[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 28 (Monday, February 13, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10480-10484]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-02827]


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FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM


Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

ACTION: Notice for comment regarding the Federal Reserve proposal to 
extend without revision, the clearance under the Paperwork Reduction 
Act for the following information collection activity.

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SUMMARY: The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board or 
Federal Reserve) invites comment on a proposal to extend, without 
revision, the voluntary Generic Clearance for Surveys of Consumer and 
Community Affairs Publications and Resources (FR 1378; OMB No. 7100-
0358); a proposal to extend, without revision, the voluntary Generic 
Clearance for Consumer and Stakeholder Surveys (FR 3073; OMB No. 7100-
0359), a proposal to extend for three years, without

[[Page 10481]]

revision, the required Report of Net Debit Cap (FR 2226, OMB No. 7100-
0217), and a proposal to extend for three years, without revision, the 
following voluntary Payments Systems Surveys (OMB No. 7100-0332):

 Ad Hoc Payments Systems Survey (FR 3054a)
 Currency Quality Sampling Survey (FR 3054b)
 Currency Quality Survey (FR 3054c)
 Currency Functionality and Perception Survey (FR 3054d)

    On June 15, 1984, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
delegated to the Board authority under the Paperwork Reduction Act 
(PRA) to approve of and assign OMB control numbers to collection of 
information requests and requirements conducted or sponsored by the 
Board. In exercising this delegated authority, the Board is directed to 
take every reasonable step to solicit comment. In determining whether 
to approve a collection of information, the Board will consider all 
comments received from the public and other agencies.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before April 14, 2017.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by FR 1378, FR 3073, FR 
2226, or FR 3054abcd, 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 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 Proposals

    The Board invites public comment on the following information 
collection, which is being reviewed under authority delegated by the 
OMB under the PRA. 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 startup costs and costs of operation, 
maintenance, and purchase of services to provide information.
    At the end of the comment period, the comments and recommendations 
received will be analyzed to determine the extent to which the Federal 
Reserve should modify the proposed revisions prior to giving final 
approval.

Proposal To Approve Under OMB Delegated Authority the Extension for 
Three Years, Without Revision, of the Following Reports

    1. Report title: Generic Clearance for Surveys of Consumer and 
Community Affairs Publications and Resources.
    Agency form number: FR 1378.
    OMB control number: 7100-0358.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Respondents: Individuals, households, nonprofits, community 
development organizations, consumer groups, financial institutions, 
other financial companies offering consumer financial products and 
services, other for profit companies, state or local agencies, and 
researchers from academic, government, policy and other institutions.
    Estimated number of respondents: Consumer surveys: Quantitative 
surveys, 1,000 respondents; and Qualitative surveys, 50 respondents; 
and Stakeholder surveys: Quantitative surveys, 800 respondents; and 
Qualitative surveys, 50 respondents.
    Estimated average hours per response: Consumer surveys: 
Quantitative surveys, 0.25 hours; and Qualitative surveys, 1.50 hours; 
and Stakeholder surveys: Quantitative surveys, 0.25 hours; and 
Qualitative surveys, 1.50 hours.
    Estimated annual burden hours: Consumer surveys: Quantitative 
surveys, 500 hours; and Qualitative surveys, 300 hours; and Stakeholder 
surveys: Quantitative surveys, 1,200 hours; and Qualitative surveys, 
300 hours.
    General Description of Report: The Board uses this collection to 
seek input from users or potential users of the Board's publications, 
resources, and conference materials to understand their interests and 
needs; to inform decisions concerning content, design, and 
dissemination strategies; to gauge public awareness of the Board's 
publications, resources, and conferences; and to assess the 
effectiveness of the Board's communications with various 
respondents.\1\
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    \1\ Certain criteria apply to information collections conducted 
via the Board's generic clearance process. Such information 
collections shall (1) be vetted by the Board's clearance officer as 
well as the Division director responsible for the information 
collection; (2) display the OMB control number and respondents shall 
be informed that the information collection has been approved, (3) 
be used only in such cases where response is voluntary, (4) not be 
used to substantially inform regulatory actions or policy decisions, 
(5) be conducted only and exactly as described in the OMB 
submission, (6) involve only noncontroversial subject matter that 
will not raise concerns for other Federal agencies, (7) include 
information collection instruments that are each conducted only one 
time, (8) include a detailed justification of the effective and 
efficient statistical survey methodology (if applicable), and (9) 
collect personally identifiable information (PII) only to the extent 
necessary (if collecting PII, the form must display current privacy 
act notice). In addition, for each information collection 
instrument, respondent burden will be tracked and submitted to OMB.

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[[Page 10482]]

    The surveys in this collection are used to gather qualitative and 
quantitative information directly from users or potential users of 
Board publications, resources, and conference materials, such as 
consumers (consumer surveys) and stakeholders (stakeholder surveys). 
Stakeholders may include, but are not limited to, nonprofits, community 
development organizations, consumer groups, conference attendees, 
financial institutions and other financial companies offering consumer 
financial products and services, other for profit companies, state or 
local agencies, and researchers from academic, government, policy and 
other institutions. Publications and resources may include reports and 
brochures, as well as audio and visual content, whether delivered in 
print, online, or through other means.
    Legal authorization and confidentiality: The Board's Legal Division 
has determined that the FR 1378 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 information to 
carry out the requirements of these provisions is implicit. 
Accordingly, the Federal Reserve is authorized to collect the 
information called for by the FR 1378 by sections 2A and 12A of the 
Federal Reserve Act.
    In addition, the Board is responsible for implementing and drafting 
regulations and interpretations for various consumer protection laws. 
The information obtained from the FR 1378 may be used in support of the 
Board's development and implementation of regulatory provisions for 
these laws. Therefore, depending on the survey questions asked, the FR 
1378 may be authorized pursuant to the Board's authority under one or 
more of the following 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); \2\
     Fair Credit Reporting Act, (15 U.S.C. 1681s(e)); \3\
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    \2\ Although the Dodd-Frank Act (DFA) cut back the Board's 
authority under the Truth in Lending Act, the Board retains rule 
writing authority for implementing regulations with respect to auto 
dealers. DFA 1100A(7).
    \3\ Although the DFA cut back the Board's authority under the 
Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Board retains rule writing authority 
for red flags, address changes, and disposal of records. DFA 
1002(12)(F) and 1088(a)(2)(D).
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     Equal Credit Opportunity Act, (15 U.S.C. 1691b); \4\
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    \4\ Although the DFA cut back the Board's authority under the 
Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Board retains rule writing 
authority for implementing regulations with respect to auto dealers. 
DFA 1085(3).
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     Electronic Funds Transfer Act, (15 U.S.C. 1693b & 1693o-
2); \5\
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    \5\ Although the DFA cut back the Board's authority under the 
Electronic Fund Transfers Act, the Board retains rule writing 
authority for interchange fee regulations and authority to implement 
regulations with respect to auto dealers. DFA 1075 & 1084.
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     Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, (15 U.S.C. 6801(b)); \6\ and
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    \6\ Although the DFA cut back the Board's authority under the 
Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, the Board maintains the authority to 
establish appropriate standards for the financial institutions 
relating to administrative, technical and physical safeguards for 
certain customer records and information. DFA 1002(12).
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     Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973, Section 102 (42 
U.S.C. 4012a).
    The surveys are voluntary. The Board does not consider the 
information collected on these surveys to be confidential. Thus, no 
issue of confidentiality arises.
    2. Report title: Generic Clearance for Consumer and Stakeholder 
Surveys.
    Agency form number: FR 3073.
    OMB control number: 7100-0359.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Respondents: Individuals, households, community groups, community 
development organizations, non-profit service providers, faith-based 
service organizations, public sector agencies, small business owners, 
health care organizations, food banks, K-12 public and private schools, 
community colleges, community development financial institutions, 
credit unions, banks, and other financial institutions and companies 
offering financial products and services.
    Estimated number of respondents: Consumer surveys: Quantitative 
surveys (medium), 3,000 respondents; Quantitative surveys (large), 
6,000 respondents; and Qualitative surveys, 50 respondents; and 
Stakeholder surveys: Quantitative surveys, 1,500 respondents and 
Qualitative surveys, 50 respondents.
    Estimated average hours per response: Consumer surveys: 
Quantitative surveys (medium), 0.25 hours; Quantitative surveys 
(large), 0.40 hours; and Qualitative surveys, 1.50 hours; and 
Stakeholder surveys: Quantitative surveys, 0.25 hours and Qualitative 
surveys, 1.50 hours.
    Estimated annual burden hours: Consumer surveys: Quantitative 
surveys (medium), 3,000 hours; Quantitative surveys (large), 4,800 
hours; and Qualitative surveys, 600 hours; and Stakeholder surveys: 
Quantitative surveys, 3,000 hours and Qualitative surveys, 600 hours.
    General Description of Report: The Board uses this collection to 
inform consumer-focused research, implement statutory requirements, and 
facilitate community development. The surveys in this collection inform 
the Board's work by identifying emerging risks and providing additional 
data on the issues that affect the well-being of consumers and 
communities and how the financial services marketplace functions.\7\
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    \7\ Certain criteria apply to information collections conducted 
via the Board's generic clearance process. Such information 
collections shall (1) be vetted by the Board's clearance officer as 
well as the Division director responsible for the information 
collection, (2) display the OMB control number and respondents shall 
be informed that the information collection has been approved, (3) 
be used only in such cases where response is voluntary, (4) not be 
used to substantially inform regulatory actions or policy decisions, 
(5) be conducted only and exactly as described in the OMB 
submission, (6) involve only noncontroversial subject matter that 
will not raise concerns for other Federal agencies, (7) include 
information collection instruments that are each conducted only one 
time, (8) include a detailed justification of the effective and 
efficient statistical survey methodology (if applicable), and (9) 
collect personally identifiable information (PII) only to the extent 
necessary (if collecting PII, the form must display current privacy 
act notice). In addition, for each information collection 
instrument, respondent burden will be tracked and submitted to OMB.
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    The surveys in this collection gather quantitative and qualitative 
information directly from individual consumers or households (consumer 
surveys) on consumer finance topics. This collection also gathers 
quantitative and qualitative information on current and emerging 
community economic issues from

[[Page 10483]]

stakeholders (stakeholder surveys). Examples of stakeholders include, 
for example, such organizations as community groups, community 
development organizations, nonprofit service providers, faith-based 
service organizations, public sector agencies, small business owners, 
health care organizations, food banks, K-12 public and private schools, 
community colleges, community development financial institutions, 
credit unions, banks, and other financial institutions and companies 
offering financial products and services. While these surveys are 
ongoing, the frequency and content of the questions may change 
depending on economic conditions, regulatory or legislative 
developments, as well as changes in technology, business practices, and 
other factors affecting consumers, stakeholders, and communities.
    Legal authorization and confidentiality: The Board's Legal Division 
has determined that FR 3073 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. 
part 263). The authority of the Federal Reserve to collect information 
to carry out the requirements of these provisions is implicit. 
Accordingly, the Federal Reserve is authorized to collect the 
information called for by the FR 3073 by sections 2A and 12A of the 
Federal Reserve Act.
    The Board is responsible for implementing and drafting regulations 
and interpretations for various consumer protection laws. The 
information obtained from the FR 3073 may be used in support of the 
Board's development and implementation of regulatory provisions for 
these laws. Therefore, depending on the survey questions asked, the FR 
3073 may be authorized pursuant to the Board's authority under one or 
more of the following consumer protection statutes:
     Community Reinvestment Act, (12 U.S.C. part 2905);
     Competitive Equality Banking Act, (12 U.S.C. part 3806);
     Expedited Funds Availability Act, (12 U.S.C. part 4008);
     Truth in Lending Act, (15 U.S.C. part 1604); \8\
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    \8\ Although the Dodd-Frank Act (DFA) cut back the Board's 
authority under the Truth in Lending Act, the Board retains rule 
writing authority for implementing regulations with respect to auto 
dealers (DFA section 1100A(7)).
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     Fair Credit Reporting Act, (15 U.S.C. 1681s(e)); \9\
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    \9\ Although the DFA cut back the Board's authority under the 
Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Board retains rule writing authority 
for red flags, address changes, and disposal of records (DFA 
sections 1002(12)(F) and 1088(a)(2)(D)).
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     Equal Credit Opportunity Act, (15 U.S.C. 1691b); \10\
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    \10\ Although the DFA cut back the Board's authority under the 
Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Board retains rule writing 
authority for implementing regulations with respect to auto dealers 
(DFA section 1085(3)).
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     Electronic Funds Transfer Act, (15 U.S.C. 1693b and 1693o-
2); \11\
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    \11\ Although the DFA cut back the Board's authority under the 
Electronic Fund Transfers Act, the Board retains rule writing 
authority for interchange fee regulations and authority to implement 
regulations with respect to auto dealers (DFA sections 1075 and 
1084).
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     Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, (15 U.S.C. 6801(b)); \12\ and
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    \12\ Although the DFA cut back the Board's authority under the 
Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, the Board maintains the authority to 
establish appropriate standards for the financial institutions 
relating to administrative, technical and physical safeguards for 
certain customer records and information (DFA section 1002(12)).
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     Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973, section 102 (42 
U.S.C. 4012a).
    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. part 
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. parts 602 and 625); and 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)). Participation in 
the FR 3073 is voluntary.
    The ability of the Federal Reserve to maintain the confidentiality 
of information provided by respondents to the FR 3073 surveys will have 
to be determined on a case by case basis depending on the type of 
information provided for a particular survey. Some of the information 
collected on the surveys may 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.'' See 5 
U.S.C. 552(b)(4) and (6).
    3. Report title: Report of Net Debit Cap.
    Agency form number: FR 2226.
    OMB control number: 7100-0217.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Respondents: Depository institution's board of directors.
    Estimated number of respondents: De Minimis Cap, 941 respondents; 
Self-Assessment Cap, 125 respondents; and Maximum Daylight Overdraft 
Capacity, 3 respondents.
    Estimated average hours per response: De Minimis Cap, Self-
Assessment Cap, and Maximum Daylight Overdraft Capacity, 1 hour.
    Estimated annual burden hours: De Minimis Cap, 941 hours; Self-
Assessment Cap, 125 hours; and Maximum Daylight Overdraft Capacity, 3 
hours.
    General Description of Report: Federal Reserve Banks collect these 
data annually to provide information that is essential for their 
administration of the Board's Payment System Risk (PSR) policy. The 
reporting panel includes all financially healthy depository 
institutions with access to the discount window. The Report of Net 
Debit Cap comprises three resolutions, which are filed by a depository 
institution's board of directors depending on its needs. The first 
resolution is used to establish a de minimis net debit cap and the 
second resolution is used to establish a self-assessed net debit 
cap.\13\ The third resolution is used to establish simultaneously a 
self-assessed net debit cap and maximum daylight overdraft capacity.
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    \13\ Institutions use these two resolutions to establish a 
capacity for daylight overdrafts above the lesser of $10 million or 
20 percent of the institution's capital measure. Financially healthy 
U.S. chartered institutions that rarely incur daylight overdrafts in 
excess of the lesser of $10 million or 20 percent of the 
institution's capital measure do not need to file board of 
directors' resolutions or self-assessments with their Reserve Bank.
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    Legal authorization and confidentiality: The Board's Legal Division 
has determined that the FR 2226 is authorized pursuant to sections

[[Page 10484]]

11, 16, and 19 of the Federal Reserve Act. 12 (U.S.C. 248(i), 248-1, 
464). The obligation to respond is required for the institution to 
obtain the benefit of an increase in daylight overdraft capacity beyond 
the limit afforded by the exempt-from-filing cap. The Board has 
confirmed that the disclosure of information collected on the FR 2226 
would likely cause substantial harm to the competitive position of the 
respondent institution. Therefore, the FR 2226 is exempt from 
disclosure under exemption (b)(4) of the Freedom of Information Act 
(FOIA), which exempts from disclosure ``trade secrets and commercial or 
financial information obtained from a person and privileged or 
confidential.'' (5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4)). In addition, information reported 
in connection with the second and third resolutions may be protected 
under section (b)(8) of FOIA, to the extent that such information is 
based on the institution's CAMELS rating, and thus is related to 
examination reports prepared by, on behalf of, or for the use of an 
agency responsible for the regulation or supervision of financial 
institutions. (5 U.S.C. 552(b)(8)).
    4. Report title: Ad Hoc Payments Survey (FR 3054a), Currency 
Quality Sampling Survey (FR 3054b), Currency Quality Survey (FR 3054c), 
and Currency Functionality and Perception Survey (FR 3054d).
    Agency form number: FR 3054a, FR 3054b, FR 3054c, and FR 3054d.
    OMB control number: 7100-0332
    Frequency: FR 3054a, annually; FR 3054b, annually; FR 3054c, semi-
annually; and FR 3054d, quarterly.
    Respondents: Financial, institutions (or depository institutions) 
individuals, law enforcement and nonfinancial businesses (banknote 
equipment manufacturers, or global wholesale bank note dealers).
    Estimated number of respondents: FR 3054a, 20,000 respondents; FR 
3054b, 300 respondents; FR 3054c, 25 respondents; and FR 3054d, 250 
respondents.
    Estimated average hours per response: FR 3054a, 0.75 hours; FR 
3054b, 0.50 hours; FR 3054c, 30 hours; and FR 3054d, 2.50 hours.
    Estimated annual burden hours: FR 3054a, 15,000 hours; FR 3054b, 
150 hours; FR 3054c, 1,500 hours; and FR 3054d, 2,500 hours.
    General Description of Report: The FR 3054a is an event-driven 
survey used to obtain information specifically tailored to the Federal 
Reserve's operational and fiscal agency responsibilities. The FR 3054a 
may be conducted independently by the Board or jointly with another 
government agency, a Reserve Bank, or a private firm. The FR 3054b is 
an annual survey used to assess the quality of currency in circulation 
and may be conducted by the Federal Reserve Board, jointly with the 
Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco's Cash Product Office (CPO), the 
Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond's Currency Technology Office (CTO), 
and each Reserve Bank's cash department. The FR 3054c is a semiannual 
survey used to determine depository institutions' and Banknote 
Equipment Manufacturers' (BEMs) opinions of currency quality and may be 
conducted jointly with the CPO and CTO. The FR 3054d is an annual 
survey used to assess the functionality of Federal Reserve notes in 
bank-note handling equipment. The data collected from the FR 3054d are 
used as inputs for future designs of Federal Reserve notes. The FR 
3054d may be conducted jointly with the U.S. Treasury's Bureau of 
Engraving and Printing (BEP) and the CTO. The FR 3054a, FR 3054b, FR 
3054c, and FR 3054d are sent to financial and nonfinancial businesses.
    The Federal Reserve Board may use the data collected from these 
surveys to determine (1) demand for currency and coin, (2) market 
preferences regarding currency quality, (3) quality of currency in 
circulation, (4) features used by the public and bank note 
authentication equipment to denominate and authenticate bank notes, and 
(5) whether changes to Reserve Bank sorting algorithms are necessary to 
ensure that currency in circulation remains fit for commerce.
    Legal authorization and confidentiality: The Board's Legal Division 
has determined that section 11(d) of the Federal Reserve Act (12 U.S.C. 
248(d)) authorizes the Board to ``supervise and regulate through the 
Secretary of the Treasury the issue and retirement of Federal reserve 
notes, except for the cancellation and destruction, and accounting with 
respect to such cancellation and destruction, of notes unfit for 
circulation, and to prescribe rules and regulations under which such 
notes may be delivered by the Secretary of the Treasury to the Federal 
Reserve agents applying therefor.'' This provision of the Federal 
Reserve Act provides the legal authorization for this information 
collection. The obligation to respond to the FR 3054a, FR 3054b, FR 
3054c, and FR 3054d is voluntary.
    Because survey questions may differ from survey to survey, it is 
difficult to determine in advance whether the information collected 
will be considered confidential. However, information may be exempt 
from disclosure under exemption 4 of the Freedom of Information Act, 5 
U.S.C. 552(b)(4), if disclosure would likely have the effect of (1) 
impairing the government's ability to obtain the necessary information 
in the future, or (2) causing substantial harm to the competitive 
position of the respondent. Additionally, should survey responses 
contain any information of a private nature the disclosure of which 
would constitute ``a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal 
privacy,'' such information may be exempt from disclosure under 
exemption 6, 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(6). Confidentiality matters should be 
treated on a case-by-case basis to determine if any of the above 
exemptions apply.

    Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, February 7, 
2017.
Robert deV. Frierson,
Secretary of the Board.
[FR Doc. 2017-02827 Filed 2-10-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6210-01-P