Florida Senate - 2017                                     SB 958
       
       
        
       By Senator Thurston
       
       
       
       
       
       33-01158-17                                            2017958__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to financial institutions; amending s.
    3         658.21, F.S.; revising an applicable timeframe of a
    4         minimum financial institution experience requirement
    5         for certain proposed directors of a bank or trust
    6         company applicant; amending ss. 658.23 and 658.30,
    7         F.S.; revising applicability of the Florida Business
    8         Corporations Act to include parts II and III of ch.
    9         607, F.S.; providing an effective date.
   10          
   11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   12  
   13         Section 1. Subsection (4) of section 658.21, Florida
   14  Statutes, is amended to read:
   15         658.21 Approval of application; findings required.—The
   16  office shall approve the application if it finds that:
   17         (4) The proposed officers have sufficient financial
   18  institution experience, ability, standing, and reputation and
   19  the proposed directors have sufficient business experience,
   20  ability, standing, and reputation to indicate reasonable promise
   21  of successful operation, and none of the proposed officers or
   22  directors has been convicted of, or pled guilty or nolo
   23  contendere to, any violation of s. 655.50, relating to the
   24  control of money laundering and terrorist financing; chapter
   25  896, relating to offenses related to financial institutions; or
   26  similar state or federal law. At least two of the proposed
   27  directors who are not also proposed officers must have had at
   28  least 1 year of direct experience as an executive officer,
   29  regulator, or director of a financial institution within the 5
   30  year period 3 years before the date of the application. However,
   31  if the applicant demonstrates that at least one of the proposed
   32  directors has very substantial experience as an executive
   33  officer, director, or regulator of a financial institution for
   34  more than 5 3 years before the date of the application, the
   35  office may modify the requirement and allow the applicant to
   36  have only one director who has to have direct financial
   37  institution experience within the last 5 3 years. The proposed
   38  president or chief executive officer must have had at least 1
   39  year of direct experience as an executive officer, director, or
   40  regulator of a financial institution within the last 5 3 years.
   41         Section 2. Subsection (2) of section 658.23, Florida
   42  Statutes, is amended to read:
   43         658.23 Submission of articles of incorporation; contents;
   44  form; approval; filing; commencement of corporate existence;
   45  bylaws.—
   46         (2) The articles of incorporation shall contain:
   47         (a) The name of the proposed bank or trust company.
   48         (b) The general nature of the business to be transacted or
   49  a statement that the corporation may engage in any activity or
   50  business permitted by law. Such statement shall authorize all
   51  such activities and business by the corporation.
   52         (c) The amount of capital stock authorized, showing the
   53  maximum number of shares of par value common stock and of
   54  preferred stock, and of every kind, class, or series of each,
   55  together with the distinguishing characteristics and the par
   56  value of all shares.
   57         (d) The amount of capital with which the corporation will
   58  begin business, which may not be less than the amount required
   59  by the office pursuant to s. 658.21.
   60         (e) A provision that the corporation is to have perpetual
   61  existence unless existence is terminated pursuant to the
   62  financial institutions codes.
   63         (f) The initial street address of the main office of the
   64  corporation, which shall be in this state.
   65         (g) The number of directors, which shall be five or more,
   66  and the names and street addresses of the members of the initial
   67  board of directors.
   68         (h) A provision for preemptive rights, if applicable.
   69         (i) A provision authorizing the board of directors to
   70  appoint additional directors, pursuant to s. 658.33, if
   71  applicable.
   72  
   73  The office shall provide to the proposed directors form articles
   74  of incorporation which must include only those provisions
   75  required under this section or under part I of chapter 607. The
   76  form articles shall be acknowledged by the proposed directors
   77  and returned to the office for filing with the Department of
   78  State.
   79         Section 3. Section 658.30, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   80  read:
   81         658.30 Application of the Florida Business Corporation
   82  Act.—
   83         (1) When not in direct conflict with or superseded by
   84  specific provisions of the financial institutions codes, the
   85  provisions of the Florida Business Corporation Act, part I of
   86  chapter 607, extend to state banks and trust companies formed
   87  under the financial institutions codes. This section shall be
   88  liberally construed to accomplish the purposes stated herein.
   89         (2) Without limiting the generality of subsection (1),
   90  stockholders, directors, and committees of state banks and trust
   91  companies may hold meetings in any manner authorized by part I
   92  of chapter 607, and any action by stockholders, directors, or
   93  committees required or authorized to be taken at a meeting may
   94  be taken without a meeting in any manner authorized by part I of
   95  chapter 607.
   96         Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2017.