12 U.S.C. § 1761c (BANKS AND BANKING)
§ 1761c. Credit committee
(a) Members; meetings; lines of credit and approval of loans; delegation to loan officers
If the bylaws provide for a credit committee, then pursuant to the provisions of the bylaws, the board of directors may appoint or the members may elect a credit committee which shall consist of an odd number of members of the credit union, but which shall not include more than one loan officer. The method used shall be set forth in the bylaws. The credit committee shall hold such meetings as the business of the Federal credit union may require, not less frequently than once a month, to consider applications for loans or lines of credit. Reasonable notice of such meetings shall be given to all members of the committee. Except for those loans or lines of credit required to be approved by the board of directors in section 1757(5) of this title, approval of an application shall be by majority of the committee who are present at the meeting at which it is considered provided that a majority of the full committee is present. The credit committee may appoint and delegate to loan officers the authority to approve applications.
(b) Review and reversal of loan refusals; review by board in lieu of committee; limitation on disbursements by loan officers
If the bylaws provide for a credit committee, all applications not approved by the loan officer shall be reviewed by the credit committee, and the approval of a majority of the members who are present at the meeting when such review is undertaken shall be required to reverse the loan officer’s decision provided a majority of the full committee is present. If there is not a credit committee, a member shall have the right upon written request of review by the board of directors of a loan application which has been denied. No individual shall have authority to disburse funds of the Federal credit union with respect to any loan or line of credit for which the application has been approved by him in his capacity as a loan officer.
(June 26, 1934, ch. 750, title I, § 114, formerly § 15, as added Pub. L. 86–354, § 1, Sept. 22, 1959, 73 Stat. 633; amended Pub. L. 88–353, § 4, July 2, 1964, 78 Stat. 269; Pub. L. 90–188, § 1, Dec. 13, 1967, 81 Stat. 567; Pub. L. 90–375, § 1(5), July 5, 1968, 82 Stat. 284; Pub. L. 91–206, § 2(1), Mar. 10, 1970, 84 Stat. 49; renumbered title I, § 114, Pub. L. 91–468, § 1(2), Oct. 19, 1970, 84 Stat. 994; amended Pub. L. 95–22, title III, § 304, Apr. 19, 1977, 91 Stat. 51; Pub. L. 95–630, title V, § 502(b), Nov. 10, 1978, 92 Stat. 3681; Pub. L. 97–320, title V, § 523, Oct. 15, 1982, 96 Stat. 1533.)
heading: Editorial Notes
heading: Prior Provisions
text: Provisions similar to those comprising this section were contained in section 11(d) of act June 26, 1934, ch. 750, 48 Stat. 1219 (formerly classified to section 1761(d) of this title), prior to the amendment and renumbering of act June 26, 1934 by Pub. L. 86–354.
heading: Amendments
text: 1982—Pub. L. 97–320 designated existing provisions as subsecs. (a) and (b), in subsec. (a) as so designated, inserted provisions relating to the membership of the committee and provisions requiring the majority of the full committee to be present for votes on lines of credit, struck out provision requiring each loan officer to report his action on an application in seven days of its filing, in subsec. (b) as so designated, inserted provisions relating to the number of members needed to reverse a loan officer’s decision and provision for the case where there is no credit committee, and thereafter struck out provisions that not more than one member of the committee might be appointed as a loan officer, that applications for loans and lines of credit be made on forms prepared by such committee which set forth the security, if any, and such other data as required, that no loan may be made to any member if, upon the making of that loan, the member would have been indebted to the Federal credit union upon loans made to him in an aggregate amount which would exceed 10 per centum of the credit union’s unimpaired capital and surplus, and that for the purposes of this section an assignment of shares or the endorsement of a note would be deemed security and, subject to such regulations as the Board prescribed, insurance obtained under title I of the National Housing Act [12 U.S.C. 1702 et seq.] would be deemed adequate security.
1978—Pub. L. 95–630 substituted “Board” for “Administrator”.
1977—Pub. L. 95–22 substituted “loans and lines of credit” for “loans” in three places, “Except for those loans or lines of credit required to be approved by the board of directors in section 1757(5) of this title, approval of an application shall be” for “No loan shall be made unless it is approved”, “application approved” for “loan approved”, “applications not approved” for “loans not approved”, and “with respect to any loan or line of credit for which the application” for “for any loan which” and struck out “the purpose for which the loan is desired” after “which shall set forth”, “$200 or” after “amount which would exceed”, “whichever is greater” after “capital and surplus”, and provision relating to requirement that no unsecured loan be made to a member which would make the member indebted to the Federal credit union in excess of a specified amount.
1970—Pub. L. 91–206 substituted “Administrator” for “Director”.
1968—Pub. L. 90–375 substituted provisions which increased the unsecured loan limit, in the case of a credit union whose unimpaired capital and surplus is less than $8,000 to $200, and, in the case of any other credit union to $2,500 or 2½% of the unimpaired capital and surplus, whichever is less, for provisions which authorized credit unions to make unsecured loans of $750 or 10% of their unimpaired capital and surplus, whichever is smaller.
1967—Pub. L. 90–188 struck out “up to the unsecured limit, or in excess of such limit if such excess is fully secured by unpledged shares” from end of provision that credit committees may appoint one or more loan officers, and delegate to him or them the power to approve loans.
1964—Pub. L. 88–353 inserted “and, subject to such regulations as the Director may prescribe, insurance obtained under title I of the National Housing Act shall be deemed adequate security”.
heading: Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
heading: Effective Date of 1978 Amendment
text: Amendment by Pub. L. 95–630 effective on expiration of 120 days after Nov. 10, 1978, and transitional provisions, see section 509 of Pub. L. 95–630 set out as a note under section 1752 of this title.