(1) Any bank may subscribe to, invest, buy, and own stock of another financial institution if the transaction is part of the merger or consolidation of the other financial institution with the acquiring bank, or the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of the other financial institution by the acquiring bank, and if:

(a) The merger, consolidation, or asset acquisition occurs on the same day as the acquisition of the shares of the other financial institution and the other financial institution will not be operated by the acquiring bank as a separate entity; and

(b) The transaction receives the prior approval of the director.

(2) Any bank may subscribe to, invest, buy, and own stock of a company controlling another financial institution if the transaction is part of (a) the merger or consolidation of the company controlling the other financial institution with the company controlling the acquiring bank, or the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of the company controlling the other financial institution by the company controlling the acquiring bank, and (b) the merger or consolidation of the other financial institution with the acquiring bank, or the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of the other financial institution by the acquiring bank, and if:

(i) The merger, consolidation, or asset acquisition occurs on the same day as the acquisition of the shares of the company controlling the other financial institution, and neither the company controlling the other financial institution nor the other financial institution will be operated by the acquiring bank as a separate entity; and

(ii) The transaction receives the prior approval of the director.

(3) Any bank that acquires stock of another financial institution or company controlling another financial institution pursuant to this section shall not be deemed to be a bank holding company for purposes of the Nebraska Bank Holding Company Act of 1995, so long as the conditions of subdivision (1)(a) or (2)(b)(i) of this section, as applicable, are satisfied.

(4) For purposes of this section, financial institution means a bank, savings bank, credit card bank, savings and loan association, digital asset depository institution, building and loan association, trust company, or credit union organized under the laws of any state or organized under the laws of the United States.