Federal Reserve System June 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Board is amending Regulation Z, which implements the Truth in Lending Act, and the staff commentary to the regulation in order to implement provisions of the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 that go into effect on August 22, 2010. In particular, the final rule requires that penalty fees imposed by card issuers be reasonable and proportional to the violation of the account terms. The final rule also requires credit card issuers to reevaluate at least every six months annual percentage rates increased on or after January 1, 2009. The final rule also requires that notices of rate increases for credit card accounts disclose the principal reasons for the increase.

Background

The OCC, Board, FDIC and OTS (collectively, the Agencies) are adopting final guidance designed to help ensure that incentive compensation policies at banking organizations do not encourage imprudent risk-taking and are consistent with the safety and soundness of the organization.

The OCC, the Board, the FDIC, and the OTS (collectively, ``the agencies'') are issuing this proposed rule to revise provisions of our rules implementing the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). The agencies propose to revise the term ``community development'' to include loans, investments, and services by financial institutions that support, enable, or facilitate projects or activities that meet the criteria described in Section 2301(c)(3) of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA) and are conducted in designated target areas identified in plans approved by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, established pursuant to the HERA and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The proposed rule would provide favorable CRA consideration to such activities that, pursuant to the requirements of the program, benefit low-, moderate-, and middle-income individuals and geographies in designated target areas. Such consideration would include covered activities within an institution's assessment area(s) and outside of its assessment area(s), as long as the institution has

The OCC, Board, FDIC, and OTS (collectively, ``the agencies'') will hold a series of joint public hearings in four cities across the country to receive public comments on the agencies' regulations governing procedures for assessing a financial institution's performance under the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). The purpose of the hearings is to seek a wide range of views on whether and how the agencies should revise their regulations to better serve the goals of the Community Reinvestment Act. The hearings will be held in: Arlington, Virginia; Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; and Los Angeles, California. The dates and details of how to request participation are provided below.

The Federal Reserve Board will conduct four public hearings on potential revisions to the Board's Regulation C, which implements the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA). HMDA requires mortgage lenders to provide detailed information about their mortgage lending activity to federal agencies and the public. Consumers, consumer advocacy organizations, mortgage lenders, and other interested parties will be invited to participate in the hearings. The Board also invites members of the public to attend the hearings and to comment on the issues that will be the focus of the hearings. Additional information about the hearings will be posted to the Board's Web site at https:// www.federalreserve.gov.

Background. Notice is hereby given of the final approval of proposed information collections by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) under OMB delegated authority, as per 5 CFR 1320.16 (OMB Regulations on Controlling Paperwork Burdens on the Public). Board-approved collections of information are incorporated into the official OMB inventory of currently approved collections of information. Copies of the Paperwork Reduction Act Submission, supporting statements and approved collection of information instrument(s) are placed into OMB's public docket files. The Federal Reserve may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is not required to respond to, an information collection that has been extended, revised, or implemented on or after October 1, 1995, unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

Background. On June 15, 1984, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) delegated to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) its approval authority under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), as per 5 CFR 1320.16, to approve of and assign OMB control numbers to collection of information requests and requirements conducted or sponsored by the Board under conditions set forth in 5 CFR part 1320 Appendix A.1. Board-approved collections of information are incorporated into the official OMB inventory of currently approved collections of information. Copies of the Paperwork Reduction Act Submission, supporting statements and approved collection of information instruments are placed into OMB's public docket files. The Federal Reserve may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is not required to respond to, an information collection that has been extended, revised, or implemented on or after October 1, 1995, unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

Background. Notice is hereby given of the final approval of

On November 17, 2009, the Board published a final rule amending Regulation E, which implements the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, and the official staff commentary to the regulation (Regulation E final rule). The Regulation E final rule limited the ability of financial institutions to assess overdraft fees for paying automated teller machine (ATM) and one-time debit card transactions that overdraw a consumer's account, unless the consumer affirmatively consents, or opts in, to the institution's payment of overdrafts for those transactions. The Board is amending Regulation E and the official staff commentary to clarify certain aspects of the Regulation E final rule.