Virginia Law

Article 3. Offices, Branches, and Facilities.

A. A state savings institution may establish and operate such offices and other facilities as are authorized by its board of directors. A state savings institution shall not establish a branch office or other office or facility where deposits are accepted without obtaining the prior approval of the Commission as provided in subsection B. Prior to establishing or permanently closing any office or other facility, a state association shall give at least 30 days' written notice to the Commissioner, in such form as may be prescribed by the Commissioner. Prior to establishing, relocating, or permanently closing any office or other facility of the savings bank or any of its affiliates, a savings bank shall give at least 30 days' written notice to the Commissioner, in such form as may be prescribed by the Commissioner. A savings institution shall also give written notice to the Commission, in such form as may be prescribed by the Commission, within 10 days after it has established or permanently closed an office or other facility, and if the institution is a savings bank, it shall give such written notice to the Commission within 10 days after it has relocated any such office or other facility.

B. Applications for authorization to establish a branch office or other office or facility where deposits are accepted shall be made in writing, in such form as may be prescribed by the Commission. Upon review of a savings institution's application and any other information that the Commission may reasonably require, the Commission shall approve the establishment of such office or facility if it is satisfied that the public interest will be served thereby and, if the applicant is a savings bank, that it has sufficient capital to warrant additional expansion. Such offices or facilities may be closed without the prior approval of the Commission. However, written notice of the closing of such an office shall be given to the Commissioner as provided in subsection A.

C. The requirements of subsections A and B shall also apply to the establishment and closing of the offices of a foreign savings institution authorized to transact business in the Commonwealth.

Code 1950, § 6-201.41; 1960, c. 402; 1966, c. 584, § 6.1-171; 1970, c. 397; 1972, c. 796, § 6.1-195.48; 1976, c. 658; 1978, c. 683; 1985, c. 425, § 6.1-194.26; 1991, c. 230, § 6.1-194.119; 2010, c. 794.

A state or foreign savings institution authorized to transact business in the Commonwealth may establish without prior approval of the Commission a drive-in or pedestrian office opened in conjunction with an approved branch office of the institution, if such drive-in or pedestrian office is to be located (i) within 500 feet of a public entrance of the approved branch office and (ii) closer to that entrance than to a public entrance of any other financial institution. The functions of a drive-in or pedestrian office shall be limited to the ordinary functions performed at a teller window.

1985, c. 425, § 6.1-194.27; 1991, c. 230, § 6.1-194.120; 2010, c. 794.

A. A state savings institution shall not change the permanent location of a branch office without the prior approval of the Commission. An application to change the location of a branch office shall be made in writing in such form as may be prescribed by the Commission. Such application shall be approved by the Commission if the Commission finds that the change in location is in the public interest.

B. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection A, a state savings institution may change the permanent location of a branch office, without applying for the approval of the Commission, if the new location will be within a one mile radius of the old location of such branch office. In such event, the state savings institution shall notify the Commissioner in writing, in such form as may be prescribed by the Commissioner, at least 60 days before such office relocation and may proceed with the relocation unless, within 30 days of receipt of the notice, the Commissioner notifies the institution that the relocation is not in the public interest. In that event, the institution shall be required to file an application and obtain the approval of the Commission in accordance with subsection A. The institution shall also notify the Commissioner in writing that the office relocation has been completed within 10 days after the opening of the office at its new location.

C. The provisions of subsections A and B shall also apply to foreign savings institutions authorized to transact business in the Commonwealth.

D. The provisions of this section shall also apply to the relocation of the main office of a state savings institution if it intends to accept deposits at the new location of the main office.

1985, c. 425, § 6.1-194.28; 1991, c. 230, § 6.1-194.121; 2010, c. 794.

A. As used in this section:

"Personal security identifier" or "PSI" or "PIN" means any word, number, or other security identifier essential for an account holder to gain access to an account through a remote service unit.

"Remote service unit" or "RSU" means an information processing device, including associated equipment, structures and systems, by which information relating to financial services rendered to the public is stored and transmitted, instantaneously or otherwise, to a financial institution. Any such device not on the premises of a state savings institution that, for activation and account access, requires use of a machine-readable instrument and personal security identifier in the possession and control of an account holder, is an RSU. The term includes, without limitation, point-of-sale terminals, merchant-operated terminals, cash-dispensing machines, and automated teller machines. The term does not include automated teller machines on the premises of a state savings institution, unless shared with other financial institutions.

B. Subject to the requirements of the federal Electronic Fund Transfers Act (15 U.S.C. § 1693 et seq.) and Regulation E of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a state savings institution may establish or use remote service units and participate with others in remote service unit operations on an unrestricted geographic basis. A state savings institution may establish a remote service unit without prior approval of the Commission, provided that notice is given to the Commissioner in accordance with the provisions of subsection A of § 6.2-1133. No remote service unit may be used to open a savings account or a demand account or to establish a loan account.

C. Before permitting an account holder to use a remote service unit, the savings institution shall provide a personal security identifier to the account holder and require its use when accessing a remote service unit. An institution may not employ RSU access techniques that require the account holder to disclose a PSI to another person.

D. A state savings institution shall not share an RSU with any financial institution or other entity the accounts of which are not insured by an agency of the federal government or by some other insuring agency approved by the Commissioner.

E. A state savings institution shall not share an RSU located in the Commonwealth with any foreign savings institution, or other financial institution that is not incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth, unless the foreign savings institution or other financial institution has been authorized by the Commission to conduct its business in the Commonwealth. Nothing herein shall be deemed to prohibit a state savings institution from sharing an RSU with a federal savings institution or other federally chartered financial institution authorized to conduct its business in the Commonwealth.

F. An RSU shall not be considered to be a branch office of a state savings institution.

1985, c. 425, § 6.1-194.29; 1991, c. 230, § 6.1-194.122; 2010, c. 794; 2016, c. 501.

A. As used in this section, "off premises financial services" means the transfer of funds or financial information or the performance of other transactions initiated by the customer by means of an electronic terminal, such as a telephone, a computer terminal, or a television set that is linked to a state savings institution's electronic network by telephone or cable television lines or other electronic means.

B. A state savings institution may utilize any electronic technology to provide its customers with off premises financial services. Any such services provided under this section are subject to the federal Electronic Fund Transfers Act (15 U.S.C. § 1693 et seq.) and Regulation E of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

1985, c. 425, § 6.1-194.30; 1991, c. 230, § 6.1-194.123; 2010, c. 794; 2016, c. 501.

In the event of an actual or threatened enemy attack or civil insurrection or fire, flood, hurricane, earthquake, or other similar natural disaster, affecting the community in which a savings institution is doing business, the offices of the savings institution thereby affected may be temporarily closed by appropriate officers of the savings institution without prior approval of the board of directors or the Commissioner.

1985, c. 425, § 6.1-194.31; 2010, c. 794.