[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 24 (Monday, February 6, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5802-5804]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-2578]


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FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM


Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
SUMMARY: Background. On June 15, 1984, the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) delegated to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve 
System (Board) its approval authority under the Paperwork Reduction Act 
(PRA), pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.16, to approve of and assign OMB control 
numbers to collection of information requests and requirements 
conducted or sponsored by the Board under conditions set forth in 5 CFR 
1320 Appendix A.1. Board-approved collections of information are 
incorporated into the official OMB inventory of currently approved 
collections of information. Copies of the Paperwork Reduction Act 
Submission, supporting statements and approved collection of 
information instruments are placed into OMB's public docket files. The 
Federal Reserve may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is not 
required to respond to, an information collection that has been 
extended, revised, or implemented on or after October 1, 1995, unless 
it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before April 6, 2012.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by FR 2018 or FR 2023, 
by any of the following methods:
     Agency Web Site: http://www.federalreserve.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments at

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http://www.federalreserve.gov/generalinfo/foia/ProposedRegs.cfm.
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Email: [email protected]. Include OMB 
number 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 form 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.
    Additionally, commenters may send a copy of their comments to the 
OMB Desk Officer--Shagufta Ahmed--Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, 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: A copy of the PRA OMB submission, 
including the proposed reporting form and instructions, supporting 
statement, and other documentation will be placed into OMB's public 
docket files, once approved. These documents will also be made 
available on the Federal Reserve Board's public Web site at: http://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/reportforms/review.cfm or may be 
requested from the agency clearance officer, whose name appears below.
    Federal Reserve Board Clearance Officer--Cynthia Ayouch--Division 
of Research and Statistics, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve 
System, Washington, DC 20551 (202) 452-3829.
    Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) users may contact 
(202) 263-4869, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 
Washington, DC 20551.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Request for Comment on Information Collection Proposals

    The following information collections, which are being handled 
under this delegated authority, have received initial Board approval 
and are hereby published for comment. At the end of the comment period, 
the proposed information collections, along with an analysis of 
comments and recommendations received, will be submitted to the Board 
for final approval under OMB delegated authority. Comments are invited 
on the following:
    a. Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the Federal Reserve's functions; including 
whether the information has practical utility;
    b. The accuracy of the Federal Reserve's estimate of the burden of 
the proposed information collection, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    c. Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected;
    d. Ways to minimize the burden of information collection 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.
    Proposal to approve under OMB delegated authority the extension for 
three years, with revision of the following reports:
    1. Report title: Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey on Bank Lending 
Practices.
    Agency form number: FR 2018.
    OMB control number: 7100-0058.
    Frequency: Up to six times a year.
    Reporters: Domestically chartered large commercial banks and large 
U.S. branches and agencies of foreign banks.
    Estimated annual reporting hours: 1,248 hours.
    Estimated average hours per response: 2 hours.
    Number of respondents: 104.
    General description of report: This information collection is 
authorized by Sections 2A, 12A and 11 of the Federal Reserve Act (12 
U.S.C. 225a, 248(a) and 12 U.S.C. 263)) and Section 7 of the 
International Banking Act (12 U.S.C. 3105(c)(2)) and is voluntary. 
Individual respondent data are regarded as confidential under the 
authority of exemption 4 of the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 
552(b)(4)).
    Abstract: The FR 2018 is conducted with a senior loan officer at 
each respondent bank, generally through electronic submission, up to 
six times a year. The purpose of the survey is to provide qualitative 
and limited quantitative information on credit availability and demand, 
as well as evolving developments and lending practices in the U.S. loan 
markets. Consequently, a portion of the questions in each survey 
typically covers special topics of timely interest. There is the option 
to survey other types of respondents (such as other depository 
institutions, bank holding companies, or other financial entities) 
should the need arise. The FR 2018 survey provides crucial information 
for monitoring and understanding the evolution of lending practices at 
banks and developments in credit markets.
    Current Actions: The Federal Reserve proposes to reduce the minimum 
asset size for panel institutions from $3 billion to $2 billion and add 
20 domestically chartered commercial banks with $2 to $10 billion in 
total assets to the current reporting panel. The Federal Reserve 
believes that the additions to the panel would provide deeper coverage 
of commercial real estate loans and small business lending, as well as 
a more comprehensive picture of differences in lending conditions at 
the largest banks and regional banks.
    2. Report title: Senior Financial Officer Survey.
    Agency form number: FR 2023.
    OMB control number: 7100-0223.
    Frequency: Up to four times a year.
    Reporters: Domestically chartered large commercial banks.
    Estimated annual reporting hours: 960 hours.
    Estimated average hours per response: 3 hours.
    Number of respondents: 80.
    General description of report: This information collection is 
authorized by Sections 2A, 11 and 12A of the Federal Reserve Act (12 
U.S.C. 225a, 248(a), and 263) and is voluntary. Individual respondent 
data are regarded as confidential under the authority of exemption 4 of 
the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4)).
    Abstract: The Federal Reserve uses this voluntary survey to collect 
qualitative and limited quantitative information about liability 
management, the provision of financial services, and the functioning of 
key financial markets. Responses are obtained from a senior officer at 
each participating institution usually through an electronic 
submission. The survey is conducted when major informational needs 
arise and cannot be met from existing data sources. The survey does not 
have a fixed set of questions; each survey consists of a limited number 
of questions directed at topics of timely interest. The survey helps 
pinpoint developing trends in bank funding practices, enabling the 
Federal Reserve

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to distinguish these trends from transitory phenomena.
    Current Actions: The Federal Reserve proposes to add 20 
domestically chartered commercial banks with $2 to $10 billion in total 
assets to the current reporting panel and reduce the minimum asset size 
for panel institutions from $3 billion to $2 billion. The Federal 
Reserve believes that the additions to the panel would provide a more 
comprehensive picture of differences in funding conditions at the 
largest banks and regional banks, and deeper coverage of banks that 
lend in commercial real estate and small business markets. The 
reporting panel selection criteria for the FR 2023 are consistent with 
those criteria from the FR 2018. The proposed FR 2023 panel revisions 
are necessary in order to maintain consistency with the proposed panel 
revision in the FR 2018.

    Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, February 1, 
2012.
Jennifer J. Johnson,
Secretary of the Board.
[FR Doc. 2012-2578 Filed 2-3-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6210-01-P