(a) (1) A foreign bank holding a certificate of authority pursuant to this subchapter that has elected this State as its home state under the International Banking Act of 1978, 12 U.S.C. § 3101 et seq., as amended, may establish and maintain a foreign bank branch in this State at the location stated therein and may engage in a general banking business thereat.
(2) A foreign bank holding a certificate of authority pursuant to this subchapter may establish and maintain a foreign bank branch in this State at the location stated therein and may engage in a general banking business thereat, even though the foreign bank has not elected this State as its home state as provided in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, if the foreign bank upgrades an agency established under subsection (b) of this section or a limited purpose branch established under subsection (c) of this section, provided that such agency or limited purpose branch has been in operation for at least 5 years.
(b) (1) A foreign bank holding a certificate of authority pursuant to this subchapter may establish and maintain a foreign bank agency in this State at the location stated therein and may engage in a general banking business thereat; provided, however, that such foreign bank agency shall not:
a. Engage in the business of accepting deposits, provided that such foreign bank may maintain for the account of others credit balances incidental to, or arising out of, the exercise of its lawful powers including, but not limited to, balances arising out of the conduct of a travellers' check business or the exercise of any similar power and may accept deposits from persons or entities which are neither citizens nor residents of the United States; or
b. Have the power to act as a fiduciary of any sort including, but not limited to, an executor, administrator, guardian, trustee by will or other instrument, receiver or attorney-in-fact.
(2) For purposes of this section, the term “credit balances” shall include funds placed in an account which:
a. Are derived from the exercise of other lawful banking powers;
b. Are to serve a specific purpose;
c. Are not solicited from the general public;
d. Are not used to pay operating expenses;
e. Are withdrawn within a reasonable period of time after the specific purpose for which they were placed there has been accomplished; and
f. Are drawn upon in a manner reasonable in relation to the size and nature of the account.
(3) The Commissioner may adopt such rules and regulations as may be deemed necessary governing the extent to which and the conditions, in addition to those set forth in this subchapter and including appropriate reserves, upon which deposits may be established, maintained and paid out by a foreign bank agency. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in paragraph (1) of this subsection, a foreign bank agency may, if authorized by regulations adopted by the Commissioner, accept any deposit, or exercise any other power, which it could accept or exercise if it were operating in this State as a federal agency pursuant to the International Banking Act of 1978, 12 U.S.C. § 3101 et seq., as amended.
(c) A foreign bank holding a certificate of authority pursuant to this subchapter may establish and maintain a foreign bank limited purpose branch in this State at the location stated therein and may engage in the activities of a foreign bank agency permitted in subsection (b) of this section and, in addition, may accept such deposits as would be permissible for a corporation organized under § 25A of the Federal Reserve Act (12 U.S.C. § 611 et seq.).
(d) No foreign bank holding a certificate of authority pursuant to this subchapter shall concurrently maintain in this State a federal branch or federal agency pursuant to the International Banking Act of 1978, as amended (12 U.S.C. § 3101 et seq.).