Section 7-1-293. Savings banks and state savings and loan associations

   (a) A bank desiring to be accorded treatment under this chapter as a savings bank or state savings and loan association shall so state in its articles.

(b) A savings bank or a state savings and loan association may apply to the department for permission to relinquish its status as a savings bank or state savings and loan association and become a commercial bank by filing an appropriate amendment to its articles. The department may exercise its discretion in determining whether to approve such a change and shall consider in connection therewith the same criteria considered in approving the original articles of incorporation.

(c) A savings bank shall provide its depositors with deposit insurance coverage pursuant to those deposit insurance provisions of this chapter applicable to commercial banks. A state savings and loan association shall provide its depositors, but not its shareholders, with deposit insurance coverage pursuant to those deposit insurance provisions of this chapter applicable to building and loan associations.
   (d)(1) Unless specifically exempt therein, all rules and regulations promulgated by the department and applicable to commercial banks shall be applicable to a savings bank.

   (2) The commissioner shall not approve an application of a financial institution requesting conversion to a commercial bank or a mutual savings bank unless such financial institution divests itself of all branches which were not lawfully established and in existence prior to July 1, 1996, or which do not conform with the branch banking laws of this state if established on or after July 1, 1996. Any federal mutual savings bank or federal mutual savings and loan association with a banking location in Georgia prior to July 1, 1996, which converts to a state charter, shall be entitled to retain the banking locations lawfully established in Georgia which conform to the limitations of this subsection.

(e) The conversion, merger, or consolidation of a federal savings and loan association or federal savings bank, including a federal mutual savings and loan association or federal mutual savings bank, shall be accomplished pursuant to the same procedures as are prescribed in this chapter for a conversion, merger, or consolidation involving a national bank, provided that any federal mutual savings bank or federal mutual savings and loan association converting to a Georgia mutual savings bank must have been in existence on January 1, 1997, and must have had its main office in the State of Georgia; and provided, further, that the approval of such conversion by the members of such association or bank shall be by such vote as is required in the articles of association and bylaws of such association or bank. A federal mutual savings and loan association or federal mutual savings bank shall upon conversion be and be known as a mutual savings bank. Conversion of a building and loan association into a savings bank or state savings and loan association may be made with the approval of the department and an appropriate amendment of the articles of incorporation of the association. In considering any plan for the conversion, merger, or consolidation of a federal savings and loan association or federal savings bank or conversion of a building and loan association, the department shall not approve the plan unless it is satisfied that such plan is fair and equitable to all borrowers, depositors, and shareholders.
   (f)(1) The conversion, merger, or consolidation of a federal mutual savings and loan association holding company or federal mutual savings bank holding company shall be accomplished pursuant to the same procedures as are prescribed in this chapter for a conversion, merger, or consolidation involving a national bank, provided that the approval of such conversion shall be by such vote of the members of such holding company as is required in the articles of association and bylaws of such holding company but shall be further conditioned upon the conversion of the federal savings and loan association or federal savings bank subsidiary of such holding company to a savings bank contemporaneously with the holding company's conversion.

   (2) A state mutual savings bank holding company shall be subject to all of the rules and regulations of the department as if it were a commercial bank organized under this chapter, provided that it shall be authorized to own the stock of a savings bank subsidiary.

(g) With respect to the corporate governance of a mutual savings bank or mutual savings bank holding company, the members of the savings bank or holding company as defined in the articles of association, subject to the approval of the department, shall be the equivalent of the shareholders of a commercial bank or bank holding company having such rights, preferences, and powers and subject to such limitations as may be contained in the rules and regulations of the department and in the articles of association and bylaws of the savings bank or holding company approved by the department.

(h) Except as provided therein, Article 1 of this chapter and all other parts of this article shall apply to all mutual savings banks, savings banks, and state savings and loan associations.

(i) Unless otherwise provided, the provisions of Part 18 of this article applicable to bank holding companies shall be applicable to mutual savings bank holding companies and unless specifically exempt therein, all rules and regulations promulgated by the department applicable to bank holding companies shall be applicable to mutual savings bank holding companies.

(j) In the event that a federal mutual savings and loan association or federal mutual savings bank upon conversion to a savings bank would own or hold assets or engage in any business that would not be allowable for a commercial bank, then the plan of conversion presented to the department shall include a plan for disposal of such assets or the termination of such nonconforming business within a reasonable time but in no event longer than four years from the date of the conversion.

Code 1933, § 41A-1314, enacted by Ga. L. 1974, p. 705, § 1; Ga. L. 1981, p. 1566, § 2; Ga. L. 1982, p. 3, § 7; Ga. L. 1982, p. 1781, § 1; Ga. L. 1983, p. 602, § 9; Ga. L. 1987, p. 1586, § 5; Ga. L. 1988, p. 13, § 7; Ga. L. 1992, p. 6, § 7; Ga. L. 1997, p. 485, § 13.