Office of the Comptroller of the Currency – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) is providing notice of its maximum civil money penalties as adjusted for inflation. The inflation adjustments are required to implement the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990, as amended by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015.

In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the OCC, the Board, and the FDIC (the agencies) may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is not required to respond to, an information collection unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), of which the agencies are members, has approved the agencies' publication for public comment of a proposal to revise and extend the Consolidated Reports of Condition and Income (Call Reports) (FFIEC 031, FFIEC 041, and FFIEC 051), which are currently approved collections of information. The agencies are requesting comment on a change to the Call Report forms and instructions (FFIEC 031 and FFIEC 041 only) to implement the FDIC's proposed amendments to the deposit insurance assessment system applicable to all large insured depository institutions (IDIs), including highly complex IDIs, to address the temporary deposit insurance assessment effects resulting from certain optional regulatory capital transition provisions relating to the implementation of the current expected credit losses (CECL) methodology. The change to the Call Reports would enable the FDIC to remove the double counting of a specified portion of the CECL transitional amount or the modified CECL transitional amount, as applicable (collectively, the CECL transitional amounts), in certain financial measures that are calculated using the sum of Tier 1 capital and reserves and that are used to determine assessment rates for large and highly complex IDIs.

The OCC, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on a the renewal of an information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a respondent is not required to respond to, an information collection unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The OCC is soliciting comment concerning the renewal of its information collection titled, ``CRA Information Collection Survey''.

The OCC, the Board, and the Bureau are finalizing amendments to the official interpretations for their regulations that implement section 129H of the Truth in Lending Act (TILA). Section 129H of TILA establishes special appraisal requirements for ``higher-risk mortgages,'' termed ``higher-priced mortgage loans'' or ``HPMLs'' in the agencies' regulations. The OCC, the Board, the Bureau, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) (collectively, the Agencies) jointly issued final rules implementing these requirements, effective January 18, 2014. The Agencies' rules exempted, among other loan types, transactions of $25,000 or less, and required that this loan amount be adjusted annually based on any annual percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). If there is no annual percentage increase in the CPI-W, the OCC, the Board, and the Bureau will not adjust this exemption threshold from the prior year. However, in years following a year in which the exemption threshold was not adjusted, the threshold is calculated by applying the annual percentage increase in the CPI-W to the dollar amount that would have resulted, after rounding, if the decreases and any subsequent increases in the CPI-W had been taken into account. Based on the CPI-W in effect as of June 1, 2020, the exemption threshold will remain at $27,200, effective January 1, 2021.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) is issuing a notice of proposed rulemaking to request comment on the OCC's proposed approach to determine the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) evaluation measure benchmarks, retail lending distribution test thresholds, and community development minimums under the general performance standards. The proposal further explains how the OCC would assess significant declines in CRA activities levels in connection with performance context following the initial establishment of the benchmarks, thresholds, and minimums. Finally, the proposed rule would make clarifying and technical amendments to the CRA final rule.

In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the OCC, the Board, and the FDIC (the agencies) may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is not required to respond to, an information collection unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), of which the agencies are members, has approved the agencies' publication for public comment of a proposal to revise and extend the Consolidated Reports of Condition and Income (Call Reports) (FFIEC 031, FFIEC 041, and FFIEC 051), which are currently approved collections of information. The agencies are requesting comment on an adjustment to the measurement date for certain total asset thresholds that trigger additional reporting requirements in the Call Reports for report dates in 2021 only due to institution asset growth in 2020 related to participation in various coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) related stimulus activities.

In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the OCC, the Board, and the FDIC (the agencies) may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is not required to respond to, an information collection unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. On July 22, 2020, the agencies, under the auspices of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), requested public comment for 60 days on a proposal to revise and extend the Consolidated Reports of Condition and Income (Call Reports) (FFIEC 031, FFIEC 041, and FFIEC 051) and the Regulatory Capital Reporting for Institutions Subject to the Advanced Capital Adequacy Framework (FFIEC 101), which are currently approved collections of information. In the July 2020 notice, the Board, under the auspices of the FFIEC, also requested public comment for 60 days on a proposal to revise and extend the Report of Assets and Liabilities of U.S. Branches and Agencies of Foreign Banks (FFIEC 002) and the Report of Assets and Liabilities of a Non-U.S. Branch that is Managed or Controlled by a U.S. Branch or Agency of a Foreign (Non-U.S.) Bank (FFIEC 002S), which also are currently approved collections of information. The Board published this proposal on behalf of the agencies. Finally, on October 4, 2019, the agencies, under the auspices of the FFIEC, requested public comment for 60 days on proposed Call Report and FFIEC 101 revisions to implement the agencies' proposed total loss absorbing capacity (TLAC) investments rule for advanced approaches banking organizations. The comment period for the July 2020 notice ended on September 21, 2020. The comment period for the October 2019 notice ended on December 3, 2019, and the agencies subsequently adopted a TLAC investments final rule. As described in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section, after considering the comments received on the two notices, the agencies are proceeding with the proposed revisions to the reporting forms and instructions for the Call Reports, FFIEC 101, and FFIEC 002 with certain modifications. The SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section also discusses certain Call Report instructional clarifications. The agencies hereby give notice of their plan to submit to OMB a request to approve the revision and extension of these information collections, and again invite comment on the renewal.

The OCC, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on the renewal of an information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a respondent is not required to respond to, an information collection unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The OCC is soliciting comment concerning renewal of its information collection titled, ``Fiduciary Activities.''

The OCC, Board, FDIC, NCUA, and Bureau (collectively, the agencies) are inviting comment on a proposed rule that would codify the Interagency Statement Clarifying the Role of Supervisory Guidance issued by the agencies on September 11, 2018 (2018 Statement). By codifying the 2018 Statement, the proposed rule is intended to confirm that the agencies will continue to follow and respect the limits of administrative law in carrying out their supervisory responsibilities. The 2018 Statement reiterated well-established law by stating that, unlike a law or regulation, supervisory guidance does not have the force and effect of law. As such, supervisory guidance does not create binding legal obligations for the public. The proposal would also clarify that the 2018 Statement, as amended, is binding on the agencies.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation are adopting as final the revisions to the regulatory capital rule and the liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) rule made under three interim final rules published in the Federal Register on March 23, April 13, and May 6, 2020. The agencies are adopting these interim final rules as final with no changes. Under this final rule, banking organizations may continue to neutralize the regulatory capital effects of participating in the Money Market Mutual Fund Liquidity Facility (MMLF) and the Paycheck Protection Program Liquidity Facility (PPPLF), and are required to continue to neutralize the LCR effects of participating in the MMLF and the PPPLF. In addition, Paycheck Protection Program loans will receive a zero percent risk weight under the agencies' regulatory capital rules.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation are adopting as final the revisions to the community bank leverage ratio framework made under two interim final rules issued in the Federal Register on April 23, 2020. The final rule adopts these interim final rules with no changes. Under the final rule, the community bank leverage ratio will remain 8 percent through calendar year 2020, will be 8.5 percent through calendar year 2021, and will be 9 percent thereafter. The final rule also maintains a two- quarter grace period for a qualifying community banking organization whose leverage ratio falls no more than 1 percentage point below the applicable community bank leverage ratio requirement.

The OCC, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on a continuing information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). In accordance with the requirements of the PRA, the OCC may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is not required to respond to, an information collection unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The OCC is soliciting comment concerning the renewal of its information collection titled, ``OCC Guidelines Establishing Heightened Standards for Certain Large Insured National Banks, Insured Federal Savings Associations, and Insured Federal Branches.''

The OCC, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on the renewal of an information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a respondent is not required to respond to, an information collection unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The OCC is soliciting comment concerning renewal of its information collection titled, ``Examination Survey.''

The OCC, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on the renewal of an information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a respondent is not required to respond to, an information collection unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The OCC is soliciting comment concerning the renewal of an information collection titled, ``Record and Disclosure RequirementsConsumer Financial Protection Bureau Regulations B, E, M, Z, and DD and Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Regulation CC.''

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 adopting a 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 final rule provides banking organizations that implement CECL during the 2020 calendar year 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 these 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, while also maintaining the quality of regulatory capital. This final rule is consistent with the interim final rule published in the Federal Register on March 31, 2020, with certain clarifications and minor adjustments in response to public comments related to the mechanics of the transition and the eligibility criteria for applying the transition.

The OCC, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on the renewal of an information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a respondent is not required to respond to, an information collection unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The OCC is soliciting comment concerning renewal of its information collection titled, ``Risk-Based Capital Standards.''

On July 6, 2020, the OCC, Board, FDIC, FCA, and NCUA (collectively, the Agencies) published in the Federal Register a notice soliciting comments on a proposal to reorganize, revise, and expand the Interagency Questions and Answers Regarding Flood Insurance (July 2020 Proposed Questions and Answers). The July 2020 Proposed Questions and Answers provided for a comment period ending on September 4, 2020. The Agencies have determined that an extension of the comment period until November 3, 2020, is appropriate. This action will allow interested parties additional time to analyze the proposal and prepare and submit comments.

The OCC, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on a revision to a continuing information collection as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). In accordance with the requirements of the PRA, the OCC may not conduct or sponsor, and respondents are not required to respond to, an information collection unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The OCC is soliciting comment concerning a revision to its information collection titled ``Licensing Manual.''

The OCC, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on a continuing information collection as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). In accordance with the requirements of the PRA, the OCC may not conduct or sponsor, and respondents are not required to respond to, an information collection unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The OCC is soliciting comment concerning the renewal of its information collection titled ``Licensing Manual.''

The OCC, Board, FDIC, SEC, and CFTC (together, the agencies) are adopting amendments to the regulations implementing section 13 of the Bank Holding Company Act (BHC Act). Section 13 contains certain restrictions on the ability of a banking entity or nonbank financial company supervised by the Board to engage in proprietary trading and have certain interests in, or relationships with, a hedge fund or private equity fund (covered funds). These final amendments are intended to improve and streamline the regulations implementing section 13 of the BHC Act by modifying and clarifying requirements related to the covered fund provisions of the rules.

In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the OCC, the Board, and the FDIC (the ``agencies'') may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is not required to respond to, an information collection unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), of which the agencies are members, has approved the agencies' publication for public comment of a proposal to revise and extend the Consolidated Reports of Condition and Income (Call Reports) (FFIEC 031, FFIEC 041, and FFIEC 051) and Regulatory Capital Reporting for Institutions Subject to the Advanced Capital Adequacy Framework (FFIEC 101), which are currently approved collections of information. The FFIEC has also approved the Board's publication for public comment, on behalf of the agencies, of a proposal to revise and extend the Report of Assets and Liabilities of U.S. Branches and Agencies of Foreign Banks (FFIEC 002) and the Report of Assets and Liabilities of a Non-U.S. Branch that is Managed or Controlled by a U.S. Branch or Agency of a Foreign (Non-U.S.) Bank (FFIEC 002S), which also are currently approved collections of information. The agencies are requesting comment on revisions to the Call Reports, FFIEC 101, and FFIEC 002 related to interim final rules and a final rule issued in response to disruptions related to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) that revise the agencies' capital rule, the Board's regulations on reserve requirements and insider loans, and the FDIC's assessments regulations as well as certain sections of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) for which the agencies received emergency approvals from OMB. In addition, the agencies are proposing changes to the Call Report and the FFIEC 002 related to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Further, the agencies are proposing revisions to the Call Report to reflect the expiration of the temporary exception for estimated disclosures on international remittance transfers and certain amendments to the Remittance Rule recently finalized by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Bureau), which is a member of the FFIEC.

The OCC is seeking nominations for members of the Mutual Savings Association Advisory Committee (MSAAC) and the Minority Depository Institutions Advisory Committee (MDIAC). The MSAAC and the MDIAC assist the OCC in assessing the needs and challenges facing mutual savings associations and minority depository institutions, respectively. The OCC is seeking nominations of individuals who are officers and/or directors of federal mutual savings associations, or officers and/or directors of federal stock savings associations that are part of a mutual holding company structure, to be considered for selection as MSAAC members. The OCC also is seeking nominations of individuals who are officers and/or directors of OCC-regulated minority depository institutions, or officers and/or directors of other OCC- regulated depository institutions with a commitment to supporting minority depository institutions, to be considered for selection as MDIAC members.

The OCC has determined that the renewal of the charter of the OCC Minority Depository Institutions Advisory Committee (MDIAC) is necessary and in the public interest. The OCC hereby gives notice of the renewal of the charter.

The OCC, the Board, and the FDIC (collectively, the agencies) have prepared this report pursuant to section 37(c) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act. Section 37(c) requires the agencies to jointly submit an annual report to the Committee on Financial Services of the U.S. House of Representatives and to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the U.S. Senate describing differences among the accounting and capital standards used by the agencies for insured depository institutions. Section 37(c) requires that this report be published in the Federal Register. The agencies have not identified any material differences among the agencies' accounting and capital standards applicable to the insured depository institutions they regulate and supervise.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is issuing a notice of proposed rulemaking to revise and reorganize its regulations relating to the activities and operations of national banks and Federal savings associations. This proposal would clarify and codify recent OCC interpretations, integrate certain regulations for national banks and Federal savings associations, and update or eliminate outdated regulatory requirements that no longer reflect the modern financial system.