Alabama § 5-3A-33 - Regulation and Examination of Certain Service Providers; Covered Services.

§ 5-3A-33. Regulation and Examination of Certain Service Providers; Covered Services.

(a) Whenever a serviced bank causes to be performed for itself, by contract or otherwise, any of the covered services listed in this section, the performance, condition, and affairs of the service provider are subject to regulation and examination to the same extent as if the services were being performed by the serviced bank itself when deemed necessary by the superintendent to ensure the safe and sound operation of a serviced bank or serviced banks or to respond to a danger, or potential danger, to the public welfare.

(b) For the purposes of this section, covered services include all of the following:

(1) Data processing services.

(2) Activities that support financial services including, but not limited to, lending, funds transfer, fiduciary activities, trading activities, and deposit taking.

(3) Internet related services including, but not limited to, web services and electronic bill payments, mobile applications, system and software development and maintenance, and security monitoring.

(c) For the purposes of this section, covered services do not include the following:

(1) Provision to a serviced bank of an interactive computer service or a general audience Internet or communications platform, except to the extent that the service or platform is specially designed or adapted for the business of banking and activities relating to the business of banking.

(2) When performed by attorneys who are not employees of the serviced bank, legal services the provision of which is conditioned by law on the existence and maintenance of a professional license to practice law by the attorney providing the legal services.

(d) In order to promote regulatory efficiency, in the event that a service provider has been examined by another state or federal financial services regulatory agency or by a member of the Federal Financial Institution Examinations Council (FFIEC), or any successor entity, in the immediately preceding 24 months, the superintendent may accept the results of the examination in lieu of conducting his or her own examination. Nothing in this article shall be construed as limiting or otherwise restricting the superintendent from participating in any examination by any other state or federal agency or a member of the FFIEC.