2020-03954. Agency Information Collection Activities: Information Collection Renewal; Comment Request; Assessment of Fees

AGENCY:

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Treasury.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comment.

SUMMARY:

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, “Assessment of Fees.”

DATES:

You should submit written comments by April 27, 2020.

ADDRESSES:

Commenters are encouraged to submit comments by email, if possible. You may submit comments by any of the following methods:

• Email: [e-mail].
• Mail: Chief Counsel's Office, Attention: Comment Processing, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Attention: 1557-0223, 400 7th Street SW, Suite 3E-218, Washington, DC 20219.
• Hand Delivery/Courier: 400 7th Street SW, Suite 3E-218, Washington, DC 20219.
• Fax: [phone].

Instructions: You must include “OCC” as the agency name and “1557-0223” in your comment. In general, the OCC will publish comments on www.reginfo.gov without change, including any business or personal information provided, such as name and address information, email addresses, or phone numbers. Comments received, including attachments and other supporting materials, are part of the public record and subject to public disclosure. Do not include any information in your comment or supporting materials that you consider confidential or inappropriate for public disclosure.

You may review comments and other related materials that pertain to this information collection beginning on the date of publication of the second notice for this collection ^[1] by any of the following methods:

• Viewing Comments Electronically: Go to www.reginfo.gov. Click on the “Information Collection Review” tab. Underneath the “Currently under Review” section heading, from the drop-down menu select “Department of the Treasury” and then click “Submit.” This information collection can be located by searching by OMB control number “1557-0223” or “Assessment of Fees.” Upon finding the appropriate information collection, click on the related “ICR Reference Number.” On the next screen, select “View Supporting Statement and Other Documents” and then click on the link to any comment listed at the bottom of the screen.
• For assistance in navigating www.reginfo.gov,, please contact the Regulatory Information Service Center at [phone].
• Viewing Comments Personally: You may personally inspect comments at the OCC, 400 7th Street SW, Washington, DC. For security reasons, the OCC requires that visitors make an appointment to inspect comments. You may do so by calling [phone] or, for persons who are deaf or hearing impaired, TTY, [phone]. Upon arrival, visitors will be required to present valid government-issued photo identification and submit to security screening in order to inspect comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Shaquita Merritt, OCC Clearance Officer, [phone], Chief Counsel's Office, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, 400 7th Street SW, Washington, DC 20219.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Under the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), Federal agencies must obtain approval from the OMB for each collection of information that they conduct or sponsor. “Collection of information” is defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 1320.3(c) to include agency requests or requirements that members of the public submit reports, keep records, or provide information to a third party. Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of title 44 generally requires Federal agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension of an existing collection of information, before submitting the collection to OMB for approval. To comply with this requirement, the OCC is publishing notice of the proposed collection of information set forth in this document.

The OCC is proposing to extend OMB approval of the following information collection:

Title: Assessment of Fees.

OMB Control No.: 1557-0223.

Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.

Type of Review: Regular review.

Abstract: The OCC is requesting comment on its proposed extension, without change, of the information collection titled, “Assessment of Fees.” The OCC is authorized by the National Bank Act (for national banks and Federal branches and agencies) and the Home Owners Loan Act (for Federal savings associations) to collect assessments, fees, and other charges as necessary or appropriate to carry out the responsibilities of the OCC. 12 U.S.C. 16, 481, 482 and 1467. The OCC requires independent credit card national banks and independent credit card Federal savings associations (collectively, independent credit card institutions) to pay an additional assessment based on receivables attributable to accounts owned by the national bank or Federal savings association. 12 CFR 8.2(c). Independent credit card institutions are national banks or Federal savings associations that engage primarily in credit card operations and are not affiliated with a full-service national bank or full-service Federal savings association. 12 CFR 8.2(c)(3)(vi) and (vii). Under 12 CFR 8.2(c)(2), the OCC also has the authority to assess an independent credit card institution that is affiliated with a full-service national bank or full-service Federal savings association if the OCC concludes that the affiliation is intended to evade the requirements of 12 CFR part 8.

The OCC requires independent credit card institutions to report receivables attributable data to the OCC semiannually or at a time specified by the OCC. 12 CFR 8.2(c)(4). “Receivables attributable” are the total amount of outstanding balances due on credit card accounts owned by independent credit card institutions (the receivables attributable to those accounts) on the last day of an assessment period, minus receivables retained on the national bank or Federal savings association's balance sheet as of that day. 12 CFR 8.2(c)(3)(viii). The OCC uses the information to calculate the assessment for each national bank and Federal savings association and adjust the assessment rate for independent credit card institutions over time.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 7.

Estimated Total Annual Burden: 14 hours.

Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and included in the request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of public record. Comments are invited on:

(a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the OCC, including whether the information has practical utility;

(b) The accuracy of the OCC's estimate of the information collection burden;

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

(d) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection 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 information.

Dated: February 21, 2020.

Theodore J. Dowd,

Deputy Chief Counsel, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

Footnotes

1.  Following the close of this notice's 60-day comment period, the OCC will publish a second notice with a 30-day comment period.