Email: Chapter 12, Article 1, Section 4
§12-1-4. Bonds to be given by depositories.
(a) Before allowing any money to be deposited with any eligible depository in excess of the amount insured by an agency of the federal government or insured by a deposit guaranty bond issued by a valid bankers surety company acceptable to the treasurer, the state Treasurer shall require the depository to give a collaterally secured bond, in the amount of not less than $10,000, payable to the State of West Virginia, conditioned upon the prompt payment, whenever lawfully required, of any state money, or part thereof, that may be deposited with that depository, or of any accrued interest on deposits. The bond shall be a continuous bond but may be increased or decreased in amount or replaced by a new bond with the approval of the state Treasurer. The collateral security for the bond shall consist of bonds of the United States, or bonds or letters of credit of the federal land banks, of the federal home loan banks, or bonds of the State of West Virginia or of any county, district or municipality of this state, or other bonds, letters of credit, or securities approved by the treasurer. All bonds so secured are here designated as collaterally secured bonds. Withdrawal or substitution of any collateral pledged as security for the performance of the conditions of the bond may be permitted with the approval in writing of the treasurer. All depository bonds shall be recorded by the treasurer in a book kept in his or her office for the purpose, and a copy of the record, certified by the treasurer, shall be prima facie evidence of the execution and contents of the bond in any suit or legal proceeding. All collateral securities shall be delivered to or deposited for the account of the treasurer of the State of West Virginia and in the event said securities are delivered to the treasurer, he or she shall furnish a receipt therefor to the owner thereof. The treasurer and his or her bondsmen shall be liable to any person for any loss by reason of the embezzlement or misapplication of the securities by the treasurer or any of his or her employees, and for the loss thereof due to his or her negligence or the negligence of his or her employees; and the securities shall be delivered to the owner thereof when liability under the bond which they are pledged to secure has terminated. The treasurer may permit the deposit under proper receipt of the securities with one or more banking institutions within or outside the State of West Virginia and may contract with any institution for safekeeping and exchange of any collateral securities and may prescribe the rules for handling and protecting the collateral securities.
(b) A banking institution is not required to provide a bond or security in lieu of bond if the deposits accepted are placed in certificates of deposit meeting the following requirements:
(1) The funds are invested through a designated state depository selected by the Treasurer;
(2) The selected depository arranges for the deposit of the funds in certificates of deposit in one or more banks or savings and loan associations wherever located in the United States, for the account of the state;
(3) The full amount of principal and accrued interest of each certificate of deposit is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation;
(4) The selected depository acts as custodian for the state with respect to such certificates of deposit issued for the state’s account; and
(5) On the same date the public moneys are redeposited by the public depository, the public depository may, in its sole discretion, choose whether to receive deposits, in any amount, from other banks, savings banks, or savings and loan associations.
(c) A banking institution is not required to provide a bond or security in lieu of bond pursuant to this section if the deposits accepted are placed in a designated state depository that is selected and authorized by the state to arrange for the redeposit of the funds through a deposit placement program that meets the following conditions:
(1) On or after the date that the funds are received the selected depository: (i) Arranges for the redeposit of the funds into deposit accounts in one or more federally insured banks or savings and loan associations that are located in the United States; and (ii) serves as custodian for the state with respect to the funds redeposited into such accounts.
(2) State funds deposited in a selected depository in accordance with this section and held at the close of business in the selected depository in excess of the amount insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation shall be secured in accordance with §7-6-2 of this code.
(3) The full amount of the funds of the state redeposited by the selected depository into deposit accounts in banks or savings and loan associations pursuant to this section (plus accrued interest, if any) shall be insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
(4) On the same date that the funds of the state are redeposited pursuant to this section, the selected depository receives an amount of deposits from customers of other financial institutions through the deposit placement program that are equal to the amount of the state funds redeposited by the selected depository.