Federal Housing Finance Agency May 23, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Section 939A of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act) requires Federal agencies to review regulations that require the use of an assessment of the credit- worthiness of a security or money market instrument and any references to, or requirements in, such regulations regarding credit ratings issued by credit rating organizations registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (NRSROs), and to remove such references or requirements. To implement this provision, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is proposing to remove a number of references and requirements in certain safety and soundness regulations affecting the Federal Home Loan Banks (Banks) and to adopt new provisions that would require the Banks to apply internal analytic standards and criteria to determine the credit quality of a security or obligation, subject to FHFA oversight and review through the examination and supervisory process. FHFA will undertake separate rulemakings to remove NRSRO references and requirements contained in the capital regulations applicable to the Banks and in the regulations governing the Banks' acquired member asset (AMA) programs.