National Credit Union Administration October 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Farm Credit Administration (FCA), and the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) (collectively, the Agencies) are proposing to amend their regulations regarding loans in areas having special flood hazards to implement certain provisions of the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014 (HFIAA), which amends some of the changes to the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 mandated by the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 (Biggert-Waters). Specifically, the proposal would establish requirements with respect to the escrow of flood insurance payments, consistent with the changes set forth in HFIAA. The proposal also would incorporate an exemption in HFIAA for certain detached structures from the mandatory flood insurance purchase requirement. The Agencies plan to address in a separate rulemaking other provisions of Biggert-Waters over which the Agencies have jurisdiction that have not been affected by HFIAA.

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act) repealed NCUA's rulemaking authority under the Federal Trade Commission Act (FTC Act). As a result, the NCUA Board (Board) is now repealing NCUA's regulations governing unfair or deceptive acts or practices. The Board is also making a number of technical amendments to other NCUA regulations to conform them to the agency's current central and field office structures. Additionally, the Board is amending NCUA's payday alternative loans regulation to replace all references to ``short-term, small amount loans'' and ``STS loans'' with corresponding references to ``payday alternative loans'' and ``PAL loans.'' The latter terms more accurately reflect the nature and purpose of this loan product.