Iowa Code § 524.305 - Approval by superintendent

1. Upon receipt of an application for approval of a state bank, the superintendent shall conduct an investigation as the superintendent deems necessary to ascertain whether: a. The articles of incorporation and supporting items satisfy the requirements of this chapter. b. The convenience and needs of the public will be served by the proposed state bank, including by accepting deposits from, lending money in, and processing payments in the area the proposed state bank will primarily serve. c. The population density or other economic characteristics of the area primarily to be served by the proposed state bank afford reasonable promise of adequate support for the state bank. d. The character and fitness of the incorporators or organizers and of the members of the initial board of directors are such as to command the confidence of the community and to warrant the belief that the business of the proposed state bank will be honestly and efficiently conducted. e. The capital structure of the proposed state bank is adequate in relation to the amount of the anticipated business of the state bank and the safety of prospective depositors. f. The proposed state bank will have sufficient personnel with adequate knowledge and experience to conduct the business of the state bank, and to administer fiduciary accounts, if the state bank is to be authorized to act in a fiduciary capacity. 2. Within one hundred eighty days after the application is accepted for processing, the superintendent shall approve or disapprove the application on the basis of the investigation. 3. Within thirty days after the date of the publication of the notice required under section 524.304, any interested person may submit written comments and information to the superintendent concerning the application. Comments challenging the legality of an application must be submitted separately in writing. The superintendent may extend the thirty-day comment period, if, in the judgment of the superintendent, extenuating circumstances which justify the extension exist. 4. Within thirty days after the date of the publication of the notice required by section 524.304, any interested person may submit a written request of the superintendent for a hearing on the application. The request shall state the nature of the issues or facts to be presented and the reasons why written submissions would be insufficient to make an adequate presentation to the superintendent. If the reasons are related to factual disputes, the disputes shall be described. A written request for a hearing shall be evaluated by the superintendent, who may grant or deny the request in whole or in part. A hearing request shall generally be granted only if it is determined that written submissions would be inadequate or that a hearing would otherwise be beneficial to the decision-making process. A hearing may be limited to issues considered material by the superintendent. 5. If a request for a hearing is denied, the superintendent shall notify the applicant and all interested persons and shall state the reasons for the denial. An interested person may submit additional written comments or information on the application to the superintendent, with copies to the applicant at the time of submission to the superintendent, within fourteen days after the date of the notice of denial. The applicant shall be provided an additional seven days, after the fourteen-day deadline has expired, within which to respond to any comments submitted within the fourteen-day period after the notice of denial. The superintendent may waive this seven-day period if requested by the applicant. A copy of any response submitted by the applicant shall also be mailed by the applicant to the interested persons at the time the response is submitted to the superintendent. 6. If the superintendent approves the application, the superintendent shall notify the incorporators or organizers, and such other persons who requested in writing that they be notified, of the approval. If the superintendent disapproves the application, the superintendent shall notify the incorporators or organizers of the action and the reason for the decision. 7. The actions of the superintendent shall be subject to judicial review in accordance with chapter 17A. The court may award damages to the incorporators or organizers if it finds that review is sought frivolously or in bad faith. 8. Subsections 3, 4, and 5 shall not apply if the superintendent finds that one of the purposes of the proposed state bank is the merger with, or the purchase of some or all of the assets of and assumption of some or all of the liabilities of, a bank for which a receiver has been appointed or which has been ordered, by authorities of this state or the United States, to cease to carry on its business, or if the superintendent finds for any other reason that immediate action on the pending application is advisable in order to protect the interests of depositors or the assets of any other bank. 9. As a condition of receiving the decision of the superintendent with respect to the application, the incorporators or organizers shall reimburse the superintendent for all expenses incurred by the superintendent in connection with the application. [C24, 27, 31, 35, §9140-c1, 9141, 9142; C39, §9140.1, 9141, 9142; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, §524.11, 524.12, 524.13; C71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §524.305] 92 Acts, ch 1161, §2; 95 Acts, ch 148, §24; 2004 Acts, ch 1141, §53, 54; 2022 Acts, ch 1062, §31, 32 Referred to in §524.304, 524.312, 524.1001, 533.305