1-1 By: Marchant (Senate Sponsor - Harris of Tarrant) H.B. No. 1076 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House March 30, 1993; 1-3 March 31, 1993, read first time and referred to Committee on 1-4 Economic Development; April 15, 1993, reported favorably by the 1-5 following vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0; April 15, 1993, sent to printer.) 1-6 COMMITTEE VOTE 1-7 Yea Nay PNV Absent 1-8 Parker x 1-9 Lucio x 1-10 Ellis x 1-11 Haley x 1-12 Harris of Dallas x 1-13 Harris of Tarrant x 1-14 Leedom x 1-15 Madla x 1-16 Rosson x 1-17 Shapiro x 1-18 Wentworth x 1-19 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-20 AN ACT 1-21 relating to the personal liability of officers and directors of 1-22 insured depository institutions. 1-23 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-24 SECTION 1. Article 10, Chapter IV, The Texas Banking Code 1-25 (Article 342-410, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to 1-26 read as follows: 1-27 Art. 10. Directors, Officers and 1-28 Employees--Liability--Reimbursement For Expenses. A. Except as 1-29 otherwise provided by statute, directors and officers of state 1-30 banks shall be liable for financial losses sustained by state banks 1-31 to the extent that directors and officers of other corporations are 1-32 now responsible for such losses in equity and common law. Any 1-33 officer or director who does not approve of any act or omission of 1-34 the board, and desires to relieve himself from any personal 1-35 liability for such act or omission shall promptly announce his 1-36 opposition to such act or omission and cause such opposition to be 1-37 spread upon the minutes of the directors' meeting. If for any 1-38 reason such opposition is not spread upon the minutes of the 1-39 directors' meeting, he shall promptly report the facts to the 1-40 Banking Commissioner. 1-41 B. Any person may be indemnified or reimbursed by a state 1-42 bank, through action of its board, for reasonable expenses actually 1-43 incurred by him in connection with any action, suit or proceeding 1-44 to which he is a party by reason of his being or having been a 1-45 director, officer or employee of said bank or having served as a 1-46 director, officer, partner, venturer, proprietor, trustee, agent, 1-47 or similar functionary of another foreign or domestic corporation, 1-48 partnership, joint venture, sole proprietorship, trust, employee 1-49 benefit plan, or other enterprise, at the request of the bank. The 1-50 board may authorize the purchase by the bank of insurance covering 1-51 the indemnification of directors, officers or employees and may 1-52 prospectively indemnify directors, officers, or employees. If 1-53 there is a compromise of such an action or threatened action, there 1-54 shall be no indemnification or reimbursement for the amount paid to 1-55 settle the claim or for reasonable expenses incurred in connection 1-56 with such claim without the vote, or the written consent, of the 1-57 owners of record of a majority of the stock of the bank. No such 1-58 person shall be indemnified or reimbursed if he has been finally 1-59 adjudged to have been guilty of, or liable for, willful misconduct, 1-60 gross neglect of duty, or a criminal act. This article shall not 1-61 bar any right or action to which such person would be entitled at 1-62 common law or any other statute of this State. 1-63 C. For the purpose of applying this article to the Financial 1-64 Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 (Pub. L. 1-65 No. 101-73, 12 U.S.C. Section 1811 et seq.), a disinterested 1-66 director or officer of an insured depository institution may not be 1-67 held personally liable in an action seeking monetary damages 1-68 brought by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the 2-1 Resolution Trust Corporation, or any other federal banking 2-2 regulatory agency as provided by 12 U.S.C. Section 1821(k) unless 2-3 the damages arise from the gross negligence or wilful or 2-4 intentional misconduct of the officer or director during the 2-5 officer's or director's term of office with the insured depository 2-6 institution. A director or officer is disinterested with respect 2-7 to a decision or transaction if the decision or transaction does 2-8 not involve: 2-9 (1) personal profit for the director or officer by 2-10 dealing with the insured depository institution or usurping an 2-11 opportunity of the institution; 2-12 (2) buying or selling assets of the insured depository 2-13 institution; 2-14 (3) dealing with another insured depository 2-15 institution or a corporation or other entity in which the director 2-16 or officer: 2-17 (A) is also a director or officer; or 2-18 (B) has a significant financial interest; or 2-19 (4) dealing with a family member of the director or 2-20 officer. 2-21 D. In this article, "insured depository institution" has the 2-22 meaning assigned by 12 U.S.C. Section 1813(c). 2-23 SECTION 2. This Act is not intended to change existing law 2-24 regarding the personal liability of a director or officer of an 2-25 insured depository institution but is a clarification of the law in 2-26 effect immediately before the effective date of this Act regarding 2-27 those matters. This Act applies to an action brought by a federal 2-28 regulatory agency under 12 U.S.C. Section 1821(k) against a 2-29 director or officer of an insured depository institution, 2-30 regardless of whether the action was filed before, on, or after the 2-31 effective date of this Act, unless the action was finally 2-32 adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction before the 2-33 effective date of this Act. 2-34 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-35 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-36 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-37 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-38 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-39 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-40 passage, and it is so enacted. 2-41 * * * * * 2-42 Austin, 2-43 Texas 2-44 April 15, 1993 2-45 Hon. Bob Bullock 2-46 President of the Senate 2-47 Sir: 2-48 We, your Committee on Economic Development to which was referred 2-49 H.B. No. 1076, have had the same under consideration, and I am 2-50 instructed to report it back to the Senate with the recommendation 2-51 that it do pass and be printed. 2-52 Parker, 2-53 Chairman 2-54 * * * * * 2-55 WITNESSES 2-56 FOR AGAINST ON 2-57 ___________________________________________________________________ 2-58 Name: Karen Neeley x 2-59 Representing: Ind. Bankers Assn. of Tx 2-60 City: Austin 2-61 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 2-62 Name: Gayle Vickers x 2-63 Representing: Texas Bankers Assn. 2-64 City: Austin 2-65 -------------------------------------------------------------------