E8-17362. Proposed and Continuing Information Collections Under the Paperwork Reduction Act; Electronic Operations

AGENCY:

Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS), Treasury.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comment.

SUMMARY:

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed and continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507. The Office of Thrift Supervision within the Department of the Treasury will submit the proposed information collection requirement described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act. Today, OTS is soliciting public comments on its proposal to extend this information collection.

DATES:

Submit written comments on or before September 29, 2008.

ADDRESSES:

Send comments, referring to the collection by title of the proposal or by OMB approval number, to Information Collection Comments, Chief Counsel's Office, Office of Thrift Supervision, 1700 G Street, NW., Washington, DC 20552; send a facsimile transmission to [phone]; or send an e-mail to [e-mail]. OTS will post comments and the related index on the OTS Internet Site at http://www.ots.treas.gov. In addition, interested persons may inspect comments at the Public Reading Room, 1700 G Street, NW., by appointment. To make an appointment, call [phone], send an e-mail to [e-mail], or send a facsimile transmission to [phone].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

You can request additional information about this proposed information collection from Lewis C. Angel, [phone], Office of Thrift Supervision, 1700 G Street, NW., Washington, DC 20552.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OTS may not conduct or sponsor an information collection, and respondents are not required to respond to an information collection, unless the information collection displays a currently valid OMB control number. As part of the approval process, we invite comments on the following information collection.

Comments should address one or more of the following points:

a. Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of OTS;

b. The accuracy of OTS's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection;

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

d. Ways to minimize the burden of the information collection on respondents, including through the use of information technology.

We will summarize the comments that we receive and include them in the OTS request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of public record. In this notice, OTS is soliciting comments concerning the following information collection.

Title of Proposal: Electronic Operations.

OMB Number: 1550-0095.

Form Numbers: N/A.

Regulation requirement: 12 CFR part 555.

Description: With the increased focus of institutions on the use of electronic channels to perform their daily operations and offer new products and services, the Office of Thrift Supervision (“OTS”) plays an important role in evaluating an institution's risks in the use of information technology.

Federal savings associations may use, or participate with others to use, electronic means or facilities to perform any function, or provide any product or service, as part of an authorized activity. 12 CFR part 555. Electronic means or facilities include, but are not limited to, automated teller machines, automated loan machines, personal computers, the Internet, the World Wide Web, telephones, and other similar electronic devices. The regulation also requires each savings association to notify OTS at least 30 days before establishing a transactional Web site. Savings associations that present supervisory or compliance concerns may be subject to additional procedural requirements.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 80.

Estimated Number of Responses: 80.

Estimated Frequency of Response: Other; transactionally.

Estimated Total Burden: 160 hours.

Clearance Officer: Ira L. Mills, [phone], Office of Thrift Supervision, 1700 G Street, NW., Washington, DC 20552.

Dated: July 24, 2008.

Deborah Dakin,

Senior Deputy Chief Counsel, Regulations and Legislation Division.