§ 225.43 - Procedures for filing, processing, publishing, and acting on notices.

§ 225.43 Procedures for filing, processing, publishing, and acting on notices.

(a) Filing notice.

(1) A notice required under this subpart shall be filed with the appropriate Reserve Bank and shall contain all the information required by paragraph 6 of the Bank Control Act (12 U.S.C. 1817(j)(6)), or prescribed in the designated Board form.

(2) The Board may waive any of the informational requirements of the notice if the Board determines that it is in the public interest.

(3) A notificant shall notify the appropriate Reserve Bank or the Board immediately of any material changes in a notice submitted to the Reserve Bank, including changes in financial or other conditions.

(4) When the acquiring person is an individual, or group of individuals acting in concert, the requirement to provide personal financial data may be satisfied by a current statement of assets and liabilities and an income summary, as required in the designated Board form, together with a statement of any material changes since the date of the statement or summary. The Reserve Bank or the Board, nevertheless, may request additional information, if appropriate.

(b) Acceptance of notice. The 60-day notice period specified in § 225.41 of this subpart begins on the date of receipt of a complete notice. The Reserve Bank shall notify the person or persons submitting a notice under this subpart in writing of the date the notice is or was complete and thereby accepted for processing. The Reserve Bank or the Board may request additional relevant information at any time after the date of acceptance.

(c) Publication -

(1) Newspaper Announcement. Any person(s) filing a notice under this subpart shall publish, in a form prescribed by the Board, an announcement soliciting public comment on the proposed acquisition. The announcement shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the community in which the head office of the state member bank to be acquired is located or, in the case of a proposed acquisition of a bank holding company, in the community in which its head office is located and in the community in which the head office of each of its subsidiary banks is located. The announcement shall be published no earlier than 15 calendar days before the filing of the notice with the appropriate Reserve Bank and no later than 10 calendar days after the filing date; and the publisher's affidavit of a publication shall be provided to the appropriate Reserve Bank.

(2) Contents of newspaper announcement. The newspaper announcement shall state:

(i) The name of each person identified in the notice as a proposed acquiror of the bank or bank holding company;

(ii) The name of the bank or bank holding company to be acquired, including the name of each of the bank holding company's subsidiary banks; and

(iii) A statement that interested persons may submit comments on the notice to the Board or the appropriate Reserve Bank for a period of 20 days, or such shorter period as may be provided, pursuant to paragraph (c)(5) of this section.

(3) Federal Register announcement. The Board shall, upon filing of a notice under this subpart, publish announcement in the Federal Register of receipt of the notice. The Federal Register announcement shall contain the information required under paragraphs (c)(2)(i) and (c)(2)(ii) of this section and a statement that interested persons may submit comments on the proposed acquisition for a period of 15 calendar days, or such shorter period as may be provided, pursuant to paragraph (c)(5) of this section. The Board may waive publication in the Federal Register, if the Board determines that such action is appropriate.

(4) Delay of publication. The Board may permit delay in the publication required under paragraphs (c)(1) and (c)(3) of this section if the Board determines, for good cause shown, that it is in the public interest to grant such delay. Requests for delay of publication may be submitted to the appropriate Reserve Bank.

(5) Shortening or waiving notice. The Board may shorten or waive the public comment or newspaper publication requirements of this paragraph, or act on a notice before the expiration of a public comment period, if it determines in writing that an emergency exists, or that disclosure of the notice, solicitation of public comment, or delay until expiration of the public comment period would seriously threaten the safety or soundness of the bank or bank holding company to be acquired.

(6) Consideration of public comments. In acting upon a notice filed under this subpart, the Board shall consider all public comments received in writing within the period specified in the newspaper or Federal Register announcement, whichever is later. At the Board's option, comments received after this period may, but need not, be considered.

(7) Standing. No person (other than the acquiring person) who submits comments or information on a notice filed under this subpart shall thereby become a party to the proceeding or acquire any standing or right to participate in the Board's consideration of the notice or to appeal or otherwise contest the notice or the Board's action regarding the notice.

(d) Time period for Board action -

(1) Consummation of acquisition - .

(i) The notificant(s) may consummate the proposed acquisition 60 days after submission to the Reserve Bank of a complete notice under paragraph (a) of this section, unless within that period the Board disapproves the proposed acquisition or extends the 60-day period, as provided under paragraph (d)(2) of this section.

(ii) The notificant(s) may consummate the proposed transaction before the expiration of the 60-day period if the Board notifies the notificant(s) in writing of the Board's intention not to disapprove the acquisition.

(2) Extensions of time period.

(i) The Board may extend the 60-day period in paragraph (d)(1) of this section for an additional 30 days by notifying the acquiring person(s).

(ii) The Board may further extend the period during which it may disapprove a notice for two additional periods of not more than 45 days each, if the Board determines that:

(A) Any acquiring person has not furnished all the information required under paragraph (a) of this section;

(B) Any material information submitted is substantially inaccurate;

(C) The Board is unable to complete the investigation of an acquiring person because of inadequate cooperation or delay by that person; or

(D) Additional time is needed to investigate and determine that no acquiring person has a record of failing to comply with the requirements of the Bank Secrecy Act, subchapter II of Chapter 53 of title 31, United States Code.

(iii) If the Board extends the time period under this paragraph, it shall notify the acquiring person(s) of the reasons therefor and shall include a statement of the information, if any, deemed incomplete or inaccurate.

(e) Advice to bank supervisory agencies.

(1) Upon accepting a notice relating to acquisition of securities of a state member bank, the Reserve Bank shall send a copy of the notice to the appropriate state bank supervisor, which shall have 30 calendar days from the date the notice is sent in which to submit its views and recommendations to the Board. The Reserve Bank also shall send a copy of any notice to the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Office of Thrift Supervision.

(2) If the Board finds that it must act immediately in order to prevent the probable failure of the bank or bank holding company involved, the Board may dispense with or modify the requirements for notice to the state supervisor.

(f) Investigation and report.

(1) After receiving a notice under this subpart, the Board or the appropriate Reserve Bank shall conduct an investigation of the competence, experience, integrity, and financial ability of each person by and for whom an acquisition is to be made. The Board shall also make an independent determination of the accuracy and completeness of any information required to be contained in a notice under paragraph (a) of this section. In investigating any notice accepted under this subpart, the Board or Reserve Bank may solicit information or views from any person, including any bank or bank holding company involved in the notice, and any appropriate state, federal, or foreign governmental authority.

(2) The Board or the appropriate Reserve Bank shall prepare a written report of its investigation, which shall contain, at a minimum, a summary of the results of the investigation.

(g) Factors considered in acting on notices. In reviewing a notice filed under this subpart, the Board shall consider the information in the record, the views and recommendations of the appropriate bank supervisor, and any other relevant information obtained during any investigation of the notice.

(h) Disapproval and hearing -

(1) Disapproval of notice. The Board may disapprove an acquisition if it finds adverse effects with respect to any of the factors set forth in paragraph 7 of the Bank Control Act (12 U.S.C. 1817(j)(7)) (i.e., competitive, financial, managerial, banking, or incompleteness of information).

(2) Disapproval notification. Within three days after its decision to issue a notice of intent to disapprove any proposed acquisition, the Board shall notify the acquiring person in writing of the reasons for the action.

(3) Hearing. Within 10 calendar days of receipt of the notice of the Board's intent to disapprove, the acquiring person may submit a written request for a hearing. Any hearing conducted under this paragraph shall be in accordance with the Rules of Practice for Formal Hearings (12 CFR part 263). At the conclusion of the hearing, the Board shall, by order, approve or disapprove the proposed acquisition on the basis of the record of the hearing. If the acquiring person does not request a hearing, the notice of intent to disapprove becomes final and unappealable.