2017-17012. 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 mandatory Notifications Related to Community Development and Public Welfare Investments of State Member Banks (FR H-6; OMB No. 7100-0278).

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.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted on or before October 10, 2017.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments, identified by FR H-6, by any of the following methods:

• Agency Web site: 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 Web site 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 Web site 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:

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 proposed revisions 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: Notifications Related to Community Development and Public Welfare Investments of State Member Banks.

Agency form number: FR H-6.

OMB control number: 7100-0278.

Frequency: Event-generated.

Respondents: State member banks.

Estimated number of respondents: Post Notification, 20; Application (Prior Approval), 71; and Extension of divestiture period, 1.

Estimated average hours per response: Post Notification, 2 hours; Application (Prior Approval) 5 hours; and Extension of divestiture period, 5 hours.

Estimated annual burden hours: Post Notification, 40 hours; Application (Prior Approval) 355 hours; and Extension of divestiture period, 5 hours.

General Description of Report: Regulation H requires state member banks planning to make community development or public welfare investments to comply with the Regulation H notification requirements: (1) If the investment does not require prior Board approval, a written notice must be sent to the appropriate Federal Reserve Bank; (2) if certain criteria are not met, and the investment requires prior Board approval, a request for approval must be sent to the appropriate Federal Reserve Bank; and, (3) if the Board orders divestiture, but the bank cannot divest within the established time limit, a request or requests for extension of the divestiture period must be submitted to the appropriate Federal Reserve Bank.

Legal authorization and confidentiality: The Board's Legal Division has determined that the public welfare investment notice, request for approval, and request for extension of the divestiture period are authorized by the Federal Reserve Act, (12 U.S.C. 338a), and by the Board's Regulation H, (12 CFR 208.22). The obligation of state member banks to make public welfare investments under both the Reserve Bank post-notice and the Board's prior approval procedure is mandatory. The request for extension of the divestiture period is required to obtain a benefit. Individual respondent data generally are not regarded as confidential. However, a bank that submits confidential proprietary information may request confidential treatment of that information pursuant to section (b)(4) of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4)). Such a determination would be made on a case-by-case basis in response to a specific request for disclosure. If examination ratings are included in a submission, those will be considered confidential under exemption 8 of the FOIA, (5 U.S.C. 552(b)(8)).

Consultation outside the agency: Given that most community development entities obtain funding from a variety of local and regional financial institutions, Board staff consults with other agencies' staff to discuss applications relating to such investments, as appropriate.

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, August 8, 2017.

Ann E. Misback,

Secretary of the Board.