HRS § 412-13-203 - Application to establish and maintain a branch or agency; manner of filing and determination

(a) A foreign bank making an application under this article for a license to establish and maintain a Hawaii state branch or Hawaii state agency shall deliver to the commissioner, together with the application, two copies of its charter or articles of incorporation and all amendments thereto, duly authenticated by the proper officer of the country of the foreign bank's organization, or a greater number of copies as the commissioner may require by rule. If the charter, articles of incorporation, or amendments are in a foreign language, two copies (or a greater number of copies as the commissioner may require by rule) of an English translation of the documents under the oath of the translator shall accompany the charter, articles of incorporation, or amendments. (b) The commissioner shall issue a license to a foreign bank to establish and maintain a Hawaii state branch or Hawaii state agency if the commissioner finds that: (1) The foreign bank is in good standing under the laws of the country in which it is organized and is in sound financial condition; (2) The management of the foreign bank and the proposed management of the Hawaii state branch or Hawaii state agency are of good moral character, competent, and sufficiently experienced; (3) The convenience and needs of persons to be served by the proposed Hawaii state branch or a Hawaii state agency will be promoted; and (4) The foreign bank satisfies any other standards that the commissioner may establish by rule. (c) In considering whether a foreign bank is in sound financial condition for the purposes of subsection (b), the commissioner may consider the length of time the foreign bank has engaged in the banking business, the asset size of the bank, and any other criteria which the commissioner deems relevant. The commissioner may presume, in the absence of creditable evidence to the contrary, that a foreign bank that has total assets having an aggregate value in United States currency of $10,000,000,000 or more and that has engaged in the banking business for at least ten years prior to filing an application pursuant to this article is in sound financial condition. (d) In considering whether the management of the foreign bank and the proposed management of the Hawaii state branch or Hawaii state agency is of good moral character for the purposes of subsection (b), the commissioner may presume that in the absence of creditable evidence to the contrary, the management is of good moral character. The presumption may be rebutted by evidence to the contrary, including, but not limited to a finding that a person has: (1) Been convicted of, or has pleaded nolo contendere to, any crime involving an act of fraud or dishonesty; (2) Consented to or suffered a judgment in any civil action based upon conduct involving an act of fraud or dishonesty; (3) Consented to or suffered the suspension or revocation of any professional, occupational, or vocational license based upon conduct involving an act of fraud or dishonesty; (4) Wilfully made or caused to be made in any application or report filed with the commissioner, or in any proceeding before the commissioner, any statement which was at the time and in the light of the circumstances under which it was made false or misleading with respect to any material fact, or has wilfully omitted to state in any application or report any material fact which was required to be stated therein; or (5) Wilfully committed any violation of, or has wilfully aided, abetted, counseled, commanded, induced, or procured the violation by any other person of, any provision of this chapter or of any rule or order issued under this chapter. (e) If the commissioner approves the application of the foreign bank for a license to establish and maintain a Hawaii state branch or Hawaii state agency, the foreign bank shall then provide satisfactory evidence to the commissioner of compliance with the requirements of chapter 414 relating to foreign corporations, if applicable. The commissioner shall then issue a license to establish and maintain a Hawaii state branch or Hawaii state agency to the foreign bank. (f) Each license issued to a foreign bank to establish and maintain a Hawaii state branch or Hawaii state agency shall state fully the name of the foreign bank to which the license is issued, and any other information as the commissioner may require. (g) The commissioner may waive some of the requirements, procedures, and standards applicable to applications to establish additional intrastate Hawaii state branches or Hawaii state agencies if the foreign bank has already established an initial Hawaii state branch or Hawaii state agency. (h) If a foreign bank operates two or more Hawaii state branches or Hawaii state agencies, the foreign bank shall designate one of the offices as its principal office in this State. [L 1996, c 155, pt of §2; am L 2001, c 170, §§15, 16; am L 2002, c 40, §37]