Advertisement of Membership, 66098-66104 [E6-18802]
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 218 / Monday, November 13, 2006 / Rules and Regulations
the use of the Internet and other
information technologies to provide
increased opportunities for citizen
access to Government information and
services, and for other purposes.
An interim final rule concerning this
action was published in the Federal
Register on April 5, 2006 (71 FR 16982).
Copies of the rule were mailed by the
Board’s staff to all Board members and
tart cherry handlers. In addition, the
rule was made available through the
Internet by USDA and the Office of the
Federal Register. That rule provided for
a 60-day comment period which ended
June 5, 2006. Two comments were
received. One comment was received
from a tart cherry grower and the other
comment was from the Executive
Director of the Board.
The comment from the grower
supported USDA’s modification to the
Board’s recommendation concerning the
authority of the Secretary to remove or
select members of the Board. The Board
had recommended that current Board
members in a specific district determine
who is removed from the Board when
production levels decrease. USDA
modified the recommendation so it
stated that when a district falls below
the threshold level, members from the
district should make a recommendation
to the Board. The Board would then
submit its recommendation to the
Secretary for approval. The commenter
agreed with this modification.
The comment from the Executive
Director of the Board concerned two
issues contained in the interim final
rule: (1) Grower mapping requirements;
and (2) reallocating Board
representation. With respect to the first
issue, the commenter urges USDA to
remove the requirement now included
in § 930.158(b) that if a grower decides
not to participate in the grower
diversion program for a year, the grower
must inform the Board of his/her nonparticipation. USDA agrees that this
requirement is not necessary for the
operation of the grower diversion
program. As such, this requirement is
being deleted from § 930.158(b).
The second issue the Executive
Director addressed concerned the
reallocation of Board membership. The
commenter asserted that the
recommendation of the Board,
concerning reallocation, should be
adopted without the USDA modification
that the Secretary will make the final
decision based on a Board
recommendation. The Board’s
recommendation, however, did not take
into account the Secretary’s sole
authority to remove and select persons
to serve on the Board. As previously
discussed, it would not be appropriate
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to give direct responsibility to current
Board members in a specific district to
determine who is removed from the
Board when production levels decrease.
Therefore, the commenter’s second
suggestion is not adopted in this rule.
A small business guide on complying
with fruit, vegetable, and specialty crop
marketing agreements and orders may
be viewed at: https://www.ams.usda.gov/
fv/moab.html. Any questions about the
compliance guide should be sent to Jay
Guerber at the previously mentioned
address in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT section.
After consideration of all relevant
material presented, including the
Board’s recommendation, and other
information, it is found that finalizing
the interim final rule, with a change, as
published in the Federal Register (71
FR 16982, April 5, 2006) will tend to
effectuate the declared policy of the Act.
List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 930
Marketing agreements, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements, Tart
cherries.
I For the reasons set forth in the
preamble, 7 CFR part 930 is amended as
follows:
PART 930—TART CHERRIES GROWN
IN THE STATES OF MICHIGAN, NEW
YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, OREGON,
UTAH, WASHINGTON, AND
WISCONSIN
Accordingly, the interim final rule
amending 7 CFR part 930 which was
published at 71 FR 16982 on April 5,
2006, is adopted as a final rule with the
following change.
I
PART 930—TART CHERRIES GROWN
IN THE STATES OF MICHIGAN, NEW
YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, OREGON,
UTAH, WASHINGTON, AND
WISCONSIN
1. The authority citation for part 930
continues to read as follows:
I
2. In § 930.158, the introductory text
of paragraph (b) is revised to read as
follows:
I
§ 930.158 Grower diversion and grower
diversion certificates.
*
*
*
*
(b) Application and mapping for
diversion. Any grower desiring to divert
cherries using methods other than inorchard tank shall submit a map of the
orchard or orchards to be diverted,
along with a completed Grower
Diversion Application, to the Board by
April 15 of each crop year. The
application includes a statement which
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Dated: November 7, 2006.
Lloyd C. Day,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing
Service.
[FR Doc. E6–19078 Filed 11–9–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–02–P
FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE
CORPORATION
12 CFR Part 328
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 601–674.
*
must be signed by the grower which
states that the grower agrees to comply
with the regulations established for a
tart cherry diversion program. Each map
shall contain the grower’s name and
number assigned by the Board, the
grower’s address, block name or number
when appropriate, location of orchard or
orchards and other information which
may be necessary to accomplish the
desired diversion. On or before July 1,
the grower should inform the Board of
such grower’s intention to divert inorchard and what type of diversion will
be used. The four types of diversion are
random row diversion, whole block
diversion, partial block diversion and
in-orchard tank diversion. A grower
who informs the Board about the type
of diversion he or she wishes to use by
July 1 can elect to use any diversion
method or combination of diversion
methods. Only random row or inorchard tank diversion methods may be
used if the Board is not so informed by
July 1. Trees that are four years or
younger do not qualify for diversion.
Annual resubmissions of either the map
or application will no longer be
required. Growers will only submit a
new application and map if they are
participating in the grower diversion
program for the first time. Growers will
need only to submit a new orchard map
if he/she adds a new block of trees to
the orchard or changes the orchard
layout differently from the map
previously submitted to the Board.
*
*
*
*
*
RIN 3064–AD05
Advertisement of Membership
Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation (FDIC).
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The FDIC is promulgating a
final rule revising its regulation
governing official FDIC signs and
advertising of FDIC membership. The
final rule replaces the separate signs
used by Bank Insurance Fund (BIF) and
Savings Association Insurance Fund
(SAIF) members with a new sign, or
insurance logo, to be used by all insured
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 218 / Monday, November 13, 2006 / Rules and Regulations
depository institutions. In addition, the
final rule extends the advertising
requirements to savings associations,
consolidates the exceptions to those
requirements, and restricts the use of
the official advertising statement when
advertising non-deposit products. The
final rule also restructures the text in
certain sections in order to make them
easier to read. Lastly, the final rule
places the current prohibition
pertaining to receipt of deposits at the
same teller station or window as
noninsured institutions in its own
section.
DATES: The final rule will become
effective on November 13, 2007.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
David P. Lafleur, Policy Analyst, (202)
898–6569, Division of Supervision and
Consumer Protection (DSC); John M.
Jackwood, Acting Chief, Compliance
Section, (202) 898–3991, DSC; Kathleen
G. Nagle, Supervisory Consumer Affairs
Specialist, (202) 898–6541, DSC; or
Richard B. Foley, Counsel, (202) 898–
3784, Legal Division, Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation, Washington, DC
20429.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
A notice of proposed rulemaking
(NPR) was published in the Federal
Register at 71 FR 40440 (July 17, 2006).
The public comment period ended on
September 15, 2006. The FDIC received
a total of twelve comments. Nine of the
comments were from insured depository
institutions and three were from trade
associations.
II. The Final Rule
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A. Section 328.0—Scope
(i) Proposed rule. Under the proposed
rule, the scope provision would be
revised by the proposed rule to reflect
that there would now be one sign used
by all insured depository institutions
and the advertising requirements in
§ 328.3 would be extended to savings
associations.
(ii) Comments. No comments were
received on this aspect of the proposed
rule.
(iii) Final rule. No changes were made
to this aspect of the proposed rule.
B. Section 328.1—Official Sign
(i) Proposed rule. Pursuant to section
18(a) of the Federal Deposit Insurance
Act (FDI Act), as amended by section
2(c)(2) of the Federal Deposit Insurance
Reform Conforming Amendments Act of
2005, Public Law 109–173, 119 Stat.
3601–19 (FDIRCA Act), the proposed
rule would revise § 328.1 to eliminate
the separate official bank sign and
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official savings association sign, and to
display a black and white version of the
new official sign that would be used by
all insured depository institutions.
Under the proposed rule, the official
sign would be 7″ by 3″ in size, with
black lettering and gold background.
The design is similar in color scheme
and layout to the current bank sign but
with the following differences: First, the
language above ‘‘FDIC’’ states ‘‘Each
depositor insured to at least $100,000,’’
instead of ‘‘Each depositor insured to
$100,000.’’ The revised language more
accurately reflects the new deposit
insurance coverage limits in the
FDIRCA Act and the Federal Deposit
Insurance Reform Act of 2005, Public
Law 109–171, title II, subtitle B, 120
Stat. 9–21. Second, the proposed sign
includes the FDIC’s internet Web site
and leaves out the FDIC seal. Finally,
the full faith and credit statement
required by the FDIRCA Act is in italics
on the left side of the proposed sign and
is bordered by a semi-circle of stars, a
design that partially reflects the current
savings association sign.
Section 328.1 also describes the
‘‘symbol’’ of the Corporation that
insured depository institutions could
use at their option as the official
advertising statement. Under the
proposed rule, the symbol would be that
portion of the proposed official sign
consisting of ‘‘FDIC’’ and the two lines
of smaller type above and below
‘‘FDIC.’’
(ii) Comments. Some commenters
expressed support for having one
official sign for all insured depository
institutions, but one of those
commenters objected to the language
‘‘Each depositor insured to at least
$100,000,’’ arguing that the language
may require changing the official sign
every five years if the insurance limit
changes.
(iii) Final rule. No changes were made
to this aspect of the proposed rule. The
FDIC believes that the proposed
language indicating the minimum dollar
amount of insurance coverage provides
customers with important information,
despite the fact that a depositor may in
some situations have greater insurance
coverage and the minimum dollar
amount of insurance coverage may
increase in the future. By saying that
each depositor is insured to ‘‘at least’’—
rather than ‘‘up to’’—$100,000, the new
official sign will remain accurate even if
there are future increases in insurance
coverage.
C. Section 328.2—Display and
Procurement of Official Sign
(i) Proposed rule. The proposed rule
would make conforming changes to this
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section so that it applies to all insured
depository institutions, not just insured
banks. The proposed rule also
restructures this section to make it
easier to read but without making any
substantive changes.
Part 328 uses the term ‘‘automatic
service facilities’’ in some places, and
the term ‘‘remote service facilities’’ in
other places, although the two terms
have the same meaning within that part.
The proposed rule uses the term
‘‘remote service facility’’ in each place
and defines that term in § 328.2(a)(1)(ii)
to include any automated teller
machine, cash dispensing machine,
point-of-sale terminal, or other remote
electronic facility where deposits are
received.
The current §§ 328.2 and 328.4 are
virtually identical, except that one
applies to insured banks and the other
applies to insured savings associations.
The key difference between these
provisions is that § 328.4 has a
paragraph (e) prohibiting insured
savings associations from using the
official bank sign. As the new official
sign would be applicable to all insured
depository institutions, the proposed
rule would combine current §§ 328.2
and 328.4 into a new § 328.2.
As in the current § 328.2, the
proposed revision would allow an
insured depository institution to vary
the size, color, or material of the official
sign at its expense, and to display such
altered signs within the institution at
locations other than where insured
deposits are received. However, under
the proposed rule, only the official sign
adhering to the specifications of § 328.1
could have been displayed where
insured deposits are received. The
proposed rule refers to the FDIC’s
internet Web site, https://www.fdic.gov,
for information on obtaining the official
sign.
(ii) Comments. Some commenters
opposed the requirement in the
proposed rule that only the official
sign—i.e., the black and gold design
specified in § 328.1—could be displayed
at each station or window where
insured deposits are received. Those
commenters maintained that the FDIC
currently allows institutions to display
signs that vary in color or material at
stations or windows where insured
deposits are received.
Some commenters noted that section
18(a)(1)(A) of the FDI Act, 12 U.S.C.
1828(a)(1)(A), requires an insured
depository institution to display a sign
‘‘at each place of business maintained
by that institution,’’ not at each station
or window where insured deposits are
received. Therefore, according to those
commenters, the FDIC could simply
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require that the official sign be
displayed at each customer entrance to
an institution’s office.
Some commenters stated that they
assumed the FDIC would provide
insured depository institutions, without
charge, as many official signs as they
need to comply with the final rule.
However, one of those commenters
suggested that current signage could be
‘‘grandfathered,’’ since providing the
new signs would impose a cost on
taxpayers for what could be considered
a non-substantive change.
(iii) Final rule. The final rule retains
the longstanding requirement that the
official sign be displayed at each station
or window where insured deposits are
received. Requiring that signs be
displayed at each station or window
where insured deposits are received,
rather than at each customer entrance to
an institution’s office, is consistent with
section 18(a)(1)(A) of the FDI Act.
Moreover, because depository
institutions offer uninsured non-deposit
products in other parts of their
premises, the requirement better
informs customers about where FDICinsured deposits are received.1
The final rule permits an institution
to display signs varying in size, color, or
material from the specifications for the
official sign in § 328.1 at stations or
windows where insured deposits are
received. However, in locations where
display of the official sign is required
under § 328.2(a), the final rule prohibits
variations in size that are smaller than
the official sign. In the required
locations, signs must also use the same
color for the text and symbols. These
requirements are intended to ensure that
customers are able to recognize the sign.
A new sub-paragraph (2) of § 328.2(a)
implements these changes, and
§ 328.2(a)(2) of the proposed rule has
been redesignated as § 328.2(a)(3).
Finally, § 328.2(a)(1)(i) of the proposed
rule has been revised to provide that, in
addition to those locations where the
official sign must be displayed under
§ 328.2(a), an institution may display
the official sign in other locations at the
institution.
Like the proposed rule, the final rule
will allow insured depository
institutions to obtain from the FDIC, at
no charge, the official signs they need to
comply with part 328. The final rule
1 Insured depository institutions are required to
disclose that certain non-deposit products are not
FDIC-insured, and such products generally must be
sold at physical locations distinct from the area
where retail deposits are taken. See 12 CFR part 343
(Consumer Protection in Sales of Insurance—rules
applicable to FDIC-supervised institutions) and the
Interagency Policy Statement on Retail Sales of
Nondeposit Investment Products, issued on
February 15, 1994 (NDIP Policy Statement).
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does not adopt the suggestion by one
commenter that current signage could
be ‘‘grandfathered,’’ since that would be
inconsistent with section 18(a) of the
FDI Act.
D. Section 328.3—Official Advertising
Statement Requirements
(1) Proposal To Extend Official
Advertising Statement Requirement to
Savings Associations
(i) Proposed rule. Section 328.3
requires insured banks to include the
official advertising statement in all their
advertisements (with certain
exceptions). The basic form of the
statement is ‘‘Member of the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation,’’ which
may be shortened to ‘‘Member FDIC.’’
There is no equivalent requirement for
insured savings associations. The
proposed rule would revise § 328.3 to
provide for consistent treatment of
banks and savings associations by
requiring all insured depository
institutions to include the official
advertising statement in their
advertisements.
(ii) Comments. One commenter
voiced support for this aspect of the
proposed rule. No commenters objected
to it.
(iii) Final rule. No changes were made
to this aspect of the proposed rule.
(2) Proposals To Consolidate Exceptions
to the Required Use of the Official
Advertising Statement
(i) Proposed rule. There are currently
twenty exceptions to the required use of
the official advertising statement. The
proposed rule would have simplified
the advertising requirements by
reducing the number of exceptions to
five. The proposed rule would have
done this by limiting the applicability of
§ 328.3 to advertisements that
specifically promote deposit products or
generally promote banking services
offered by an insured depository
institution. The latter would have
included advertisements that contain an
institution’s name and a statement about
the availability of general banking
services. The term ‘‘advertisement’’
would have been defined as a
commercial message, in any medium,
that is designed to attract public
attention or patronage to a product or
business. By limiting the applicability of
§ 328.3 in this way, the NPR asserted
that most of the current exceptions to
the advertising requirements would
become unnecessary. The exemptions
eliminated from the proposed rule
would have been for: Statements and
reports of condition; bank supplies;
listings in directories; and
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advertisements relating to loan services,
safekeeping box services, trust services,
real estate services, armored car
services, service or analysis charges,
securities services, travel department
business, and savings bank life
insurance.
(ii) Comments. Some commenters
found the phrase ‘‘generally promote
banking services’’ ambiguous enough to
be interpreted to include advertisements
that fall within the current exceptions—
e.g., the exceptions for bank supplies,
listings in directories, and
advertisements for loan and safekeeping
box services. Those commenters
maintained that the advertising
requirements should only apply to
advertisements promoting deposit
products. One commenter suggested
clarifying the final rule by explaining
that promoting only non-deposit
banking products is not ‘‘generally
promoting banking services.’’ Another
commenter suggested substituting the
phrase ‘‘promote non-specific banking
services’’ for ‘‘generally promoting
banking services.’’ Some commenters
advocated retaining the current list of
exceptions to the advertising
requirements. One commenter thought
that the paragraph heading for
328.3(c)—‘‘Use of official advertising
statement in all advertisements’’—
should be revised by deleting the word
‘‘all,’’ since there will no longer be a
laundry list of exceptions.
(iii) Final rule. In order to avoid
ambiguity as to the scope of the
advertising requirements, the final rule
substitutes the phrase, ‘‘promote nonspecific banking products and services,’’
for the phrase, ‘‘generally promote
banking services.’’ In addition, the final
rule explains that an advertisement
promotes non-specific banking products
and services if it includes the name of
the insured depository institution but
does not list or describe particular
products or services offered by the
institution—e.g., ‘‘Anytown Bank,
offering a full range of banking
services.’’ Lastly, the final rule
explicitly references the exceptions
listed at § 328.3(c)(1), (2), (4), (5) and (6)
of the current rule. The word ‘‘all’’ has
been deleted from the heading for
§ 328.3(c), as suggested by one
commenter. Taken together, these
revisions clarify when the advertising
requirements apply and when they do
not apply. The final rule is not intended
to expand the applicability of the
advertising requirements.
(3) Other Proposed Revisions
(i) Proposed rule. The proposed rule
also would make certain clarifying, nonsubstantive, and conforming editorial
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changes in § 328.3. In addition, three
provisions in the current rule have not
been included in the proposed rule
because they address narrow situations
that rarely occur. The first provision,
§ 328.3(a)(2), allows the Board to grant
temporary exemptions from the
advertising requirements for good cause.
The second provision, § 328.3(a)(3),
concerns advertising copy not including
the official advertising statement that is
on hand on the date the advertising
requirements become operative. The
third provision, § 328.3(d), addresses
how to handle outstanding billboard
advertisements that require use of the
official advertising statement.
(ii) Comments. One commenter
voiced no objection to this aspect of the
proposed rule.
(iii) Final rule. No changes were made
to this aspect of the proposed rule.
E. Section 328.3(e)—Restrictions on
Using the Official Advertising Statement
When Advertising Non-Deposit Products
(i) Proposed rule. The NPR solicited
comment on whether the final rule
should include a provision that would:
(1) Prohibit use of the official
advertising statement in advertisements
relating solely to non-deposit products
(NDPs) or hybrid products containing
NDP and deposit features (e.g., sweep
accounts); and (2) require that the
official advertising statement be clearly
segregated from information about NDPs
in advertisements containing
information about both NDPs and
insured deposit products.
(ii) Comments. Several commenters
supported having a provision in the
final rule setting forth the requirements
for using, not using, and/or segregating
the official advertising statement in
advertisements for NDPs only,
advertisements for hybrid products, and
advertisements for both NDPs and
insured deposit products. Some
commenters advocated clarification of
the advertising requirements in the final
rule. One commenter recommended that
the final rule clarify the advertising
requirements by providing that the
official advertising statement is not
mandatory in advertisements for NDPs
only or in advertisements for hybrid
products. One commenter thought the
proposal is consistent with the NDIP
Policy Statement except with regard to
hybrid products. That commenter
opposed the prohibition against
displaying the official advertising
statement in advertisements for hybrid
products only. Another commenter
asserted that the proposed provision is
unnecessary, but argued that if the FDIC
acted in this area, it should do so
through a separate rulemaking.
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(iii) Final rule. The final rule includes
a new provision, in § 328.3(e),
restricting use of the official advertising
statement when advertising NDPs, as
described above and in the NPR. The
final rule defines the term ‘‘non-deposit
product’’ to include, without limitation,
insurance products, annuities, mutual
funds, and securities. The products
specifically included in the definition of
non-deposit product are products that,
in the FDIC’s experience, have been
mistakenly viewed by customers as
being FDIC-insured. Credit products are
excluded from this definition. The term
‘‘hybrid product’’ is defined as a
product or service that has both deposit
and non-deposit product features—e.g.,
a sweep account.
Under § 328.3(e), insured depository
institutions will be prohibited from
using the official advertising statement
in advertisements containing
information only about NDPs or hybrid
products. In mixed advertisements,
containing information about both NDPs
or hybrid products and insured deposit
products, the official advertising
statement will have to be clearly
segregated from information about the
NDPs or hybrid products in order to
make it clear that the statement refers
only to the insured deposit products.
Since the new provision is consistent
with the proposal set forth in the NPR,
the FDIC does not believe that a separate
rulemaking is necessary for this
provision. Section 328.3(e) of the
proposed rule has been redesignated as
§ 328.3(f).
F. Section 328.4—Prohibition Against
Receiving Deposits at Same Teller
Station or Window as Noninsured
Institution
(i) Proposed rule. Section 328.2
currently has a provision that prohibits
banks from receiving deposits at the
same teller station or window where a
noninsured institution receives
deposits, except for a remote service
facility. Since this provision does not
relate directly to the display and
procurement of the official sign and is
significant enough that it should be set
apart in a separate section, the proposed
rule would move the provision to
§ 328.4.
(ii) Comments. One commenter
voiced no objection to this aspect of the
proposed rule.
(iii) Final rule. No changes were made
to this aspect of the proposed rule.
G. Effective Date
(i) Proposed rule. The NPR also
solicited comment on whether the
proposed effective date of six months
after publication of the final rule in the
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Federal Register would give insured
depository institutions sufficient time to
adjust to the new requirements in the
proposed revision of part 328.
(ii) Comments. Several commenters
advocated a one-year transition period.
Some commenters believed that six
months would not be enough time for
institutions to use their existing
inventory of promotional materials
containing the current official signs and
to change such materials to comply with
the requirements for the new sign. One
commenter maintained that six months
might be enough time for display of the
official sign at teller windows, but at
least one year should be allowed with
respect to paper supplies. One
commenter thought January 17, 2007,
would be appropriate for site specific
advertising, such as signs on teller
windows or bank doors, and for
modifying an institution’s internet
pages, but felt that for changing paper
materials the effective date should be
extended to January 1, 2008.
One commenter was concerned that
the effective date provision in the
preamble to the NPR would not allow
institutions to implement measures to
comply with requirements of the final
rule until the very end of the transition
period, because doing so earlier would
violate the current requirements in Part
328. That commenter also believed that
institutions should be allowed to use
existing stocks of printed materials until
they are exhausted.
(iii) Final rule. The final rule extends
the effective date until one year after the
date when it is published in Federal
Register. Such a transition period
should give institutions sufficient time
to use existing printed materials before
the new requirements become
mandatory. During the transition period,
between publication of the final rule in
the Federal Register and the effective
date, insured depository institutions
will not be deemed in violation of the
current requirements in Part 328 if they
implement measures to comply with
requirements of the final rule. Indeed,
the very purpose of the transition period
is to give institutions time to implement
such measures.
III. Paperwork Reduction Act
The final rule does not contain any
‘‘collections of information’’ within the
meaning of section 3502(3) of the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. 3502(3)).
IV. Regulatory Flexibility Act
Display of the official sign is required
by section 18(a) of FDI Act, as amended
by section 2(c)(2) of the FDIRCA Act.
There would not be any significant
E:\FR\FM\13NOR1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 218 / Monday, November 13, 2006 / Rules and Regulations
V. The Treasury and General
Government Appropriations Act,
1999—Assessment of Federal
Regulations and Policies on Families
The FDIC has determined that the
final rule will not affect family wellbeing within the meaning of section 654
of the Treasury and General
Government Appropriations Act,
enacted as part of the Omnibus
Consolidated and Emergency
(b) The ‘‘symbol’’ of the Corporation,
as used in this part, shall be that portion
of the official sign consisting of ‘‘FDIC’’
and the two lines of smaller type above
and below ‘‘FDIC.’’
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§ 328.2
sign.
Display and procurement of official
(a) Display of official sign. Each
insured depository institution shall
continuously display the official sign at
each station or window where insured
deposits are usually and normally
received in the depository institution’s
principal place of business and in all its
branches.
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15:06 Nov 09, 2006
Jkt 211001
Supplemental Appropriations Act of
1999 (Pub. L. 105–277, 112 Stat. 2681).
VI. Small Business Regulatory
Enforcement Fairness Act
The Office of Management and Budget
has determined that the final rule is not
a ‘‘major rule’’ within the meaning of
the relevant sections of the Small
Business Regulatory Enforcement
Fairness Act of 1996 (‘‘SBREFA’’) (5
U.S.C. 801 et seq.). As required by
SBREFA, the FDIC will file the
appropriate reports with Congress and
the Government Accountability Office
so that the final rule may be reviewed.
List of Subjects in 12 CFR Part 328
Advertising, Bank deposit insurance,
Savings associations, Signs and
symbols.
I For the reasons stated above, the
Board of Directors of the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation hereby
amends title 12, chapter III of the Code
of Federal Regulations by revising part
328 to read as follows:
PART 328—ADVERTISEMENT OF
MEMBERSHIP
Sec.
328.0
Scope.
(1) Other locations—
(i) Within the institution. In addition
to locations where display of the official
sign is required under this § 328.2(a), an
insured depository institution may
display the official sign in other
locations at the institution.
(ii) Other facilities. An insured
depository institution may display the
official sign on or at Remote Service
Facilities. If an insured depository
institution displays the official sign at a
Remote Service Facility, and if there are
any noninsured institutions that share
in the Remote Service Facility, any
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Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
328.1 Official sign.
328.2 Display and procurement of official
sign.
328.3 Official advertising statement
requirements.
328.4 Prohibition against receiving deposits
at same teller station or window as
noninsured institution.
Authority: 12 U.S.C. 1818(a), 1819 (Tenth),
1828(a).
§ 328.0
Scope.
Part 328 describes the official sign of
the FDIC and prescribes its use by
insured depository institutions. It also
prescribes the official advertising
statement insured depository
institutions must include in their
advertisements. For purposes of part
328, the term ‘‘insured depository
institution’’ includes insured branches
of a foreign depository institution. Part
328 does not apply to non-insured
offices or branches of insured
depository institutions located in
foreign countries.
§ 328.1
Official sign.
(a) The official sign referred to in this
part shall be 7″ by 3″ in size, with black
lettering and gold background, and of
the following design:
insured depository institution that
displays the official sign must clearly
show that the sign refers only to a
designated insured depository
institution(s). As used in this part, the
term ‘‘Remote Service Facility’’ includes
any automated teller machine, cash
dispensing machine, point-of-sale
terminal, or other remote electronic
facility where deposits are received.
(2) Varied signs. Instead of displaying
the official sign, an insured depository
institution may display signs that vary
from the official sign in size, color, or
material at any location where display
E:\FR\FM\13NOR1.SGM
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ER13NO06.000
compliance costs with displaying the
official sign, because it would be
provided by the FDIC free of charge.
Insured banks have complied with
similar advertising requirements for
over seventy years without significant
expense. Although savings associations
have not been subject to such
advertising requirements, many have
used the official advertising statement
voluntarily. Moreover, mandatory
compliance with the advertising
requirements by savings association
would not entail significant expense.
Accordingly, the Board hereby certifies
that the final rule would not have a
significant economic impact on a
substantial number of small entities
within the meaning of the Regulatory
Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601–612).
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 218 / Monday, November 13, 2006 / Rules and Regulations
of the official sign is required or
permitted under this § 328.2(a).
However, any such varied sign that is
displayed in locations where display of
the official sign is required under this
§ 328.2(a) must not be smaller in size
than the official sign and must have the
same color for the text and symbols.
(3) Newly insured institutions. A
depository institution shall display the
official sign no later than its twenty-first
day of operation as an insured
depository institution, unless the
institution promptly requested the
official sign from the Corporation, but
did not receive it before that date.
(b) Procuring official sign. An insured
depository institution may procure the
official sign from the Corporation for
official use at no charge. Information on
obtaining the official sign is posted on
the FDIC’s internet Web site, https://
www.fdic.gov. Alternatively, insured
depository institutions may, at their
expense, procure from commercial
suppliers signs that vary from the
official sign in size, color, or material.
Any insured depository institution
which has promptly submitted a written
request for an official sign to the
Corporation shall not be deemed to have
violated this § 328.2 by failing to display
the official sign, unless the insured
depository institution fails to display
the official sign after receipt thereof.
(c) Required changes in sign. The
Corporation may require any insured
depository institution, upon at least
thirty (30) days’ written notice, to
change the wording of the official sign
in a manner deemed necessary for the
protection of depositors or others.
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§ 328.3 Official advertising statement
requirements.
(a) Advertisement defined. The term
‘‘advertisement,’’ as used in this part,
shall mean a commercial message, in
any medium, that is designed to attract
public attention or patronage to a
product or business.
(b) Official advertising statement. The
official advertising statement shall be in
substance as follows: ‘‘Member of the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.’’
(1) Optional short title and symbol.
The short title ‘‘Member of FDIC’’ or
‘‘Member FDIC,’’ or a reproduction of
the symbol of the Corporation (as
described in § 328.1(b)), may be used by
insured depository institutions at their
option as the official advertising
statement.
(2) Size and print. The official
advertising statement shall be of such
size and print to be clearly legible. If the
symbol of the Corporation is used as the
official advertising statement, and the
symbol must be reduced to such
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15:06 Nov 09, 2006
Jkt 211001
proportions that the two lines of smaller
type above and below ‘‘FDIC’’ are
indistinct and illegible, those lines of
smaller type may be blocked out or
dropped.
(c) Use of official advertising
statement in advertisements—(1)
General requirement. Except as
provided in § 328.3(d), each insured
depository institution shall include the
official advertising statement prescribed
in § 328.3(b) in all advertisements that
either promote deposit products and
services or promote non-specific
banking products and services offered
by the institution. For purposes of this
§ 328.3, an advertisement promotes nonspecific banking products and services
if it includes the name of the insured
depository institution but does not list
or describe particular products or
services offered by the institution. An
example of such an advertisement
would be, ‘‘Anytown Bank, offering a
full range of banking services.’’
(2) Foreign depository institutions.
When a foreign depository institution
has both insured and noninsured U.S.
branches, the depository institution
must also identify which branches are
insured and which branches are not
insured in all of its advertisements
requiring use of the official advertising
statement.
(3) Newly insured institutions. A
depository institution shall include the
official advertising statement in its
advertisements no later than its twentyfirst day of operation as an insured
depository institution.
(d) Types of advertisements which do
not require the official advertising
statement. The following types of
advertisements do not require use of the
official advertising statement:
(1) Statements of condition and
reports of condition of an insured
depository institution which are
required to be published by State or
Federal law;
(2) Insured depository institution
supplies such as stationery (except
when used for circular letters),
envelopes, deposit slips, checks, drafts,
signature cards, deposit passbooks,
certificates of deposit, etc.;
(3) Signs or plates in the insured
depository institution offices or attached
to the building or buildings in which
such offices are located;
(4) Listings in directories;
(5) Advertisements not setting forth
the name of the insured depository
institution;
(6) Entries in a depository institution
directory, provided the name of the
insured depository institution is listed
on any page in the directory with a
symbol or other descriptive matter
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
66103
indicating it is a member of the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation;
(7) Joint or group advertisements of
depository institution services where
the names of insured depository
institutions and noninsured institutions
are listed and form a part of such
advertisements;
(8) Advertisements by radio or
television, other than display
advertisements, which do not exceed
thirty (30) seconds in time;
(9) Advertisements which are of the
type or character that make it
impractical to include the official
advertising statement, including, but not
limited to, promotional items such as
calendars, matchbooks, pens, pencils,
and key chains; and
(10) Advertisements which contain a
statement to the effect that the
depository institution is a member of
the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation, or that the depository
institution is insured by the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation, or that
its deposits or depositors are insured by
the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation to at least $100,000 for each
depositor.
(e) Restrictions on using the official
advertising statement when advertising
non-deposit products—(1) Definitions—
(i) Non-deposit product. As used in
this part, the term ‘‘non-deposit
product’’ shall include, but is not
limited to, insurance products,
annuities, mutual funds, and securities.
For purposes of this definition, a credit
product is not a non-deposit product.
(ii) Hybrid product. As used in this
part, the term ‘‘hybrid product’’ shall
mean a product or service that has both
deposit product features and nondeposit product features. A sweep
account is an example of a hybrid
product.
(2) Non-deposit product
advertisements. Except as provided in
§ 328.3(e)(4), an insured depository
institution shall not include the official
advertising statement, or any other
statement or symbol which implies or
suggests the existence of Federal deposit
insurance, in any advertisement relating
solely to non-deposit products.
(3) Hybrid product advertisements.
Except as provided in § 328.3(e)(4), an
insured depository institution shall not
include the official advertising
statement, or any other statement or
symbol which implies or suggests the
existence of federal deposit insurance,
in any advertisement relating solely to
hybrid products.
(4) Mixed advertisements. In
advertisements containing information
about both insured deposit products and
non-deposit products or hybrid
E:\FR\FM\13NOR1.SGM
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66104
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 218 / Monday, November 13, 2006 / Rules and Regulations
products, an insured depository
institution shall clearly segregate the
official advertising statement or any
similar statement from that portion of
the advertisement that relates to the
non-deposit products.
(f) Official advertising statement in
non-English language. The non-English
equivalent of the official advertising
statement may be used in any
advertisement, provided that the
translation has had the prior written
approval of the Corporation.
§ 328.4 Prohibition against receiving
deposits at same teller station or window as
noninsured institution.
(a) Prohibition. An insured depository
institution may not receive deposits at
any teller station or window where any
noninsured institution receives deposits
or similar liabilities.
(b) Exception. This § 328.4 does not
apply to deposits received at a Remote
Service Facility.
By order of the Board of Directors.
Dated at Washington, DC, this 2nd day of
November, 2006.
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Robert E. Feldman,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6–18802 Filed 11–9–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6714–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. FAA–2006–25388; Directorate
Identifier 2006–NM–086–AD; Amendment
39–14824; AD 2006–23–12]
RIN 2120–AA64
Airworthiness Directives; BAE
Systems (Operations) Limited Model
BAe 146 and Avro 146–RJ Airplanes
Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Final rule.
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AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The FAA is adopting a new
airworthiness directive (AD) for all BAE
Systems (Operations) Limited Model
BAe 146 and Avro 146–RJ airplanes
equipped with certain hydraulic
accumulators. This AD requires
inspecting the hydraulic accumulators
to identify certain serial numbers, and
replacing any affected accumulator with
a new or serviceable accumulator.
Operators may delay doing the
replacement by doing repetitive
inspections of the affected hydraulic
accumulators for signs of failure
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15:06 Nov 09, 2006
Jkt 211001
(leaking or cracking), and replacing any
failed accumulator with a new or
serviceable unit. This AD results from a
report that one hydraulic accumulator
failed in service, which caused the loss
of the yellow hydraulic system when
the airplane was configured for landing.
We are issuing this AD to prevent
damage to the pressure skin, failure of
certain hydraulic systems,
contamination of the cabin with
hydraulic mist, increased workload for
the flightcrew associated with the loss
of one or more hydraulic circuits, and
consequent reduced controllability of
the airplane.
DATES: This AD becomes effective
December 18, 2006.
The Director of the Federal Register
approved the incorporation by reference
of a certain publication listed in the AD
as of December 18, 2006.
ADDRESSES: You may examine the AD
docket on the Internet at https://
dms.dot.gov or in person at the Docket
Management Facility, U.S. Department
of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street,
SW., Nassif Building, Room PL–401,
Washington, DC.
Contact British Aerospace Regional
Aircraft American Support, 13850
Mclearen Road, Herndon, Virginia
20171, for service information identified
in this AD.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dan
Rodina, Aerospace Engineer,
International Branch, ANM–116,
Transport Airplane Directorate, FAA,
1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton,
Washington 98057–3356; telephone
(425) 227–2125; fax (425) 227–1149.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Examining the Docket
You may examine the airworthiness
directive (AD) docket on the Internet at
https://dms.dot.gov or in person at the
Docket Management Facility office
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
The Docket Management Facility office
(telephone (800) 647–5227) is located on
the plaza level of the Nassif Building at
the street address stated in the
ADDRESSES section.
Discussion
The FAA issued a notice of proposed
rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR
part 39 to include an AD that would
apply to all BAE Systems (Operations)
Limited Model BAe 146 and Avro 146–
RJ airplanes equipped with certain
hydraulic accumulators. That NPRM
was published in the Federal Register
on July 19, 2006 (71 FR 40940). That
NPRM proposed to require inspecting
the hydraulic accumulators to identify
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
certain serial numbers, and replacing
any affected accumulator with a new or
serviceable accumulator. Operators may
delay doing the replacement by doing
repetitive inspections of the affected
hydraulic accumulators for signs of
failure (leaking or cracking), and
replacing any failed accumulator with a
new or serviceable unit.
Comments
We provided the public the
opportunity to participate in the
development of this AD. We have
considered the comment received.
Request To Change Incorporation of
Certain Information
The Modification and Replacement
Parts Association (MARPA) states that,
typically, airworthiness directives are
based on service information originating
with the type certificate holder or its
suppliers. MARPA adds that
manufacturer service documents are
privately authored instruments
generally having copyright protection
against duplication and distribution.
MARPA notes that when a service
document is incorporated by reference
into a public document, such as an
airworthiness directive, it loses its
private, protected status and becomes a
public document. MARPA adds that, if
a service document is used as a
mandatory element of compliance, it
should not simply be referenced, but
should be incorporated into the
regulatory document; by definition,
public laws must be public, which
means they cannot rely upon private
writings. MARPA is concerned that the
failure to incorporate essential service
information could result in a court
decision invalidating the AD.
MARPA adds that incorporated by
reference service documents should be
made available to the public by
publication in the Document
Management System (DMS), keyed to
the action that incorporates them.
MARPA notes that the stated purpose of
the incorporation by reference method
is brevity, to keep from expanding the
Federal Register needlessly by
publishing documents already in the
hands of the affected individuals;
traditionally, ‘‘affected individuals’’
means aircraft owners and operators,
who are generally provided service
information by the manufacturer.
MARPA adds that a new class of
affected individuals has emerged, since
the majority of aircraft maintenance is
now performed by specialty shops
instead of aircraft owners and operators.
MARPA notes that this new class
includes maintenance and repair
organizations, component servicing and
E:\FR\FM\13NOR1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 218 (Monday, November 13, 2006)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 66098-66104]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-18802]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION
12 CFR Part 328
RIN 3064-AD05
Advertisement of Membership
AGENCY: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).
ACTION: Final rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The FDIC is promulgating a final rule revising its regulation
governing official FDIC signs and advertising of FDIC membership. The
final rule replaces the separate signs used by Bank Insurance Fund
(BIF) and Savings Association Insurance Fund (SAIF) members with a new
sign, or insurance logo, to be used by all insured
[[Page 66099]]
depository institutions. In addition, the final rule extends the
advertising requirements to savings associations, consolidates the
exceptions to those requirements, and restricts the use of the official
advertising statement when advertising non-deposit products. The final
rule also restructures the text in certain sections in order to make
them easier to read. Lastly, the final rule places the current
prohibition pertaining to receipt of deposits at the same teller
station or window as noninsured institutions in its own section.
DATES: The final rule will become effective on November 13, 2007.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David P. Lafleur, Policy Analyst,
(202) 898-6569, Division of Supervision and Consumer Protection (DSC);
John M. Jackwood, Acting Chief, Compliance Section, (202) 898-3991,
DSC; Kathleen G. Nagle, Supervisory Consumer Affairs Specialist, (202)
898-6541, DSC; or Richard B. Foley, Counsel, (202) 898-3784, Legal
Division, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Washington, DC 20429.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
A notice of proposed rulemaking (NPR) was published in the Federal
Register at 71 FR 40440 (July 17, 2006). The public comment period
ended on September 15, 2006. The FDIC received a total of twelve
comments. Nine of the comments were from insured depository
institutions and three were from trade associations.
II. The Final Rule
A. Section 328.0--Scope
(i) Proposed rule. Under the proposed rule, the scope provision
would be revised by the proposed rule to reflect that there would now
be one sign used by all insured depository institutions and the
advertising requirements in Sec. 328.3 would be extended to savings
associations.
(ii) Comments. No comments were received on this aspect of the
proposed rule.
(iii) Final rule. No changes were made to this aspect of the
proposed rule.
B. Section 328.1--Official Sign
(i) Proposed rule. Pursuant to section 18(a) of the Federal Deposit
Insurance Act (FDI Act), as amended by section 2(c)(2) of the Federal
Deposit Insurance Reform Conforming Amendments Act of 2005, Public Law
109-173, 119 Stat. 3601-19 (FDIRCA Act), the proposed rule would revise
Sec. 328.1 to eliminate the separate official bank sign and official
savings association sign, and to display a black and white version of
the new official sign that would be used by all insured depository
institutions.
Under the proposed rule, the official sign would be 7'' by 3'' in
size, with black lettering and gold background. The design is similar
in color scheme and layout to the current bank sign but with the
following differences: First, the language above ``FDIC'' states ``Each
depositor insured to at least $100,000,'' instead of ``Each depositor
insured to $100,000.'' The revised language more accurately reflects
the new deposit insurance coverage limits in the FDIRCA Act and the
Federal Deposit Insurance Reform Act of 2005, Public Law 109-171, title
II, subtitle B, 120 Stat. 9-21. Second, the proposed sign includes the
FDIC's internet Web site and leaves out the FDIC seal. Finally, the
full faith and credit statement required by the FDIRCA Act is in
italics on the left side of the proposed sign and is bordered by a
semi-circle of stars, a design that partially reflects the current
savings association sign.
Section 328.1 also describes the ``symbol'' of the Corporation that
insured depository institutions could use at their option as the
official advertising statement. Under the proposed rule, the symbol
would be that portion of the proposed official sign consisting of
``FDIC'' and the two lines of smaller type above and below ``FDIC.''
(ii) Comments. Some commenters expressed support for having one
official sign for all insured depository institutions, but one of those
commenters objected to the language ``Each depositor insured to at
least $100,000,'' arguing that the language may require changing the
official sign every five years if the insurance limit changes.
(iii) Final rule. No changes were made to this aspect of the
proposed rule. The FDIC believes that the proposed language indicating
the minimum dollar amount of insurance coverage provides customers with
important information, despite the fact that a depositor may in some
situations have greater insurance coverage and the minimum dollar
amount of insurance coverage may increase in the future. By saying that
each depositor is insured to ``at least''--rather than ``up to''--
$100,000, the new official sign will remain accurate even if there are
future increases in insurance coverage.
C. Section 328.2--Display and Procurement of Official Sign
(i) Proposed rule. The proposed rule would make conforming changes
to this section so that it applies to all insured depository
institutions, not just insured banks. The proposed rule also
restructures this section to make it easier to read but without making
any substantive changes.
Part 328 uses the term ``automatic service facilities'' in some
places, and the term ``remote service facilities'' in other places,
although the two terms have the same meaning within that part. The
proposed rule uses the term ``remote service facility'' in each place
and defines that term in Sec. 328.2(a)(1)(ii) to include any automated
teller machine, cash dispensing machine, point-of-sale terminal, or
other remote electronic facility where deposits are received.
The current Sec. Sec. 328.2 and 328.4 are virtually identical,
except that one applies to insured banks and the other applies to
insured savings associations. The key difference between these
provisions is that Sec. 328.4 has a paragraph (e) prohibiting insured
savings associations from using the official bank sign. As the new
official sign would be applicable to all insured depository
institutions, the proposed rule would combine current Sec. Sec. 328.2
and 328.4 into a new Sec. 328.2.
As in the current Sec. 328.2, the proposed revision would allow an
insured depository institution to vary the size, color, or material of
the official sign at its expense, and to display such altered signs
within the institution at locations other than where insured deposits
are received. However, under the proposed rule, only the official sign
adhering to the specifications of Sec. 328.1 could have been displayed
where insured deposits are received. The proposed rule refers to the
FDIC's internet Web site, https://www.fdic.gov, for information on
obtaining the official sign.
(ii) Comments. Some commenters opposed the requirement in the
proposed rule that only the official sign--i.e., the black and gold
design specified in Sec. 328.1--could be displayed at each station or
window where insured deposits are received. Those commenters maintained
that the FDIC currently allows institutions to display signs that vary
in color or material at stations or windows where insured deposits are
received.
Some commenters noted that section 18(a)(1)(A) of the FDI Act, 12
U.S.C. 1828(a)(1)(A), requires an insured depository institution to
display a sign ``at each place of business maintained by that
institution,'' not at each station or window where insured deposits are
received. Therefore, according to those commenters, the FDIC could
simply
[[Page 66100]]
require that the official sign be displayed at each customer entrance
to an institution's office.
Some commenters stated that they assumed the FDIC would provide
insured depository institutions, without charge, as many official signs
as they need to comply with the final rule. However, one of those
commenters suggested that current signage could be ``grandfathered,''
since providing the new signs would impose a cost on taxpayers for what
could be considered a non-substantive change.
(iii) Final rule. The final rule retains the longstanding
requirement that the official sign be displayed at each station or
window where insured deposits are received. Requiring that signs be
displayed at each station or window where insured deposits are
received, rather than at each customer entrance to an institution's
office, is consistent with section 18(a)(1)(A) of the FDI Act.
Moreover, because depository institutions offer uninsured non-deposit
products in other parts of their premises, the requirement better
informs customers about where FDIC-insured deposits are received.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Insured depository institutions are required to disclose
that certain non-deposit products are not FDIC-insured, and such
products generally must be sold at physical locations distinct from
the area where retail deposits are taken. See 12 CFR part 343
(Consumer Protection in Sales of Insurance--rules applicable to
FDIC-supervised institutions) and the Interagency Policy Statement
on Retail Sales of Nondeposit Investment Products, issued on
February 15, 1994 (NDIP Policy Statement).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The final rule permits an institution to display signs varying in
size, color, or material from the specifications for the official sign
in Sec. 328.1 at stations or windows where insured deposits are
received. However, in locations where display of the official sign is
required under Sec. 328.2(a), the final rule prohibits variations in
size that are smaller than the official sign. In the required
locations, signs must also use the same color for the text and symbols.
These requirements are intended to ensure that customers are able to
recognize the sign. A new sub-paragraph (2) of Sec. 328.2(a)
implements these changes, and Sec. 328.2(a)(2) of the proposed rule
has been redesignated as Sec. 328.2(a)(3). Finally, Sec.
328.2(a)(1)(i) of the proposed rule has been revised to provide that,
in addition to those locations where the official sign must be
displayed under Sec. 328.2(a), an institution may display the official
sign in other locations at the institution.
Like the proposed rule, the final rule will allow insured
depository institutions to obtain from the FDIC, at no charge, the
official signs they need to comply with part 328. The final rule does
not adopt the suggestion by one commenter that current signage could be
``grandfathered,'' since that would be inconsistent with section 18(a)
of the FDI Act.
D. Section 328.3--Official Advertising Statement Requirements
(1) Proposal To Extend Official Advertising Statement Requirement to
Savings Associations
(i) Proposed rule. Section 328.3 requires insured banks to include
the official advertising statement in all their advertisements (with
certain exceptions). The basic form of the statement is ``Member of the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation,'' which may be shortened to
``Member FDIC.'' There is no equivalent requirement for insured savings
associations. The proposed rule would revise Sec. 328.3 to provide for
consistent treatment of banks and savings associations by requiring all
insured depository institutions to include the official advertising
statement in their advertisements.
(ii) Comments. One commenter voiced support for this aspect of the
proposed rule. No commenters objected to it.
(iii) Final rule. No changes were made to this aspect of the
proposed rule.
(2) Proposals To Consolidate Exceptions to the Required Use of the
Official Advertising Statement
(i) Proposed rule. There are currently twenty exceptions to the
required use of the official advertising statement. The proposed rule
would have simplified the advertising requirements by reducing the
number of exceptions to five. The proposed rule would have done this by
limiting the applicability of Sec. 328.3 to advertisements that
specifically promote deposit products or generally promote banking
services offered by an insured depository institution. The latter would
have included advertisements that contain an institution's name and a
statement about the availability of general banking services. The term
``advertisement'' would have been defined as a commercial message, in
any medium, that is designed to attract public attention or patronage
to a product or business. By limiting the applicability of Sec. 328.3
in this way, the NPR asserted that most of the current exceptions to
the advertising requirements would become unnecessary. The exemptions
eliminated from the proposed rule would have been for: Statements and
reports of condition; bank supplies; listings in directories; and
advertisements relating to loan services, safekeeping box services,
trust services, real estate services, armored car services, service or
analysis charges, securities services, travel department business, and
savings bank life insurance.
(ii) Comments. Some commenters found the phrase ``generally promote
banking services'' ambiguous enough to be interpreted to include
advertisements that fall within the current exceptions--e.g., the
exceptions for bank supplies, listings in directories, and
advertisements for loan and safekeeping box services. Those commenters
maintained that the advertising requirements should only apply to
advertisements promoting deposit products. One commenter suggested
clarifying the final rule by explaining that promoting only non-deposit
banking products is not ``generally promoting banking services.''
Another commenter suggested substituting the phrase ``promote non-
specific banking services'' for ``generally promoting banking
services.'' Some commenters advocated retaining the current list of
exceptions to the advertising requirements. One commenter thought that
the paragraph heading for 328.3(c)--``Use of official advertising
statement in all advertisements''--should be revised by deleting the
word ``all,'' since there will no longer be a laundry list of
exceptions.
(iii) Final rule. In order to avoid ambiguity as to the scope of
the advertising requirements, the final rule substitutes the phrase,
``promote non-specific banking products and services,'' for the phrase,
``generally promote banking services.'' In addition, the final rule
explains that an advertisement promotes non-specific banking products
and services if it includes the name of the insured depository
institution but does not list or describe particular products or
services offered by the institution--e.g., ``Anytown Bank, offering a
full range of banking services.'' Lastly, the final rule explicitly
references the exceptions listed at Sec. 328.3(c)(1), (2), (4), (5)
and (6) of the current rule. The word ``all'' has been deleted from the
heading for Sec. 328.3(c), as suggested by one commenter. Taken
together, these revisions clarify when the advertising requirements
apply and when they do not apply. The final rule is not intended to
expand the applicability of the advertising requirements.
(3) Other Proposed Revisions
(i) Proposed rule. The proposed rule also would make certain
clarifying, non-substantive, and conforming editorial
[[Page 66101]]
changes in Sec. 328.3. In addition, three provisions in the current
rule have not been included in the proposed rule because they address
narrow situations that rarely occur. The first provision, Sec.
328.3(a)(2), allows the Board to grant temporary exemptions from the
advertising requirements for good cause. The second provision, Sec.
328.3(a)(3), concerns advertising copy not including the official
advertising statement that is on hand on the date the advertising
requirements become operative. The third provision, Sec. 328.3(d),
addresses how to handle outstanding billboard advertisements that
require use of the official advertising statement.
(ii) Comments. One commenter voiced no objection to this aspect of
the proposed rule.
(iii) Final rule. No changes were made to this aspect of the
proposed rule.
E. Section 328.3(e)--Restrictions on Using the Official Advertising
Statement When Advertising Non-Deposit Products
(i) Proposed rule. The NPR solicited comment on whether the final
rule should include a provision that would: (1) Prohibit use of the
official advertising statement in advertisements relating solely to
non-deposit products (NDPs) or hybrid products containing NDP and
deposit features (e.g., sweep accounts); and (2) require that the
official advertising statement be clearly segregated from information
about NDPs in advertisements containing information about both NDPs and
insured deposit products.
(ii) Comments. Several commenters supported having a provision in
the final rule setting forth the requirements for using, not using,
and/or segregating the official advertising statement in advertisements
for NDPs only, advertisements for hybrid products, and advertisements
for both NDPs and insured deposit products. Some commenters advocated
clarification of the advertising requirements in the final rule. One
commenter recommended that the final rule clarify the advertising
requirements by providing that the official advertising statement is
not mandatory in advertisements for NDPs only or in advertisements for
hybrid products. One commenter thought the proposal is consistent with
the NDIP Policy Statement except with regard to hybrid products. That
commenter opposed the prohibition against displaying the official
advertising statement in advertisements for hybrid products only.
Another commenter asserted that the proposed provision is unnecessary,
but argued that if the FDIC acted in this area, it should do so through
a separate rulemaking.
(iii) Final rule. The final rule includes a new provision, in Sec.
328.3(e), restricting use of the official advertising statement when
advertising NDPs, as described above and in the NPR. The final rule
defines the term ``non-deposit product'' to include, without
limitation, insurance products, annuities, mutual funds, and
securities. The products specifically included in the definition of
non-deposit product are products that, in the FDIC's experience, have
been mistakenly viewed by customers as being FDIC-insured. Credit
products are excluded from this definition. The term ``hybrid product''
is defined as a product or service that has both deposit and non-
deposit product features--e.g., a sweep account.
Under Sec. 328.3(e), insured depository institutions will be
prohibited from using the official advertising statement in
advertisements containing information only about NDPs or hybrid
products. In mixed advertisements, containing information about both
NDPs or hybrid products and insured deposit products, the official
advertising statement will have to be clearly segregated from
information about the NDPs or hybrid products in order to make it clear
that the statement refers only to the insured deposit products. Since
the new provision is consistent with the proposal set forth in the NPR,
the FDIC does not believe that a separate rulemaking is necessary for
this provision. Section 328.3(e) of the proposed rule has been
redesignated as Sec. 328.3(f).
F. Section 328.4--Prohibition Against Receiving Deposits at Same Teller
Station or Window as Noninsured Institution
(i) Proposed rule. Section 328.2 currently has a provision that
prohibits banks from receiving deposits at the same teller station or
window where a noninsured institution receives deposits, except for a
remote service facility. Since this provision does not relate directly
to the display and procurement of the official sign and is significant
enough that it should be set apart in a separate section, the proposed
rule would move the provision to Sec. 328.4.
(ii) Comments. One commenter voiced no objection to this aspect of
the proposed rule.
(iii) Final rule. No changes were made to this aspect of the
proposed rule.
G. Effective Date
(i) Proposed rule. The NPR also solicited comment on whether the
proposed effective date of six months after publication of the final
rule in the Federal Register would give insured depository institutions
sufficient time to adjust to the new requirements in the proposed
revision of part 328.
(ii) Comments. Several commenters advocated a one-year transition
period. Some commenters believed that six months would not be enough
time for institutions to use their existing inventory of promotional
materials containing the current official signs and to change such
materials to comply with the requirements for the new sign. One
commenter maintained that six months might be enough time for display
of the official sign at teller windows, but at least one year should be
allowed with respect to paper supplies. One commenter thought January
17, 2007, would be appropriate for site specific advertising, such as
signs on teller windows or bank doors, and for modifying an
institution's internet pages, but felt that for changing paper
materials the effective date should be extended to January 1, 2008.
One commenter was concerned that the effective date provision in
the preamble to the NPR would not allow institutions to implement
measures to comply with requirements of the final rule until the very
end of the transition period, because doing so earlier would violate
the current requirements in Part 328. That commenter also believed that
institutions should be allowed to use existing stocks of printed
materials until they are exhausted.
(iii) Final rule. The final rule extends the effective date until
one year after the date when it is published in Federal Register. Such
a transition period should give institutions sufficient time to use
existing printed materials before the new requirements become
mandatory. During the transition period, between publication of the
final rule in the Federal Register and the effective date, insured
depository institutions will not be deemed in violation of the current
requirements in Part 328 if they implement measures to comply with
requirements of the final rule. Indeed, the very purpose of the
transition period is to give institutions time to implement such
measures.
III. Paperwork Reduction Act
The final rule does not contain any ``collections of information''
within the meaning of section 3502(3) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3502(3)).
IV. Regulatory Flexibility Act
Display of the official sign is required by section 18(a) of FDI
Act, as amended by section 2(c)(2) of the FDIRCA Act. There would not
be any significant
[[Page 66102]]
compliance costs with displaying the official sign, because it would be
provided by the FDIC free of charge. Insured banks have complied with
similar advertising requirements for over seventy years without
significant expense. Although savings associations have not been
subject to such advertising requirements, many have used the official
advertising statement voluntarily. Moreover, mandatory compliance with
the advertising requirements by savings association would not entail
significant expense. Accordingly, the Board hereby certifies that the
final rule would not have a significant economic impact on a
substantial number of small entities within the meaning of the
Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601-612).
V. The Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 1999--
Assessment of Federal Regulations and Policies on Families
The FDIC has determined that the final rule will not affect family
well-being within the meaning of section 654 of the Treasury and
General Government Appropriations Act, enacted as part of the Omnibus
Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act of 1999
(Pub. L. 105-277, 112 Stat. 2681).
VI. Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act
The Office of Management and Budget has determined that the final
rule is not a ``major rule'' within the meaning of the relevant
sections of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of
1996 (``SBREFA'') (5 U.S.C. 801 et seq.). As required by SBREFA, the
FDIC will file the appropriate reports with Congress and the Government
Accountability Office so that the final rule may be reviewed.
List of Subjects in 12 CFR Part 328
Advertising, Bank deposit insurance, Savings associations, Signs
and symbols.
0
For the reasons stated above, the Board of Directors of the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation hereby amends title 12, chapter III of
the Code of Federal Regulations by revising part 328 to read as
follows:
PART 328--ADVERTISEMENT OF MEMBERSHIP
Sec.
328.0 Scope.
328.1 Official sign.
328.2 Display and procurement of official sign.
328.3 Official advertising statement requirements.
328.4 Prohibition against receiving deposits at same teller station
or window as noninsured institution.
Authority: 12 U.S.C. 1818(a), 1819 (Tenth), 1828(a).
Sec. 328.0 Scope.
Part 328 describes the official sign of the FDIC and prescribes its
use by insured depository institutions. It also prescribes the official
advertising statement insured depository institutions must include in
their advertisements. For purposes of part 328, the term ``insured
depository institution'' includes insured branches of a foreign
depository institution. Part 328 does not apply to non-insured offices
or branches of insured depository institutions located in foreign
countries.
Sec. 328.1 Official sign.
(a) The official sign referred to in this part shall be
7 by 3 in size, with black lettering and gold
background, and of the following design:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR13NO06.000
(b) The ``symbol'' of the Corporation, as used in this part, shall
be that portion of the official sign consisting of ``FDIC'' and the two
lines of smaller type above and below ``FDIC.''
Sec. 328.2 Display and procurement of official sign.
(a) Display of official sign. Each insured depository institution
shall continuously display the official sign at each station or window
where insured deposits are usually and normally received in the
depository institution's principal place of business and in all its
branches.
(1) Other locations--
(i) Within the institution. In addition to locations where display
of the official sign is required under this Sec. 328.2(a), an insured
depository institution may display the official sign in other locations
at the institution.
(ii) Other facilities. An insured depository institution may
display the official sign on or at Remote Service Facilities. If an
insured depository institution displays the official sign at a Remote
Service Facility, and if there are any noninsured institutions that
share in the Remote Service Facility, any insured depository
institution that displays the official sign must clearly show that the
sign refers only to a designated insured depository institution(s). As
used in this part, the term ``Remote Service Facility'' includes any
automated teller machine, cash dispensing machine, point-of-sale
terminal, or other remote electronic facility where deposits are
received.
(2) Varied signs. Instead of displaying the official sign, an
insured depository institution may display signs that vary from the
official sign in size, color, or material at any location where display
[[Page 66103]]
of the official sign is required or permitted under this Sec.
328.2(a). However, any such varied sign that is displayed in locations
where display of the official sign is required under this Sec.
328.2(a) must not be smaller in size than the official sign and must
have the same color for the text and symbols.
(3) Newly insured institutions. A depository institution shall
display the official sign no later than its twenty-first day of
operation as an insured depository institution, unless the institution
promptly requested the official sign from the Corporation, but did not
receive it before that date.
(b) Procuring official sign. An insured depository institution may
procure the official sign from the Corporation for official use at no
charge. Information on obtaining the official sign is posted on the
FDIC's internet Web site, https://www.fdic.gov. Alternatively, insured
depository institutions may, at their expense, procure from commercial
suppliers signs that vary from the official sign in size, color, or
material. Any insured depository institution which has promptly
submitted a written request for an official sign to the Corporation
shall not be deemed to have violated this Sec. 328.2 by failing to
display the official sign, unless the insured depository institution
fails to display the official sign after receipt thereof.
(c) Required changes in sign. The Corporation may require any
insured depository institution, upon at least thirty (30) days' written
notice, to change the wording of the official sign in a manner deemed
necessary for the protection of depositors or others.
Sec. 328.3 Official advertising statement requirements.
(a) Advertisement defined. The term ``advertisement,'' as used in
this part, shall mean a commercial message, in any medium, that is
designed to attract public attention or patronage to a product or
business.
(b) Official advertising statement. The official advertising
statement shall be in substance as follows: ``Member of the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation.''
(1) Optional short title and symbol. The short title ``Member of
FDIC'' or ``Member FDIC,'' or a reproduction of the symbol of the
Corporation (as described in Sec. 328.1(b)), may be used by insured
depository institutions at their option as the official advertising
statement.
(2) Size and print. The official advertising statement shall be of
such size and print to be clearly legible. If the symbol of the
Corporation is used as the official advertising statement, and the
symbol must be reduced to such proportions that the two lines of
smaller type above and below ``FDIC'' are indistinct and illegible,
those lines of smaller type may be blocked out or dropped.
(c) Use of official advertising statement in advertisements--(1)
General requirement. Except as provided in Sec. 328.3(d), each insured
depository institution shall include the official advertising statement
prescribed in Sec. 328.3(b) in all advertisements that either promote
deposit products and services or promote non-specific banking products
and services offered by the institution. For purposes of this Sec.
328.3, an advertisement promotes non-specific banking products and
services if it includes the name of the insured depository institution
but does not list or describe particular products or services offered
by the institution. An example of such an advertisement would be,
``Anytown Bank, offering a full range of banking services.''
(2) Foreign depository institutions. When a foreign depository
institution has both insured and noninsured U.S. branches, the
depository institution must also identify which branches are insured
and which branches are not insured in all of its advertisements
requiring use of the official advertising statement.
(3) Newly insured institutions. A depository institution shall
include the official advertising statement in its advertisements no
later than its twenty-first day of operation as an insured depository
institution.
(d) Types of advertisements which do not require the official
advertising statement. The following types of advertisements do not
require use of the official advertising statement:
(1) Statements of condition and reports of condition of an insured
depository institution which are required to be published by State or
Federal law;
(2) Insured depository institution supplies such as stationery
(except when used for circular letters), envelopes, deposit slips,
checks, drafts, signature cards, deposit passbooks, certificates of
deposit, etc.;
(3) Signs or plates in the insured depository institution offices
or attached to the building or buildings in which such offices are
located;
(4) Listings in directories;
(5) Advertisements not setting forth the name of the insured
depository institution;
(6) Entries in a depository institution directory, provided the
name of the insured depository institution is listed on any page in the
directory with a symbol or other descriptive matter indicating it is a
member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation;
(7) Joint or group advertisements of depository institution
services where the names of insured depository institutions and
noninsured institutions are listed and form a part of such
advertisements;
(8) Advertisements by radio or television, other than display
advertisements, which do not exceed thirty (30) seconds in time;
(9) Advertisements which are of the type or character that make it
impractical to include the official advertising statement, including,
but not limited to, promotional items such as calendars, matchbooks,
pens, pencils, and key chains; and
(10) Advertisements which contain a statement to the effect that
the depository institution is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation, or that the depository institution is insured by the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or that its deposits or
depositors are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to
at least $100,000 for each depositor.
(e) Restrictions on using the official advertising statement when
advertising non-deposit products--(1) Definitions--
(i) Non-deposit product. As used in this part, the term ``non-
deposit product'' shall include, but is not limited to, insurance
products, annuities, mutual funds, and securities. For purposes of this
definition, a credit product is not a non-deposit product.
(ii) Hybrid product. As used in this part, the term ``hybrid
product'' shall mean a product or service that has both deposit product
features and non-deposit product features. A sweep account is an
example of a hybrid product.
(2) Non-deposit product advertisements. Except as provided in Sec.
328.3(e)(4), an insured depository institution shall not include the
official advertising statement, or any other statement or symbol which
implies or suggests the existence of Federal deposit insurance, in any
advertisement relating solely to non-deposit products.
(3) Hybrid product advertisements. Except as provided in Sec.
328.3(e)(4), an insured depository institution shall not include the
official advertising statement, or any other statement or symbol which
implies or suggests the existence of federal deposit insurance, in any
advertisement relating solely to hybrid products.
(4) Mixed advertisements. In advertisements containing information
about both insured deposit products and non-deposit products or hybrid
[[Page 66104]]
products, an insured depository institution shall clearly segregate the
official advertising statement or any similar statement from that
portion of the advertisement that relates to the non-deposit products.
(f) Official advertising statement in non-English language. The
non-English equivalent of the official advertising statement may be
used in any advertisement, provided that the translation has had the
prior written approval of the Corporation.
Sec. 328.4 Prohibition against receiving deposits at same teller
station or window as noninsured institution.
(a) Prohibition. An insured depository institution may not receive
deposits at any teller station or window where any noninsured
institution receives deposits or similar liabilities.
(b) Exception. This Sec. 328.4 does not apply to deposits received
at a Remote Service Facility.
By order of the Board of Directors.
Dated at Washington, DC, this 2nd day of November, 2006.
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Robert E. Feldman,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6-18802 Filed 11-9-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6714-01-P