2012-11417. Agency Information Collection Activities; Renewal of a Currently Approved Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY:

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC).

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

The OCC, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). The OCC is soliciting comments concerning the currently approved Minimum Security Devices and Procedures, Reports of Suspicious Activities, and Bank Secrecy Act Compliance Program information collection, which is being renewed without change.

DATES:

Written comments should be received on or before July 10, 2012.

ADDRESSES:

Interested parties are invited to submit written comments to the OCC. All comments should refer to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control numbers. Direct all written comments as follows:

Communications Division, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Public Information Room, Mailstop 2-3, Attention: 1557-0180, 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's Public Information Room, 250 E Street SW., Washington, DC. 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 submit to security screening in order to inspect and photocopy comments.

Additionally, you should send a copy of your comments to OCC Desk Officer, 1557-0180, by mail to U.S. Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street NW., #10235, Washington, DC 20503, or by fax to [phone].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

You can request additional information or a copy of the collection from Mary H. Gottlieb, OCC Clearance Officer, [phone], Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, 250 E Street SW., Washington, DC 20219.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The OCC is renewing without change all information collections covered under the information collection titled: “Minimum Security Devices and Procedures, Reports of Suspicious Activities, and Bank Secrecy Act Compliance.”

Title: Minimum Security Devices and Procedures, Reports of Suspicious Activities, and Bank Secrecy Act Compliance program.

OMB Control No.: 1557-0180.

Form Numbers: 8010-1/8010-9.

Abstract: In 1985, the bank supervisory agencies (Agencies),^[1] issued procedures to be used by banks and certain other financial institutions operating in the United States to report known or suspected criminal activities to the appropriate law enforcement and Banking Supervisory Agencies. Beginning in 1994, the Agencies and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) undertook a redesign of the reporting process and developed the Suspicious Activity Report, which became effective in April 1996. The report is authorized by the following regulations: 31 CFR 103.18 (FinCEN); 12 CFR 21.11 and 12 CFR 163.180 (OCC); 12 CFR 208.62(c), 211.5(k), 211.24(f), and 225.4(f) (Board); 12 CFR 353.3 (FDIC); 12 CFR 748.1 (NCUA). The regulations were issued under the authority contained in the following statutes: 31 U.S.C. 5318(g) (FinCEN); 12 U.S.C. 93a, 1463, 1464, 1818, 1881-84, 3401-22, 31 U.S.C. 5318 (OCC); 12 U.S.C. 248(a)(1), 625, 1818, 1844(c), 3105(c)(2) and 3106(a) (Board); 12 U.S.C1818-1820 (FDIC); 12 U.S.C. 1766(a), 1789(a) (NCUA).

Current Action: The OCC proposes to renew, without revision, the currently approved collection.

Type of Review: Regular.

Affected Public: Business, for-profit institutions, and non-profit institutions.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,021.

Estimated Total Annual Responses: 424,410.

Estimated Burden per Response: 1 hour per form.

Estimated Total Annual Burden: 548,560 hours.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless the collection of information displays a valid Office of Management and Budget control number. Records required to be retained under the Bank Secrecy Act and these regulations issued by the Banking Supervisory Agencies must be retained for five years. Generally, information collected pursuant to the Bank Secrecy Act is confidential, but may be shared as provided by law with regulatory and law enforcement authorities.

Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget approval. All comments will become a matter of public record. Comments are invited on:

(a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the OCC, including whether the information shall have practical utility;

(b) The accuracy of the OCC's estimate of the burden of the collection of information;

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

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

(e) Estimates of capital or start-up costs and costs of operation, maintenance, and purchase of services to provide information.

Dated: May 8, 2012.

Michele Meyer,

Assistant Director, Legislative and Regulatory Activities Division.

Footnotes

1.  The Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the National Credit Union Administration.