[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 96 (Friday, May 18, 2007)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 27951-27953]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-9558]


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FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM

12 CFR Part 229

[Regulation CC; Docket No. R-1287]


Availability of Funds and Collection of Checks

AGENCY: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

ACTION: Final rule; technical amendment.

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SUMMARY: The Board of Governors is amending appendix A of Regulation CC 
to delete the reference to the Nashville branch office of the Federal 
Reserve Bank of Atlanta and reassign the Federal Reserve routing 
symbols currently listed under that office to the head office of the 
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and is amending appendix B of 
Regulation CC to delete the reference to the Nashville branch office. 
The Board also is providing advance notice about future amendments to 
appendix A in connection with the next phase of the Reserve Banks' 
restructuring of the check processing operations within the Federal 
Reserve System. This future restructuring and the associated amendments 
to appendix A are expected to take place in the second half of 2007.

DATES: The final rule will become effective on July 21, 2007.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jack K. Walton II, Associate Director 
(202/452-2660), or Joseph P. Baressi, Financial Services Project Leader 
(202/452-3959), Division of Reserve Bank Operations and Payment 
Systems; or Adrianne G. Threatt, Counsel (202/452-3554), Legal 
Division. For users of Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf (TDD) 
only, contact 202/263-4869.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Regulation CC establishes the maximum period a depositary bank may 
wait between receiving a deposit and making the deposited funds 
available for withdrawal.\1\ A depositary bank generally must provide 
faster availability for funds deposited by a ``local check'' than by a 
``nonlocal check.'' A check drawn on a bank is considered local if it 
is payable by or at a bank located in the same Federal Reserve check 
processing region as the depositary bank. A check drawn on a nonbank is 
considered local if it is payable through a bank located in the same 
Federal Reserve check processing region as the depositary bank. Checks 
that do not meet the requirements for ``local'' checks are considered 
``nonlocal.''
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    \1\ For purposes of Regulation CC, the term ``bank'' refers to 
any depository institution, including commercial banks, savings 
institutions, and credit unions.
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    Appendix A to Regulation CC contains a routing number guide that 
assists banks in identifying local and nonlocal banks and thereby 
determining the maximum permissible hold periods for most deposited 
checks. The appendix includes a list of each Federal Reserve check 
processing office and the first four digits of the routing number, 
known as the Federal Reserve routing symbol, of each bank that is 
served by that office for check processing purposes. Banks whose 
Federal Reserve routing symbols are grouped under the same office are 
in the same check processing region and thus are local to one another. 
Appendix B to Regulation CC reduces the generally permissible hold 
times for nonlocal check deposits collected between certain check 
processing regions from 5 days to 3 days due to generally faster 
collection times between these regions.

Final Amendments to Appendix A and Appendix B

    The Reserve Banks announced in 2004 that the check-processing 
operations of the Nashville branch office of the Federal Reserve Bank 
of Atlanta would be transferred to the Atlanta Reserve Bank's head 
office.\2\ The Board previously provided notice of the Reserve Banks' 
delay, due to Hurricane Katrina and the concomitant transfer of the New 
Orleans branch office's check-processing operations to the Atlanta head 
office, of the transfer of the Nashville branch office's check-
processing operations.\3\ The Reserve Banks will proceed with the 
transfer of the Nashville branch office's check-processing operations 
to the Atlanta Reserve Bank's head office on July 21, 2007. To assist 
banks in identifying local and nonlocal checks and making funds 
availability decisions, the Board is amending in appendix A the list of 
routing symbols associated with the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta to 
reflect the transfer of check-processing operations from the Atlanta 
Reserve Bank's Nashville branch office to the Reserve Bank's head 
office in Atlanta. In addition, because checks deposited in banks in 
the current Nashville check processing region and drawn on banks in the 
Atlanta check processing region will become local checks as a result of 
these changes, the provisions of appendix B relating to these checks no 
longer will be necessary. Accordingly, the Board also is amending 
appendix B to delete the reference to the Nashville branch office. To 
coincide with the effective date of the underlying check processing 
changes, the amendments to appendix A and appendix B are effective July 
21, 2007. The Board is providing notice of the amendments at this time 
to give affected banks ample time to make any needed processing 
changes. Early notice also will enable affected banks to amend their 
availability schedules and related disclosures if necessary and provide 
their customers with notice of these changes.\4\
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    \2\ See 69 FR 57837, September 28, 2004.
    \3\ See 70 FR 74998, December 19, 2005.
    \4\ Section 229.18(e) of Regulation CC requires that banks 
notify account holders who are consumers within 30 days after 
implementing a change that improves the availability of funds.
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Information About Future Changes to Appendix A

    As the Federal Reserve Banks announced on May 31, 2006,\5\ in

[[Page 27952]]

response to the continued nationwide decline in check usage and to 
position themselves more effectively to meet the cost recovery 
requirements of the Monetary Control Act of 1980, the Reserve Banks 
have decided to reduce further the number of locations at which they 
process checks. The Reserve Banks plan to stop processing checks at two 
offices, and the checks currently processed at those offices will be 
processed at other offices, as follows:
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    \5\ The Reserve Banks' press release is available at http://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/other/2006/20060531/default.htm.

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                                               Branches and offices to
 Branches and offices that no longer will    which check processing will
              process checks:                      be transferred:
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Helena, MT................................  Denver, CO.
San Francisco, CA.........................  Los Angeles, CA.
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    These restructurings of Reserve Bank check processing operations 
are expected to take place in the second half of 2007 and will reduce 
the number of check processing regions from 21 to 19. The Board will 
amend appendix A in connection with each stage of the restructuring to 
delete the name of the office that will no longer process checks and 
transfer the affected Federal Reserve routing symbols to another check 
processing office. The Board intends to provide notice of each stage of 
the restructuring and the associated amendments to appendix A at least 
60 days prior to the effective date of the amendment in order to give 
affected banks ample time to make processing changes and, if necessary, 
amend their availability schedules and related disclosures and provide 
their customers with notice of any changes to their availability 
schedules.
    Some affected banks might prefer to make or to plan for some or all 
of their processing and availability changes prior to the effective 
dates of the relevant amendments. For the information and planning 
needs of affected banks, the Board today is describing below the 
Federal Reserve routing symbol changes to appendix A that will be made 
over the second half of 2007.

1. Denver

    The operations of the Helena branch office will be transferred such 
that banks with the following Federal Reserve routing symbols will be 
local to the Denver branch office:

                   0920                                 2920
                   0921                                 2921
                   0929                                 2929
                   1020                                 3020
                   1021                                 3021
                   1022                                 3022
                   1023                                 3023
                   1070                                 3070
                   1240                                 3240
                   1241                                 3241
                   1242                                 3242
                   1243                                 3243
 

2. Los Angeles

    The operations of the San Francisco head office will be transferred 
such that banks with the following Federal Reserve routing symbols will 
be local to the Los Angeles branch office:

                   1210                                 3210
                   1211                                 3211
                   1212                                 3212
                   1213                                 3213
                   1220                                 3220
                   1221                                 3221
                   1222                                 3222
                   1223                                 3223
                   1224                                 3224
 

    The Federal Reserve routing symbols assigned to all other Federal 
Reserve branches and offices will remain the same through the end of 
2007.

Administrative Procedure Act

    The Board has not followed the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 553(b) 
relating to notice and public participation in connection with the 
adoption of the final rule. The revisions to appendix A and appendix B 
are technical in nature and are required by the statutory and 
regulatory definitions of ``check-processing region.'' Because there is 
no substantive change on which to seek public input, the Board has 
determined that the Sec.  553(b) notice and comment procedures are 
unnecessary.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
3506; 5 CFR 1320 Appendix A.1), the Board has reviewed the final rule 
under authority delegated to the Board by the Office of Management and 
Budget. The technical amendment to appendix A of Regulation CC will 
delete the reference to the Nashville branch office of the Federal 
Reserve Bank of Atlanta and reassign the routing symbols listed under 
that office to the head office of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. 
The technical amendment to appendix B of Regulation CC will delete the 
reference to the Nashville branch office. The depository institutions 
that are located in the affected check processing regions and that 
include the routing numbers in their disclosure statements would be 
required to notify customers of the resulting change in availability 
under Sec.  229.18(e). However, all paperwork collection procedures 
associated with Regulation CC already are in place, and the Board 
accordingly anticipates that no additional burden will be imposed as a 
result of this rulemaking.

List of Subjects in 12 CFR Part 229

    Banks, Banking, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

Authority and Issuance

0
For the reasons set forth in the preamble, the Board is amending 12 CFR 
part 229 to read as follows:

PART 229--AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS AND COLLECTION OF CHECKS 
(REGULATION CC)

0
1. The authority citation for part 229 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 12 U.S.C. 4001-4010, 12 U.S.C. 5001-5018.


0
2. The Sixth District routing symbol list in appendix A is revised to 
read as follows:

Appendix A to Part 229--Routing Number Guide to Next-Day Availability 
Checks and Local Checks

* * * * *

Sixth Federal Reserve District

[Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta]

Head Office

                   0610                                 2610
                   0611                                 2611
                   0612                                 2612
                   0613                                 2613
                   0620                                 2620
                   0621                                 2621
                   0622                                 2622
                   0640                                 2640
                   0641                                 2641
                   0642                                 2642
                   0650                                 2650
                   0651                                 2651
                   0652                                 2652
                   0653                                 2653
                   0654                                 2654
                   0655                                 2655
 

Jacksonville Branch

                   0630                                 2630
                   0631                                 2631
                   0632                                 2632
                   0660                                 2660
                   0670                                 2670
 

* * * * *

0
3. Appendix B is revised to read as follows:

Appendix B to Part 229--Reduction of Schedules for Certain Nonlocal 
Checks

    A depositary bank that is located in the following check 
processing territories shall make funds deposited in an account by a 
nonlocal check described below available for withdrawal not later 
than the number of business days following the banking day on which 
funds are deposited, as specified below.

[[Page 27953]]



------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            Number of
                                                          business days
                                                          following the
                Federal Reserve Office                     banking day
                                                            funds are
                                                            deposited
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Utica:
  0210, 0280..........................................                 3
Kansas City:
  0865, 2865..........................................                 3
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    By order of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve 
System, acting through the Secretary of the Board under delegated 
authority, May 14, 2007.
Jennifer J. Johnson,
Secretary of the Board.
[FR Doc. E7-9558 Filed 5-17-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6210-01-P