32-1-455. Reserve requirements. (1) A bank, except a reserve bank, shall maintain at all times a reserve of that percentage of its deposit liabilities as required by the appropriate federal regulator.

(2) The department may establish reserve requirements if the federal regulator discontinues reserve requirements.

(3) A bank approved by the department as a reserve bank shall maintain at all times a reserve as the department requires by rule.

(4) A solvent bank of good repute having a full paid-up capital and surplus as the department requires by rule and doing business in this state or any other state may be designated by the department as a reserve agent for Montana banking institutions. The approval or designation may be withdrawn or withheld at any time by the department for cause.

(5) A bank whose reserve drops below the legal requirements shall report the matter to the department immediately and as often as the department asks for a report.

(6) When the reserve of a bank falls below the legal requirements, the bank may not increase its loans or discounts except by discounting or purchasing bills of exchange payable at sight or on demand, and the department shall notify a bank whose reserve may be below the amount required to make good the reserve.

(7) In arriving at deposit liabilities with regard to bank deposits, the net balance of amounts due to and from other banks must be used as the basis for ascertaining the deposit liability to banks against which reserves are carried.

(8) Compliance by member banks with the federal reserve banking laws, rules, and regulations is compliance with the reserve requirements and conditions of this chapter and entitles those federal reserve member banks to the rights and privileges accruing from compliance with this chapter.