(a) Real estate loans and related assistance

(1) Real estate loans
The Farm Credit Banks may make or participate with other lenders in long-term real estate mortgage loans in rural areas, as defined by the Farm Credit Administration, or to producers or harvesters of aquatic products, and make continuing commitments to make such loans under specified circumstances, for a term of not less than 5 nor more than 40 years.

(2) Financial assistance
The Farm Credit Banks may provide and extend financial assistance to, and discount for, or purchase from, a Federal land bank association any note, draft, or other obligation with the endorsement or guarantee of the association, the proceeds of which have been advanced to persons eligible and for purposes of financing by the association, as authorized under section 2279b(a) of this title.

(b) Intermediate credit

(1) In general
The Farm Credit Banks are authorized to make loans and extend other similar financial assistance to and to discount for or purchase from—

(A) any production credit association, or

(B) any national bank, State bank, trust company, agricultural credit corporation, incorporated livestock loan company, savings institution, credit union, or any association of agricultural producers engaged in the making of loans to farmers and ranchers, and any corporation engaged in the making of loans to producers or harvesters of aquatic products,

any note, draft, or other obligation with the institution's endorsement or guarantee, the proceeds of which note, draft, or other obligation have been advanced to persons and for purposes eligible for financing by production credit associations as authorized by this chapter.

(2) Participation with other entities
The Farm Credit Banks may participate with one or more production credit associations or other Farm Credit Banks in the making of loans to eligible borrowers and may participate with one or more other Farm Credit System institutions in loans made under this subchapter or other subchapters of this chapter on the basis prescribed in section 2206 of this title.

(3) Limitations on extension of financial services

(A) General rule
No paper shall be purchased from or discounted for, and no loans shall be made or other similar financial assistance extended by a Farm Credit Bank to any entity identified in paragraph (1)(B) of this subsection if the amount of such paper added to the aggregate liabilities of such entity, whether direct or contingent (other than bona fide deposit liabilities), exceeds ten times the paid-in and unimpaired capital and surplus of such entity or the amount of such liabilities permitted under the laws of the jurisdiction creating such institution, whichever is the lesser.

(B) Limitation on national bank
It shall be unlawful for any national bank which is indebted to any Farm Credit Bank, on paper discounted or purchased under paragraph (1), to incur any additional indebtedness, if by virtue of such additional indebtedness its aggregate liabilities direct or contingent, will exceed the limitation described in subparagraph (A).

(4) FCA regulations

(A) In general
All of the loans, financial assistance, discounts and purchases authorized by this subsection shall be subject to regulations of the Farm Credit Administration and shall be secured by collateral, if any, as may be required in such regulations.

(B) Requirement of regulations
The regulations shall assure that such loans, financial assistance, discounts, and purchases are available on a reasonable basis to any financing institution authorized to receive such services under paragraph (1)(B) of this subsection, and that—

(i) is significantly involved in lending for agricultural or aquatic purposes;

(ii) demonstrates a continuing need for supplementary sources of funds to meet the credit requirements of its agricultural or aquatic borrowers;

(iii) has limited access to national or regional capital markets; and

(iv) does not use such services to expand its financing activities to persons and for purposes other than those authorized under subchapter II.

(C) Fees
The regulations may authorize a Farm Credit Bank to charge reasonable fees for any commitment to extend service under this section to such a financing institution.

(D) Subsidiaries and affiliates
For purposes of this subsection, a financing institution together with the subsidiaries and affiliates of such may be considered as one, but such determination to consider such institution together with the subsidiaries and affiliates of such as one shall be made in the first instance by the bank and in the event of a denial by the bank of its services to a financial institution, then by the Farm Credit Administration on a case-by-case basis with due regard to the total relationship of the financing institution, its subsidiaries, and affiliates.

(5) Effective date
Nothing in this section shall require termination of discount relationships in existence on December 24, 1980.