(a) As used in this section, "trust services" mean services provided to the public as a fiduciary for hire or compensation, to hold or administer accounts established through a customer relationship involving the transfer of title to funds or property to the bank, including a fiduciary relationship in which the bank acts as trustee, executor, administrator, guardian, custodian, conservator, receiver, registrar of stocks and bonds, mortgage or indenture trustee, escrow agent, transfer agent, or investment advisor, except that "trust services" do not include customer services in which:
  (1) the bank's duties as trustee or custodian are essentially custodial or ministerial in nature; and
  (2) the bank may only invest customer funds:
    (A) in its own time or savings deposits; or
    (B) in other assets at the explicit direction of the customer, provided the bank does not exercise any investment discretion or provide any investment advice with respect to such other assets.
(b) A state bank that does not currently provide trust services and has not provided trust services for a period in excess of one year may not begin offering or providing trust services except upon compliance with this section and with any requirements imposed by the bank's primary federal regulator.
(c) A state bank described in subsection (b) of this section that intends to offer and provide trust services shall submit a notice to the banking commissioner describing the proposed trust services and the anticipated date for initiation of such services. In addition, the bank must submit:
  (1) the bank's proposed business plan for providing trust services, including the policies and procedures the bank will employ to manage its fiduciary risk;
  (2) sufficient biographical information on proposed trust management personnel to enable the banking commissioner to assess their qualifications;
  (3) a description of the locations where the bank proposes to offer trust services and the manner in which such services will be provided at each location, including the extent to which fiduciary authority is proposed to be delegated to personnel at such location;
  (4) if the bank's certificate of formation does not authorize the bank to exercise the trust powers necessary to provide the proposed trust services, an application for amendment of its certificate of formation pursuant to Finance Code, §32.101, accompanied by the filing fee required by §15.2 of this title (relating to Filing and Investigation Fees); and
  (5) a copy of any filings made with the bank's primary federal regulator providing notice or seeking approval to offer trust services.
(d) Provided the bank's certificate of formation authorizes the bank to exercise trust powers sufficient to provide the proposed trust services, and subject to any conditions imposed by the banking commissioner and any required approval of the bank's primary federal regulator, the bank may begin offering and providing trust services on the 31st day after the date the banking commissioner receives the bank's notice under subsection (c) of this section unless the banking commissioner specifies an earlier or later date. The banking commissioner may extend the 30-day period on a determination that the bank's notice raises issues that require additional information or additional time for analysis. If the period is extended, or if the bank is amending its certificate of formation to authorize trust powers, the bank may not offer or provide trust services until it has received written approval of the banking commissioner.

Source Note: The provisions of this §3.23 adopted to be effective May 7, 2015, 40 TexReg 2409; amended to be effective July 5, 2018, 43 TexReg 4451