A. This section may be cited as the "Bank Holding Company Section" and shall have for its purpose the maintenance of competitive services between banks by limiting the expansion of bank holding companies and similar organizations. It is deemed to be in the public interest that competition prevail in the banking system in the State of Oklahoma and to that end that the independence of unit banks be preserved. Further, it shall be the policy of this state to oppose any attempt by any bank holding company to acquire control of any bank located in this state if such acquisition would result in a monopoly or in an attempt to monopolize the business of banking in this state.

B. A company may be a multibank holding company and have direct or indirect ownership or control of two or more banks or bank holding companies, subject to the deposit limitation provided for in subsection C of this section. However, except as specifically permitted in this Code, all forms of direct or indirect ownership or control of banks, bank holding companies, and multibank holding companies by any out-of-state bank or out-of-state bank holding company shall be prohibited.

C. It shall be unlawful for a multibank holding company or an out-of-state bank or bank holding company to acquire direct or indirect ownership or control of any insured depository institution located in this state if the acquisition results in any such holding company or bank having direct or indirect ownership or control of insured depository institutions located in this state, the total deposits of which at the time of the acquisition exceed twenty percent (20%) of the total amount of deposits of insured depository institutions located in this state as determined by the State Banking Commissioner on the basis of the most recent reports of such institutions to their supervisory authorities which are available at the time of the proposed acquisition or to acquire direct or indirect control of any insured depository institution in this state after such multibank holding company or an out-of-state bank or bank holding company has reached or exceeded the twenty percent (20%) threshold as provided in this subsection. Acquisitions of other multibank holding companies shall not be exempt from this limitation.

D. The deposit limitation provided for in subsection C of this section shall not apply in the following circumstances:

1. Control of a bank by reason of ownership or control of shares acquired by a bank or by a bank holding company in good faith in a fiduciary capacity, except where such shares are held for the benefit of the shareholders of such bank or such bank holding company; or

2. Control of a bank by reason of ownership or control of shares acquired by a bank or by a bank holding company in the regular course of securing or collecting a debt previously contracted in good faith.

E. A bank holding company or a multibank holding company may apply for and obtain an interim charter to organize an interim state bank for the purpose of facilitating the creation of a bank holding company, or acquiring or merging with an existing bank in accordance with the provisions of Section 502.1 of this title or the laws of the United States.

F. A national bank in this state, bank holding company, or multibank holding company seeking to acquire a state bank or national bank in this state, or a nonbanking company that submits an application for approval of such acquisition to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System pursuant to the provisions of Sections 1841 et seq. of Title 12 of the United States Code Annotated shall also submit a copy of such application to the Board.

G. The district court shall have jurisdiction to determine all questions of compliance with the provisions of this section, except such jurisdiction shall not apply to actions of the Board or proceedings before the Board conducted pursuant to the Banking Code. The decision of the district court shall be appealable to the Supreme Court in the same manner as in other civil cases.

H. 1. Each bank holding company, multibank holding company and out-of-state bank holding company which directly or indirectly owns, controls, or has power to vote twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the voting shares of one or more banks shall furnish a copy of the annual report of the operations of the holding company which is submitted to the Federal Reserve Bank for each fiscal year to the Commissioner.

2. The books and records of each bank holding company of state-chartered banks are subject to inspection and examination by the Commissioner.

Added by Laws 1965, c. 161, § 502. Amended by Laws 1983, c. 221, § 3, operative Oct. 1, 1983; Laws 1985, c. 3, § 1, emerg. eff. Feb. 22, 1985; Laws 1985, c. 331, § 3, emerg. eff. July 29, 1985; Laws 1986, c. 155, § 1, emerg. eff. May 7, 1986; Laws 1988, c. 166, § 5, emerg. eff. May 24, 1988; Laws 1989, c. 293, § 1, emerg. eff. May 24, 1989; Laws 1993, c. 183, § 9, eff. July 1, 1993; Laws 1996, c. 92, § 7, eff. June 1, 1996; Laws 1996, c. 310, § 3, eff. July 1, 1996; Laws 1997, c. 120, § 2; Laws 1997, c. 404, § 2, eff. Aug. 29, 1997; Laws 2000, c. 205, § 20, emerg. eff. May 17, 2000.

NOTE: Laws 1997, c. 111, § 55 repealed by Laws 1997, c. 404, § 10, eff. Aug. 29, 1997.