Federal Reserve System February 4, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On March 25, 2011, the Board published a notice of proposed rulemaking (``2011 proposal'') intended to facilitate the banking industry's ongoing transition to fully electronic interbank check collection and return. Based on its analysis of the comments received in response to the 2011 proposal, the Board is revising its proposed amendments to subparts C and D of Regulation CC and is requesting comment on a revised proposed rule that would, among other things, encourage depositary banks to receive and paying banks to send returned checks electronically. The Board is requesting comment on two alternative frameworks for return requirements. Under Alternative 1, the expeditious-return requirement currently imposed on paying banks and returning banks for returned checks would be eliminated; a paying bank returning a check would be required to provide the depositary bank with a notice of nonpayment of the checkregardless of the amount of the check being returnedonly if the paying bank sends the returned check in paper form. Under Alternative 2, the current expeditious- return requirementusing the current two-day testwould be retained for checks being returned to a depositary bank electronically via another bank, but the notice-of-nonpayment requirement would be eliminated. The Board is proposing to retain, without change, the regulation's current same-day settlement rule for paper checks. In addition, the Board is also requesting comment on applying Regulation CC's existing check warranties to checks that are collected electronically and on new warranties and indemnities related to checks collected electronically and to electronically-created items.