BANKING ACT OF 1933
Chapter 89 of the 73rd Congress, as amended
BANKING ACT OF 1933
ch89
106–569
Statute Compilation
United States House of Representatives
Office of the Legislative Counsel
text/xml
EN
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Banking Act of 1933
255
73
1933-06-16
BANKING ACT OF 1933
[Chapter 89 of the 73rd Congress]
[Enacted June 16, 1933; 48 Stat. 162]
[As Amended Through P.L. 106–569, Enacted December 27, 2000]
[Currency: This publication is a compilation of the text of Chapter 89 of the 73rd Congress. It was last amended by the public law listed in the As Amended Through note above and below at the bottom of each page of the pdf version and reflects current law through the date of the enactment of the public law listed at https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/comps/]
[Note: While this publication does not represent an official version of any Federal statute, substantial efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of its contents. The official version of Federal law is found in the United States Statutes at Large and in the United States Code. The legal effect to be given to the Statutes at Large and the United States Code is established by statute (1 U.S.C. 112, 204).]

AN ACT
To provide for the safer and more effective use of the assets of banks, to regulate interbank control, to prevent the undue diversion of funds into speculative operations, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
That the short title of this Act shall be the “Banking Act of 1933.”
Sec. 2.
[12 U.S.C. 221a]
As used in this Act and in any provision of law amended by this Act—
(a)
The terms “banks”“national bank”, “national banking association”, “member bank”, “board”, “district”, and “reserve bank” shall have the meanings assigned to them in section 1 of the Federal Reserve Act, as amended.
(b)
Except where otherwise specifically provided, the term “affiliate” shall include any corporation, business trust, association, or other similar organization—
(1)1
Of which a member bank, directly or indirectly, owns or controls either a majority of the voting shares or more than 50 per centum of the number of shares voted for the election of its directors, trustees, or other persons exercising similar functions at the preceding election, or controls in any manner the election of a majority of its directors, trustees, or other persons exercising similar functions; or2
^1
Indentation so in original. The first letter of the first word in paragraphs (1) through (4) probably should be lower case.
^2
So in original. The word “or” probably should not appear.
(2)1
Of which control is held, directly or indirectly, through stock ownership or in any other manner, by the shareholders of a member bank who own or control either a majority of the shares of such bank or more than 50 per centum of the number of shares voted for the election of directors of such bank at the preceding election, or by trustees for the benefit of the shareholders of any such bank; or2
(3)1
Of which a majority of its directors, trustees, or other persons exercising similar functions are directors of any one member bank; or
(4)1
Which owns or controls, directly or indirectly, either a majority of the shares of capital stock of a member bank or more than 50 per centum of the number of shares voted for the election of directors of a member bank at the preceding election, or controls in any manner the election of a majority of the directors of a member bank, or for the benefit of whose shareholders or members all or substantially all the capital stock of a member bank is held by trustees.
[Subsection (c) repealed. Section 13(b) of P.L. 89–485, 80 Stat. 236.]
[Secs. 3–19 amend other Acts.]
[Sec. 20 repealed by section 101(a) of P.L. 106–102, 113 Stat. 1341.]
Sec. 21.
[12 U.S.C. 378]
(a)
After the expiration of one year after the date of enactment of this Act it shall be unlawful—
(1)
For any person, firm, corporation, association, business trust, or other similar organization, engaged in the business of issuing, underwriting, selling, or distributing, at wholesale or retail, or through syndicate participation, stocks, bonds, debentures, notes, or other securities, to engage at the same time to any extent whatever in the business of receiving deposits subject to check or to repayment upon presentation of a passbook, certificate of deposit, or other evidence of debt, or upon request of the depositor: Provided, That the provisions of this paragraph shall not prohibit national banks or State banks or trust companies (whether or not members of the Federal Reserve System) or other financial institutions or private bankers from dealing in, underwriting, purchasing, and selling investment securities, or issuing securities, to the extent permitted to national banking associations by the provisions of section 5136 of the Revised Statutes, as amended (U.S.C. title 12, sec. 24; Supp. VII, title 12, sec. 24): Provided further, That nothing in this paragraph shall be construed as affecting in any way such right as any bank, banking association, savings bank, trust company, or other banking institution, may otherwise possess to sell, without recourse or agreement to repurchase, obligations evidencing loans on real estate; or
(2)
For any person, firm, corporation, association, business trust, or other similar organization to engage, to any extent whatever with others than his or its officers, agents or employees, in the business of receiving deposits subject to check or to repayment upon presentation of a pass book, certificate of deposit, or other evidence of debt, or upon request of the depositor, unless such person, firm, corporation, association, business trust, or other similar organization (A) shall be incorporated under, and authorized to engage in such business by, the laws of the United States or of any State, Territory, or District, and subjected, by the laws of the United States, or of the State, Territory, or District wherein located, to examination and regulation, or (B) shall be permitted by the United States, any State, territory, or district to engage in such business and shall be subjected by the laws of the United States, or such State, territory, or district to examination and regulations or, (C) shall submit to periodic examination by the banking authority of the State Territory, or District where such business is carried on and shall make and publish periodic reports of its condition, exhibiting in detail its resources and liabilities, such examination and reports to be made and published at the same times and in the same manner and under the same conditions as required by the law of such State, Territory, District in the case of incorporated banking institutions engaged in such business in the same locality.
(b)
Whoever shall willfully violate any of the provisions of this section shall upon conviction be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both, and any officer, director, employee, or agent of any person, firm, corporation, association, business trust, or other similar organization who knowingly participates in any such violation shall be punished by a like fine or imprisonment or both.
Sec. 22.
[12 U.S.C. 64a]
The additional liability imposed upon shareholders in national banking associations by the provisions of section 5151 of the Revised Statutes, as amended, and section 23 of the Federal Reserve Act, as amended (U.S.C., title 12, secs. 63 and 64),3 shall not apply with respect to shares in any such association issued after the date of enactment of this Act. Such additional liability shall cease on July 1, 1937, with respect to all shares issued by any association which shall be transacting the business of banking on July 1, 1937. Provided, That not less than six months prior to such date, such association shall have caused notice of such prospective termination of liability to be published in a newspaper published in the city, town, or county in which such association is located, and if no newspaper is published in such city, town, or county, then in a newspaper of general circulation therein. If the association fail4 to give such notice as and when above provided, a termination of such additional liability may thereafter be accomplished as of the date six month5 subsequent to publication, in the manner above provided. In the case of each association which has not caused notice of such prospective termination of liability to be published prior to the effective date of this amendment, the Comptroller of the Currency shall cause such notice to be published in the manner provided in this section, and on the date six months subsequent to such publication by the Comptroller of the Currency such additional liability shall cease.
^3
Section 5151 of the Revised Statutes and section 23 of the Federal Reserve Act were repealed by section 7 of P.L. 86–230, 73 Stat. 457.
^4
So in original. Probably should be “fails”.
^5
So in original. Probably should be “months”.
[Secs. 23–28 amend other Acts.]
Sec. 29.
[12 U.S.C. 197a]
In any case in which, in the opinion of the Comptroller of the Currency, it would be to the advantage of the depositors and unsecured creditors of any national banking association whose business has been closed, for such association to resume business upon the retention by the association, for a reasonable period to be prescribed by the Comptroller, of all or any part of its deposits, the Comptroller is authorized, in his discretion, to permit the association to resume business if depositors and unsecured creditors of the association representing at least 75 per centum of its total deposit and unsecured credit liabilities consent in writing to such retention of deposits. Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect in any manner any powers of the Comptroller under the provisions of law in force on the date of enactment of this Act with respect to the reorganization of national banking associations.
[Sec. 30 was repealed.]
Sec. 31.
[12 U.S.C. 71a]
After one year from the date of enactment of this Act, notwithstanding any other provision of law, the board of directors, board of trustees, or other similar governing body of every national banking association and of every State bank or trust company which is a member of the Federal Reserve System shall consist of not less than five nor more than twenty-five members, except that the Comptroller of the Currency may, by regulation or order, exempt a national bank from the 25-member limit established by this section. If any national banking association violates the provisions of this section and continues such violation after thirty days' notice from the Comptroller of the Currency, the said Comptroller may appoint a receiver or conservator therefor, in accordance with the provisions of existing law. If any State bank or trust company which is a member of the Federal Reserve System violates the provisions of this section and continues such violation after thirty days' notice from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, it shall be subject to the forfeiture of its membership in the Federal Reserve System in accordance with the provisions of section 9 of the Federal Reserve Act, as amended.
[Sec. 32 repealed by section 101(b) of P.L. 106–102, 113 Stat. 1341]
[Sec. 33 amend another Act.]
Sec. 34.
The right to alter, amend, or repeal this Act is hereby expressly reserved. If any provision of this Act, or the application thereof to any person or circumstances, is held invalid, the remainder of the Act, and the application of such provision to other persons or circumstances, shall not be affected thereby.