[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 66 (Friday, April 6, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17222-17224]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-1708]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM

FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Office of Thrift Supervision


Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; 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.

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SUMMARY: The OCC, Board, FDIC and OTS (collectively, the Banking 
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 extension, with revision, of the interagency 
Transfer Agent and Amendment Form, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995. OTS seeks to implement an amendment to section 
3(a)(34) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Act), pursuant to 
a provision of the Financial Services Regulatory Relief Act of 2006 
(FSRRA), enacted on October 13, 2006. This implementation would 
institute the use of the TA-1 for savings associations intending to 
engage in transfer agent activities. 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 5, 2007.

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, Public Information Room, Mailstop 1-5, Attention: 1557-0124, 
250 E Street, SW., Washington, DC 20219. In addition, comments may be 
sent by fax to (202) 874-4448, or by electronic mail to 
[email protected]. You can inspect and photocopy comments at 
the OCC's Public Information Room, 250 E Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20219. You can make an appointment to inspect comments by calling (202) 
874-5043.
    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: [email protected]. Include the OMB 
control number for this information collection in the subject line of 
the message.
     Fax: 202-452-3819 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: [email protected]. Include ``Transfer Agent 
Registration and Amendment Form, 3064-0026'' in the subject line of the 
message.
     Mail: Steven F. Hanft (202-898-3907), Clearance Officer, 
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. Comments may be inspected 
at the FDIC Public Information Center, Room E-1002, 3501 Fairfax Drive, 
Arlington, VA 22226, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on business days.
    OTS: You may submit comments, identified by ``1550-NEW (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: [email protected]. 
Please include ``1550-NEW (Form TA-1)'' in the subject line of the 
message and include your name and telephone number in the message.
     Fax: (202) 906-6518.
     Mail: Information Collection Comments, Chief Counsel's 
Office, Office of Thrift Supervision, 1700 G Street, NW., Washington, 
DC 20552, Attention: ``1550-NEW (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-NEW (Form TA-1).''

[[Page 17223]]

    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 (202) 906-5922, send an e-mail to 
public.info@ots.treas.gov">public.info@ots.treas.gov, or send a facsimile transmission to (202) 
906-7755. (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 (202) 395-6974.

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 Gottlieb, OCC Clearance Officer, or Camille Dickerson, 
(202) 874-5090, 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, 
(202) 452-3829, 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 
(202) 263-4869.
    FDIC: Steven F. Hanft, Clearance Officer, (202) 898-3907, Legal 
Division, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 550 17th Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20429.
    OTS: Marilyn K. Burton, OTS Clearance Officer, at 
[email protected], (202) 906-6467, or facsimile number (202) 
906-6518, Litigation 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, with 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:
    On October 13, 2006, the President signed the FSRRA into law. One 
of the provisions of the FSRRA contains an amendment to section 
3(a)(34) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Section 3(a)(34) of 
the Act defines ``appropriate regulatory agency'' and includes OTS as 
an appropriate regulatory agency for certain activities, thus 
authorizing OTS to collect certain information. Therefore, OTS is 
seeking OMB approval for this new collection of information.
    OMB Number: 1550-NEW.
    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)) (OCC, Board, FDIC, and OTS). Additionally, the 
Federal Reserve's Regulation H (section 208.31(a)) and Regulation Y 
(section 225.4(d)), as well as part 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.

Current Actions

    Currently, the FR TA-1 instructions direct respondents who are 
submitting amended data to complete the entire reporting form. The 
Banking Agencies propose to revise the instructions to state that 
respondents who are filing amended data would be required to complete 
questions 1, 2, and 3 (appropriate regulatory agency, filing status, 
and full name of registrant organization, respectively) and, 
additionally, only those data items that are inaccurate, incomplete, or 
misleading. This would make filing an amended TA-1 easier for 
respondents and better highlight the data that has been changed.
    OTS seeks OMB approval to institute use of the TA-1 for savings 
associations intending to engage in transfer agent activities.

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;

[[Page 17224]]

    (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; and
    (e) Estimates of capital or start up costs and costs of operation, 
maintenance, and purchase of services to provide information.
    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: March 16, 2007.
Stuart E. Feldstein,
Assistant Director, Legislative and Regulatory Activities Division, 
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.
    Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, April 2, 2007.
Jennifer J. Johnson,
Secretary of the Board.
    Dated at Washington, DC, this 23rd day of March, 2007.
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Robert E. Feldman,
Executive Secretary.
    Dated: March 29, 2007.
Deborah Dakin,
Senior Deputy Chief Counsel, Regulations and Legislation Division, 
Office of Thrift Supervision.
[FR Doc. 07-1708 Filed 4-5-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-33-P; 6210-01-P; 6714-01-P; 6720-01-P