Federal Reserve System 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) (collectively, the Agencies) are amending their regulatory capital rules to permit banks, bank holding companies, and savings associations (collectively, banking organizations) to reduce the amount of goodwill that a banking organization must deduct from tier 1 capital by the amount of any deferred tax liability associated with that goodwill. For a banking organization that elects to apply this final rule, the amount of goodwill the banking organization must deduct from tier 1 capital would reflect the maximum exposure to loss in the event that such goodwill is impaired or derecognized for financial reporting purposes.

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) has adopted revisions to part II of its Policy on Payment System Risk (PSR) that are designed to improve intraday liquidity management and payment flows for the banking system, while also helping to mitigate credit exposures of the Federal Reserve Banks (Reserve Banks) from daylight overdrafts. The adopted changes to the PSR policy are substantially the same as those proposed for comment, including a new approach that explicitly recognizes the role of the central bank in providing intraday balances and credit to healthy depository institutions, a zero fee for collateralized daylight overdrafts, a 50 basis point (annual rate) charge for uncollateralized daylight overdrafts, and a biweekly daylight overdraft fee waiver of $150. The implementation of the changes will take place between the fourth quarter of 2010 and first quarter of 2011. A specific date will be announced by the Board at least 90 days in advance. The Board also approved for foreign banking organizations (FBO) an interim policy change related to the calculation of the deductible amount from daylight overdraft fees under the existing policy and early implementation of the proposed streamlined procedure for maximum daylight overdraft capacity (max cap). The interim policy change for the deductible and streamlined max cap procedure will be effective on March 26, 2009. In addition, the Board endorsed a four-prong strategy, which includes these policy changes, through which the Federal Reserve and industry will address related intraday liquidity, operational, and credit risks in the wholesale payment system.

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.

The Board is amending Regulation D, Reserve Requirements of Depository Institutions, to revise the rate for earnings on required reserve balances and excess balances of eligible institutions and to provide that the rates may be revised by the Board from time to time.

The OCC, the Board, the FDIC, and the OTS (collectively, the ``agencies'') are amending their Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) regulations to adjust the asset-size thresholds used to define ``small bank'' or ``small savings association'' and ``intermediate small bank'' or ``intermediate small savings association.'' As required by the CRA regulations, the adjustment to the threshold amount is based on the annual percentage change in the Consumer Price Index.

On December 10, 2008, the Board published a proposal to amend Regulation Z that would conform the regulation to reflect recent amendments to the Truth in Lending Act (73 FR 74989). The Board is extending the public comment period on the proposal.

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.

On July 30, 2008, the Board published a final rule amending Regulation Z, which implements the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act (HOEPA). The July 2008 final rule requires creditors to give consumers transaction-specific cost disclosures shortly after application for closed-end loans secured by a consumer's principal dwelling. The disclosures must be provided before the consumer pays any fee, other than a fee for obtaining the consumer's credit history. Also on July 30, 2008, the Congress enacted the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, which included amendments to TILA, known as the Mortgage Disclosure Improvement Act of 2008 (MDIA). On October 3, 2008, the Congress amended the MDIA in connection with its enactment of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (``Stabilization Act''). The Board is now proposing revisions to Regulation Z to implement the provisions of the MDIA, as amended. The MDIA broadens and adds to the requirements of the Board's July 2008 final rule. Among other things, the MDIA requires early, transaction-specific disclosures for mortgage loans secured by dwellings other than the consumer's principal dwelling and requires waiting periods between the time when disclosures are given and consummation of the transaction. Moreover, these requirements of the MDIA will become effective on July 30, 2009, about two months earlier than the Board's regulatory amendments adopted in the July 2008 final rule. Consistent with the MDIA, the proposed amendments to Regulation Z would require creditors to deliver good faith estimates of the required mortgage disclosures or place them in the mail no later than three business days after receiving a consumer's application for a dwelling- secured closed-end loan. The delivery or mailing of these disclosures would have to occur at least seven business days before consummation. If the annual percentage rate provided in the good faith estimates changes beyond a stated tolerance, creditors must provide corrected disclosures, which the consumer must receive at least three business days before consummation of the transaction. The proposal would allow consumers to expedite consummation to meet a bona fide personal financial emergency. The MDIA, as amended by the Stabilization Act, specifies different requirements for providing early disclosures for mortgage transactions secured by a consumer's interest in a timeshare plan.

The Board of Governors (Board) is amending the routing number guide to next-day availability checks and local checks in Regulation CC to delete the reference to the Des Moines office of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and to reassign the Federal Reserve routing symbols currently listed under that office to the head office of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. These amendments reflect the restructuring of check-processing operations within the Federal Reserve System.

This final rule with comment period revises the Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system to implement applicable statutory requirements and changes arising from our continuing experience with this system, and to implement a number of changes made by the Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act of 2008. In this final rule with comment period, we describe the changes to the amounts and factors used to determine the payment rates for Medicare hospital outpatient services paid under the prospective payment system. These changes are applicable to services furnished on or after January 1, 2009. In addition, this final rule with comment period updates the revised Medicare ambulatory surgical center (ASC) payment system to implement applicable statutory requirements and changes arising from our continuing experience with this system. In this final rule with comment period, we set forth the applicable relative payment weights and amounts for services furnished in ASCs, specific HCPCS codes to which these changes apply, and other pertinent ratesetting information for the CY 2009 ASC payment system. These changes are applicable to services furnished on or after January 1, 2009. In this document, we are responding to public comments on a proposed rule and finalizing updates to the ASC Conditions for Coverage to reflect current ASC practices and new requirements in the conditions to promote and protect patient health and safety. Further, this final rule also clarifies policy statements included in responses to public comments set forth in the preamble of the March 30, 2007 final rule regarding the Secretary's ability to terminate Medicare providers and suppliers (that is, transplant centers) during an appeal of a determination that affects participation in the Medicare program.

The Board is revising its interim final rule amending Regulation D, Reserve Requirements of Depository Institutions, to alter the formula by which earnings on required reserve balances and on excess balances of eligible institutions are calculated. The remainder of the interim final rule, including the period during which comments may be submitted, is unchanged from the interim final rule as published on October 9, 2008.