Montana Code Annotated 2023

TITLE 32. FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

CHAPTER 1. BANKS AND TRUST COMPANIES

Part 2. State-Chartered Banks and Functions ofDepartment of Administration

Confidentiality -- Penalties

32-1-234. Confidentiality -- penalties. (1) (a) Reports and statements under 32-1-211, 32-1-215, 32-1-216, 32-1-221, 32-1-232, and 32-1-233 are confidential. Except for information made public by the federal deposit insurance corporation or other federal banking authority's publicly accessible website, any information contained in the reports and statements, the source documents from which this information is derived, and communications concerning reports and statements are confidential. Except as provided in subsection (1)(b), confidential information may not be disclosed to persons who are not officially associated with the department and may be used by the department only to further its official duties.

(b) The department may exchange information with federal financial institution regulatory agencies and with the financial regulatory departments of other states. The department may furnish reports of its examination findings under 32-1-211, 32-1-215, and 32-1-216 to a federal home loan bank, as defined in the Federal Home Loan Bank Act of 1932, 12 U.S.C. 1422. The department may furnish information to the legislative auditor for use in pursuit of official duties. A prosecuting official may obtain the information by court order.

(2) Any knowledge or information gained or discovered by the department in pursuance of its powers or duties is confidential information of the department. The information may not, except as provided in subsection (1)(b), be disclosed to any person not officially associated with the department. The information must be used by the department only to further its official duties.

(3) An employee or agent of the department who violates this section or willfully makes a false official report as to the condition of a bank must be removed from office and is also guilty of a felony. On conviction, the person shall be fined an amount not exceeding $1,000, imprisoned in a state correctional facility for a term not exceeding 5 years, or both.

History: En. Secs. 65, 85, Ch. 89, L. 1927; re-en. Secs. 6014.69, 6014.96, R.C.M. 1935; amd. Secs. 28, 33, Ch. 431, L. 1975; R.C.M. 1947, 5-705, 5-1012; amd. Sec. 12, Ch. 395, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 12, L. 2015; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 68, L. 2019; amd. Sec. 14, Ch. 75, L. 2019; amd. Sec. 14, Ch. 23, L. 2023.