2018-01114. Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

AGENCY:

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

ACTION:

Notice, request for comment.

SUMMARY:

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) invites comment on a proposal to extend for three years, without revision, the Recordkeeping Requirements Associated with Limitations on Interbank Liabilities (Regulation F; OMB No. 7100-0331).

DATES:

Comments must be submitted on or before March 26, 2018.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments, identified by Regulation F, by any of the following methods:

• Agency Website: http://www.federalreserve.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments at http://www.federalreserve.gov/​apps/​foia/​proposedregs.aspx.
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
• Email: [e-mail]. Include OMB number in the subject line of the message.
• FAX: [phone] or [phone].
• Mail: Ann E. Misback, Secretary, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 20th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20551.

All public comments are available from the Board's website at http://www.federalreserve.gov/​apps/​foia/​proposedregs.aspx as submitted, unless modified for technical reasons. Accordingly, your comments will not be edited to remove any identifying or contact information. Public comments may also be viewed electronically or in paper form in Room 3515, 1801 K Street (between 18th and 19th Streets NW) Washington, DC 20006 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on weekdays.

Additionally, commenters may send a copy of their comments to the OMB Desk Officer—Shagufta Ahmed—Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, 725 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20503 or by fax to [phone].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

A copy of the PRA OMB submission, including the proposed reporting form and instructions, supporting statement, and other documentation will be placed into OMB's public docket files, once approved. These documents will also be made available on the Federal Reserve Board's public website at: http://www.federalreserve.gov/​apps/​reportforms/​review.aspx or may be requested from the agency clearance officer, whose name appears below.

Federal Reserve Board Clearance Officer—Nuha Elmaghrabi—Office of the Chief Data Officer, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Washington, DC 20551 [phone]. Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) users may contact [phone], Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Washington, DC 20551.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

On June 15, 1984, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) delegated to the Board authority under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) to approve of and assign OMB control numbers to collection of information requests and requirements conducted or sponsored by the Board. In exercising this delegated authority, the Board is directed to take every reasonable step to solicit comment. In determining whether to approve a collection of information, the Board will consider all comments received from the public and other agencies.

Request for Comment on Information Collection Proposal

The Board invites public comment on the following information collection, which is being reviewed under authority delegated by the OMB under the PRA. Comments are invited on the following:

a. Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the Federal Reserve's functions; including whether the information has practical utility;

b. The accuracy of the Federal Reserve's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

c. Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected;

d. Ways to minimize the burden of information collection on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and

e. Estimates of capital or startup costs and costs of operation, maintenance, and purchase of services to provide information.

At the end of the comment period, the comments and recommendations received will be analyzed to determine the extent to which the Federal Reserve should modify the proposal prior to giving final approval.

Proposal to approve under OMB delegated authority the extension for three years, without revision, of the following report:

Report title: Recordkeeping Requirements Associated with Limitations on Interbank Liabilities.

Agency form number: Regulation F.

OMB control number: 7100-0331.

Frequency: On occasion.

Respondents: Depository institutions insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

Estimated number of respondents: State member banks: 829; non-member banks: 3,396; national banks: 921; state savings banks: 309; federal savings banks: 228; savings & loan associations: 195; insured federal branch of foreign banking organization: 4; insured state branch of foreign banking organization: 6; non-depository trust company member: 2; cooperative banks: 33.

Estimated average hours per response: 8 hours.

Estimated annual burden hours: State member banks: 6,632; non-member banks: 27,168; national banks: 7,368; state savings banks: 2,472; federal savings banks: 1,824; savings & loan associations: 1,560; insured federal branch of foreign banking organization: 32; insured state branch of foreign banking organization: 48; non-depository trust company member: 16; cooperative banks: 264.

General description of report: Section 206.3 of the Board's Regulation F, 12 CFR 206.3, requires insured depository institutions to establish and maintain policies and procedures designed to prevent excessive exposure to “correspondents,” which include non-affiliated U.S. insured depository institutions and non-affiliated foreign banks. Regulation F limits the risks that the failure of a correspondent would pose to insured depository institutions. Where exposure to a correspondent is significant, the policies and procedures shall require periodic reviews of the financial condition of the correspondent and shall take into account any deterioration in the correspondent's financial condition. Where the financial condition of the correspondent and the form or maturity of the exposure create a significant risk that payments will not be made in full or in a timely manner, the policies and procedures should limit the bank's exposure to the correspondent, either by the establishment of internal limits or by other means.

The Board has updated its burden estimate for this information collection to account for all depository institutions insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), all of which are potential respondents. The Board's previous burden estimate accounted only for state member banks. The increase in burden reflects the update to correct the number of potential respondents, and is not due to a change in burden for individual institutions.

Legal authorization and confidentiality: The Board's Legal Division has determined that the recordkeeping requirements of Regulation F are mandatory and authorized by section 23 of the Federal Reserve Act, as added by section 308 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991 (FDICIA) (12 U.S.C. 371b-2). Because the Board does not collect any information, no issue of confidentiality normally arises. However, if a compliance program becomes a Board record during an examination, the information may be protected from disclosure under exemptions (b)(4) and (b)(8) of the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4) and (b)(8)).

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, January 17, 2018.

Ann E. Misback,

Secretary of the Board.