Massachusetts General Laws
Chapter 171 - Credit Unions
Section 8 - Location Changes; Branches and Depots; Consolidations or Mergers; Mobile Branch Banking

Section 8. The location of the main office of a credit union may be changed with the written consent of the commissioner.
After such notice and hearing as the commissioner may require and with the commissioner's written permission and under such conditions as the commissioner may approve, a credit union may establish and maintain 1 or more branch offices or depots in the county wherein the main office is located, or on a site within 100 miles from the premises of the main office in a city or town in another county including on a site in the states of Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island or Vermont, if in the opinion of the commissioner, the public would benefit by the establishment of additional credit union facilities. The establishment and maintenance of branch offices or depots in any 1 of the foregoing states shall also be established and maintained in accordance with the laws of that state. Any of the usual business transacted by a credit union at its main office may be transacted at a branch office. The business at a depot shall be transacted only on such days as may be designated by the board of directors and shall be limited to the receipt of deposits and the collection of moneys due or payable to the credit union and the business shall be subject to such other conditions, if any, as may be prescribed by the commissioner. Credit unions shall not submit more than 1 out-of-state branch application for the commissioner's review in any 12–month period.
With the written consent of the commissioner a branch office or depot may be closed or its location may be changed.
The offices of any credit union consolidating or merging pursuant to section 78 may be maintained as branch offices of the credit union with the written permission of and under such conditions, if any, as may be approved by the commissioner.
Mobile branch banking may be authorized by the commissioner under conditions the commissioner may approve and subject to regulations the commissioner may establish.
An investigation fee shall be submitted with any application to establish a branch office. The investigation fee shall be determined annually by the commissioner of administration under section 3B of chapter 7. To determine the amount of the investigation fee to establish a branch office, the commissioner of administration may make such classifications and differentiations of credit unions and may provide adjustments to the fee as necessary; provided, however, that such classifications and differentiations may be based on: (i) the asset size of the credit union; (ii) the number of existing branch offices of the credit union; or (iii) other criteria as determined by the commissioner of administration; and provided further, that the investigation fee shall be consistent with and equal to the amount of the investigation fee to establish a branch office imposed on banks in section 5 of chapter 167C.

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