West Virginia Code
Article 8E. Interstate Branching by De Novo Entry and Acquisition of Branches
§31A-8E-2. Definitions

As used in this article, unless a different meaning is required by the context, the following words and phrases shall have the following meanings:
(a) "Acquisition of a branch" means the acquisition of a branch located in a host state, without either engaging in an "interstate merger transaction" as defined in article eight-d of this chapter or acquiring all or substantially all of the assets of another bank by merger or purchase.
(b) "Bank" has the meaning set forth in 12 U.S.C. §1813(h): Provided, That the term "bank" does not include any "foreign bank" as defined in 12 U.S.C. §3101(7), except that the term includes any foreign bank organized under the laws of a territory of the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa or the Virgin Islands, the deposits of which are insured by the federal deposit insurance corporation.
(c) "Bank holding company" has the meaning set forth in 12 U.S.C. §1841(a)(1).
(d) "Bank supervisory agency" means:
(1) Any agency of another state with primary responsibility for chartering and supervising banks; and
(2) The office of the comptroller of the currency, the federal deposit insurance corporation, the board of Governors of the federal reserve system and any successor to these agencies. (e) "Board of banking and financial institutions" means the board created pursuant to the provisions of article three of this chapter and referred to herein as "board".
(f) "Branch" has the meaning set forth in subsection (f), section two, article one of this chapter. It includes an office of a bank that exercises only trust powers as described by subsection (a), section fourteen, article four of this chapter and a nonbanking subsidiary of a bank holding company or a bank that provides trust services pursuant to the provisions of subsection (d), section fourteen, article four of this chapter.
(g) "Commissioner" means the West Virginia commissioner of banking then in office and, where appropriate, all of his or her successors and predecessors in office.
(h) "Control" shall be construed consistently with the provisions of 12 U.S.C. §1841(a)(2).
(i) "De novo branch" means a branch of a bank located in a host state which: (i) Is originally established by the bank as a branch; and (ii) does not become a branch of the bank as a result of: (A) The acquisition of another bank or a branch of another bank; or (B) the merger, consolidation or conversion involving any such bank or branch.
(j) "Home state" means:
(1) With respect to a state bank, the state by which the bank is chartered;
(2) With respect to a national bank, the state in which the main office of the bank is located; or
(3) With respect to a foreign bank, the state determined to be the home state of such foreign bank under 12 U.S.C. §3103(c). (k) "Home state regulator" means, with respect to an out-of-state state bank, the bank supervisory agency of the state in which the bank is chartered.
(l) "Host state" means a state, other than the home state of a bank, in which the bank maintains, or seeks to establish and maintain, a branch.
(m) "Out-of-state bank" means a bank whose home state is a state other than West Virginia.
(n) "Out-of-state state bank" means a bank chartered under the laws of any state other than West Virginia.
(o) "State" means any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, any territory of the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands and American Samoa.
(p) "West Virginia state bank" means a bank chartered under the laws of West Virginia.