[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 95 (Thursday, May 16, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28846-28847]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-11583]


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FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM


Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

SUMMARY: 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 part 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 July 15, 2013.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by FR 2046 or FR 3067, 
by any of the following methods:
     Agency Web site: http://www.federalreserve.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments at http://www.federalreserve.gov/apps/foia/proposedregs.aspx.
     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: Robert deV. Frierson, 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 
9:00 a.m. and 5:00 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/apps/reportforms/review.aspx 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 Minor Revision, of the Following Report

    Report title: Report of Selected Balance Sheet Items for Discount 
Window Borrowers.
    Agency form number: FR 2046.
    OMB control number: 7100-0289.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Reporters: Depository institutions.
    Estimated annual reporting hours: Primary and Secondary Credit, 1 
hour; Seasonal Credit, 228 hours.
    Estimated average hours per response: Primary and Secondary Credit, 
0.75 hours; Seasonal Credit, 0.25 hours.
    Number of respondents: Primary and Secondary Credit, 1; Seasonal 
Credit, 70.
    General description of report: This information collection is 
required to obtain a benefit pursuant to section 10B and 19(b)(7) of 
the Federal Reserve Act

[[Page 28847]]

(12 U.S.C. 347b and 461(b)(7)) and is given confidential treatment (5 
U.S.C. 552(b)(4)).
    Abstract: The Federal Reserve's Regulation A, Extensions of Credit 
by Federal Reserve Banks, requires that Reserve Banks review balance 
sheet data in determining whether to extend credit and to help 
ascertain whether undue use is made of such credit. Depository 
institutions that borrow from the discount window report on the FR 2046 
certain balance sheet data for a period that encompasses the dates of 
borrowing.
    Current Action: The Federal Reserve proposes to update data element 
definitions to account for the discontinuance of the Thrift Financial 
Report (OTS Form 1313). Also, the Federal Reserve proposes that 
institutions that file the Weekly Report of Selected Assets and 
Liabilities of Domestically Chartered Commercial Banks and U.S. 
Branches and Agencies of Foreign Banks (FR 2644; OMB No. 7100-0075) 
need not report the Wednesday-only data item for total loans on the FR 
2046.

Proposal To Approve Under OMB Delegated Authority, the Implementation 
of the Following Report

    Report title: Payments Research Survey.
    Agency form number: FR 3067.
    OMB control number: 7100-new.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Reporters: Depository institutions; financial and nonfinancial 
businesses and related entities; individual consumers; or households.
    Estimated annual reporting hours: 60,000 hours.
    Estimated average hours per response: 3 hours.
    Number of respondents: 5,000.
    General description of report: The Federal Reserve has determined 
that this survey is generally authorized by sections 2A and 12A of the 
Federal Reserve Act (FRA). Section 2A of the FRA requires that the 
Federal Reserve maintain long run growth of the monetary and credit 
aggregates commensurate with the economy's long run potential to 
increase production, so as to promote effectively the goals of the 
maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest 
rates. See 12 U.S.C. 225a. In addition, under section 12A of the FRA, 
the Federal Reserve is required to implement regulations relating to 
the open market operations conducted by Federal Reserve Banks with a 
view to accommodating commerce and business and with regard to the 
regulations' bearing upon the general credit situation of the country. 
See 12 U.S.C. 263. The authority of the Federal Reserve to collect 
economic data to carry out the requirements of these provisions is 
implicit. Accordingly, the Federal Reserve is authorized to use the FR 
3067 by sections 2A and 12A of the FRA.
    Additionally, depending on the survey respondent, the information 
collection may be authorized under a more specific statute. These 
statutes are:
     Expedited Funds Availability Act Sec.  609 (12 U.S.C. 
4008)
     Electronic Fund Transfer Act Sec.  920 (15 U.S.C. 1693o-2)
     The Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act Sec.  15 (12 
U.S.C. 5014)
     Federal Reserve Act Sec.  11 (Examinations and reports, 
Supervision over Reserve Banks, and Federal Reserve Note provisions, 12 
U.S.C. 248); Sec.  11A (Pricing of Services, 12 U.S.C. 248a); Sec.  13 
(FRB deposits and collections, 12 U.S.C. 342); and Sec.  16 (Issuance 
of Federal Reserve notes, par clearance, and FRB clearinghouse, 12 
U.S.C. 248-1, 360, and 411).
    Under the appropriate authority, the Federal Reserve may make 
submission of survey information mandatory for entities such as 
financial institutions or payment card networks; submissions would 
otherwise be voluntary.
    The ability of the Federal Reserve to maintain the confidentiality 
of information provided by respondents to the FR 3067 surveys will be 
determined on a case-by-case basis depending on the type of information 
provided for a particular survey. For instance, in some circumstance, 
no issue of confidentiality will arise as the surveys may be conducted 
by private firms under contract with the Federal Reserve and names or 
other directly identifying information would not be provided to the 
Federal Reserve. In circumstances where identifying information is 
provided to the Federal Reserve, such information could possibly be 
protected under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), exemptions 4 and 
6. Exemption 4 protects information from disclosure of trade secrets 
and commercial or financial information, while exemption 6 protects 
information ``the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly 
unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.'' See 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4) and 
(6). If the survey is mandatory and is undertaken as part of the 
supervisory process, information could be protected under FOIA 
exemption 8, which protects information relating to the examination 
reports. See 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(8).
    Abstract: The bank operations and payment systems functions of the 
Federal Reserve have occasional need to gather data on an ad-hoc basis 
from the public on their payment habits, economic condition, and 
financial relationships, as well as their attitudes, perceptions, and 
expectations. These data may be particularly needed in times of 
critical economic or regulatory change or when issues of immediate 
concern arise from Federal Reserve System committee initiatives and 
working groups or requests from the Congress. The Federal Reserve would 
use this event-driven survey to obtain information specifically 
tailored to the Federal Reserve's supervisory, regulatory, fiscal, and 
operational responsibilities. The Federal Reserve may conduct various 
versions of the survey during the year and, as needed, survey 
respondents up to four times per year. The frequency and content of the 
questions will depend on changing economic, regulatory, supervisory, or 
legislative developments.

    Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, May 10, 2013.
Robert deV. Frierson,
Secretary of the Board.
[FR Doc. 2013-11583 Filed 5-15-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6210-01-P