[§412:13-208]  Powers of branch and agency.  (a)  Except as otherwise specifically provided in this article or in rules or orders adopted by the commissioner, and notwithstanding any other law or rule of this State to the contrary, operations of a foreign bank at a Hawaii state branch or Hawaii state agency shall be conducted with the same rights, privileges, and powers as a Hawaii state bank at the location and shall be subject to all the same duties, restrictions, penalties, liabilities, conditions, and limitations that would apply under the laws of this State to a Hawaii state bank doing business at the same location.

     (b)  Among other exceptions to subsection (a) that may be required or authorized by the commissioner pursuant to this part:

     (1)  A Hawaii state branch shall not accept, from individuals who are citizens or residents of the United States, deposits (other than credit balances that are incidental to or arise out of its exercise of other lawful banking powers) of less than $100,000, except to the extent that the deposits are determined by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation not to constitute "domestic retail deposit activities requiring deposit insurance protection" within the meaning of section 6 of the federal International Banking Act (12 U.S.C. 3104); provided that, a Hawaii state branch of a bank organized under the laws of any territory of the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa or the Virgin Islands, the deposits of which are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, shall not be subject to the foregoing limitation on domestic retail deposit taking;

     (2)  A Hawaii state agency shall not accept any deposits except:

         (A)  Deposits of a foreign nation, its political subdivisions, agencies, or instrumentalities; and

         (B)  Deposits of persons who reside, are domiciled and maintain their principal place of business in a foreign nation, and are not citizens of the United States;

     (3)  A Hawaii state branch or Hawaii state agency shall not be required to maintain federal deposit insurance under any law, rule, or order of this State that requires Hawaii state banks and other depository institutions to maintain federal deposit insurance, and the commissioner, by rule or order, may exclude or exempt uninsured Hawaii state branches and Hawaii state agencies from, or otherwise modify the applicability to uninsured Hawaii state branches and Hawaii state agencies of, any law or rule of this State that is generally applicable to insured Hawaii state banks, or that would otherwise be applicable to an insured Hawaii state bank doing business at the same location, as the commissioner may deem necessary or desirable, taking into account applicable limitations on the retail deposit-taking powers and privileges of Hawaii state branches and Hawaii state agencies;

     (4)  A foreign bank which is licensed to establish and maintain a Hawaii state branch or Hawaii state agency shall not engage in fiduciary activities at its Hawaii office;

     (5)  Any limitation or restriction based on the capital stock and surplus of a Hawaii state bank shall be deemed to refer, as applied to a Hawaii state branch or Hawaii state agency, to the dollar equivalent of the capital stock and surplus of the foreign bank, and if the foreign bank has more than one Hawaii state branch or Hawaii state agency in this State, the business transacted by all the Hawaii state branches and Hawaii state agencies shall be aggregated in determining compliance with the limitation; and

     (6)  The commissioner may adopt any additional or modify the applicability of any existing standards, conditions, or requirements, by rule or order, as the commissioner may deem necessary to ensure the safety and soundness and the protection of creditors of the operations of branches and agencies of foreign banks in this State. [L 1996, c 155, pt of §2]