain not recognized by reason of this sentence).

12 U.S.C. § 2149 Lending limits

The Farm Credit Administration may not establish lending limits for the consolidated bank with respect to any loans or borrowers that are more restrictive than the combined lending limits that were previously established by the Farm Credit Administration for the constituent banks described in section 413(b) of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1987 (12 U.S.C. 2121 note; Public Law 100–233) with respect to such loans or borrowers.

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