Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On July 6, 2020, the OCC, Board, FDIC, FCA, and NCUA (collectively, the Agencies) published in the Federal Register a notice soliciting comments on a proposal to reorganize, revise, and expand the Interagency Questions and Answers Regarding Flood Insurance (July 2020 Proposed Questions and Answers). The July 2020 Proposed Questions and Answers provided for a comment period ending on September 4, 2020. The Agencies have determined that an extension of the comment period until November 3, 2020, is appropriate. This action will allow interested parties additional time to analyze the proposal and prepare and submit comments.

The Agencies, in accordance with section 205(h) of the Dodd- Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (``Dodd-Frank Act''), are jointly adopting a final rule to implement provisions applicable to the orderly liquidation of covered brokers and dealers under Title II of the Dodd-Frank Act (``Title II'').

The FDIC, as part of its obligations under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the renewal of the existing information collections described below. On June 2, 2020, the FDIC requested comment for 60 days on a proposal to renew these information collections. No comments were received. The FDIC hereby gives notice of its plan to submit to OMB a request to approve the renewal of these information collections, and again invites comment on their renewal.

In accordance with its rule regarding recordkeeping for timely deposit insurance determination, the FDIC is providing notice to covered institutions that it has granted a time-limited exception of up to 18 months concerning the information technology system requirements and general recordkeeping requirements for certain deposit accounts for sole proprietorships that the covered institution's information technology systems misclassify with an incorrect ownership right and capacity code and a time-limited exception of up to 12 months concerning the information technology system requirements and general recordkeeping requirements for limited number of joint deposit accounts that the covered institution has not confirmed are ``qualifying joint accounts'' for deposit insurance purposes.

The FDIC, as part of its obligations under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the renewal of the existing information collection described below (OMB Control No. 3064-0092).

The FDIC is issuing this request for information (RFI) as part of its FDiTech initiative to promote the efficient and effective adoption of technology at FDIC-supervised banks and savings associations (financial institutions), particularly at community banks, and to facilitate the supervision of technology usage at these institutions without increasing costs or regulatory burden. The FDIC is committed to increasing transparency, improving supervisory and regulatory efficiency, supporting innovation in banking, and providing opportunities for public feedback. This RFI seeks input on whether a standard-setting and voluntary-certification program could be established to support financial institutions' efforts to implement models and manage model risk by certifying or assessing certain aspects of the models themselves, and to conduct due diligence of third-party providers of technology and other services by certifying or assessing certain aspects of the third-party providers' operations or condition. The FDIC is especially interested in information on models and technology services developed and provided by financial technology companies, sometimes referred to as ``fintechs.''

In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the OCC, the Board, and the FDIC (the ``agencies'') may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is not required to respond to, an information collection unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), of which the agencies are members, has approved the agencies' publication for public comment of a proposal to revise and extend the Consolidated Reports of Condition and Income (Call Reports) (FFIEC 031, FFIEC 041, and FFIEC 051) and Regulatory Capital Reporting for Institutions Subject to the Advanced Capital Adequacy Framework (FFIEC 101), which are currently approved collections of information. The FFIEC has also approved the Board's publication for public comment, on behalf of the agencies, of a proposal to revise and extend the Report of Assets and Liabilities of U.S. Branches and Agencies of Foreign Banks (FFIEC 002) and the Report of Assets and Liabilities of a Non-U.S. Branch that is Managed or Controlled by a U.S. Branch or Agency of a Foreign (Non-U.S.) Bank (FFIEC 002S), which also are currently approved collections of information. The agencies are requesting comment on revisions to the Call Reports, FFIEC 101, and FFIEC 002 related to interim final rules and a final rule issued in response to disruptions related to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) that revise the agencies' capital rule, the Board's regulations on reserve requirements and insider loans, and the FDIC's assessments regulations as well as certain sections of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) for which the agencies received emergency approvals from OMB. In addition, the agencies are proposing changes to the Call Report and the FFIEC 002 related to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Further, the agencies are proposing revisions to the Call Report to reflect the expiration of the temporary exception for estimated disclosures on international remittance transfers and certain amendments to the Remittance Rule recently finalized by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Bureau), which is a member of the FFIEC.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, notice is hereby given of a meeting of the FDIC Advisory Committee on Community Banking. The Advisory Committee will provide advice and recommendations on a broad range of policy issues that have particular impact on small community banks throughout the United States and the local communities they serve, with a focus on rural areas. The meeting is open to the public. Out of an abundance of caution related to current and potential coronavirus developments, the public's means to observe this Community Banking Advisory Committee meeting will be via a Webcast live on the internet. In addition, the meeting will be recorded and subsequently made available on-demand approximately two weeks after the event. To view the live event, visit https://fdic.windrosemedia.com. To view the recording, visit https://fdic.windrosemedia.com/ index.php?category=Community+Banking+Advisory+Committee. Observers requiring auxiliary aids (e.g., sign language interpretation) for this meeting should call 703-562-2404 (Voice) or 703-649-4354 (Video Phone) to make necessary arrangements.

The FDIC proposes to amend its application requirements for the establishment and relocation of branches and offices so that such applications would no longer require statements regarding the compliance of such proposals with the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA) and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). In connection with an ongoing and comprehensive review of the FDIC's existing regulations and guidance to identify rules or guidance that may be outdated, duplicative, or inconsistent, and after a careful analysis of applicable law, staff has concluded that continued consideration of the NHPA and the NEPA in the review of applications for the establishment of a branch and applications for the relocation of a branch or main office is not required under law and, therefore, consideration of these statutes during the processing of these applications is an unnecessary regulatory requirement for insured state nonmember banks and insured branches of foreign banks. Accordingly, the FDIC proposes to amend its regulations to remove NHPA and NEPA requirements embedded in its branch application procedures, and to rescind its statements of policy regarding the NHPA and the NEPA, consistent with branch application procedures for national banks and insured state member banks supervised by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. These statements of policy respectively provide guidance regarding the FDIC's consideration of the NHPA and the NEPA in the context of the FDIC's review of applications for deposit insurance for de novo institutions, the establishment of branches, and relocation domestic branches or main offices.

The OCC, Board, FDIC, FCA, and NCUA (collectively, the Agencies) propose to reorganize, revise, and expand the Interagency Questions and Answers Regarding Flood Insurance and solicit comment on all aspects of the amendments. To help lenders meet their responsibilities under Federal flood insurance law and to increase public understanding of their flood insurance regulations, the Agencies have prepared proposed new and revised guidance addressing the most frequently asked questions and answers about flood insurance. Significant topics addressed by the proposed revisions include the effect of major amendments to flood insurance laws with regard to the escrow of flood insurance premiums, the detached structure exemption, and force-placement procedures.

The OCC, Board, FDIC, FCA, and FHFA (each an Agency and, collectively, the Agencies) are adopting and inviting comment on an interim final rule amending the Agencies' regulations that require swap dealers, security-based swap dealers, major swap participants, and major security-based swap participants under the Agencies' respective jurisdictions to exchange margin with their counterparties for swaps that are not centrally cleared (non-cleared swaps) (Swap Margin Rule). Under the Swap Margin Rule, as amended, initial margin requirements will take effect under a phased compliance schedule spanning from 2016 through 2020, and in a final rule published elsewhere in today's issue of the Federal Register, the Agencies have extended the phase-in period to 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Agencies are extending by one year the phases 5 and 6 implementation deadlines for initial margin requirements from September 1, 2020, to September 1, 2021 (for phase 5) and from September 1, 2021, to September 1, 2022 (for phase 6). The Agencies' objective is to give covered swap entities additional time to meet their initial margin requirements under the rule so as not to hamper any efforts underway to address exigent circumstances caused by COVID-19.

The OCC, Board, FDIC, Commission, FHFA, and HUD (the agencies) are providing notice of the extension of the period for the review, and publication of determination of the review, of the definition of qualified residential mortgage; the community-focused residential mortgage exemption; and the exemption for qualifying three-to-four unit residential mortgage loans, in each case as currently set forth in the Credit Risk Retention Regulations (as defined below) as adopted by the agencies.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is adopting a final rule that mitigates the deposit insurance assessment effects of participating in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) established by the Small Business Administration (SBA), and the Paycheck Protection Program Liquidity Facility (PPPLF) and Money Market Mutual Fund Liquidity Facility (MMLF) established by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. The final rule removes the effect of participation in the PPP and borrowings under the PPPLF on various risk measures used to calculate an insured depository institution's assessment rate, removes the effect of participation in the PPP and MMLF program on certain adjustments to an insured depository institution's assessment rate; provides an offset to an insured depository institution's assessment for the increase to its assessment base attributable to participation in the PPP and MMLF; and removes the effect of participation in the PPP and MMLF when classifying insured depository institutions as small, large, or highly complex for assessment purposes.

The FDIC, as part of its obligations under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the renewal of the existing information collections described below. On March 17, 2020, the FDIC requested comment for 60 days on a proposal to renew these information collections. No comments were received. The FDIC hereby gives notice of its plan to submit to OMB a request to approve the renewal of these information collections, and again invites comment on their renewal.

In accordance with its rule regarding recordkeeping for timely deposit insurance determination, the FDIC is providing notice to covered institutions that it has granted a time-limited exception concerning the information technology system requirements and general recordkeeping requirements for certain accounts that require data cleanup, system updates, or customer outreach to make a deposit insurance determination and a time-limited exception from information technology system requirements and general recordkeeping requirements for certain internal (work-in-process) accounts that require an additional 24 hours (48 hours in total) post failure to obtain beneficial ownership information from internal business lines necessary to make a deposit insurance determination.

In light of recent disruptions in economic conditions caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 and strains in U.S. financial markets, the OCC, the Board, and the FDIC (together, the agencies) are issuing an interim final rule that temporarily revises the supplementary leverage ratio calculation for depository institutions. Under the interim final rule, any depository institution subsidiary of a U.S. global systemically important bank holding company or any depository institution subject to Category II or Category III capital standards may elect to exclude temporarily U.S. Treasury securities and deposits at Federal Reserve Banks from the supplementary leverage ratio denominator. Additionally, under this interim final rule, any depository institution making this election must request approval from its primary Federal banking regulator prior to making certain capital distributions so long as the exclusion is in effect. The interim final rule is effective as of the date of Federal Register publication and will remain in effect through March 31, 2021. The agencies are adopting this interim final rule to allow depository institutions that elect to opt into this treatment additional flexibility to act as financial intermediaries during this period of financial disruption. The tier 1 leverage ratio is not affected by this interim final rule.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the National Credit Union Administration (collectively, the agencies) are issuing an interagency policy statement on allowances for credit losses (ACLs). The agencies are issuing this interagency policy statement in response to changes to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) as promulgated by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) in Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-13, Financial InstrumentsCredit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments and subsequent amendments issued since June 2016. These updates are codified in Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 326, Financial InstrumentsCredit Losses (FASB ASC Topic 326). This interagency policy statement describes the measurement of expected credit losses under the current expected credit losses (CECL) methodology and the accounting for impairment on available-for-sale debt securities in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 326; the design, documentation, and validation of expected credit loss estimation processes, including the internal controls over these processes; the maintenance of appropriate ACLs; the responsibilities of boards of directors and management; and examiner reviews of ACLs.

The FDIC, as part of its obligations under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the renewal of the existing information collections described below. On March 17, 2020, the FDIC requested comment for 60 days on a proposal to renew these information collections. No comments were received. The FDIC hereby gives notice of its plan to submit to OMB a request to approve the renewal of these information collections, and again invites comment on their renewal.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation published an interim final rule in the Federal Register on March 31, 2020, that delays the estimated impact on regulatory capital stemming from the implementation of Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-13, Financial InstrumentsCredit Losses, Topic 326, Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (CECL). This correcting amendment corrects errors in and clarifies the March 31, 2020, interim final rule.

To provide liquidity to the money market sector, small business lenders, and the broader credit markets in order to stabilize the financial system, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) authorized the establishment of the Money Market Mutual Fund Liquidity Facility (MMLF) and the Paycheck Protection Program Liquidity Facility (PPPLF), pursuant to section 13(3) of the Federal Reserve Act. To facilitate use of these Federal Reserve facilities, and to ensure that the effects of their use are consistent and predictable under the Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) rule, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (together, the agencies) are adopting this interim final rule to require banking organizations to neutralize the effect under the LCR rule of participating in the MMLF and the PPPLF.

This interim final rule provides a graduated transition to a community bank leverage ratio requirement of 9 percent from the temporary 8-percent community bank leverage ratio requirement (transition interim final rule). When the requirements in the transition interim final rule become applicable, the community bank leverage ratio will be 8 percent beginning in the second quarter of calendar year 2020, 8.5 percent through calendar year 2021, and 9 percent thereafter. The transition interim final rule also maintains a two-quarter grace period for a qualifying community banking organization whose leverage ratio falls no more than 1 percentage point below the applicable community bank leverage ratio requirement. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (together, the agencies) issued concurrently an interim final rule that established an 8-percent community bank leverage ratio, as mandated under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. The agencies are issuing the transition interim final rule to provide community banking organizations with sufficient time and clarity to meet the 9 percent leverage ratio requirement under the community bank leverage ratio framework while they also focus on supporting lending to creditworthy households and businesses given the recent strains on the U.S. economy caused by the coronavirus disease emergency.

The OCC, Board, and FDIC (collectively, the agencies) are adopting an interim final rule to amend the agencies' regulations requiring appraisals of real estate for certain transactions. The interim final rule defers the requirement to obtain an appraisal or evaluation for up to 120 days following the closing of a transaction for certain residential and commercial real estate transactions, excluding transactions for acquisition, development, and construction of real estate. Regulated institutions should make best efforts to obtain a credible valuation of real property collateral before the loan closing, and otherwise underwrite loans consistent with the principles in the agencies' Standards for Safety and Soundness and Real Estate Lending Standards. The agencies are providing this relief to allow regulated institutions to expeditiously extend liquidity to creditworthy households and businesses in light of recent strains on the U.S. economy as a result of the National Emergency declared in connection with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).