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HomeFinancial CodeDiv. 1.1Ch. 12Art. 1§ 1408 Bank Handling Public Funds

§ 1408 Bank Handling Public Funds

Financial Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 1408 Bank Handling Public Funds

This law says a bank can hold or manage public money even if a lawmaker or a public‑agency employee owns stock or works at that bank, and those connections don’t count as a conflict as long as they’re the only connection.

Key Takeaways

  • •A bank can be a depositary, paying agent, trustee, or fiscal agent for public funds even if a legislator or agency employee is an officer, employee, or stockholder of the bank.
  • •That person is not treated as “interested in any contract” if their only interest is their role at the bank.
  • •Agency employees who have only a bank‑related job are considered to have only a “remote interest” in contracts without competitive bidding, as long as other legal conditions are met.

Example

A city council member also serves on the board of a local bank. The city wants the bank to keep its tax money safe, so it picks that bank as its depositary.

Because the council member’s only link to the bank is being a board member, the law says this is allowed and the council member isn’t considered to have a conflict of interest.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 1408 Bank Handling Public Funds

A bank may act as a depositary, paying agent, trustee, or fiscal agent for the holding or handling of public funds or securities notwithstanding the fact that a member of the legislative body or an officer or employee of the depositor is an officer, employee, or stockholder of such bank, or of a holding company that owns any of the stock of such bank. Such member of a legislative body, or such officer or employee thereof, shall not be deemed “interested in any contract” as that phrase is used in Section 1090 of the Government Code, if his sole interest is the fact that he is an officer, employee, or stockholder of the bank selected to act as such depositary, paying agent or fiscal agent. An officer or employee of a local public agency shall be deemed to have only a “remote interest” in a contract, as that phrase is used in Section 1091 of the Government Code, where such contract is entered into without competitive bidding under a procedure established by law, if his sole interest is that of an officer, director, or employee, of a bank, bank holding company, or savings and loan association with which a party to the contract has the relationship of borrower or depositor, debtor or creditor, and if the conditions of subdivision (a) of Section 1091 of the Government Code are met. (Added by Stats. 2011, Ch. 243, Sec. 3. (SB 664) Effective January 1, 2012.)

Last verified: January 11, 2026

Key Terms

contractemployeesecuritiesstockdirectorbankinstitutionassociation

Related Statutes

  • § 5401 Organizing Permit Application
  • § 31802 Financial Record Fraud Prohibition
  • § 10005 Foreign Entity Business Exemptions
  • § 1323 Bank Employee Bribery Prohibition
  • § 1324 Bank Fraud By Insiders

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Financial Code. Section 1408.
View Official Source