Section 7-1-261. Additional operational powers

   Banks and trust companies shall, in addition, have the power:

   (1) To act as agent of the United States or any public body thereof for the sale or issue of bonds, notes, or other obligations of the United States, or those for which the full faith and credit of the United States is pledged, and to grant security interests in its assets for the faithful performance of its duties as agent;

   (2) To receive for safekeeping or to rent out receptacles or safe-deposit boxes for the deposit of papers and other personal property;

   (3) To grant security interests in their assets for borrowings authorized by this chapter and to dispose of their assets in the same manner as corporations generally;

   (4) To give bond in any proceeding in any court in which they are a party or upon any appeal in any such proceeding and to secure such bond;

   (5) To acquire and hold real property to the extent permitted by Code Sections 7-1-262, 7-1-282, and 7-1-286;

   (6) To acquire and hold stocks and investment securities subject, in the case of banks, to the restrictions of Code Sections 7-1-287 and 7-1-288 and, in the case of trust institutions, to the restrictions of Code Section 7-1-312;

   (7) To acquire and hold personal property necessary in the exercise of powers conferred by this chapter;

   (8) To acquire and hold any property in order to avoid loss on an evidence of indebtedness, agreement for the payment of money, or an investment security previously acquired lawfully and in good faith subject to the restrictions of Code Section 7-1-263;

   (9) To hold property lawfully held on April 1, 1975, irrespective of any restriction or limitation in this chapter, subject to the inclusion of any such property in any computation of limitation on the acquisition of property of like character under this chapter;

   (10) To enter into an agency relationship as defined in Code Section 7-1-4 subject to restrictions and qualifications prescribed by regulations of the department; and

   (11) To have and exercise all powers necessary, convenient, or incidental to effect any and all purposes for which the bank or trust company and its subsidiaries and affiliates is organized, provided that the commissioner may establish approval procedures by regulation for additional powers as needed to satisfy the objectives of this chapter. Powers shall include but not be limited to: sale of securities, annuities, and other investment products upon the order of and for the account of its customers, subject to applicable federal or state securities requirements; sale of insurance subject to state insurance laws, regulations, and licensing requirements, applicable federal laws, and departmental regulations and policies; sale or lease of excess computer capacity; expansion of customer services through the use of technology; other powers including those bank and trust powers authorized to subsidiaries of the bank or trust company pursuant to subparagraph (c)(2)(F) of Code Section 7-1-288; and other such powers to carry on banking, trust, or other activities determined by the commissioner to be financial in nature or incident or complementary to such financial activities and consistent with the objectives of this chapter and the regulations of the department.

Ga. L. 1898, p. 78, § 3; Civil Code 1910, § 2817; Ga. L. 1917, p. 56, § 1; Ga. L. 1919, p. 135, art. 17, § 1; Ga. L. 1920, p. 76, § 1; Code 1933, §§ 13-1801, 109-201; Code 1933, § 13-1802, enacted by Ga. L. 1968, p. 1044, § 1; Code 1933, § 41A-1202, enacted by Ga. L. 1974, p. 705, § 1; Ga. L. 1983, p. 602, § 4; Ga. L. 1989, p. 1249, § 2; Ga. L. 1995, p. 673, § 12; Ga. L. 1996, p. 6, § 7; Ga. L. 1997, p. 485, § 11; Ga. L. 2000, p. 174, § 4.