2012-27279. Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Joint Comment Request

AGENCY:

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Treasury; Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board); and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

ACTION:

Notice of information collection to be submitted to OMB for review and approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35), the OCC, the Board, and the FDIC (collectively, 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 30, 2012, the agencies, under the auspices of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), published a notice in the Federal Register (77 FR 44714) and requested public comment for 60 days on a proposal to extend, with revision, the Foreign Branch Report of Condition (FFIEC 030 and FFIEC 030S), which is a currently approved information collection for each agency. The comment period for this notice expired on September 28, 2012. The agencies are now submitting requests to OMB for approval of the extension, with revision, of the FFIEC 030 and FFIEC 030S.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted on or before December 10, 2012.

ADDRESSES:

Interested parties are invited to submit written comments to any or all of the agencies on the proposed extension, with revision, of the Foreign Branch Report of Condition for which the agencies are requesting approval from OMB. All comments, which should refer to the OMB control number, will be shared among the agencies.

OCC: You should direct all written comments to: Communications Division, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Public Information Room, Mailstop 2-3, Attention: 1557-0099, 250 E Street SW., Washington, DC 20219. In addition, comments may be sent by fax to [phone], or by electronic mail to [e-mail]. You may personally inspect and photocopy the comments at the OCC, 250 E Street SW., Washington, DC 20219. For security reasons, the OCC requires that visitors make an appointment to inspect comments. You may do so by calling [phone]. Upon arrival, visitors will be required to present valid government-issued photo identification and submit to security screening in order to inspect and photocopy comments.

Board: You may submit comments, identified by FFIEC 030 or FFIEC 030S, by any of the following methods:

• Agency Web Site: www.federalreserve.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments on the www.federalreserve.gov/​generalinfo/​foia/​ProposedRegs.cfm.
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
• Email: [e-mail]. Include the OMB control number in the subject line of the message.
• Fax: [phone] or [phone].
• Mail: Robert deV. Frierson, 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 Web site at www.federalreserve.gov/​generalinfo/​foia/​ProposedRegs.cfm 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 in Room MP-500 of the Board's Martin Building (20th and C Streets NW.) between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on weekdays.

FDIC: You may submit comments, which should refer to “Foreign Branch Report of Condition, 3064-0011,” by any of the following methods:

• Agency Web Site: www.FDIC.gov/​regulations/​laws/​federal/​notices.html.
• Email: [e-mail]. Include “Foreign Branch Report of Condition, 3064-0011” in the subject line of the message.
• Mail: Gary A. Kuiper, Counsel, Attn: Comments, Room NYA-5046, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 550 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20429.
• Hand Delivery: Comments may be hand delivered to the guard station at the rear of the 550 17th Street Building (located on F Street) on business days between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Public Inspection: All comments received will be posted without change to www.fdic.gov/​regulations/​laws/​federal/​notices/​html including any personal information provided. Comments may be inspected at the FDIC Public Information Center, Room E-1002, 3502 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22226, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on business days.

Additionally, commenters may send a copy of their comments to the OMB desk officer for the agencies by mail to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, U.S. 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:

For further information about the revisions discussed in this notice, please contact any of the agency clearance officers whose names appear below. In addition, copies of the report forms can be obtained at the FFIEC's Web site (http://www.ffiec.gov/​ffiec_​report_​forms.htm).

OCC: Mary H. Gottlieb and Johnny Vilela, OCC Clearance Officers, [phone], Legislative and Regulatory Activities Division, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, 250 E Street SW., Washington, DC 20219.

Board: Cynthia Ayouch, Federal Reserve Board Clearance Officer, [phone], Division of Research and Statistics, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 20th and C Streets NW., Washington, DC 20551. Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) users may call [phone].

FDIC: Gary A. Kuiper, [phone], Counsel, Legal Division, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 550 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20429.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Proposal to request approval from OMB of the extension for three years, with revision, of the following currently approved collection of information:

Report Title: Foreign Branch Report of Condition.

Form Numbers: FFIEC 030 and FFIEC 030S.

Frequency of Response: Annually, and quarterly for significant branches.

Affected Public: Business or other for profit.

OCC

OMB Number: 1557-0099.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 123 annual branch respondents (FFIEC 030), 310 quarterly branch respondents (FFIEC 030), 34 annual branch respondents (FFIEC 030S).

Estimated Average Time per Response: 3.4 burden hours (FFIEC 030), 0.5 burden hours (FFIEC 030S).

Estimated Total Annual Burden: 4,651 burden hours.

Board

OMB Number: 7100-0071.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 22 annual branch respondents (FFIEC 030), 24 quarterly branch respondents (FFIEC 030), 14 annual branch respondents (FFIEC 030S).

Estimated Average Time per Response: 3.4 burden hours (FFIEC 030), 0.5 burden hours (FFIEC 030S).

Estimated Total Annual Burden: 408 burden hours.

FDIC

OMB Number: 3064-0011.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 12 annual respondents (FFIEC 030), 3 quarterly respondents (FFIEC 030), 11 annual respondents (FFIEC 030S).

Estimated Average Time per Response: 3.4 burden hours (FFIEC 030), 0.5 burden hours (FFIEC 030S).

Estimated Total Annual Burden: 87 burden hours.

General Description of Reports

This information collection is mandatory: 12 U.S.C. 321, 324, and 602 (Board); 12 U.S.C. 161 and 602 (OCC); and 12 U.S.C. 1828 (FDIC). This information collection is given confidential treatment (5 U.S.C. 552(b)(8)).

Abstract

The FFIEC 030 contains asset and liability information for foreign branches of insured U.S. banks and is required for regulatory and supervisory purposes. The information is used by the agencies to analyze the foreign operations of U.S. banks. All foreign branches of U.S. banks with total assets of $50 million or more regardless of charter type file this report with the appropriate Federal Reserve District Bank. The Federal Reserve collects this information on behalf of the U.S. bank's primary federal bank regulatory agency. The FFIEC 030S contains five data items that branches with total assets between $50 million and $250 million file on an annual basis in lieu of the FFIEC 030 reporting form.

Current Actions

On July 21, 2011, supervisory responsibility for federal and state-chartered savings associations was transferred from the former Office of Thrift Supervision to the OCC and the FDIC, respectively, pursuant to Title III of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, Public Law 111-203. Accordingly, the Foreign Branch Report of Condition would be applicable to foreign branches, if any, of insured U.S. savings associations beginning as of the December 31, 2012, report date. No other changes are proposed to the FFIEC 030 or FFIEC 030S reporting forms or instructions in connection with the agencies' request for approval to extend for three years, with revision, this collection of information. The agencies collectively received one comment on their July 30, 2012, Federal Register initial notice that supported the collection of the Foreign Branch Report of Condition.

Request for Comment

Public comment is requested on all aspects of this joint notice. Comments are invited on:

a. Whether the information collection is necessary for the proper performance of the agencies' functions, including whether the information has practical utility;

b. The accuracy of the agencies' estimate of the burden of the 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 the information collections on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and

e. Estimates of capital or start up costs and costs of operation, maintenance, and purchase of services to provide the requested information.

Comments submitted in response to this notice will be shared among the agencies. All comments will become a matter of public record.

Dated: November 1, 2012.

Michele Meyer,

Assistant Director, Legislative and Regulatory Activities Division, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, November 2, 2012.

Robert deV. Frierson,

Secretary of the Board.

Dated at Washington, DC, this 1st day of November 2012.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Robert E. Feldman,

Executive Secretary.