Federal Reserve System – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document is published jointly by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (``Board'') and Departmental Offices, Department of the Treasury (``Treasury'') (collectively, the ``Agencies'') to extend the compliance date for the final regulation implementing applicable provisions of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (the ``Act'').\1\ The final regulation requires non-exempt participants in designated payment systems to establish and implement written policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to identify and block or otherwise prevent or prohibit unlawful Internet gambling transactions restricted by the Act. In extending the compliance date, the Agencies have consulted with the Department of Justice, as required by the Act.

The Board is publishing for public comment an interim final rule amending Regulation Z (Truth in Lending). The interim rule implements Section 131(g) of the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), which was enacted on May 20, 2009, as Section 404(a) of the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act. TILA Section 131(g) became effective immediately upon enactment and established a new requirement for notifying consumers of the sale or transfer of their mortgage loans. The purchaser or assignee that acquires the loan must provide the required disclosures in writing no later than 30 days after the date on which the loan is sold or otherwise transferred or assigned. The Board is issuing this interim rule, effective immediately upon publication, so that parties subject to the statutory requirement have guidance on how to comply. However, to allow time for any necessary operational changes, compliance with the interim final rule is optional for 60 days from the date of publication; during this period, covered persons would continue to be subject to the statute's requirements. The Board seeks comment on all aspects of the interim rule.

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 head office of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and to reassign the Federal Reserve routing symbols currently listed under that office to the head office of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. These amendments reflect the restructuring of check-processing operations within the Federal Reserve System.

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.

The Board is requesting comment on proposed guidance (the ``guidance'') designed to help ensure that incentive compensation policies at banking organizations do not encourage excessive risk- taking and are consistent with the safety and soundness of the organization. The Federal Reserve also is commencing two supervisory initiatives to spur progress by the banking industry in the development and implementation of sound incentive compensation arrangements, identify emerging best practices, and advance the state of practice more generally in the banking industry. The Federal Reserve expects all banking organizations to evaluate their incentive compensation arrangements and related risk management, control, and corporate

The Board proposes to amend Regulation Z, which implements the Truth in Lending Act, and the staff commentary to the regulation in order to implement provisions of the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 that are effective on February 22, 2010. This proposal would establish a number of new substantive and disclosure requirements to establish fair and transparent practices pertaining to open-end consumer credit plans, including credit card accounts. In particular, the proposed rule would limit the application of increased rates to existing credit card balances, require credit card issuers to consider a consumer's ability to make the required payments, establish special requirements for extensions of credit to consumers who are under the age of 21, and limit the assessment of fees for exceeding the credit limit on a credit card account.