Section 7-1-68. Reports to department; publication of summaries; penalty for noncompliance

   (a) The department may require reports on the condition of or any particular facts concerning any financial institution at any time the department deems it necessary or advisable.

(b) The form of all reports, the information to be contained in them, and the date on which they shall be due shall be prescribed by the department. The reports shall be verified by the oath or affirmation of the president, secretary, or other managing officer of the institution.

(c) Every financial institution shall publish annually abstract summaries of two of its reports of condition designated for this purpose by the department and shall file proof of such publication with the department. Such publication shall be made only once in a newspaper of general circulation in the county of the main office of the institution. The department may waive this requirement, in whole or in part, with respect to financial institutions which make their financial statements readily available to the public, including their customer base, and with respect to a class of financial institutions which does not do business with the public generally and may limit the required publication to the customer base served by the institution.

(d) Any financial institution which fails to prepare or publish any report or to furnish any proof of publication, in accordance with this Code section, or fails to provide any facts or information requested under subsection (a) of this Code section, shall pay the department a penalty of $100.00 for each day after the time fixed by the department for filing such report, making such publication, or furnishing such proof of publication, but the department may, in its discretion, relieve any financial institution from the payment of such penalty, in whole or in part, if good cause be shown. If a financial institution fails to pay a penalty from which it has not been relieved, the department may, through the Attorney General, maintain an action at law to recover it.

Ga. L. 1919, p. 135, art. 4, §§ 1, 2, 5; Ga. L. 1920, p. 102, § 1; Ga. L. 1925, p. 165, § 10; Ga. L. 1927, p. 344, § 3; Code 1933, §§ 13-501, 13-502, 25-122, 109-503; Ga. L. 1935, p. 114, § 1; Ga. L. 1937, p. 425, § 1; Ga. L. 1937-38, Ex. Sess., p. 307, § 5; Ga. L. 1943, p. 279, § 1; Ga. L. 1956, p. 742, § 4; Ga. L. 1960, p. 977, § 1; Ga. L. 1960, p. 1175, § 1; Ga. L. 1962, p. 74, § 3; Ga. L. 1968, p. 465, § 8; Code 1933, § 41A-309, enacted by Ga. L. 1974, p. 705, § 1; Ga. L. 1975, p. 445, § 5; Ga. L. 1981, p. 1366, § 2; Ga. L. 1995, p. 673, § 8; Ga. L. 1998, p. 795, § 5; Ga. L. 2009, p. 86, § 2/HB 141.