TITLE 7 BANKING AND FINANCE

Section 1. Financial Institutions, 7-1-1 through 7-1-1021.

ARTICLE 1 PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO DEPARTMENT OF BANKING AND FINANCE AND FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS GENERALLY

7-1-71. Removal of officers, directors, or employees.

1. The department, by order of the commissioner, shall have the right to require the immediate suspension from office of any director, officer, or employee of any financial institution and to prohibit any such person's participation in the affairs of any financial institution if the department finds such person:
   1. To be dishonest, incompetent, or reckless in the management of the affairs of the financial institution;
   2. To have persistently violated the laws of this state;
   3. To have violated the lawful orders, regulations, or conditions of a written agreement of or with the department;
   4. To have been indicted for any crime involving moral turpitude or breach of trust;
   5. To have evidenced an inability to conduct his or her own financial affairs or the affairs of a company in which such individual owns a majority interest or has responsibility for financial matters, in a fiscally responsible, diligent, or lawful fashion; or
   6. To have engaged in any unsafe or unsound practice in connection with any insured depository institution or to have demonstrated willful or continuing disregard for the safety and soundness of a financial institution.
2. A prohibition order, which prohibits an individual from participating in any capacity in the affairs of a financial institution, may be issued by the commissioner in connection with a suspension order issued under the authority of this Code section. Such prohibition order may provide that if an officer, director, or employee has been removed from office temporarily or permanently at a financial institution, he or she may also be prohibited from participating in any manner in the conduct of the affairs of any financial institution or any financial institution's affiliate regulated by the department during the time the prohibition order is in effect.
3. The department shall serve written notice upon the party of its determination to suspend such person from office or prohibit such person from participating in the affairs of a financial institution pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of this Code section.A suspension order or a prohibition order shall be effective upon such service and shall specify whether the suspension is temporary, the duration and terms of the suspension if temporary, or if it is permanent.The prohibition order shall be consistent in duration with the suspension order.
4. Any person suspended or prohibited under this Code section may request his or her reinstatement in writing delivered to the department within ten days of his or her suspension or prohibition.If such reinstatement is not requested, the director, officer, or employee shall be considered permanently removed and, if so ordered, permanently prohibited from participation in the affairs of any financial institution.
5. Upon request for reinstatement, the department shall conduct an internal review of the matter during which such person has the opportunity to state his or her case to the commissioner.The department shall deliver the findings of the hearing to such person.If the person requests further review, the department may refer the matter to the Office of State Administrative Hearings under Chapter 13 of Title 50, the "Georgia Administrative Procedure Act," where a nonpublic hearing shall be held to review the department's decision.The final decision of the department shall be conclusive, except as it may be subject to judicial review under Code Section 7-1-90.
6. Any order issued pursuant to this Code section shall also be delivered to the financial institution with which the party was associated at the time such order was issued.

(Ga. L. 1919, p. 135, art. 5, § 3; Code 1933, § 13-603; Code 1933, § 41A-312, enacted by Ga. L. 1974, p. 705, § 1; Ga. L. 1983, p. 602, § 1; Ga. L. 1995, p. 673, § 9; Ga. L. 1997, p. 485, § 7; Ga. L. 2005, p. 826, § 5/SB 82; Ga. L. 2006, p. 72, § 7/SB 465; Ga. L. 2018, p. 214, § 3/HB 780.)

The 2018 amendment, effective May 3, 2018, inserted "or any financial institution's affiliate regulated by the department" near the end of the second sentence of subsection (b). See Editor's notes for applicability.