E7-1945. Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request

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 comment on a continuing 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 an extension of OMB approval of the information collection titled, “Lending Limits—12 CFR 32.”

DATES:

Comments should be submitted by April 9, 2007.

ADDRESSES:

Communications Division, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Public Information Room, Mailstop 1-5, Attention: 1557-0221, 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 can inspect and photocopy the comments at the OCC's Public Information Room, 250 E Street, SW., Washington, DC 20219. You can make an appointment to inspect the comments by calling [phone].

Additionally, you should send a copy of your comments to OCC Desk Officer, 1557-0221, by mail to U.S. Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, NW., #10235, Washington, DC 20503, or by fax to [phone].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

You may request additional information from Mary Gottlieb, Clearance Officer, or Camille Dickerson, [phone], Legislative and Regulatory Activities Division, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, 250 E Street, SW., Washington, DC 20219.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Lending Limits—12 CFR 32.

Type of Review: Extension, without revision, of a currently approved collection.

OMB Control Number: 1557-0221.

Description: 12 CFR 32.7(b) established a pilot program providing exceptions to the lending limits for 1-4 family residential real estate loans and loans to small businesses. The exceptions benefit national banks, purchasers of real estate, and small businesses. This information collection requires national banks that want to take advantage of the exceptions to apply to OCC and receive approval before using the exceptions. The OCC needs the information to evaluate whether a bank is eligible to use the exceptions and to insure that the bank's safety and soundness will not be jeopardized.

Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit.

Burden Estimates:

Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,820.

Estimated Number of Responses: 1,820.

Estimated Annual Burden: 47,320 hours.

Frequency of Response: On occasion.

Comments: 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 is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information has practical utility;

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

(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 startup costs and costs of operation, maintenance, and purchase of services to provide information.

Dated: February 1, 2007.

Stuart Feldstein,

Assistant Director, Legislative and Regulatory Activities Division.