2010-9722. Proposed Agency Information Collection Renewal; Comment Request

AGENCIES:

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Treasury; Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board); Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC); and Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS), Treasury.

ACTION:

Joint notice and request for comment.

SUMMARY:

The OCC, Board, FDIC and OTS (collectively, the Banking Agencies or Agencies), as part of their continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invite the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on the proposed renewal of the interagency Transfer Agent and Amendment Form, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The Banking Agencies may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is not required to respond to, an information collection unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted on or before June 28, 2010.

ADDRESSES:

Interested parties are invited to submit written comments to any or all of the Agencies. All comments, which should refer to the OMB control number(s), will be shared among the Agencies.

OCC: Communications Division, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Mailstop 2-3, Attention: 1557-0124, 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 may personally inspect and photocopy comments at the OCC, 250 E Street, SW., Washington, DC 20219. For security reasons, the OCC 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.

Board: You may submit comments, which should refer to “FR TA-1, 7100-0099,” by any of the following methods:

• Agency Web Site: http://www.federalreserve.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments on the http://www.federalreserve.gov/​generalinfo/​foia/​ProposedRegs.cfm.
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
• E-mail: [e-mail]. Include the OMB control number for this information collection in the subject line of the message.
• FAX: [phone] or 202-452-3102.
• Mail: Jennifer J. Johnson, 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 www.federalreserve.gov/​generalinfo/​foia/​ProposedRegs.cfm 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 in Room MP-500 of the Board's Martin Building (20th and C Streets, NW.) between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays.

FDIC: You may submit comments, which should refer to “Transfer Agent Registration and Amendment Form, 3064-0026” by any of the following methods:

• http://www.FDIC.gov/​regulations/​laws/​federal/​notices.html.
• E-mail: [e-mail]. Include “Transfer Agent Registration and Amendment Form, 3064-0026” in the subject line of the message.
• Mail: Gary A. Kuiper (202.898.3877), Attn: Comments, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 550 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20429.
• Hand Delivery: Comments may be hand delivered to the guard station at the rear of the 550 17th Street Building (located on F Street) on business days between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Public Inspection: All comments received will be posted without change to http://www.fdic.gov/​regulations/​laws/​federal/​notices.html including any personal information provided.

OTS: You may submit comments, identified by “1550-0118 (Form TA-1),” by any of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
• E -mail address: [e-mail]. Please include “1550-0118 (Form TA-1)” in the subject line of the message and include your name and telephone number in the message.
• Fax: [phone].
• Mail: Information Collection Comments, Chief Counsel's Office, Office of Thrift Supervision, 1700 G Street, NW., Washington, DC 20552, Attention: “1550-0118 (Form TA-1)”.
• Hand Delivery/Courier: Guard's Desk, East Lobby Entrance, 1700 G Street, NW., from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on business days, Attention: Information Collection Comments, Chief Counsel's Office, Attention: “1550-0118 (Form TA-1)”.

Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name and OMB Control Number for this information collection. All comments received will be posted without change to the OTS Internet Site at http://www.ots.treas.gov/​pagehtml.cfm?​catNumber=​67&​an=​1, including any personal information provided.

Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, go to http://www.ots.treas.gov/​pagehtml.cfm?​catNumber=​67&​an=​1. In addition, you may inspect comments at the Public Reading Room, 1700 G Street, NW., by appointment. To make an appointment for access, call [phone], send an e-mail to [e-mail], or send a facsimile transmission to [phone]. (Prior notice identifying the materials you will be requesting will assist us in serving you.) We schedule appointments on business days between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. In most cases, appointments will be available the next business day following the date we receive a request.

Additionally, commenters may send a copy of their comments to the OMB desk officer for the Agencies by mail to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, U.S. 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:

For further information about the proposed information collection discussed in this notice, please contact any of the agency clearance officers whose names appear below.

OCC: Mary H. Gottlieb, OCC Clearance Officer, [phone], Legislative and Regulatory Activities Division, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, 250 E Street, SW., Washington, DC 20219.

Board: Michelle E. Shore, Federal Reserve Board Clearance Officer, [phone], Division of Research and Statistics, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 20th and C Streets, NW., Washington, DC 20551. Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) users may call [phone].

FDIC: Gary A. Kuiper, 202.898.3877, Legal Division, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 550 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20429.

OTS: Ira Mills, OTS Clearance Officer, at [e-mail], [phone], or facsimile number [phone], Regulations & Legislation Division, Chief Counsel's Office, Office of Thrift Supervision, 1700 G Street, NW., Washington, DC 20552.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Banking Agencies are proposing to extend for three years, without revision, the uniform interagency Transfer Agent Registration and Amendment Form. The Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Act) requires any person acting as a transfer agent to register as such and to amend registration information when it changes.

Report Title: Transfer Agent Registration and Amendment Form.

Form Number: TA-1.

Frequency of Response: On occasion.

Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.

Estimated Time per Response: 1.25 hours: registration, 10 minutes: amendment.

OCC

OMB Number: 1557-0124.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 3 registrations, 10 amendments.

Estimated Total Annual Burden: 5 hours.

Board

OMB Number: 7100-0099.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 5 registrations, 10 amendments.

Estimated Total Annual Burden: 8 hours.

FDIC

OMB Number: 3064-0026.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 2 registrations, 13 amendments.

Estimated Total Annual Burden: 5 hours.

OTS

OMB Number: 1550-0118.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 5 registrations, 10 amendments.

Estimated Total Annual Burden: 8 hours.

General Description of Reports

This information collection is mandatory: Sections 17A(c), 17(a)(3), and 23(a) of the Act, as amended (15 U.S.C. 78q-1(c), 78q(a)(3), and 78w(a)) (Board and FDIC). Sections 12, 13, 14(a), 14(c), 14(d), 14(f), and 16 of the Act, as amended (15 U.S.C. 781, 78m, 78n(a), 78n(c), 78n(d), 78n(f), and 78p (OCC). Additionally, the Federal Reserve's Regulation H (section 208.31(a)) and Regulation Y (section 225.4(d)), as well as § 341.3 of the FDIC's Rules and Regulations implement the provisions of the Act. The registrations are public filings and are not considered confidential.

Abstract

Section 17A(c) of the Act requires all transfer agents for securities registered under section 12 of the Act to register “by filing with the appropriate regulatory agency

* * * an application for registration in such form and containing such information and documents * * * as such appropriate regulatory agency may prescribe as necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the purposes of this section.” In general, an entity performing transfer agent functions for a security is required to register if the security is registered on a national securities exchange and if the issuer has total assets of $10 million or more and a class of equity security held of record by 500 or more persons.

Request for Comment

The Agencies invite comment on:

(a) Whether the collections of information are necessary for the proper performance of the Agencies' functions, including whether the information has practical utility;

(b) The accuracy of the Agencies' estimates of the burden of the information collections, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

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

(d) Ways to minimize the burden of information collections on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Comments submitted in response to this notice will be shared among the Agencies. Unless otherwise afforded confidential treatment pursuant to Federal law, all comments will become a matter of public record.

Dated: April 5, 2010.

Michele Meyer,

Assistant Director, Legislative and Regulatory Activities Division, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, dated: April 20, 2010.

Jennifer J. Johnson,

Secretary of the Board.

Dated at Washington, DC, this 19th day of March 2010.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Robert E. Feldman,

Executive Secretary.

Dated: March 29, 2010.

Ira L. Mills,

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