Section 7-1-37. Restrictions on commissioner, deputy commissioners, and examiners

   (a) Except as provided in subsections (c), (d), and (e) of this Code section, the commissioner, any deputy commissioner, any department employee with financial institution or licensee supervisory responsibilities, or any examiner employed by the department shall not directly or indirectly:

   (1) Receive any money or property as a loan from or become indebted to any financial institution or from or to any director, officer, agent, employee, attorney, or subsidiary of a financial institution;

   (2) Receive any money or property as a gift from any financial institution or from any director, officer, agent, employee, attorney, or subsidiary of a financial institution, unless consistent with the ethics in government policy of this state;

   (3) Give any money or property as a gift to any financial institution or to any director, officer, agent, employee, attorney or subsidiary of a financial institution, unless consistent with the ethics in government policy of this state;

   (4) Own any share in or securities of a financial institution or otherwise have an ownership interest in a financial institution; or

   (5) Engage in the business of a financial institution.

(b) For purposes of this Code section and subject to subsection (c) of this Code section, the term "financial institution" shall include a bank holding company and any subsidiary of a bank holding company.

(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this Code section, the commissioner, any deputy commissioner, any department employee with financial institution or licensee supervisory responsibilities, or examiners employed by the department may borrow money from and otherwise deal with any financial institution or subsidiary thereof existing under the laws of the United States or of any state other than this state, provided the obligee financial institution or subsidiary is not examined or regulated by the department. For the purposes of this subsection, a financial institution shall not be considered regulated solely because it is required to file an exemption from licensing under Code Section 7-1-1001 or solely because it is owned or controlled by another bank or corporation which is or may be examined or regulated by the department. All extensions of credit, including but not limited to such permitted loans, which obligate the commissioner or any deputy commissioner to such a financial institution or subsidiary, directly or contingently by way of guaranty, endorsement, or otherwise, or which renew or modify existing obligations shall be reported by the individual concerned to the Attorney General in writing, within ten days after the execution thereof, showing the nature of the undertaking and the amount and terms of the loan or other transaction. All credit obligations of a similar nature to those set forth above on the part of any other department employee with financial institution or licensee supervisory responsibilities or examiner shall be reported to the commissioner within ten days after the execution thereof.

(d) Nothing in this Code section shall prohibit the commissioner, any deputy commissioner, any department employee with financial institution or licensee supervisory responsibilities, or any examiner of the department from maintaining a deposit in any financial institution, purchasing banking services other than credit services, or owning a single share in a credit union in the ordinary course of business and under rates and terms generally available to other customers of the financial institution. The provisions of this Code section shall not be applicable in the cases of a lender credit card obligation to a financial institution where the maximum outstanding credit may not exceed $10,000.00 nor to any other credit obligation fully secured by the pledge of a deposit account in the lending institution, provided that the financial institution is not within the employee's assigned examination authority and provided the rates and terms of all such obligations are not preferential in comparison to similar obligations of the financial institution's other customers. Such exempt obligations shall, however, be reported as provided in subsection (c) of this Code section, and the employee shall be disqualified from any dealings with the obligee financial institution.

(e) (1) The commissioner, a deputy commissioner, a department employee with financial institution or licensee supervisory responsibilities, or an examiner of the department may be permitted to own securities of a financial institution under any of the following circumstances:

      (A) A deputy commissioner, a department employee with financial institution or licensee supervisory responsibilities, or an examiner of the department may own such a security if the security was obtained prior to commencement of employment with the department;

      (B) A deputy commissioner, a department employee with financial institution or licensee supervisory responsibilities, or an examiner of the department may own such a security if the ownership of the security was acquired through inheritance; gift; stock split or dividend; merger, acquisition, or other change in corporate structure; or otherwise without specific intent on the part of the employee to acquire the interest; and

      (C) The commissioner, a deputy commissioner, a department employee with financial institution or licensee supervisory responsibilities, or an examiner of the department may own such a security if the security is part of an investment fund, provided that, upon initial or subsequent investment by the employee, excluding ordinary dividend reinvestment, the fund does not have invested, or indicate in its prospectus the intent to invest, more than 30 percent of its assets in the securities of one or more Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insured depository institutions or Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insured depository institution holding companies and the employee neither exercises control nor has the ability to exercise control over the financial interests held in the fund.

   (2) In the case of permissible acquisitions pursuant to subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1) of this subsection, the employee shall make a full, written disclosure to the commissioner within 30 days of beginning employment or acquiring the interest. The employee is disqualified from participating in or sharing information regarding any matter or activity that concerns the financial institution. Such disqualification must not, in the judgment of the commissioner, unduly interfere with the employee's duties.

   (3) In the event any covered person inadvertently and without intent on his or her part acquires an interest in a security that is not allowed by this subsection, such security shall be disposed of within 90 days of acquisition.

(f) No examiner, which for the purposes of this Code section shall include a supervisor as defined by the department, may examine a financial institution to which he or she is indebted or of which he or she owns securities under the exceptions in subparagraphs (e)(1)(A) and (e)(1)(B) of this Code section, nor may an examiner obtain credit from a financial institution if he or she has examined such financial institution in the preceding 12 months. An examiner who wishes to borrow funds from any financial institution he or she has examined in the past five years must first obtain the written permission of the commissioner. This subsection is included as an additional precaution and is not intended to preclude the operation of any other applicable law or regulation.

(g) The commissioner, any deputy commissioner, any department employee with financial institution or licensee supervisory responsibility, or any examiner shall not directly or indirectly:

   (1) Receive any money or property as a loan from any department licensee or any director, officer, agent, employee, or attorney of a department licensee, unless such employee does not examine or exercise supervisory responsibility over that licensee. Any debt owed by a deputy commissioner, department employee with financial institution or licensee supervisory responsibility, or examiner of a department licensee must be reported to the commissioner. Reporting by the commissioner shall be made to the Attorney General;

   (2) Receive any money or property as a gift from any department licensee or any director, officer, agent, employee, or attorney of a department licensee, unless consistent with the ethics in government policy of this state;

   (3) Give any money or property as a gift to any department licensee or any director, officer, agent, employee, or attorney of a department licensee, unless consistent with the ethics in government policy of this state; or

   (4) Engage in the business of a department licensee.

(h) No director, officer, agent, employee, or attorney of a financial institution, individually or in his or her official capacity, shall knowingly participate in a violation of this Code section. However, nothing in this Code section shall restrict the right of the commissioner, any deputy commissioner, any department employee with financial institution or licensee supervisory responsibilities, or any examiner to deal as any other consumer with such director, officer, agent, employee, or attorney in the ordinary course of business in consumer areas of trade or commerce not regulated by the department and under terms and conditions which are not preferential.

(i) The commissioner, any deputy commissioner, any department employee with financial institution or licensee supervisory responsibilities, or any examiner employed by the department who shall violate or participate in a violation of this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. Violation of this Code section shall be grounds for removal from office.

(j) The commissioner may adopt additional supplementary administrative policies and departmental rules governing ethical conduct and conflicts of interest on the part of employees of the department and providing certain definitions and clarifications to effectuate the purposes of this Code section.

Ga. L. 1919, p. 135, art. 2, §§ 4, 10; Ga. L. 1919, p. 135, art. 20, § 6; Code 1933, §§ 13-304, 13-310, 13-9906; Code 1933, §§ 41A-207, 41A-9904, enacted by Ga. L. 1974, p. 705, § 1; Ga. L. 1975, p. 445, § 2; Ga. L. 1980, p. 919, § 1; Ga. L. 1983, p. 532, § 1; Ga. L. 1985, p. 149, § 7; Ga. L. 1995, p. 673, § 4; Ga. L. 1997, p. 485, § 4; Ga. L. 2002, p. 1220, § 2.