§31A-2B-9. Enforcement; contractual authority of the State.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, the Commissioner of Banking is authorized to administratively enforce the requirements of this article consistent with §31A-2-4 of this code.

(b) The Attorney General is authorized to investigate compliance with this article and may bring a civil action for injunctive relief to judicially enforce this article: Provided, That with regard to a national bank, the Attorney General is authorized to conduct investigations and take judicial enforcement action only to the extent permitted by 12 U.S.C. §25b(i). Upon awarding an injunction against a financial institution as the result of a judicial enforcement action pursuant to this subsection, a court may award the Attorney General reasonable attorney’s fees.

(c) In selecting a financial institution to provide a financial service or product to the state related to payment card processing, the State Treasurer may disqualify a financial institution from the competitive bidding process or from any other official selection process if:

(1) During the past five years, a court of competent jurisdiction has entered an order or opinion finding that the financial institution violated this article;

(2) During the past five years, the Commissioner of Banking or the Attorney General, as the result of an investigation, has determined that a financial institution has violated this article;

(3) During the past five years, the financial institution has admitted to violating this article in the records of a court or other official proceeding; or

(4) The financial institution has publicly stated that it has adopted or intends to adopt policies or practices that violate this article.