2010-23421. Community Reinvestment Act

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 November 19, 2010.

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 Ms. Bobbie K. Kennedy at [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: Community Reinvestment Act.

OMB Number: 1550-0012.

Form Number: N/A.

Description: The Community Reinvestment Act regulation requires the OTS, as well as the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (collectively, the Agencies), to evaluate and assign ratings to the efforts of institutions to help meet the credit needs of their communities, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, consistent with safe and sound banking practices. OTS uses the information in the examination process and in evaluating applications for mergers, branches, and certain other corporate activities. Further, the CRA statute requires the Agencies to issue regulations to carry out its purposes.

OTS uses the data collected under the CRA regulations to fulfill its obligations under the statute, including the assessment of each institution's record of helping to meet the credit needs of its entire community. OTS uses the data to support its conclusions regarding an institution's record of performance, in assigning a rating, and in preparing the written public evaluations that the statute requires when an institution is examined. Additionally, judgments based on these data are used in evaluating an institution's applications for mergers, branches, and other corporate activities. The public uses this information to assess independently the institution's CRA performance and to participate meaningfully in the application process.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 753.

Estimated Frequency of Response: Annually; On occasion.

Estimated Total Burden: 67,210 hours.

Dated: September 14, 2010.

Ira L. Mills,

Paperwork Clearance Officer, Office of Chief Counsel, Office of Thrift Supervision.