Federal Reserve System March 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (collectively, the agencies) are inviting comment on an interim final rule that delays the estimated impact on regulatory capital stemming from the implementation of Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-13, Financial InstrumentsCredit Losses, Topic 326, Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (CECL). The interim final rule provides banking organizations that implement CECL before the end of 2020 the option to delay for two years an estimate of CECL's effect on regulatory capital, relative to the incurred loss methodology's effect on regulatory capital, followed by a three-year transition period. The agencies are providing this relief to allow such banking organizations to better focus on supporting lending to creditworthy households and businesses in light of recent strains on the U.S. economy as a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID- 19), while also maintaining the quality of regulatory capital.

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) has temporarily revised the Financial Statements for Holding Companies pursuant to the authority delegated to the Board by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The revisions are applicable only to reports reflecting the March 31, 2020, as of date.

In light of recent disruptions in economic conditions caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and current strains in U.S. financial markets, the Board is issuing an interim final rule that revises the definition of eligible retained income for purposes of the Board's total loss-absorbing capacity (TLAC) rule. The revised definition of eligible retained income will make any automatic limitations on capital distributions that could apply under the TLAC rule more gradual and aligns to recent action taken by the Board and the other Federal banking agencies in the capital rule.

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (``Board'') is amending its Regulation D (Reserve Requirements of Depository Institutions, 12 CFR part 204) to lower reserve ratios on transaction accounts maintained at depository institutions to zero percent.

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (``Board'') has adopted final amendments to its Regulation A to reflect the Board's approval of a decrease in the rate for primary credit at each Federal Reserve Bank. The secondary credit rate at each Reserve Bank automatically decreased by formula as a result of the Board's primary credit rate action.

In light of recent disruptions in economic conditions caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and current strains in U.S. financial markets, the Board, OCC and FDIC (together, the agencies) are issuing an interim final rule that revises the definition of eligible retained income for all depository institutions, bank holding companies, and savings and loan holding companies subject to the agencies' capital rule (together, a banking organization or banking organizations). The revised definition of eligible retained income will make any automatic limitations on capital distributions that could apply under the agencies' capital rules more gradual.

The Board and the FDIC (together, the ``agencies'') are inviting comments on proposed guidance for the 2021 and subsequent resolution plan submissions by certain foreign banking organizations (``FBOs''). The proposed guidance is meant to assist these firms in developing their resolution plans, which are required to be submitted pursuant to Section 165(d) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the ``Dodd-Frank Act''). The scope of application of the proposed guidance would be FBOs that are triennial full filers and whose intermediate holding companies (``U.S. IHCs'') have a score of 250 or more under the second methodology (``method 2'') of the global systemically important bank (``GSIB'') surcharge framework. The proposed guidance, which is largely based on prior guidance, describes the agencies' expectations regarding a number of key vulnerabilities in plans for a rapid and orderly resolution under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code (i.e., capital; liquidity; governance mechanisms; operational; legal entity rationalization and separability; and derivatives and trading activities). The proposed guidance also updates certain aspects of prior guidance based, in part, on the agencies' review of certain FBOs' most recent resolution plan submissions and changes to the resolution planning rule. The agencies invite public comment on all aspects of the proposed guidance.

The Board is revising its internal appeals process for institutions wishing to appeal an adverse material supervisory determination and its policy regarding the Ombudsman for the Federal Reserve System.

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (``Board'') has adopted final amendments to its Regulation A to reflect the Board's approval of a decrease in the rate for primary credit at each Federal Reserve Bank. The secondary credit rate at each Reserve Bank automatically decreased by formula as a result of the Board's primary credit rate action.

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) invites comment on a proposal to extend for three years, without revision, the Reporting Requirements Associated with Regulation A (FR A; OMB No. 7100-0373).