§338a. Investments to promote public welfare and community development; limitation on investments

State member banks may make investments designed primarily to promote the public welfare, including the welfare of low- and moderate-income communities or families (such as by providing housing, services, or jobs), to the extent permissible under State law, and subject to such restrictions and requirements as the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System may prescribe by regulation or order. A bank shall not make any such investment if the investment would expose the bank to unlimited liability. The Board shall limit a bank's investments in any 1 project and ¹ bank's aggregate investments under this paragraph. A bank's aggregate investments under this paragraph shall not exceed an amount equal to the sum of 5 percent of the bank's capital stock actually paid in and unimpaired and 5 percent of the bank's unimpaired surplus fund, unless the Board determines by order that the higher amount will pose no significant risk to the affected deposit insurance fund, and the bank is adequately capitalized. In no case shall a bank's aggregate investments under this paragraph exceed an amount equal to the sum of 10 percent of the bank's capital stock actually paid in and unimpaired and 10 percent of the bank's unimpaired surplus fund.

(Dec. 23, 1913, ch. 6, §9 (par.), as added Pub. L. 102–485, §6(b), Oct. 23, 1992, 106 Stat. 2774 ; amended Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title II, §2704(d)(8), Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009–489 .)

Amendment of Section

Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title II, §2704(c), (d)(8), Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009–487 , 3009-489, provided that, effective Jan. 1, 1999, if no insured depository institution is a savings association on that date, this section is amended in the 4th sentence, by substituting "Deposit Insurance Fund" for "affected deposit insurance fund".

Codification

Section is comprised of the twenty-third par. of section 9 of act Dec. 23, 1913, as amended. For further details, see Codification note set out under section 321 of this title.

Effective Date of 1996 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 104–208 effective Jan. 1, 1999, if no insured depository institution is a savings association on that date, see section 2704(c) of Pub. L. 104–208, set out as a note under section 1821 of this title.

¹ So in original. Probably should be "and a".