8-234.

Branch trust offices authorized; procedure.

(1) With the approval of the Director of Banking and Finance, a corporation organized to do business as a trust company under the Nebraska Trust Company Act may establish and maintain branch trust offices within this state and in any other state pursuant to section 8-2303.

(2) A corporation organized to do business as a trust company under the Nebraska Trust Company Act, in order to establish a branch trust office in Nebraska pursuant to subsection (1) of this section, shall apply to the Director of Banking and Finance on a form prescribed by the director. Upon receipt of a substantially complete application, the director shall hold a public hearing on the matter if he or she determines, in his or her discretion, that the condition of the corporation organized to do business as a trust company warrants a hearing. If the director determines that the condition of the corporation organized to do business as a trust company does not warrant a hearing, the director shall (a) publish a notice of the filing of the application in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the proposed branch trust office would be located and (b) give notice of such application for a branch trust office to all financial institutions within the county where the proposed branch trust office would be located and to such other interested parties as the director may determine. The director shall send the notice to financial institutions by first-class mail, postage prepaid, or electronic mail. Electronic mail may be used if the financial institution agrees in advance to receive such notices by electronic mail. A financial institution may designate one office for receipt of any such notice if it has more than one office located within the county where such notice is to be sent or a main office in a county other than the county where such notice is to be sent. If the director receives a substantive objection to the proposed branch trust office within fifteen days after publication of such notice, he or she shall hold a hearing on the application. Notice of a hearing held pursuant to this subsection shall be published for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the proposed branch trust office would be located. The expense of any publication and mailing required by this section shall be paid by the applicant but payment shall not be a condition precedent to approval by the director. The date for hearing the application shall not be more than ninety days after the filing of the application and not less than thirty-one days after the last publication of notice of hearing. The costs of the hearing shall be assessed in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Department of Banking and Finance.

(3) The director shall approve the application for a branch trust office if he or she finds that (a) the establishment of the branch trust office would not adversely affect the financial condition of the corporation organized to do business as a trust company, (b) there is a need in the community for the branch trust office, and (c) establishment of the branch trust office would be in the public interest.

(4) With the approval of the director, a state-chartered bank authorized to conduct a trust business pursuant to sections 8-159 to 8-162 may establish and maintain branch trust offices within this state and in any other state pursuant to section 8-2303. The procedure for the establishment of any branch trust office under this subsection shall be the same as provided in subsections (2) and (3) of this section. The activities at the branch trust office shall be limited to the activities permitted by the Nebraska Trust Company Act, and the general business of banking shall not be conducted at the branch trust office. Nothing in this subsection is intended to prohibit the establishment of a branch pursuant to section 8-157 at which trust business may be conducted.

(5) A branch trust office of a corporation organized to do business as a trust company or of a state-chartered bank shall not be closed without the prior written approval of the director.