RS 1087 - Exemptions; annual registration statement; fees
A. Any person authorized to engage in business as a credit union under the laws of the United States, any state or territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, and any subsidiary of such person, and the employees of such person, shall be exempt from the provisions of this Chapter.
B. The following employers and their employees shall be exempt from the provisions of this Part:
(1) Any person authorized to engage in business as a bank, savings bank, or savings and loan association under the laws of the United States, any state or territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, and any direct or indirect subsidiaries of such entities, who are subject to general supervision and regulation, or audit or examination, by a regulatory body or agency of the United States, any state or territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, and the employees of such persons, including those acting as originators and their exclusive agents under written agreement.
(2) Any attorney licensed to practice law when such attorney is not actively engaged in the business of making or brokering residential mortgage loans and the residential mortgage lending activity is incidental to providing legal services.
(3) Any nonprofit corporation exempt from federal taxation under Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code making residential mortgage loans to promote home ownership or home improvements for the disadvantaged.
(4) Any agency of the federal government, or a state or municipal government, or any quasi governmental agency making residential mortgage loans under the specific authority of the laws of any state or the United States.
(5) Any person acting as a fiduciary with respect to any employee pension benefit plan qualified under the Internal Revenue Code who makes residential mortgage loans solely to plan participants from plan assets.
(6) Any real estate investment trust.
(7) Any person acting in a fiduciary capacity conferred by the authority of any court.
(8) Any person licensed as a small business investment company by the United States Small Business Administration.
(9) Any mortgagee in a residential loan transaction in which the mortgagee is the former owner of the residential immovable property.
(10) Repealed by Acts 2005, No. 235, §2.
(11) Any insurance company authorized by the insurance commissioner of this state or any other state and any resident or nonresident insurance agent who holds an unexpired agent license under Title 22 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950 who brokers loans exclusively to an insurer.
(12) Any person authorized to engage in business as a licensed lender under the provisions of the Louisiana Consumer Credit Law, R.S. 9:3510 et seq., whose gross revenue from loans subject to the Louisiana Consumer Credit Law exceeds fifty percent of the licensee's gross revenue; however, such persons shall remain subject to the examination and enforcement provisions of R.S. 6:1091 and 1092 for those loans subject to R.S. 6:1081 et seq.
C.(1) Employees and the exclusive agents under written agreement of any person licensed pursuant to this Part which is a direct or indirect subsidiary of a financial or bank holding company, savings bank holding company, or thrift holding company, shall be exempt from the licensure and continuing education provisions of this Part.
(2) Any person exempt from licensure under Subsection B shall engage in residential mortgage lending activities only through natural persons who are licensed as a mortgage broker, mortgage lender, or originator, or who are registered according to the provisions of this Chapter, or who are exempt from the provisions of this Part.
D. Persons engaged in residential mortgage transactions subject to an exemption provided for in Subsection A, B, or C of this Section on or before July 30, 2009, may continue to be so engaged until July 30, 2010. Thereafter, the exemptions provided in Subsection A, B, or C of this Section shall expire and no longer have any effect. Effective July 31, 2010, no person previously exempt pursuant to Subsection A, B, or C of this Section may engage in residential mortgage lending activity without a license and a unique identifier issued pursuant to this Chapter, unless such person is exempt under an exemption provided for in this Chapter on or after July 31, 2009.
E. The following shall be exempt from the provisions of this Part applicable to persons engaged in residential mortgage lending activities as a residential mortgage loan originator:
(1) Registered mortgage loan originators, when acting for a depository institution described in R.S. 6:1083.
(2) Any individual who offers or negotiates terms of a residential mortgage loan with or on behalf of an immediate family member of the individual.
(3) Any individual who offers or negotiates terms of a residential mortgage loan secured by a dwelling that is owned by and serves as the individual's residence.
(4) A licensed attorney who negotiates the terms of a residential mortgage loan on behalf of a client as an ancillary matter to the attorney's representation of the client, unless the attorney is compensated by a lender, a mortgage broker, or other mortgage loan originator, or by any agent of such lender, mortgage broker, or other mortgage loan originator.
(5) Any individual who performs only real estate brokerage activities and is licensed or registered in accordance with applicable state law, unless the person or entity is compensated by a lender, a mortgage broker, or other mortgage loan originator, or by any agent of such lender, mortgage broker, or other mortgage loan originator.
(6) Any individual solely involved in extensions of credit relating to timeshare plans, as that term is defined in 11 U.S.C. 101(53D).
(7) An individual engaging solely in loan processor or underwriter activities, who does not represent to the public, through advertising or other means of communicating or providing information, including the use of business cards, stationery, brochures, signs, rate lists, or other promotional items, that such individual can or will perform any of the activities of a mortgage loan originator. For the purposes of this Paragraph, the term "loan processor or underwriter" means an individual who performs clerical or support duties as an employee at the direction of and subject to the supervision and instruction of a person licensed, or exempt from licensing under this Chapter. For purposes of this Paragraph, the term "clerical or support duties" may include subsequent to the receipt of an application:
(a) The receipt, collection, distribution, and analysis of information common for the processing or underwriting of a residential mortgage loan.
(b) Communicating with a consumer to obtain the information necessary for the processing or underwriting of a loan, to the extent that such communication does not include offering or negotiating loan rates or terms, or counseling consumers about residential mortgage loan rates or terms; provided however that an independent contractor may not engage in residential mortgage loan origination activities as a loan processor or underwriter unless such independent contractor obtains and maintains a license under this Part. Each independent contractor loan processor or underwriter licensed as a mortgage loan originator shall have and maintain a valid unique identifier issued by the NMLS&R.
(8) Individuals who are employees of a retailer of manufactured or modular homes as defined in R.S. 51:911.21 et. seq., if the employees are performing only administrative or clerical tasks in connection with the sale or lease of a manufactured or modular home and provided such individuals receive no compensation or other gain from a residential mortgage lender or a residential mortgage broker for the performance of the administrative or clerical tasks.
(9) Any individual who meets all of the following requirements:
(a) In any calendar year, originates five or fewer residential mortgage loans exclusively for a single federally chartered depository institution, and the loans are closed.
(b) Is contractually prohibited from soliciting, processing, negotiating, or placing a residential mortgage loan with a person other than the single federally chartered depository institution.
(c) Enrolls with the Office of Financial Institutions as an individual who originates exclusively with a single federal depository institution until the time any registration with the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry (NMLS&R) is required for the individual by federal law or regulation and a suitable category is created for that registration with NMLS&R. Enrollment pursuant to this Subparagraph must be renewed annually with the Office of Financial Institutions.
(d) Is not barred from licensure pursuant to R.S. 6:1088(E)(2), (3), or (4), as determined by the commissioner of financial institutions.
(e) Is sponsored by a life insurance company or an affiliate of the company which is authorized to engage in business in this state and which is a licensed mortgage loan broker or originator, and which sponsorship shall include all of the following:
(i) Providing an undertaking of accountability supported by a surety bond equal to one million dollars, to meet the requirement of R.S. 6:1088(G)(1) and to cover all of the persons who are exempt pursuant to this Paragraph, which undertaking includes full and direct financial responsibility for the loan origination activities of each such exempt person.
(ii) Paying an annual fee on behalf of the individual exempted pursuant to this Paragraph in the amount of one-half the license fee for a mortgage loan originator pursuant to R.S. 6:1088.2(A)(4) to the Office of Financial Institutions.
(10) Individuals employed by nonprofit corporations exempt under R.S. 6:1087(F)(11).
(11) Mortgage servicer loss mitigation specialists, if the commissioner determines that an exemption of a mortgage servicer loss mitigation specialist is compliant with the minimum standards set forth in P.L. 110-289, Title V.
F. The following employers and their employees shall be exempt from the provisions of this Part applicable to residential mortgage lenders, residential mortgage brokers, and mortgage servicers:
(1) Any attorney licensed to practice law when such attorney is not actively engaged in the business of making or brokering residential mortgage loans and the residential mortgage lending activity is incidental to providing legal services.
(2) Any nonprofit corporation exempt from federal taxation under Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code making residential mortgage loans to promote home ownership or home improvements for the disadvantaged.
(3) Any agency of the federal government, or a state or municipal government, or any quasi governmental agency making residential mortgage loans under the specific authority of the laws of any state or the United States.
(4) Any person acting as a fiduciary with respect to any employee pension benefit plan qualified under the Internal Revenue Code who makes residential mortgage loans solely to plan participants from plan assets.
(5) Any real estate investment trust.
(6) Any person acting in a fiduciary capacity conferred by the authority of any court.
(7) Any person licensed as a small business investment company by the United States Small Business Administration.
(8) Any insurance company authorized by the insurance commissioner of this state or any other state and any resident or nonresident insurance producer who holds an unexpired producer license under Title 22 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950 who brokers loans exclusively to an insurer.
(9) Any depository institution or direct or indirect subsidiary thereof regulated by a federal banking agency.
(10) Any mortgagee in a residential loan transaction in which the mortgagee is the owner of the dwelling or residential immovable property.
(11) Any nonprofit corporation that is providing financial education and counseling to consumers, is exempt from federal taxation under Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code, is approved by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide housing counseling, and does not originate residential mortgage loans.
G. Any person exempt from licensure pursuant to Subsection F of this Section shall engage in residential mortgage lending activities only through natural persons who are licensed or registered as a mortgage broker, mortgage lender, or mortgage loan originator according to the provisions of this Chapter, or who are exempt from the provisions of this Part.
Acts 1999, No. 1098, §1, eff. July 9, 1999; Acts 2000, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 34, §1, eff. April 14, 2000; Acts 2001, No. 617, §§1 and 3, eff. June 22, 2001; Acts 2003, No. 875, §§1, 2; Acts 2004, No. 151, §1; Acts 2005, No. 235, §2; Acts 2009, No. 522, §1, eff. July 31, 2009; Acts 2011, No. 110, §1, eff. June 20, 2011; Acts 2014, No. 260, §1, eff. June 30, 2014.