PUBLIC LAW 96-592—DEC. 24, 1980
94 STAT. 3441
option to purchase to persons eligible for assistance under this title, equipment needed in the operations of such persons. "(c) No paper shall be purchased from or discounted for, and no loans shall be made or other similar financial assistance extended by a Federal intermediate credit bank to any entity identified in subsection (a)(1) and (2) of this section if the amount of such paper added to the aggregate liabilities of such entity, whether direct or contingent (other than bona fide deposit liabilities), exceeds ten times the paid-in and unimpaired capital and surplus of such entity or (in the case of financing institutions under subsection (a)(2) of this section) the amount of such liabilities permitted under the laws of the jurisdiction creating such institution, whichever is the lesser. It shall be unlawful for any national bank which is indebted to any Federal intermediate credit bank, upon paper discounted or purchased under subsection (a) of this section, to incur any additional indebtedness, if by virtue of such additional indebtedness its aggregate liabilities direct or contingent, will exceed the limitation herein contained. "(d) All of the loans, financial assistance, discounts, and purchases authorized by this section shall be subject to regulations of the Farm Credit Administration and shall be secured by collateral, if any, as may be required in such regulations. The regulations shall assure that such loans, financial assistance, discounts, and purchases are available on a reasonable basis to any financing institution authorized to receive such services under subsection (a)(2) of this section that (i) is significantly involved in lending for agricultural or aquatic purposes, (ii) demonstrates a continuing need for supplementary sources of funds to meet the credit requirements of its agricultural or aquatic borrowers, (iii) has limited access to national or regional capital markets, and (iv) does not use such services to expand its financing activities to persons and for purposes other than those authorized in section 2.15(a)(1), (2), and (3) of this Act. The regula- 12 USC 2096. tions may authorize a Federal intermediate credit bank to charge reasonable fees for any commitment to extend service under this section to such a financing institution. For purposes of this subsection, a financing institution together with its subsidiaries and affiliates may be considered as one but such determination to consider such institution together with its subsidiaries and affiliates as one shall be made in the first instance by the bank and in the event of a denial by the bank of its services to a financial institution, thereafter by the Farm Credit Administration on a case-by-case basis with due regard to the total relationship of the financing institution, its subsidiaries, and affiliates. "(e) Nothing in this section shall require termination of discount relationships in existence on the effective date of the Farm Credit Act Amendments of 1980.". SEC. 204. Section 2.4 of the Farm Credit Act of 1971 is amended by 12 USC 2075. striking out the first sentence and inserting in lieu thereof the following: "Loans, advances, or discounts made under section 2.3 of this Act shall be repayable in not more than seven years (fifteen years ^"^^' P- 3440. if made to producers or harvesters of aquatic products) from the time they are made or discounted by the Federal intermediate credit bank, except that the district farm credit board, under regulations of the Farm Credit Administration, may approve policies permitting loans, advances, or discounts (other than those made to producers or harvesters of aquatic products) to be repayable in not more than ten years from the time they are made or discounted by such bank. Loans, advances, and discounts shall bear such rate or rates of interest or discount as the board of directors of the bank shall from
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