(a) The Legislature finds that the economic environment of financial institutions has become increasingly volatile as a result of regulatory revisions enacted by the United States Congress and federal agencies including, but not necessarily limited to, the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, Federal Reserve Board, and the Depository Institutions Deregulation Committee. The Legislature further finds that deposit rate ceilings are being phased out while the cost of and competition for funds have escalated. It is the purpose of this section to maintain the quality of competition between state-licensed and federally regulated financial institutions in the field of mortgage lending, as well as promote the convenience, advantage and best interests of California residents in their pursuit of adequate and available housing. In order to remain competitive and provide the optimum housing environment for the citizens of California, state institutions require the ability to respond in a timely manner to changes in mortgage lending parameters initiated at the federal level. Local regulatory guidelines must promote continued parity between the state and federal levels in order to avoid creation of discriminatory burdens upon state institutions and to protect interests held by California citizens. It is the intent of the Legislature to eliminate past and prevent future inequities between state and federal financial institutions doing business in the State of California by creating a sensitive and responsive mortgage parity procedure.
(b) The Secretary of the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency, or the secretary’s designee as defined by subdivision (c) of Section 1918.5 of the Civil Code, shall have the authority to prescribe rules and regulations extending to lenders who make loans upon the security of residential real property any right, power, privilege or duty relating to mortgage instruments that is equivalent to authority extended to federally regulated financial institutions by federal statute or regulation.
(c) In order to grant equivalent mortgage lending authority to state financial institutions to that which has been extended to federal financial institutions, the secretary or the secretary’s designee shall adopt such regulations within 60 days of the effective date of the statute or regulation extending the comparable right, power, privilege, or duty to federally regulated financial institutions.
(d) The provisions of Sections 1916.5, 1916.6, 1916.7, 1916.8, and 1916.9, and any other provisions of law relating to the requirements for changes in the rate of interest on loans, shall not be applicable to loans made pursuant to the provisions of this section and regulations promulgated thereunder.
(e) Any regulations adopted pursuant to this section shall expire on January 1 of the second succeeding year following the end of the calendar year in which the regulation was promulgated. Subsequent amendments to these regulations cannot extend this expiration date.
(f) This section shall become operative on December 31, 1983.
(Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 353, Sec. 10. (SB 820) Effective September 26, 2013. Operative July 1, 2013, by Sec. 129 of Ch. 353.)