[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 146 (Wednesday, July 30, 2014)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 44120-44125]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-17858]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

12 CFR Part 3

[Docket ID OCC-2014-0012]
RIN 1557-AD83

FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM

12 CFR Part 217

[Regulation Q; Docket No. R-1488]
RIN 7100-AE17

FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION

12 CFR Part 324

RIN 3064-AE13


Regulatory Capital Rules: Advanced Approaches Risk-Based Capital 
Rule, Revisions to the Definition of Eligible Guarantee

AGENCIES: Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Treasury; the 
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; and the Federal 
Deposit Insurance Corporation.

ACTION: Final rule.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Board 
of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board), and the Federal 
Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) (collectively, the agencies) are 
adopting a final rule that revises the definition of eligible guarantee 
in the agencies' advanced approaches risk-based capital rule, adopted 
in the agencies' July 2013 regulatory capital rule (2013 capital rule). 
The final rule removes the requirement that an eligible guarantee be 
made by an eligible guarantor for purposes of calculating the risk-
weighted assets of an exposure (other than a securitization exposure) 
under the advanced approaches risk-based capital rule as incorporated 
into the 2013 capital rule (advanced approaches). The change to the 
definition of eligible guarantee applies to all banks, savings 
associations, bank holding companies, and savings and loan holding 
companies that are subject to the advanced approaches.

DATES: This rule is effective on October 1, 2014. Any company subject 
to the rule may elect to adopt it before this date.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
    OCC: Margot Schwadron, Senior Risk Expert; or Roger Tufts, Senior 
Economic Advisor, Capital Policy, (202) 649-6370; or Carl Kaminski, 
Counsel, Legislative and Regulatory Activities Division, (202) 649-
5490, for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, TTY, (202) 649-5597, 
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, 400 7th Street SW., 
Washington, DC 20219.
    Board: Anna Lee Hewko, Deputy Associate Director, (202) 530-6260; 
Constance M. Horsley, Assistant Director, (202) 452-5239; Thomas 
Boemio, Manager, (202) 452-2982; Andrew Willis, Supervisory Financial 
Analyst, (202) 912-4323; or Justyna Milewski, Financial Analyst, (202) 
452-3607, Capital and Regulatory Policy, Division of Banking 
Supervision and Regulation; or Benjamin McDonough, Senior Counsel, 
(202) 452-2036; April C. Snyder, Senior Counsel, (202) 452-3099; 
Christine Graham, Counsel, (202) 452-3005; or Mark Buresh, Attorney, 
(202) 452-5270, Legal Division, Board of Governors of the Federal 
Reserve System, 20th and C Streets NW., Washington, DC 20551. For the 
hearing impaired only, Telecommunication Device for the Deaf (TDD), 
(202) 263-4869.
    FDIC: Bobby R. Bean, Associate Director, [email protected]; Ryan 
Billingsley, Chief, Capital Policy Section, [email protected]; 
Benedetto Bosco, Capital Markets Policy Analyst, [email protected], 
Capital Markets Branch, Division of Risk Management Supervision, 
[email protected] or (202) 898-6888; or Michael Phillips, 
Counsel, [email protected]; Rachel Ackmann, Senior Attorney, 
[email protected]; or Grace Pyun, Senior Attorney, [email protected], 
Supervision Branch, Legal Division, Federal Deposit Insurance 
Corporation, 550 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20429.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    On May 1, 2014, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency 
(OCC), the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board), 
and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) (collectively, the 
agencies) published in the Federal Register a joint notice of proposed 
rulemaking (NPR or proposed rule)\1\ seeking public comment on 
revisions to the definition of eligible guarantee for purposes of 
calculating the risk-weighted assets of an exposure (other than a 
securitization exposure) under the advanced approaches risk-based 
capital rule as incorporated into subpart E (advanced approaches) of 
the agencies' July 2013 regulatory capital rule (2013 capital rule).\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ 79 FR 24618 (May 1, 2014).
    \2\ 78 FR 55340 (September 10, 2013) (FDIC) and 78 FR 62018 
(October 11, 2013) (OCC and Board). On April 8, 2014, the FDIC 
adopted as final the 2013 revised capital rule, with no substantive 
changes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Among other changes, the 2013 capital rule amended the 
methodologies for calculating risk-weighted assets under the advanced 
approaches, as well as the standardized approach for regulatory capital 
in subpart D (standardized approach) of the 2013 capital rule, which is 
generally consistent with the methodologies for calculating risk-
weighted assets established by the Basel Committee on Banking 
Supervision (BCBS) through its international framework.\3\ 
Specifically, the 2013 capital rule included a definition of ``eligible 
guarantee'' for purposes of both the standardized approach and the 
advanced approaches and introduced a definition of ``eligible 
guarantor.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ See BCBS, ``Basel II: International Convergence of Capital 
Measurement and Capital Standards: A Revised Framework'' (November 
2005 and revised in June 2006), available at http://www.bis.org/publ/bcbs128.pdf. See BCBS, ``Basel III: A Global Regulatory 
Framework for More Resilient Banks and Banking Systems'' (December 
2010 and revised in June 2011), available at http://www.bis.org/publ/bcbs189.htm. The BCBS is a committee of banking supervisory 
authorities, which was established by the central bank governors of 
the G-10 countries in 1975. More information regarding the BCBS and 
its membership is available at http://www.bis.org/bcbs/about.htm. 
Documents issued by the BCBS are available through the Bank for 
International Settlements Web site at http://www.bis.org.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The definition of eligible guarantee provided that an eligible 
guarantee could be provided only by an eligible guarantor. The 
definition of eligible guarantor includes a sovereign, the Bank for 
International Settlements, the

[[Page 44121]]

International Monetary Fund, the European Central Bank, the European 
Commission, a Federal Home Loan Bank, the Federal Agricultural Mortgage 
Corporation (Farmer Mac), a multilateral development bank (MDB), a 
depository institution, a bank holding company, a savings and loan 
holding company, a credit union, a foreign bank, and a qualifying 
central counterparty. The definition of eligible guarantor also 
includes an entity (other than a special purpose entity) that at the 
time the guarantee is issued or anytime thereafter, has issued and has 
outstanding an unsecured debt security that is investment grade; whose 
creditworthiness is not positively correlated with the credit risk of 
the exposures for which it has provided guarantees; and that is not an 
insurance company engaged predominately in the business of providing 
credit protection (such as a monoline bond insurer or re-insurer).
    Following the release of the 2013 capital rule, the agencies 
received comments raising concerns about the definition of eligible 
guarantee. Commenters noted that the revisions made to the definition 
of eligible guarantee changed the recognition of these guarantees for 
certain exposures under the advanced approaches wholesale framework. 
For example, several advanced approaches banking organizations \4\ 
observed that middle market and commercial real estate loans often 
involve guarantors that do not meet the definition of eligible 
guarantor. The guarantors for such transactions are often related 
parties such as owners or sponsors that have not issued investment 
grade debt securities. These commenters argued that such guarantees 
provide valuable credit risk mitigation that should be recognized under 
the advanced approaches capital requirements.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ Advanced approaches banking organizations generally refers 
to banking organizations with total consolidated assets of $250 
billion or more, that have total consolidated on-balance sheet 
foreign exposure of $10 billion or more, are a subsidiary of an 
advanced approaches depository institution, or that elect to use the 
advanced approaches.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As explained in the proposal, the agencies did not intend for the 
revisions to the definition of eligible guarantee in the 2013 capital 
rule to prevent advanced approaches banking organizations from 
recognizing the risk-mitigation benefits of the aforementioned types of 
guarantees. The agencies believe that these guarantees should continue 
to qualify as credit risk mitigants for purposes of the advanced 
approaches because they provide banking organizations with credit 
enhancement with respect to their exposures.
    On May 1, 2014, the agencies published in the Federal Register, a 
proposed rule to effectively revert to the previous treatment of 
eligible guarantees under the 2007 advanced approaches final rule \5\ 
for non-securitization exposures.\6\ Under the proposal, the 
requirement that an eligible guarantee be provided by an eligible 
guarantor for exposures that are not securitizations for the purpose of 
the advanced approaches would be removed from the definition of 
eligible guarantee. However, the proposed rule would have retained the 
definition of eligible guarantee in the 2013 capital rule for purposes 
of calculating risk-weighted assets under the standardized approach 
because the standardized approach generally assigns a single risk 
weight to exposures to most corporate borrowers and guarantors and does 
not incorporate the definition of eligible guarantee into a risk-
sensitive methodology like the advanced approaches.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \5\ 72 FR 69288 (December 7, 2007).
    \6\ 79 FR 24618 (May 1, 2014).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

II. Comments

    The agencies received two comment letters on the proposed change to 
the eligible guarantee definition, one from a trade association and the 
other from a monoline insurance company. The trade association fully 
supported the proposal, and urged timely adoption of the proposed rule 
without modification. The commenter also requested that the agencies 
provide banking organizations with the option to elect the early 
adoption of the proposed rule before its official effective date so 
that the amended definition would be available for public disclosures 
for advanced approaches banking organizations that have completed their 
parallel run and will publicly disclose their risk-based capital ratios 
determined using the advanced approaches beginning with the second 
quarter of 2014.
    The monoline insurance company commented that the proposed 
revisions to the definition of eligible guarantee, and by extension the 
definition of eligible guarantor under the 2013 capital rule, should be 
further clarified and expanded under both the standardized approach and 
advanced approaches to include monoline insurance companies (monoline 
insurers) that meet certain conditions. According to the commenter, the 
agencies' definition of eligible guarantor in the 2013 capital rule 
intended to include monoline insurers that are subsidiaries of 
depository institution holding companies or nonbank financial companies 
supervised by the Board pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform 
and Consumer Protection Act because these subsidiaries are subject to 
extensive supervisory and regulatory standards. The commenter further 
argued that expanding the definition to include monoline insurers could 
reduce systemic and prudential risks by reducing interconnectedness as 
well as reliance on guarantees from the public sector, such as 
guarantees from sovereigns and government-sponsored enterprises. The 
commenter also sought clarification as to whether, by virtue of the 
definition's exclusion of monoline insurers, the agencies also 
inadvertently excluded from the definition of eligible guarantor 
depository institution holding companies and nonbank systemically 
important financial institutions designated by the Financial Stability 
Oversight Council.
    The definition of eligible guarantor in the 2013 capital rule 
explicitly states that an insurance company engaged predominately in 
the business of providing credit protection (such as a monoline bond 
insurer or re-insurer) does not qualify as an eligible guarantor. As 
stated in the preamble to the 2013 capital rule, the agencies believe 
that guarantees issued by monoline insurers, including financial 
guaranty and private mortgage insurers, can exhibit significant wrong-
way risk.\7\ Thus, modifying the definition of eligible guarantor to 
include these entities would be contrary to one of the key objectives 
of the capital framework, which is to mitigate interconnectedness and 
systemic vulnerabilities within the financial system. The agencies are, 
therefore, retaining the 2013 capital rule's definition of eligible 
guarantor. The definition of eligible guarantor in the 2013 capital 
rule includes depository institution holding companies as well as 
nonbank financial companies that meet the qualifying criteria included 
in the definition of eligible guarantor.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \7\ 78 FR 62104 (October 11, 2013) (OCC and FRB) and 78 FR 55422 
(September 10, 2013) (FDIC).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

 III. Final Rule

    After carefully considering the comments the agencies are adopting 
as a final rule the eligible guarantee definition as proposed in the 
NPR. Under the final rule, an eligible guarantee must be in writing and 
also be either an unconditional guarantee or a contingent obligation of 
the U.S. government or its agencies, the enforceability of which is 
dependent upon some affirmative action on the

[[Page 44122]]

part of the beneficiary of the guarantee or a third party (for example, 
meeting servicing requirements). The guarantee also must cover all or a 
pro rata portion of all contractual payments of the obligated party on 
the reference exposure and give the beneficiary a direct claim against 
the protection provider. Additionally, the guarantee must not be 
unilaterally cancelable by the protection provider for reasons other 
than the breach of the contract by the beneficiary, and it must be 
legally enforceable against the protection provider in a jurisdiction 
where the protection provider has sufficient assets against which a 
judgment may be attached and enforced (except for a guarantee by a 
sovereign). The guarantee also must require the protection provider to 
make payment to the beneficiary on the occurrence of a default (as 
defined in the guarantee) of the obligated party on the reference 
exposure in a timely manner without the beneficiary first having to 
take legal actions to pursue the obligor for payment and must not 
increase the beneficiary's cost of credit protection on the guarantee 
in response to deterioration in the credit quality of the reference 
exposure. Furthermore, the guarantee may not be provided by an 
affiliate of the banking organization, unless the affiliate is an 
insured depository institution, foreign bank, securities broker or 
dealer, or insurance company that does not control the banking 
organization and is subject to consolidated supervision and regulation 
comparable to that imposed on depository institutions, U.S. securities 
broker-dealers, or U.S. insurance companies (as the case may be) and 
for purposes of Sec. Sec.  --.141 to --.145 of the advanced approaches 
and of the standardized approach, the guarantee would have to be 
provided by an eligible guarantor.

IV. Early Compliance

    The final rule will be effective October 1, 2014; however, any 
advanced approaches banking organization may elect to adopt the 
requirements in the final rule before the effective date.
    Subject to certain exceptions, 12 U.S.C. 4802(b) provides that new 
regulations and amendments to regulations prescribed by a Federal 
banking agency which impose additional reporting, disclosures, or other 
new requirements on an insured depository institution shall take effect 
on the first day of a calendar quarter which begins on or after the 
date on which the regulations are published in final form. The agencies 
note that this final rule does not impose any additional reporting or 
disclosure requirements. Instead, this final rule revises an existing 
requirement to remove a restriction on the recognition of guarantors 
for the purpose of calculating minimum risk-based capital requirements. 
Additionally, section 4802(b) permits persons who are subject to the 
Federal banking agency regulations to comply with a regulation before 
its effective date. Accordingly, the agencies will not object if an 
institution wishes to apply the provisions of this final rule beginning 
with the date it is published in the Federal Register.

V. Regulatory Analyses

A. Paperwork Reduction Act

    In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3521) (PRA), the agencies may not conduct or 
sponsor, and a respondent is not required to respond to, an information 
collection unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) control number. The agencies have reviewed the final 
rule and determined that the rule does not introduce any new collection 
of information pursuant to the PRA.

B. Regulatory Flexibility Act Analysis

    OCC: The Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq. (RFA), 
requires an agency, in connection with a notice of final rulemaking, to 
prepare a Final Regulatory Flexibility Act analysis describing the 
impact of the rule on small entities (defined by the Small Business 
Administration (SBA) for purposes of the RFA to include banking 
entities with total assets of $550 million or less) or to certify that 
the rule will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial 
number of small entities.
    Using the SBA's size standards effective on July 14, 2014, the OCC 
currently supervises approximately 1,200 small entities (361 Federal 
savings associations, 818 national banks, and 21 trust companies).\8\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \8\ The OCC calculated the number of small entities using the 
SBA's size thresholds for commercial banks and savings institutions, 
and trust companies, which, effective July 14, 2014, are $550 
million and $38.5 million, respectively. Consistent with the General 
Principles of Affiliation 13 CFR 121.103(a), the OCC counted the 
assets of affiliated financial institutions when determining whether 
to classify an OCC-supervised entity as a small entity. The OCC used 
December 31, 2013 to determine size because a ``financial 
institution's assets are determined by averaging the assets reported 
on its four quarterly financial statements for the preceding year.'' 
See footnote 8 of the SBA's Table of Size Standards.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As described in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of the 
preamble, the final rule applies only to advanced approaches banking 
organizations. Advanced approaches banking organization is defined to 
include a national bank or Federal savings associations that has, or 
is, a subsidiary of a bank holding company or savings and loan holding 
company that has total consolidated assets of $250 billion or more, 
total consolidated on-balance sheet foreign exposure of $10 billion or 
more, or that has elected to use the advanced approaches. After 
considering the SBA's size standards and General Principals of 
Affiliation to identify small entities, the OCC determined that no 
small national banks or Federal savings associations are advanced 
approaches banking organizations. Because the final rule applies only 
to advanced approaches banking organizations, it does not impact any 
OCC-supervised small entities. Therefore, the OCC certifies that the 
final rule will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial 
number of OCC-supervised small entities.
    Board: The Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq. (RFA) 
requires an agency to provide a final regulatory flexibility analysis 
with a final rule or to certify that the rule will not have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. 
Under regulations issued by the Small Business Administration, a small 
entity includes a depository institution, bank holding company, or 
savings and loan holding company with total assets of $550 million or 
less (a small banking organization).\9\ As of March 31, 2014, there 
were approximately 653 small state member banks. As of December 31, 
2013, there were approximately 3,783 small bank holding companies and 
approximately 276 small savings and loan holding companies.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \9\ See 13 CFR 121.201. Effective July 14, 2014, the Small 
Business Administration revised the size standards for banking 
organizations to $550 million in assets from $500 million in assets. 
79 FR 33647 (June 12, 2014).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Board is providing a final regulatory flexibility analysis with 
respect to this final rule. As discussed above, this final rule would 
amend the definition of ``eligible guarantee'' in section 2 of 
Regulation Q (12 CFR part 217) for the purposes of calculating risk-
weighted assets under the advanced approaches in Regulation Q (12 CFR 
part 217, subpart E). The Board received no public comments related to 
the initial Regulatory Flexibility Act analysis in the proposed rule 
from members of the general public or from the Chief Counsel for 
Advocacy of the Small Business Administration. Thus,

[[Page 44123]]

no issues were raised in public comments related to the Board's initial 
Regulatory Flexibility Act analysis and no changes are being made in 
response to such comments.
    The final rule would apply only to advanced approaches banking 
organizations, which, generally, are banking organizations with total 
consolidated assets of $250 billion or more, that have total 
consolidated on-balance sheet foreign exposure of $10 billion or more, 
are a subsidiary of an advanced approaches depository institution, or 
that elect to use the advanced approaches. Currently, no small top-tier 
bank holding company, top-tier savings and loan holding company, or 
state member bank is an advanced approaches banking organization, so 
there would be no additional projected compliance requirements imposed 
on small bank holding companies, savings and loan holding companies, or 
state member banks. The Board expects that any small bank holding 
companies, savings and loan holding companies, or state member banks 
that would be covered by this final rule would rely on their parent 
banking organization for compliance and would not bear additional 
costs.
    The Board believes that the final rule will not have a significant 
economic impact on small banking organizations supervised by the Board 
and therefore believes that there are no significant alternatives to 
the rule that would reduce the economic impact on small banking 
organizations supervised by the Board.
    FDIC: The Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq. (RFA), 
requires an agency, in connection with a notice of final rulemaking, to 
prepare a Final Regulatory Flexibility Act analysis describing the 
impact of the rule on small entities (defined by the Small Business 
Administration for purposes of the RFA to include banking entities with 
total assets of $550 million or less) or to certify that the rule will 
not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities.
    As of March 31, 2014, the FDIC supervised 3,604 small entities. As 
described in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of the preamble, 
however, the final rule applies only to advanced approaches banking 
organizations. Advanced approaches banking organization is defined to 
include a state nonmember bank or a State savings association that has, 
or is a subsidiary of a bank holding company or savings and loan 
holding company that has, total consolidated assets of $250 billion or 
more, total consolidated on-balance sheet foreign exposure of $10 
billion or more, or that has elected to use the advanced approaches. As 
of March 31, 2014 based on a $550 million threshold, 2 (out of 3,296) 
small state nonmember banks and no (out of 308) small state savings 
associations were under the advanced approaches. Therefore, the FDIC 
does not believe that the final rule will result in a significant 
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities under its 
supervisory jurisdiction.
    The FDIC certifies that the final rule will not have a significant 
economic impact on a substantial number of small FDIC-supervised 
institutions.

C. OCC Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 Determination

    The OCC has analyzed the final rule under the factors in the 
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA) (2 U.S.C. 1532). Under this 
analysis, the OCC considered whether the rule includes a Federal 
mandate that may result in the expenditure by State, local, and tribal 
governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector, of $100 
million or more in any one year (adjusted annually for inflation). As 
detailed in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section, the final rule 
revises the definition of eligible guarantee as incorporated into the 
OCC's advanced approaches risk-based capital rule. In 2013, when the 
Federal banking agencies revised their respective risk-based capital 
requirements, they added a requirement that an eligible guarantee be 
from an eligible guarantor. This rule removes that requirement for the 
purposes of calculating the risk-weighted asset amount for an exposure 
(other than for a securitization exposure) under the OCC's advanced 
approaches risk-based capital rule. For example, the OCC understands 
that advanced approaches banking organizations commonly obtain 
guarantees from guarantors that do not qualify as eligible guarantors 
for exposures in their commercial real estate and other wholesale 
portfolios. Under this rule, these guarantees will qualify as credit 
risk mitigants for purposes of the wholesale framework in the advanced 
approaches risk-based capital rule.
    This final rule does not increase the minimum capital requirements 
for any institutions subject to the OCC's risk-based capital rules. 
After comparing existing capital levels with these requirements, and 
considering the burden and other compliance costs associated with the 
changes, the OCC has determined that its final rule will not result in 
expenditures by State, local, and tribal governments, or by the private 
sector, of $100 million or more (adjusted annually for inflation). 
Accordingly, the OCC is not including a written statement to accompany 
this proposed rule.

D. Plain Language

    Section 722 of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act requires the Federal 
banking agencies to use plain language in all proposed and final rules 
published after January 1, 2000. The agencies have sought to present 
the final rule in a simple and straightforward manner, and did not 
receive any comments on the use of plain language.

List of Subjects

12 CFR Part 3

    Administrative practice and procedure, Capital, National banks, 
Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Risk.

12 CFR Part 217

    Administrative practice and procedure, Banks, Banking, Capital, 
Federal Reserve System, Holding companies, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements, Securities.

12 CFR Part 324

    Administrative practice and procedure, Banks, Banking, Capital 
Adequacy, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Savings 
associations, State non-member banks.

Department of the Treasury

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

12 CFR Chapter I

Authority and Issuance

    For the reasons set forth in the preamble and under the authority 
of 12 U.S.C. 93a, 1462, 1462a, 1463, 1464, 3907, 3909, 1831o, and 
5412(b)(2)(B), the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency amends 
part 3 of chapter I of title 12, Code of Federal Regulations as 
follows:

PART 3--CAPITAL ADEQUACY STANDARDS

0
1. The authority citation for part 3 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 12 U.S.C. 93a, 161, 1462, 1462a, 1463, 1464, 1818, 
1828(n), 1828 note, 1831n note, 1835, 3907, 3909, and 5412(b)(2)(B).


0
2. In Sec.  3.2, revise the definition of ``Eligible guarantee'' to 
read as follows:


Sec.  3.2  Definitions.

* * * * *

Eligible guarantee means a guarantee that:

    (1) Is written;

[[Page 44124]]

    (2) Is either:
    (i) Unconditional; or
    (ii) A contingent obligation of the U.S. government or its 
agencies, the enforceability of which is dependent upon some 
affirmative action on the part of the beneficiary of the guarantee or a 
third party (for example, meeting servicing requirements);
    (3) Covers all or a pro rata portion of all contractual payments of 
the obligated party on the reference exposure;
    (4) Gives the beneficiary a direct claim against the protection 
provider;
    (5) Is not unilaterally cancelable by the protection provider for 
reasons other than the breach of the contract by the beneficiary;
    (6) Except for a guarantee by a sovereign, is legally enforceable 
against the protection provider in a jurisdiction where the protection 
provider has sufficient assets against which a judgment may be attached 
and enforced;
    (7) Requires the protection provider to make payment to the 
beneficiary on the occurrence of a default (as defined in the 
guarantee) of the obligated party on the reference exposure in a timely 
manner without the beneficiary first having to take legal actions to 
pursue the obligor for payment;
    (8) Does not increase the beneficiary's cost of credit protection 
on the guarantee in response to deterioration in the credit quality of 
the reference exposure;
    (9) Is not provided by an affiliate of the national bank or Federal 
savings association, unless the affiliate is an insured depository 
institution, foreign bank, securities broker or dealer, or insurance 
company that:
    (i) Does not control the national bank or Federal savings 
association; and
    (ii) Is subject to consolidated supervision and regulation 
comparable to that imposed on depository institutions, U.S. securities 
broker-dealers, or U.S. insurance companies (as the case may be); and
    (10) For purposes of Sec. Sec.  3.141 through 3.145 and subpart D 
of this part, is provided by an eligible guarantor.
* * * * *

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

12 CFR Chapter II

Authority and Issuance

    For the reasons set forth in the preamble, part 217 of chapter II 
of title 12 of the Code of Federal Regulations is amended as follows:

PART 217--CAPITAL ADEQUACY OF BANK HOLDING COMPANIES, SAVINGS AND 
LOAN HOLDING COMPANIES, AND STATE MEMBER BANKS (REGULATION Q)

0
3. The authority citation for part 217 is revised to read as follows:

    Authority: 12 U.S.C. 248(a), 321-338a, 481-486, 1462a, 1467a, 
1818, 1828, 1831n, 1831o, 1831p-l, 1831w, 1835, 1844(b), 1851, 3904, 
3906-3909, 4808, 5365, 5368, 5371.


0
4. The heading of part 217 is revised to read as set forth above.
0
5. In Sec.  217.2, revise the definition of ``Eligible guarantee'' to 
read as follows:


Sec.  217.2  Definitions.

* * * * *

Eligible guarantee means a guarantee that:

    (1) Is written;
    (2) Is either:
    (i) Unconditional, or
    (ii) A contingent obligation of the U.S. government or its 
agencies, the enforceability of which is dependent upon some 
affirmative action on the part of the beneficiary of the guarantee or a 
third party (for example, meeting servicing requirements);
    (3) Covers all or a pro rata portion of all contractual payments of 
the obligated party on the reference exposure;
    (4) Gives the beneficiary a direct claim against the protection 
provider;
    (5) Is not unilaterally cancelable by the protection provider for 
reasons other than the breach of the contract by the beneficiary;
    (6) Except for a guarantee by a sovereign, is legally enforceable 
against the protection provider in a jurisdiction where the protection 
provider has sufficient assets against which a judgment may be attached 
and enforced;
    (7) Requires the protection provider to make payment to the 
beneficiary on the occurrence of a default (as defined in the 
guarantee) of the obligated party on the reference exposure in a timely 
manner without the beneficiary first having to take legal actions to 
pursue the obligor for payment;
    (8) Does not increase the beneficiary's cost of credit protection 
on the guarantee in response to deterioration in the credit quality of 
the reference exposure;
    (9) Is not provided by an affiliate of the Board-regulated 
institution, unless the affiliate is an insured depository institution, 
foreign bank, securities broker or dealer, or insurance company that:
    (i) Does not control the Board-regulated institution; and
    (ii) Is subject to consolidated supervision and regulation 
comparable to that imposed on depository institutions, U.S. securities 
broker-dealers, or U.S. insurance companies (as the case may be); and
    (10) For purposes of Sec. Sec.  217.141 through 217.145 and subpart 
D of this part, is provided by an eligible guarantor.
* * * * *

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

12 CFR Chapter III

Authority and Issuance

    For the reasons set forth in the preamble, part 324 of chapter III 
of title 12 of the Code of Federal Regulations is amended as follows:

PART 324--CAPITAL ADEQUACY OF FDIC-SUPERVISED INSTITUTIONS

0
6. The authority citation for part 324 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 12 U.S.C. 1815(a), 1815(b), 1816, 1818(a), 1818(b), 
1818(c), 1818(t), 1819(Tenth), 1828(c), 1828(d), 1828(i), 1828(n), 
1828(o), 1831o, 1835, 3907, 3909, 4808; 5371; 5412; Pub. L. 102-233, 
105 Stat. 1761, 1789, 1790 (12 U.S.C. 1831n note); Pub. L. 102-242, 
105 Stat. 2236, 2355, as amended by Pub. L. 103-325, 108 Stat. 2160, 
2233 (12 U.S.C. 1828 note); Pub. L. 102-242, 105 Stat. 2236, 2386, 
as amended by Pub. L. 102-550, 106 Stat. 3672, 4089 (12 U.S.C. 1828 
note); Pub. L. 111-203, 124 Stat. 1376, 1887 (15 U.S.C. 78o-7 note).


0
7. In Sec.  324.2, revise the definition of ``Eligible guarantee'' to 
read as follows:


Sec.  324.2  Definitions.

* * * * *

Eligible guarantee means a guarantee that:

    (1) Is written;
    (2) Is either:
    (i) Unconditional, or
    (ii) A contingent obligation of the U.S. government or its 
agencies, the enforceability of which is dependent upon some 
affirmative action on the part of the beneficiary of the guarantee or a 
third party (for example, meeting servicing requirements);
    (3) Covers all or a pro rata portion of all contractual payments of 
the obligated party on the reference exposure;
    (4) Gives the beneficiary a direct claim against the protection 
provider;
    (5) Is not unilaterally cancelable by the protection provider for 
reasons other than the breach of the contract by the beneficiary;
    (6) Except for a guarantee by a sovereign, is legally enforceable 
against the protection provider in a jurisdiction

[[Page 44125]]

where the protection provider has sufficient assets against which a 
judgment may be attached and enforced;
    (7) Requires the protection provider to make payment to the 
beneficiary on the occurrence of a default (as defined in the 
guarantee) of the obligated party on the reference exposure in a timely 
manner without the beneficiary first having to take legal actions to 
pursue the obligor for payment;
    (8) Does not increase the beneficiary's cost of credit protection 
on the guarantee in response to deterioration in the credit quality of 
the reference exposure;
    (9) Is not provided by an affiliate of the FDIC-supervised 
institution, unless the affiliate is an insured depository institution, 
foreign bank, securities broker or dealer, or insurance company that:
    (i) Does not control the FDIC-supervised institution; and
    (ii) Is subject to consolidated supervision and regulation 
comparable to that imposed on depository institutions, U.S. securities 
broker-dealers, or U.S. insurance companies (as the case may be); and
    (10) For purposes of Sec. Sec.  324.141 through 324.145 and subpart 
D of this part, is provided by an eligible guarantor.
* * * * *

    Dated: July 15, 2014.
Thomas J. Curry,
Comptroller of the Currency.
    By order of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve 
System, July 23, 2014.
Robert deV. Frierson,
Secretary of the Board.
    Dated at Washington, DC, this 15th day of July, 2014.

    By order of the Board of Directors.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Robert E. Feldman,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-17858 Filed 7-29-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P