Office of the Comptroller of the Currency March 18, 2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This final rule modifies the requirements for national banks and Federal savings associations, including Federal branches and agencies of foreign banks licensed or chartered by the OCC, to file suspicious activity reports (SARs). It amends the OCC's SAR regulations to allow the OCC to issue exemptions from the requirements of those regulations upon request from a financial institution subject to those regulations. The rule harmonizes the OCC's legal authority with the preexisting exemption authority of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. This rule will make it possible for the OCC to facilitate changes required by the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020. The final rule will also make it possible for the OCC to grant relief to national banks or Federal savings associations that develop innovative solutions intended to meet Bank Secrecy Act requirements more efficiently and effectively.