12 USC 3015 - Eligibility of cooperatives

View all text of Subchapter I [§ 3011 - § 3026]

§ 3015. Eligibility of cooperatives

(a) General requirements

For the purpose of all subchapters of this chapter, subject to the limitations of subsection (d) of this section, an eligible cooperative is an organization chartered or operated on a cooperative, not-for-profit basis for producing or furnishing goods, services or facilities, primarily for the benefit of its members or voting stockholders who are ultimate consumers of such goods, services, or facilities, or a legally chartered entity primarily owned and controlled by any such organization or organizations, if it—

(1) makes such goods, services or facilities directly or indirectly available to its members or voting stockholders on a not-for-profit basis;

(2) does not pay dividends on voting stock or membership capital in excess of such percentage per annum as may be approved under the bylaws of the Bank;

(3) provides that its net savings shall be allocated or distributed to all members or patrons, in proportion to their patronage, or shall be retained for the actual or potential expansion of its services or the reduction of its charges to the patrons, or for such other purposes as may be authorized by its membership not inconsistent with its purposes;

(4) makes membership available on a voluntary basis, without any social, political, racial, or religious discrimination and without any discrimination on the basis of age, sex, or marital status, to all persons who can make use of its services and are willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, subject only to limitations under applicable Federal or State laws or regulations;

(5) in the case of primary cooperative organizations restricts its voting control to members or voting stockholders on a one vote per person basis (except that this requirement shall not apply to any housing cooperative in existence on March 21, 1980, which did not meet such requirement on such date) and takes positive steps to insure economic democracy and maximum participation by members of the cooperative including the holding of annual meetings and, in the case of organizations owned by groups of cooperatives, provides positive protections to insure economic democracy; and

(6) is not a credit union, mutual savings bank, or mutual savings and loan association.

(b) Primary producers

(d) Cooperatives eligible for other Federal credit assistance

(e) Credit unions eligible for technical assistance from Office of Self-Help Development and Technical Assistance

(Pub. L. 95–351, title I, § 105, Aug. 20, 1978, 92 Stat. 506; Pub. L. 97–35, title III, § 394(e)(1), (f), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 436, 437; Pub. L. 115–334, title VI, § 6602(b)(18), Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4777.)