[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 93 (Thursday, May 14, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27686-27688]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-11667]


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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), 
to approve of and assign OMB numbers to collection of information 
requests and requirements conducted or sponsored by the Board. Board-
approved collections of information are incorporated into the official 
OMB inventory of currently approved collections of information. Copies 
of the PRA 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 number.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before July 13, 2015.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by FR 3052 or FR 3053, 
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 
http://www.federalreserve.gov/apps/foia/proposedregs.aspx 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 
3515, 1801 K Street (between 18th and 19th Streets NW) Washington, DC 
20006 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 Acting Clearance Officer--Mark Tokarski--
Office of the Chief Data Officer, 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 collections of information are 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 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;
    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.
    Proposal to approve under OMB delegated authority the extension for 
three years, without revision, of the following reports:
    1. Report title: Supervisory and Regulatory Survey.
    Agency form number: FR 3052.
    OMB Number: 7100-0322.
    Frequency: On occasion.\1\
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    \1\ The Federal Reserve conducts the survey as needed up to 24 
times per year.
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    Reporters: Financial businesses.
    Estimated annual reporting hours: 60,000 hours.
    Estimated average hours per response: 0.5 hours.
    Number of respondents: 5,000.
    General description of report: The FR 3052 is generally authorized 
under sections 2A and 12A of the Federal Reserve Act. Section 2A 
requires that the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and 
the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) 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 maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term 
interest rates (12 U.S.C. 225a). In addition, under section 12A of the 
Federal Reserve Act, the FOMC 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 (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 3052

[[Page 27687]]

by sections 2A and 12A of the Federal Reserve Act.
    Additionally, depending upon the survey respondent, the information 
collection may be authorized under a more specific statute. 
Specifically, the Board is authorized to collect information from state 
member banks under section 9 of the Federal Reserve Act (12 U.S.C. 
324); from bank holding companies (and their subsidiaries) under 
section 5(c) of the Bank Holding Company Act (12 U.S.C. 1844(c)); from 
Edge and agreement corporations under section 25 and 25A of the Federal 
Reserve Act (12 U.S.C. 602 and 625); from U.S. branches and agencies of 
foreign banks under section 7(c)(2) of the International Banking Act of 
1978 (12 U.S.C. 3105(c)(2)) and under section 7(a) of the Federal 
Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1817(a)); from nonbank financial 
companies designed by the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) 
for supervision by the Federal Reserve under section 161 of the Dodd-
Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (12 U.S.C. 5361); 
from foreign branches of member banks under sections 9 and 25 of the 
Federal Reserve Act (12 U.S.C. 325 and 602); and from U.S. nonbanking 
activities of foreign banking organizations covered under section 8 of 
the International Banking Act of 1978 (12 U.S.C. 3106).
    In general, the obligation to respond to the FR 3052 is voluntary. 
However, with respect to collections of information from state member 
banks, bank holding companies (and their subsidiaries), Edge and 
agreement corporations, U.S. branches and agencies of foreign banks, 
nonbank financial companies designed by the FSOC for supervision by the 
Federal Reserve, foreign branches of member banks, and U.S. nonbanking 
activities of foreign banking organizations authorized under the 
specific statutes noted above, the Federal Reserve could make the 
obligation to respond mandatory.
    The ability of the Federal Reserve to maintain the confidentiality 
of information provided by respondents to the FR 3052 surveys will have 
to be determined on a case by case basis depending on the type of 
information provided for a particular survey. In some instances, when a 
contractor collects the data, the data may not be considered an agency 
record, and if it is not considered an agency record, no issue of 
confidentiality will arise. In circumstances where the Board collects 
that data or the contractor provides the identifying information to the 
Board, such information could possibly be protected from Freedom of 
Information Act (FOIA) disclosure by FOIA exemptions 4 and 6. Exemption 
4 protects from disclosure 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'' (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 examination reports (5 U.S.C. 552(b)(8)).
    Abstract: The supervision and policy functions of Federal Reserve 
have occasionally needed to gather data on an ad-hoc basis from the 
banking and financial industries on their financial condition (outside 
of the standardized regulatory reporting process) and decisions that 
organizations have made to adjust to the changes in the economy. 
Further, the data may relate to a particular business activity that 
requires a more detailed presentation of the information than is 
available through regulatory reports such as the (FFIEC 031 and FFIEC 
041; OMB No. 7100-0036) (FFIEC 002; OMB No. 7100-0032) (FR 2886b; OMB 
No. 7100-0086), and (FR Y-9C; OMB No. 7100-0128). These data may be 
particularly needed in times of critical economic or regulatory changes 
or when issues of immediate supervisory concern arise from Federal 
Reserve supervisory initiatives and working groups or requests from 
Board Members and the Congress. The Federal Reserve uses this event-
driven survey to obtain information specifically tailored to the 
Federal Reserve's supervisory, regulatory, operational, and other 
responsibilities. The Federal Reserve conducts the survey as needed up 
to 24 times per year. The frequency and content of the questions depend 
on changing economic, regulatory, supervisory, or legislative 
developments.
    2. Report title: Consumer Financial Stability Surveys.
    Agency form number: FR 3053.
    OMB Number: 7100-0323.
    Frequency: On occasion.\2\
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    \2\ The Federal Reserve conducts the survey as needed up to 20 
times per year.
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    Reporters: Individuals, households, and financial and non-financial 
businesses.
    Estimated annual reporting hours: Consumer Surveys: Quantitative 
and general surveys, 4,000 hours, Financial institution consumers, 
1,000 hours, and Qualitative surveys, 600 hours; Financial institution 
survey: Financial institution staff, 150 hours; Stakeholder surveys: 
Stakeholder clientele, 500 hours and Stakeholder staff, 300 hours.
    Estimated average hours per response: Consumer surveys: 
Quantitative and general surveys, 0.5 hours, Financial institution 
consumers, 0.5 hours and Qualitative surveys, 1.5 hours; Financial 
institution survey: Financial institution staff, 1.5 hours; Stakeholder 
surveys: Stakeholder clientele, 0.5 hours and Stakeholder staff, 1.5 
hours.
    Number of respondents: Consumer surveys: Quantitative and general 
surveys, 2000 respondents, Financial institution consumers, 500 
respondents and Qualitative surveys, 100 respondents; Financial 
institution surveys: Financial institution staff, 25 respondents; 
Stakeholder surveys: Stakeholder clientele, 500 respondents and 
Stakeholder staff, 100 respondents.
    General description of report: This information collection is 
generally voluntary (Federal Reserve Act, Sections 2A and 12A (12 
U.S.C. 225a and 263)). In addition, depending upon the survey questions 
asked, the information collection may be authorized under one or more 
consumer protection statutes (Community Reinvestment Act, (12 U.S.C. 
2905); Competitive Equality Banking Act, (12 U.S.C. 3806); Expedited 
Funds Availability Act, (12 U.S.C. 4008); Truth in Lending Act, (15 
U.S.C. 1604); Fair Credit Reporting Act, (15 U.S.C. 1681s(e)); Equal 
Credit Opportunity Act, (15 U.S.C. 1691b); Electronic Funds Transfer 
Act, (15 U.S.C. 1693b and 1693o-2); Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, (15 U.S.C. 
6801(b)); and Flood Disaster Protections Act of 1973, (42 U.S.C. 
4012a)). Additionally, depending on the survey respondent, the 
information collection may be authorized under a more specific statute 
(Federal Reserve Act, Section 9, 25, and 25A (12 U.S.C. 324, 602, and 
625); Bank Holding Company Act, Section 5(c) (12 U.S.C. 1844(c)); 
International Banking Act of 1978, Section 7(c)(2) (12 U.S.C. 
3105(c)(2)); and Federal Deposit Insurance Act, Section 7(a) (12 U.S.C. 
1817(a))). However, with respect to collections of information from 
state member banks, bank holding companies (and their subsidiaries), 
Edge and agreement corporations, and U.S. branches and agencies of 
foreign banks authorized under the specific statutes noted above, the 
Federal Reserve could make the obligation to respond mandatory. In 
circumstances where the Board collects that data or the contractor 
provides the identifying information to the Board, such information 
could possibly be protected from Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 
disclosure by FOIA exemptions 4 and 6 (5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4) and (6)).

[[Page 27688]]

    Abstract: Board staff uses this event-driven survey to obtain 
information specifically tailored to the Federal Reserve's supervisory, 
regulatory, operational, informational, and other responsibilities. 
Board staff is authorized to conduct the FR 3053 up to 20 times per 
year, although the survey may not be conducted that frequently. The 
frequency and content of the questions depends on changing economic, 
regulatory, or legislative developments as well as changes in the 
financial services industry itself. Respondents comprise individuals, 
households, and financial and non-financial businesses. The annual 
burden is estimated to be 6,550 hours, based on twenty surveys: Three 
quarterly consumer-focused, one quarterly financial institution study, 
and two semi-annual stakeholder-focused surveys. The surveys are used 
to gather qualitative and quantitative information directly from: 
Consumers (consumer surveys), financial institutions and other 
financial companies offering consumer financial products and services 
(financial institution survey), and other stakeholders, such as state 
or local agencies, community development organizations, brokers, 
appraisers, settlement agents, software vendors, and consumer groups 
(stakeholder surveys).

    Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, May 11, 2015.
Robert deV. Frierson,
Secretary of the Board.
[FR Doc. 2015-11667 Filed 5-13-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6210-01-P