[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 64 (Monday, April 4, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19181-19183]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-07543]


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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 June 3, 2016.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by FR 1379, FR 2060, or 
FR 4031 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

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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--Nuha Elmaghrabi--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 Proposal

    The following information collection, which is being handled under 
this delegated authority, has received initial Board approval and is 
hereby published for comment. At the end of the comment period, the 
proposed information collection, 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, without revision, of the following reports:
    1. Report title: Consumer Satisfaction Questionnaire, the Federal 
Reserve Consumer Help--Consumer Survey, the Consumer Online Complaint 
Form, and the Appraisal Complaint Form.
    Agency form number: FR 1379a, FR 1379b, FR 1379c, and FR 1379d.
    OMB control number: 7100-0135.
    Frequency: Event generated.
    Reporters: Consumers, appraisers, and financial institutions.
    Estimated annual burden hours: FR 1379a: 58 hours; FR 1379b: 121 
hours; FR 1379c: 982 hours; FR 1379d: 7 hours.
    Estimated average hours per response: FR 1379a: 5 minutes; FR 
1379b: 5 minutes; FR 1379c: 10 minutes; FR 1379d: 30 minutes.
    Number of respondents: FR 1379a: 695; FR 1379b: 1,455; FR 1379c: 
5,890; FR 1379d: 14.
    General description of report: The Board's Legal Division has 
determined that the FR 1379a, b, and c are authorized by law pursuant 
to section 11(a) of the Federal Reserve Act (12 U.S.C. 248(a)), and 
sections 3(q) and 8 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (FDIC Act) (12 
U.S.C. 1813(Q) and 1818). Additionally, the Board is authorized to 
collect the information on the FR 1379d pursuant to section 1103 of the 
Financial Institutions and Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act, which 
authorizes the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council-
Appraisal Subcommittee to ``perform research, as [it] considers 
appropriate,'' for the purpose of carrying out its duties (12 U.S.C. 
3335). The obligation to respond is voluntary.
    The FR 1379a is not considered confidential. The FR 1379b collects 
the respondent's name and the respondent may provide other personal 
information and information regarding his or her complaint. The FR 
1379c collects the respondent's third-party representative if the 
respondent has such a representative. The FR 1379d collects the 
respondent's name and the respondent may provide other personal 
information and information regarding his or her complaint. Thus, some 
of the information collected on the FR 1379b, FR 1379c, and FR 1379d 
may be considered confidential under the Freedom of Information Act (5 
U.S.C. 552(b)(4), (b)(6), (b)(7)).
    Abstract: The FR 1379a questionnaire is sent to consumers who have 
filed complaints with the Federal Reserve against state member banks. 
The information is used to assess their satisfaction with the Federal 
Reserve's handling and written response to their complaint at the 
conclusion of an investigation. The FR 1379b survey is sent to 
consumers who contact the Federal Reserve Consumer Help (FRCH) to file 
a complaint or inquiry. The information is used to determine whether 
consumers are satisfied with the way the FRCH handled their complaint. 
Consumers use the FR 1379c complaint form to electronically submit a 
complaint against a financial institution to the FRCH. The FR 1379d 
Appraisal complaint form collects information about complaints 
regarding a regulated institution's non-compliance with the appraisal 
independence standards and the Uniform Standards of Professional 
Appraisal Practice, including complaints from appraisers, individuals, 
financial institutions, and other entities. The information is 
necessary so that the federal agencies \1\ may better assist the 
Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council-Appraisal 
Subcommittee (FFIEC-ASC) \2\ in its efforts to implement Dodd-Frank 
Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act \3\ that requires a 
national hotline be established for appraisal related complaints.
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    \1\ ``Agencies'' include the Board of Governors of the Federal 
Reserve System, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of the 
Comptroller of the Currency, National Credit Union Administration, 
and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
    \2\ Title XI of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and 
Enforcement Act (FIRREA) of 1989 amended the FIRIRCA Act of 1978 to 
create the ASC ``within'' the FFIEC on August 9, 1989. Pursuant to 
Title XI, the ASC's mission is to monitor federal, state, and 
appraisal industry initiatives relative to the appraisal process at 
federally-regulated financial institutions and maintain a national 
registry of appraisers eligible to perform appraisals for federally 
related real estate transactions. As an independent FFIEC 
subcommittee, the ASC is funded by fees collected through the 
registry. The ASC board has seven members, one from each of these 
agencies: OCC, FRB, FDIC, NCUA, CFPB, FHFA and U.S. Department of 
Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The ASC Web site may be found 
at www.asc.gov/Home.aspx.
    \3\ Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act 
Sec.  1473, Pub. L. 111-203, 124 Stat. 1376, July 21, 2010.
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    Current Actions: The Federal Reserve proposes to extend, without 
revision, the FR 1379 information collection.
    2. Report title: Survey to Obtain Information on the Relevant 
Market in Individual Merger Cases.
    Agency form number: FR 2060.
    OMB control number: 7100-0232.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Reporters: Small businesses and consumers.
    Estimated annual burden hours: 9 hours.
    Estimated average hours per response: Small businesses: 10 minutes; 
Consumers: 6 minutes.
    Number of respondents: Small businesses: 25; Consumers: 50.
    General description of report: The FR 2060 is voluntary and 
authorized pursuant to the Change In Bank Control Act (12 U.S.C. 
1817(j)(7)(A) and (B)), the Bank Merger Act (12 U.S.C. 1828(c)(5)), and 
section 3(c)(1) of the Bank Holding Company Act (12 U.S.C. 1842(c)(1)). 
Each of these sections require the Federal Reserve to evaluate merger 
and acquisition applications by banks and bank holding companies to 
determine the effects of proposed transactions on

[[Page 19183]]

competition in a particular banking market. In order to make this 
determination, the Federal Reserve must determine the relevant market 
and then determine the level of competition in the market. This survey 
provides the data necessary to make such determinations when the 
Federal Reserve otherwise would not have such information.
    Information obtained from small business and individuals may be 
kept confidential under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). 
Information obtained from small businesses can be considered 
confidential under exemption (b)(4) of the FOIA because the release of 
information obtained from small businesses would (1) impair the Board's 
ability to obtain this information from entities that could not be 
compelled to respond, and (2) cause substantial harm to the competitive 
position of the entity from whom the information was obtained (5 U.S.C. 
552(b)(4)). In addition, information obtained from consumers may be 
kept confidential under exemption (b)(6) of the FOIA because the 
information the survey collects is the type of information that would 
constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy (Id. at 
552(b)(6)).
    Abstract: The Federal Reserve uses this information to define 
relevant banking markets for specific merger and acquisition 
applications and to evaluate changes in competition that would result 
from proposed transactions, including purchase and assumption 
agreements. The event-generated survey is conducted by telephone and 
has been used no more than once per year since 1990.
    Current Actions: The Federal Reserve proposes to extend, without 
revision, the FR 2060 information collection.
    3. Report title: Notice of Branch Closure.
    Agency form number: FR 4031.
    OMB control number: 7100-0264.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Reporters: State member banks.
    Estimated annual burden hours: 247 hours.
    Estimated average hours per response: Reporting requirements: 2 
hours; Disclosure requirements, customer mailing: 0.75 hours and posted 
notice, 0.25 hours; and Recordkeeping requirements: 8 hours.
    Number of respondents: Reporting requirements: 82; Disclosure 
requirements: customer mailing, 82 and posted notice, 82; and 
Recordkeeping requirements, 0.
    General description of report: This information collection is 
mandatory pursuant to Section 42(a)(1) of the Federal Deposit Insurance 
Act (FDI Act) (12 U.S.C. 1831r-l(a)(1)). The Federal Reserve does not 
consider individual respondent data to be confidential. However, a 
state member bank may request confidential treatment pursuant to 
exemption b(4) of the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C.552(b)(4)).
    Abstract: The mandatory reporting, recordkeeping, and disclosure 
requirements regarding the closing of any branch of an insured 
depository institution are imposed by section 228 of the Federal 
Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991 (FDICIA). There 
is no formal reporting form (the FR 4031 designation is for internal 
purposes only) associated with the reporting portion of this 
information collection; state member banks notify the Federal Reserve 
by letter prior to closing a branch. The Federal Reserve uses the 
information to fulfill its statutory obligation to supervise state 
member banks.
    Current Actions: The Federal Reserve proposes to extend, without 
revision, the FR 4031 information collection.

    Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, March 30, 
2016.
Robert deV. Frierson,
Secretary of the Board.
[FR Doc. 2016-07543 Filed 4-1-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6210-01-P