2019-19446. 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 Consumer Satisfaction Questionnaire, the Federal Reserve Consumer Help—Consumer Survey, the Consumer Online Complaint Form, and the Appraisal Complaint Form (FR 1379a, b, c, and d; OMB No. 7100-0135).

DATES:

Comments must be submitted on or before November 12, 2019.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments, identified by FR 1379a, b, c, d, by any of the following methods:

• Agency Website: https://www.federalreserve.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments at https://www.federalreserve.gov/​apps/​foia/​proposedregs.aspx.
• 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 on the Board's website at https://www.federalreserve.gov/​apps/​foia/​proposedregs.aspx as submitted, unless modified for technical reasons or to remove personally identifiable information at the commenter's request. Accordingly, 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 146, 1709 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20006, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on weekdays. For security reasons, the Board 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 to submit to security screening in order to inspect and photocopy comments.

Additionally, commenters may send a copy of their comments to the Office of Management and Budget (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 Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) OMB submission, including the reporting form and instructions, supporting statement, and other documentation will be placed into OMB's public docket files, if approved. These documents will also be made available on the Board's public website at https://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].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

On June 15, 1984, OMB delegated to the Board authority under the PRA to approve 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.

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 Board's functions, including whether the information has practical utility;

b. The accuracy of the Board'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 Board should modify the proposal.

Proposal Under OMB Delegated Authority To Extend for Three Years, Without Revision, the Following Information Collection

Report title: Consumer Satisfaction Questionnaire, the Federal Reserve Consumer Help—Consumer Survey, the Consumer Online Complaint Form, and the Appraisal Complaint Form.

Agency form number: FR 1379a, FR 1379b, FR 1379c, and FR 1379d.

OMB control number: 7100-0135.

Frequency: Event generated.

Respondents: Consumers, appraisers, and financial institutions.

Estimated number of respondents: FR 1379a, 551; FR 1379b, 1,455; FR 1379c, 6,719; FR 1379d, 7.

Estimated average hours per response: FR 1379a, 5 minutes; FR 1379b, 5 minutes; FR 1379c, 10 minutes; FR 1379, 30 minutes.

Estimated annual burden hours: FR 1379a, 46 hours; FR 1379b, 121 hours; FR 1379c, 1,120 hours; FR 1379d, 4 hours.

General description of report: The FR 1379a is sent to consumers who have filed complaints with the Federal Reserve against state member banks or other financial institutions supervised by the Federal Reserve. The information is used to assess the satisfaction of the consumers with the Federal Reserve's handling of, and written response to, their complaints at the conclusion of an investigation. The FR 1379b is a survey sent to consumers who contact the Federal Reserve Consumer Help [desk] (FRCH) ^[1] to file a complaint or inquiry. The information is used to determine whether consumers are satisfied with the way the FRCH handled their complaint. The FR 1379c collection addresses the burden associated with consumers electronically submitting a complaint against a financial institution to the FRCH. The FR 1379d collects information about complaints regarding a regulated institution's non-compliance with the appraisal independence standards and the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice, including complaints from appraisers, individuals, financial institutions, and other entities.

Legal authorization and confidentiality: The FR 1379 family of forms is authorized pursuant to section 8 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (Section 8) ^[2] and section 11(a) of the Federal Reserve Act (Section 11(a)).^[3] Section 8 provides the Board broad authority to enforce compliance with laws against entities within its jurisdiction, including state member banks. Section 11(a) broadly empowers the Board to examine “the affairs of each Federal reserve bank and of each member bank.” ^[4] The Board uses the information obtained from the FR 1379 to help fulfill these obligations. The forms comprising the FR 1379 family of forms are voluntary. Individual respondents may request that information submitted to the Board through the FR 1379 family of forms be kept confidential on a case-by-case basis. The Consumer Satisfaction Questionnaire (FR 1379a) does not collect any personal information from the respondent and is not likely to be considered confidential. Three of the forms (the FRCH—Consumer Survey (FR 1379b), Consumer Online Complaint Form (FR 1379c), and Appraisal Complaint Form (FR 1379d)) collect personal information, such as the respondent's name, contact information, and information regarding the subject of the complaint. This personal information may be kept confidential under exemption 6 of the FOIA to the extent disclosure of such information would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.^[5] In addition, information concerning the subject of a complaint may be kept confidential under exemption 4 of the FOIA to the extent it involves trade secrets and confidential commercial and financial information.^[6] With respect to the Consumer Online Complaint Form (FR 1379c) and Appraisal Complaint Form (FR 1379d), determinations regarding disclosure of the information to third parties of any confidential portions of these forms would be made in accordance with the Privacy Act.^[7] A hyperlink directing the applicant to the relevant Privacy Act statement will be provided in these forms on the Board's website.

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, September 4, 2019.

Michele Taylor Fennell,

Assistant Secretary of the Board.

Footnotes

1.  See www.federalreserveconsumerhelp.gov/​.

2.  12 U.S.C. 1818.

3.  12 U.S.C. 248(a).

4.  The FR 1379d is additionally authorized pursuant to Title XI of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989, which requires the Board to prescribe standards for appraisals used by its regulated entities. See, 12 U.S.C. 3331-3355.

5.  5 U.S.C. 552(b)(6).

6.  5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4).

7.  5 U.S.C. 552a(b).