(a) Notwithstanding any provisions of Division 1 (commencing with Section 99), Section 202 of the Corporations Code, or any other provisions of law relating to trusts and trust authority, subject to regulations of the commissioner, an association may act as trustee, executor, administrator, guardian, or in any other fiduciary capacity in which banks, trust companies, or other corporations are permitted to act under the laws of this state, directly or through a state or nationally chartered subsidiary.

(b) All acts provided in this code to be performed by the commissioner, the State Treasurer, or other public officials for or in respect to the deposit of securities by trust companies for the protection of court and private trusts shall be performed as well for or in respect to the deposit of securities by any association or the trust companies of any association organized or doing business under the laws of this state, or by any federal association authorized to transact a trust business. An association may advertise its authority to engage in and conduct a trust business and to advertise for and solicit a trust business in this state, notwithstanding any other provision of law.

(c) Pursuant to the authority contained in Section 1 of Article XV of the California Constitution, the restrictions upon rates of interest contained in Section 1 of Article XV of the California Constitution shall not apply to any obligations of, loans made by, or forbearances of, an association or federal association, or a service corporation which is authorized to exercise trust powers, when the association, federal association, or service corporation is acting in its fiduciary capacity as trustee.

(d) Subdivision (c) creates and authorizes an exempt class of persons pursuant to Section 1 of Article XV of the Constitution. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, subdivision (c) does not exempt an association, federal association, or a service corporation of such associations, from complying with all other laws and regulations governing the business in which the association, federal association, or service corporation is engaged.

(Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 1064, Sec. 552. Effective January 1, 1997. Operative July 1, 1997.)