Supervision of savings associations

(a) Savings associations

(1) Examination and safe and sound operation

(A) Federal savings associations The Comptroller shall provide for the examination and safe and sound operation of Federal savings associations.

(B) State savings associations The Corporation shall provide for the examination and safe and sound operation of State savings associations.

(2) Regulations for savings associations The Comptroller may prescribe regulations with respect to savings associations, as the Comptroller determines to be appropriate to carry out the purposes of this chapter.

(3) Safe and sound housing credit to be encouraged The Comptroller and the Corporation shall exercise all powers granted to the Comptroller and the Corporation under this chapter so as to encourage savings associations to provide credit for housing safely and soundly.

(b) Accounting and disclosure

(1) In general The Comptroller shall, by regulation, prescribe uniform accounting and disclosure standards for savings associations, to be used in determining savings associations’ compliance with all applicable regulations.

(2) Specific requirements for accounting standards Subject to section 1464(t) of this title , the uniform accounting standards prescribed under paragraph (1) shall—

(A) incorporate generally accepted accounting principles to the same degree that such principles are used to determine compliance with regulations prescribed by the Federal banking agencies; and (B) allow for no deviation from full compliance with such standards as are in effect after December 31, 1993 .

(3) Authority to prescribe more stringent accounting standards The Comptroller may at any time prescribe accounting standards more stringent than required under paragraph (2) if the Comptroller determines that the more stringent standards are necessary to ensure the safe and sound operation of savings associations.

(d) Investment of certain funds in accounts of savings associations The savings accounts and share accounts of savings associations insured by the Corporation shall be lawful investments and may be accepted as security for all public funds of the United States, fiduciary and trust funds under the authority or control of the United States or any officer thereof, and for the funds of all corporations organized under the laws of the United States (subject to any regulatory authority otherwise applicable), regardless of any limitation of law upon the investment of any such funds or upon the acceptance of security for the investment or deposit of any of such funds.

(e) Participation by savings associations in lotteries and related activities

(1) Participation prohibited No savings association may—

(A) deal in lottery tickets;

(B) deal in bets used as a means or substitute for participation in a lottery;

(C) announce, advertise, or publicize the existence of any lottery; or (D) announce, advertise, or publicize the existence or identity of any participant or winner, as such, in a lottery.

(2) Use of facilities prohibited No savings association may permit—

(A) the use of any part of any of its own offices by any person for any purpose forbidden to the institution under paragraph (1); or (B) direct access by the public from any of its own offices to any premises used by any person for any purpose forbidden to the institution under paragraph (1).

(3) Definitions For purposes of this subsection—

(A) Deal in The term “deal in” includes making, taking, buying, selling, redeeming, or collecting.

(B) Lottery The term “lottery” includes any arrangement, other than a savings promotion raffle, under which—

(i) 3 or more persons (hereafter in this subparagraph referred to as the “participants”) advance money or credit to another in exchange for the possibility or expectation that 1 or more but not all of the participants (hereafter in this paragraph referred to as the “winners”) will receive by reason of those participants’ advances more than the amounts those participants have advanced; and (ii) the identity of the winners is determined by any means which includes—

(I) a random selection;

(II) a game, race, or contest; or (III) any record or tabulation of the result of 1 or more events in which any participant has no interest except for the bearing that event has on the possibility that the participant may become a winner.

(C) Lottery ticket The term “lottery ticket” includes any right, privilege, or possibility (and any ticket, receipt, record, or other evidence of any such right, privilege, or possibility) of becoming a winner in a lottery.

(D) Savings promotion raffle The term “savings promotion raffle” means a contest in which the sole consideration required for a chance of winning designated prizes is obtained by the deposit of a specified amount of money in a savings account or other savings program, where each ticket or entry has an equal chance of being drawn, such contest being subject to regulations that may from time to time be promulgated by the appropriate prudential regulator (as defined in section 5481 of this title ).

(4) Exception for State lotteries Paragraphs (1) and (2) shall not apply with respect to any savings association accepting funds from, or performing any lawful services for, any State operating a lottery, or any officer or employee of such a State who is charged with administering the lottery.

(5) Regulations The Comptroller shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to provide for enforcement of this subsection and to prevent any evasion of any provision of this subsection.

(f) Federally related mortgage loan disclosures A savings association may not make a federally related mortgage loan to an agent, trustee, nominee, or other person acting in a fiduciary capacity without requiring that the identity of the person receiving the beneficial interest of such loan shall at all times be revealed to the savings association. At the request of the appropriate Federal banking agency, the savings association shall report to the appropriate Federal banking agency the identity of such person and the nature and amount of the loan.

(g) Preemption of State usury laws

(1) Notwithstanding any State law, a savings association may charge interest on any extension of credit at a rate of not more than 1 percent in excess of the discount rate on 90-day commercial paper in effect at the Federal Reserve bank in the Federal Reserve district in which such savings association is located or at the rate allowed by the laws of the State in which such savings association is located, whichever is greater.

(2) If the rate prescribed in paragraph (1) exceeds the rate such savings association would be permitted to charge in the absence of this subsection, the receiving or charging a greater rate of interest than that prescribed by paragraph (1), when knowingly done, shall be deemed a forfeiture of the entire interest which the extension of credit carries with it, or which has been agreed to be paid thereon. If such greater rate of interest has been paid, the person who paid it may recover, in a civil action commenced in a court of appropriate jurisdiction not later than 2 years after the date of such payment, an amount equal to twice the amount of the interest paid from the savings association taking or receiving such interest.