2012 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 36a - The Banking Law of Connecticut
Chapter 664c - Fundamental Changes Involving Banks, Branches, Automated Teller Machines, Home Banking and Bank Holding Companies
Section 36a-216 - (Formerly Sec. 36-22). Powers in case of financial distress.

(a) Whenever, in the opinion of the commissioner, general financial conditions are such that the public interest requires limitation on withdrawal of funds from Connecticut banks or Connecticut credit unions, or the assets of any Connecticut bank or Connecticut credit union are in such nonliquid condition that the interests of the depositors, share account holders or clients may be jeopardized, the commissioner may: (1) Order any one or more of such banks or credit unions to restrict all or any part of their business and limit or postpone for any length of time the payment of any amount or proportion of the deposits in any of the departments of such banks or credit unions as the commissioner deems necessary or expedient. The commissioner may regulate as to time and amount further payments as the interest of the public, of any such bank or credit union or of the depositors, share account holders, clients or creditors thereof may require. Any order made by the commissioner under this subdivision may be amended, extended or revoked in whole or in part, whenever in the commissioner’s judgment circumstances warrant or require; (2) authorize any such banks or credit unions to receive new deposits or share account payments which shall be designated as new deposits or share account payments, and shall be segregated from all other deposits or share account payments. Such new deposits or share account payments shall be invested only in assets approved by the commissioner as being sufficiently liquid to be available when needed to meet any demands on account of such new deposits or share account payments. Such assets shall not be merged with other assets but shall be held in trust for the security and payment of such new deposits or share account payments, except that income from such assets may, to the extent authorized by the commissioner, be used by the banks or credit unions for other proper purposes of such banks or credit unions; and the withdrawal of such new deposits or share account payments shall not be subjected in any respect to restriction or limitation under this section; (3) adopt such regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, as the commissioner deems advisable for the protection of any such bank or credit union or the depositors, share account holders, clients or creditors thereof. Any person who violates any provision of such regulations shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

(b) In determining action to be taken under this section, the commissioner may place such fair value on the assets of any such bank or credit union as the commissioner deems advisable under the conditions prevailing and circumstances relating thereto.

(c) Any costs and expenses incurred by the commissioner in the exercise of the powers given to the commissioner under this section shall be assessed by the commissioner against any bank or credit union in connection with which such costs and expenses were incurred and, when so assessed, shall be paid by such bank or credit union in addition to the annual assessment of expenses of the Department of Banking provided under section 36a-65.

(d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to give the commissioner authority to establish a maximum rate of dividends or interest on deposits or share accounts applying to a type of Connecticut bank or Connecticut credit union as a group.

(1949 Rev., S. 5745; P.A. 77-614, S. 161, 610; P.A. 78-121, S. 18, 113; P.A. 80-482, S. 242, 345, 348; P.A. 87-9, S. 2, 3; P.A. 88-65, S. 13, 51; P.A. 92-12, S. 11; P.A. 94-122, S. 91, 340; P.A. 02-73, S. 9; P.A. 04-136, S. 10.)

History: P.A. 77-614 replaced bank commissioner with banking commissioner and made banking department a division within the department of business regulation, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 78-121 removed private bankers and building associations from purview of section; P.A. 80-482 restored banking division as an independent department and abolished department of business regulation; (Revisor’s note: Pursuant to P.A. 87-9 “banking department” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “department of banking”); P.A. 88-65 amended Subsec. (1) by deleting references to industrial banks and amended Subsec. (4) by deleting a reference to the advisory council on banking; P.A. 92-12 redesignated Subsecs. and Subdivs. and made technical changes; P.A. 94-122 made technical changes, effective January 1, 1995; Sec. 36-22 transferred to Sec. 36a-216 in 1995; P.A. 02-73 added provisions throughout making section applicable to Connecticut credit unions, share account holders and share account payments, and made technical and conforming changes in Subsecs. (a) and (c); P.A. 04-136 amended Subsec. (a) to insert references to “clients” and make a technical change, effective May 12, 2004.