[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 64 (Monday, April 4, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19288-19289]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-07597]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency


Agency Information Collection Activities: Information Collection 
Renewal; Comment Request; Lending Limits

AGENCY: Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Treasury.

ACTION: Notice and request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The OCC, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork 
and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal 
agencies to comment on the renewal of an information collection, as 
required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).
    An agency 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 OCC is soliciting comment concerning renewal of its information 
collection titled, ``Lending Limits.''

DATES: Comments must be submitted by June 3, 2016.

ADDRESSES:  Because paper mail in the Washington, DC area and at the 
OCC is subject to delay, commenters are encouraged to submit comments 
by email, if possible. Comments may be sent to: Legislative and 
Regulatory Activities Division, Office of the Comptroller of the 
Currency, Attention: 1557-0221, 400 7th Street SW., Suite 3E-218, Mail 
Stop 9W-11, Washington, DC 20219. In addition, comments may be sent by 
fax to (571) 465-4326 or by electronic mail to 
[email protected]. You may personally inspect and photocopy 
comments at the OCC, 400 7th Street SW., Washington, DC 20219. For 
security reasons, the OCC requires that visitors make an appointment to 
inspect comments. You may do so by calling (202) 649-6700 or, for 
persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, TTY, (202) 649-5597. Upon 
arrival, visitors will be required to present valid government-issued 
photo identification and submit to security screening in order to 
inspect and photocopy comments.
    All comments received, including attachments and other supporting 
materials, are part of the public record and subject to public 
disclosure. Do not include any information in your comment or 
supporting materials that you consider confidential or inappropriate 
for public disclosure.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shaquita Merritt, Clearance Officer, 
(202) 649-5490 or, for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, TTY, 
(202) 649-5597, Legislative and Regulatory Activities Division, Office 
of the Comptroller of the Currency, 400 7th Street SW., Washington, DC 
20219.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  Under the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), 
Federal agencies must obtain approval from the OMB for each collection 
of information they conduct or sponsor. ``Collection of information'' 
is defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 1320.3(c) to include agency 
requests or requirements that members of the public submit reports, 
keep records, or provide information to a third party. Section 
3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)) requires Federal 
agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal Register concerning 
each proposed collection of information, including each proposed 
extension of an existing collection of information, before submitting 
the collection to OMB for approval. To comply with this requirement, 
the OCC is publishing notice of the renewal of the collection of 
information set forth in this document.
    Title: Lending Limits.
    OMB Control No.: 1557-0221 (12 CFR 32.7) (Merging in 1557-0317 (12 
CFR 32.7)).
    Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: 12 CFR 32.7(a) provides that, in addition to the amount 
that a national bank or savings association may lend to one borrower 
under 12 CFR 32.3, an eligible national bank or savings association may 
make:
     Residential real estate loans or extensions of credit to 
one borrower in the lesser of the following two amounts: 10 percent of 
its capital and surplus; or the percent of its capital and surplus, in 
excess of 15 percent, that a State bank or savings association is 
permitted to lend under the State lending limit that is available for 
residential real estate loans or unsecured loans in the state where the 
main office of the national bank or savings association is located;
     Small business loans or extensions of credit to one 
borrower in the lesser of the following two amounts: 10 percent of its 
capital and surplus; or the percent of its capital and surplus, in 
excess of 15 percent, that a State bank is permitted to lend under the 
state lending limit that is available for small business loans or 
unsecured loans in the state where the main office of the national bank 
or home office of the savings association is located; and
     Small farm loans or extensions of credit to one borrower 
in the lesser of the following two amounts: 10 percent of its capital 
and surplus; or the percent of its capital and surplus, in excess of 15 
percent, that a State bank or savings association is permitted to lend 
under the State lending limit that is available for small farm loans or 
unsecured loans in the State where the main office of the national bank 
or savings association is located.
    An eligible national bank or savings association must submit an 
application to, and receive approval from, its supervisory office 
before using the supplemental lending limits in Sec.  32.7(a). The 
supervisory office may approve a completed application if it finds that 
approval is consistent with safety and soundness. Section 32.7(b) 
provides that the application must include:
    (1) Certification that the national bank or savings association is 
an eligible bank or eligible savings association;
    (2) Citations to relevant State laws or regulations;
    (3) A copy of a written resolution by a majority of the bank's or 
savings association's board of directors approving the use of the 
limits, and confirming the terms and conditions for use of this lending 
authority; and
    (4) A description of how the board will exercise its continuing

[[Page 19289]]

responsibility to oversee the use of this lending authority.
    12 CFR 32.9(b) provides national banks and savings associations 
with three alternative methods for calculating the credit exposure of 
derivative transactions other than credit derivatives (the Internal 
Model Method, the Conversion Factor Matrix Method, and the Remaining 
Maturity Method) and two alternative methods for calculating such 
exposure for securities financing transactions. The OCC provided these 
models to reduce the practical burden of such calculations, 
particularly for small and mid-size banks and savings associations.
    Under 12 CFR 32.9(b)(1)(i)(C)(1), the use of a model (other than 
the model approved for purposes of the Advanced Measurement Approach in 
the capital rules) must be approved by the OCC specifically for part 32 
purposes and must be approved in writing. If a national bank or Federal 
savings association proposes to use an internal model that has been 
approved by the OCC for purposes of the Advanced Measurement Approach, 
the institution must provide prior written notification to the OCC 
prior to use of the model for lending limits purposes. OCC approval 
also is required before substantive revisions are made to a model that 
is used for lending limits purposes.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 295.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 1,958 hours.
    All comments will be considered in formulating the subsequent 
submission and become a matter of public record. Comments are invited 
on:
    (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the 
proper performance of the functions of the OCC, including whether the 
information has practical utility;
    (b) The accuracy of the OCC's estimate of the information 
collection burden;
    (c) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected;
    (d) Ways to minimize the burden of the 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.

    Dated: March 29, 2016.
Mary Hoyle Gottlieb,
Regulatory Specialist, Legislative and Regulatory Activities Division.
[FR Doc. 2016-07597 Filed 4-1-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4810-33-P