[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 189 (Thursday, September 30, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 52694-52695]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-25397]


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NATIONAL CREDIT UNION ADMINISTRATION

12 CFR Part 701


Organization and Operations of Federal Credit Unions

AGENCY: National Credit Union Administration (NCUA).

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: NCUA is proposing to amend its lending regulation to permit 
federal credit unions to advance money to members to cover account 
deficits without having a credit application from the member on file if 
the credit union has a written overdraft policy.

DATES: The NCUA must receive comments on or before November 29, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Direct comments to Becky Baker, Secretary of the Board. Mail 
or hand-deliver comments to: National Credit Union Administration, 1775 
Duke Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314-3428, or you may fax comments 
to (703) 518-6319. Please send comments by one method only.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael J. McKenna, Senior Staff 
Attorney, or Regina M. Metz, Staff Attorney, in the Division of 
Operations, Office of General Counsel, at the above address or 
telephone: (703) 518-6540.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Background

    The Federal Credit Union Act does not specifically address a 
federal credit union's (FCU's) authority to pay or honor a share draft 
written that will result in an overdrawn account. NCUA's longstanding 
position has been that an FCU's payment of an overdraft as a financial 
accommodation to a member constitutes a loan or line of credit to a 
member.
    When an FCU pays a member's overdraft, the FCU uses its money to 
pay a member's third party obligations. The overdraft is a debt that 
the FCU expects the member to repay. Because the FCU is making a loan, 
it must comply with the NCUA's lending regulation requiring a credit 
application to be on file for each borrower supporting the decision to 
make a loan or establish a line of credit. 12 CFR 701.21(c)(3).
    A number of federal credit unions and trade associations contend 
that federal credit unions are at a competitive disadvantage because 
they are unable to cover a member's overdrafts absent a prearranged, 
written agreement for the extension of credit. The NCUA Board believes 
this argument has merit although there may be some safety and soundness 
concerns with extending credit to a member without a written lending 
agreement. Overdrafts which are unsupported by an agreement and for 
which there is no credit analysis represent an unsecured obligation of 
the member to the credit union. In general, a credit union undertakes a 
greater level of risk with this activity than with a loan which has 
undergone a thorough credit analysis. However, after careful review, 
the NCUA Board is proposing to amend Sec. 701.21(c)(3) to permit a 
credit union to advance money to a member to cover his or her account 
deficit without having a credit application from the borrower on file 
if the credit union has a written overdraft policy. The NCUA Board 
believes that a written overdraft policy will offset safety and 
soundness concerns and prevent insider abuses. The Board is proposing 
that a credit union's written overdraft policy must: (1) Address how 
the credit union will honor overdrafts; (2) set a cap on the total 
dollar amount of all overdrafts the credit union will honor; (3) 
establish a time limit not to exceed ten business days for a member 
either to deposit funds or obtain an approved loan from the credit 
union to cover each overdraft; (4) limit the number and dollar amount 
of overdrafts the credit union will honor per member; and (5) establish 
the fee and interest rate, if any, the credit union will charge members 
for honoring overdrafts.
    The NCUA Board requests comments from the public on whether the 
regulation should impose additional restrictions on overdrafts by 
credit union employees or officials. The NCUA Board also requests 
comments on whether NCUA should set limits on the total dollar amount a 
credit union can lend to honor overdrafts as well as the total dollar 
amount per member. The NCUA Board is also requesting comments on 
whether the regulation should require a federal credit union to have in 
its overdraft policy a certain number of days after which it will write 
off any overdraft for which the member has not either repaid the credit 
union or obtained an approved loan. Finally, the NCUA Board requests 
comments on whether the ten-day requirement for the member to cover the 
overdraft is appropriate. The risk of nonpayment of an overdraft that 
is not covered by the member within such a time period increases 
dramatically.
    While the proposed regulation is under consideration, the NCUA 
intends to continue its current supervisory approach to overdrafts that 
are paid as

[[Page 52695]]

an accommodation to members. The approach has been that it will not 
take exception to FCUs that permit overdrafts as long as there are no 
safety and soundness concerns or evidence that the practice is being 
abused or otherwise used as a means of circumventing other regulatory 
requirements or giving preferential treatment to insiders.
    Finally, in proposing this rule, NCUA is not directing or 
encouraging credit unions to replace using written overdraft agreements 
with members with a written overdraft policy. In fact, because written 
overdraft agreements function essentially as a lending agreement that 
becomes operational in the event of an overdraft, they are a preferable 
way of addressing the safety and soundness concerns presented by 
overdrafts.

B. Regulatory Procedures

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The Regulatory Flexibility Act requires NCUA to prepare an analysis 
to describe any significant economic impact any proposed regulation may 
have on a substantial number of small entities (primarily those under 
$1 million in assets). The NCUA has determined and certifies that this 
proposed rule, if adopted, will not have a significant economic impact 
on a substantial number of small credit unions. Accordingly, the NCUA 
has determined that a Regulatory Flexibility Analysis is not required.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    The NCUA Board has determined that the proposed notice and 
disclosure requirements in Sec. 701.21 constitute a collection of 
information under the Paperwork Reduction Act. NCUA is submitting a 
copy of this proposed rule to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
for its review.
    The proposed rule requires a federal credit union that advances 
money to a member to cover his or her account deficit without having 
the member's credit application on file to have a written overdraft 
policy. The policy must: (1) Address how the credit union will honor 
overdrafts; (2) set a cap on the total dollar amount of all overdrafts 
the credit union will cover; (3) establish time limits for a member to 
deposit funds to cover each overdraft; (4) limit the number and dollar 
amount of overdrafts the credit union will honor per member; and (5) 
establish the fee and interest rate, if any, the credit union will 
charge members for covering overdrafts.
    The written policy requirement is necessary to insure safety and 
soundness in the credit union industry and protect the interests of 
credit union members where a federal credit union provides overdraft 
protection to a member without having his or her credit application on 
file.
    The NCUA Board estimates that it will take an average of four hours 
to comply with this written policy requirement. The NCUA Board also 
estimates that 1000 federal credit unions will write overdraft policies 
so the total annual collection burden is estimated to be approximately 
4000 hours.
    The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and OMB regulations require 
that the public be provided an opportunity to comment on information 
collection requirements, including an agency's estimate of the burden 
of the collection of information. The NCUA Board invites comment on: 
(1) Whether the collection of information is necessary; (2) the 
accuracy of NCUA's estimate of the burden of collecting the 
information; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of 
collection of information. Comments should be sent to: OMB Reports 
Management Branch, New Executive Office Building, Room 10202, 
Washington, D.C. 20503; Attention: Alex T. Hunt, Desk Officer for NCUA. 
Please send NCUA a copy of any comments you submit to OMB.

Executive Order 12612

    Executive Order 12612 requires NCUA to consider the effect of its 
actions on state interests. This proposed rule makes no significant 
changes with respect to state credit unions and therefore, will not 
materially affect state interest.

C. Agency Regulatory Goal

    NCUA's goal is clear, understandable regulations that impose a 
minimal regulatory burden. We request your comments on whether the 
proposed amendment is understandable and minimally intrusive if 
implemented as proposed.

List of Subjects in 12 CFR Part 701

    Credit, Credit unions, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements

    By the National Credit Union Administration Board on September 
16, 1999.
Becky Baker,
Secretary of the Board.

    For the reasons set forth in the preamble, the National Credit 
Union Administration proposes to amend 12 CFR part 701 as follows:

PART 701--ORGANIZATION AND OPERATION OF FEDERAL CREDIT UNIONS

    1. The authority citation for part 701 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 12 U.S.C. 1752(5), 1755, 1756, 1757, 1759, 1761a, 
1761b, 1766, 1767, 1782, 1784, 1787, and 1789.
    Section 701.6 is also authorized by 15 U.S.C. 3717.
    Section 701.31 is also authorized by 15 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.; 42 
U.S.C. 1981 and 3601-3610.
    Section 701.35 is also authorized by 42 U.S.C. 4311-4312.

    2. Amend Sec. 701.21 by revising paragraph (c)(3) to read as 
follows:


Sec. 701.21  Loans to members and lines of credit to members.

* * * * *
    (c) * * *
    (3) Credit applications and overdrafts. Consistent with policies 
established by the board of directors, the credit committee or loan 
officer shall ensure that a credit application is kept on file for each 
borrower supporting the decision to make a loan or establish a line of 
credit. A credit union may advance money to a member to cover an 
account deficit without having a credit application from the borrower 
on file if the credit union has a written overdraft policy. The policy 
must: address how the credit union will honor overdrafts; set a cap on 
the total dollar amount of all overdrafts the credit union will honor 
consistent with the credit union's ability to absorb losses; establish 
a time limit not to exceed ten business days for a member either to 
deposit funds or obtain an approved loan from the credit union to cover 
each overdraft; limit the number and dollar amount of overdrafts the 
credit union will honor per member; and establish the fee and interest 
rate, if any, the credit union will charge members for honoring 
overdrafts.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 99-25397 Filed 9-29-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7535-01-U