[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 37 (Friday, February 26, 2021)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 11618-11622]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-03596]


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FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM

12 CFR Part 231

[Regulation EE; Docket No. R-1661]
RIN 7100-AF 48


Netting Eligibility for Financial Institutions

AGENCY: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Board of Governors (Board) is publishing a final rule that 
amends Regulation EE to include additional entities in the definition 
of ``financial institution'' contained in section 402 of the Federal 
Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991 (FDICIA) so that 
they are covered by FDICIA's netting protections. The final rule also 
clarifies certain aspects of the existing activities-based test in 
Regulation EE.

DATES: The final rule is effective March 29, 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Evan Winerman, Senior Counsel (202-
872-7578), Legal Division. Users of Telecommunication Device for Deaf 
(TDD) only, call (202) 263-4869.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    Sections 401-407 of FDICIA \1\ provide certainty that netting 
contracts will be enforced, even in the event of the insolvency of one 
of the parties. These netting provisions apply to bilateral netting 
contracts between two financial institutions and multilateral netting 
contracts among members of a clearing organization.\2\ FDICIA defines 
``financial

[[Page 11619]]

institution'' as a broker or dealer, a depository institution, a 
futures commission merchant, or any other institution as determined by 
the Board.
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    \1\ Public Law 102-242; 105 Stat. 2236, 2372-3; 12 U.S.C. 4401-
4407.
    \2\ FDICIA section 402(2) generally defines ``clearing 
organization'' to include entities that provide clearing, netting, 
and settlement services to their members and in which all members of 
the entity are themselves financial institutions or clearing 
organizations. However, certain entities qualify as clearing 
organizations under FDICIA section 402(2)--and are therefore 
eligible for the multilateral netting protections under FDICIA 
section 404--without regard to whether all of their members qualify 
as financial institutions or clearing organizations. Specifically, 
an entity automatically qualifies as a clearing organization if it 
is (1) registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) 
as a clearing agency or has been exempted from registration by the 
SEC or (2) registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission 
(CFTC) as a derivatives clearing organization or has been exempted 
from registration by the CFTC.
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    Regulation EE expands the FDICIA definition of ``financial 
institution''--and therefore expands FDICIA's netting protections--
using an activities-based test that includes a qualitative component 
and a quantitative component. The qualitative component requires that 
the person ``represent, orally or in writing, that it will engage in 
financial contracts as a counterparty on both sides of one or more 
financial markets.'' \3\ A person that makes this representation 
demonstrates that it is willing to engage in transactions on both sides 
of the market and is, in effect, holding itself out as a market 
intermediary.\4\ The quantitative component requires that the person 
have either (1) one or more financial contracts of a total gross dollar 
value of at least $1 billion in notional principal amount outstanding 
on any day during the previous 15-month period with counterparties that 
are not its affiliates or (2) total gross mark-to-market positions of 
at least $100 million (aggregated across counterparties) in one or more 
financial contracts on any day during the previous 15-month period with 
counterparties that are not its affiliates.\5\
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    \3\ 12 CFR 231.3(a). Regulation EE generally defines the term 
``financial contract'' by reference to the term ``qualified 
financial contract'' under section 11(e)(8)(D) of the Federal 
Deposit Insurance Act, 12 U.S.C. 1821(e)(8)(D). 12 CFR 231.2(c).
    \4\ 59 FR 4780, 4782 (February 2, 1994).
    \5\ Id.
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    On May 2, 2019, consistent with the purposes of FDICIA's netting 
provisions, and in order to reduce systemic risk and increase 
efficiency in the financial markets, the Board proposed to amend 
Regulation EE to include additional categories of entities in the 
definition of financial institution.\6\ The Board also proposed to 
clarify certain aspects of Regulation EE's existing activities-based 
test for qualifying as a financial institution.
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    \6\ 84 FR 18741 (May 2, 2019). FDICIA section 402(9) defines the 
term ``financial institution'' to include an enumerated list of 
entities and ``any other institution as determined by the Board of 
Governors of the Federal Reserve System.''
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II. Public Comments

    The Board received five responsive comments from private-sector 
financial institutions, industry associations, and an international 
organization. Commenters supported the proposed revisions to Regulation 
EE and, in some cases, suggested additional revisions. Several 
commenters suggested that the Board extend the financial institution 
definition to additional categories of entities. One commenter 
suggested that the Board make two minor clarifications related to the 
proposed changes to the activities-based test.

A. Qualification as a Financial Institution Based on Type of Entity

    The Board is amending Regulation EE to include in the definition of 
financial institution the entities identified in the proposal. 
Additionally, the Board is including two other categories of entities, 
as well as the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), in the 
definition of financial institution.
    The Board proposed to define the following entities as financial 
institutions: Swap dealers and security-based swap dealers; \7\ major 
swap participants (MSPs) and major security-based swap participants 
(MSBSPs); \8\ nonbank financial companies that the Financial Stability 
Oversight Council (FSOC) has determined shall be supervised by the 
Board and subject to prudential standards (nonbank systemically 
important financial institutions, or SIFIs); \9\ derivatives clearing 
organizations (DCOs) that are registered with the CFTC or have been 
exempted from registration by the CFTC; \10\ clearing agencies that are 
registered with the SEC or have been exempted from registration by the 
SEC; \11\ financial market utilities that the FSOC has designated as, 
or as likely to become, systemically important (designated financial 
market utilities, or DFMUs); \12\ foreign banks as defined in the 
International Banking Act; \13\ bridge institutions established for the 
purpose of resolving financial institutions; and Federal Reserve Banks. 
Commenters supported extending the financial institution definition to 
the entities identified in the proposal.
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    \7\ See 7 U.S.C. 6s (swap dealer registration requirement) and 
17 CFR 1.3 (swap dealer definition and de minimis thresholds); 15 
U.S.C. 78o-10 (security-based swap dealer registration requirement) 
and 17 CFR 240.3a71-1 and 240.3a71-2 (security-based swap dealer 
definition and de minimis thresholds).
    \8\ See 7 U.S.C. 6s (MSP registration requirement) and 15 U.S.C. 
78o-10 (MSBSP registration requirement).
    \9\ 12 U.S.C. 5323.
    \10\ See 7 U.S.C. 7a-1(a) and (h).
    \11\ See 15 U.S.C. 78q-1(b) and (k).
    \12\ 12 U.S.C. 5463.
    \13\ 12 U.S.C. 3101. As described in the proposal, the Board 
believes that foreign banks qualify as financial institutions under 
FDICIA's statutory definition.
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    The Board believes that adding these entities to the definition of 
financial institution would promote the purposes of FDICIA's netting 
provisions--namely to reduce systemic risk and increase efficiency in 
the financial markets. The Board recognizes that Congress has imposed 
or expanded federal supervision and regulation for many of these 
entities since the Board first promulgated Regulation EE. In subjecting 
these entities to higher levels of regulation and supervision due to 
their activities, transaction volumes, and risks presented to the 
financial markets, Congress indicated the importance of the smooth 
functioning of these entities to the financial markets. Accordingly, 
the Board is finalizing its proposal to extend the financial 
institution definition to include swap dealers, security-based swap 
dealers, MSPs, MSBSPs, nonbank SIFIs, DCOs, clearing agencies, DFMUs, 
foreign banks, bridge institutions established for the purpose of 
resolving financial institutions, and Federal Reserve Banks.
    The Board is also amending Regulation EE to define qualifying 
central counterparties (QCCPs), foreign central banks, and the BIS as 
financial institutions.
1. QCCPs
    In the preamble to the proposed rule, the Board requested comment 
on whether it should include in the definition of financial institution 
an entity that is a QCCP under the Board's Regulation Q.\14\ One 
industry association supported this addition.
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    \14\ 12 CFR 217.2.
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    The Board's Regulation Q establishes criteria for identifying 
QCCPs. Generally, a Board-supervised institution that clears financial 
transactions through a QCCP can receive preferential capital treatment 
for those transactions.\15\ To qualify as a QCCP, an entity based 
outside the United States must generally (among other things) be 
subject to home-country risk-management standards that are comparable 
to those that apply to DFMUs.
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    \15\ Exposures to a QCCP are risk-weighted at either 2 or 4 
percent (see 12 CFR 217.35(b)(3) and (c)(3)), whereas exposures to a 
CCP that is not a QCCP are risk-weighted based on the risk weight 
otherwise assignable to the CCP.
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    As noted above, the Board is amending the definition of financial 
institution to include DCOs and clearing agencies that are registered 
with, or have been exempted from registration by, the CFTC or SEC. All 
domestic QCCPs and many foreign-based QCCPs are registered or exempt 
DCOs/clearing agencies. To ensure that all foreign-

[[Page 11620]]

based QCCPs qualify as financial institutions for purposes of FDICIA's 
netting provisions, the Board is amending Regulation EE to extend the 
financial institution definition to QCCPs. The Board believes that 
defining QCCPs to be financial institutions would benefit financial 
markets that rely on FDICIA's netting provisions by ensuring that 
foreign-based QCCPs can participate in other financial market utilities 
that require participants to be financial institutions and that 
including QCCPs would meet the statutory objectives of reducing 
systemic risk and increasing efficiency in those financial markets. 
Additionally, the Board believes that it is appropriate to extend the 
financial institution definition to QCCPs because Regulation Q (1) 
establishes criteria for identifying QCCPs and (2) provides that an 
entity must meet heightened risk-management standards to qualify as a 
QCCP.
2. Foreign Central Banks
    A private-sector financial institution and an international 
organization suggested that the Board include foreign central banks in 
the definition of financial institution. These commenters stated that 
foreign central banks are systemically important and that extending the 
financial institution definition to cover foreign central banks would 
reduce systemic risk and increase efficiency in the financial markets, 
consistent with the purpose of the proposal.
    The Board understands that foreign central banks, like Federal 
Reserve Banks, may participate in financial markets through various 
types of transactions that are used to implement monetary policy. The 
Board believes that including foreign central banks categorically in 
the definition of financial institution may benefit financial markets 
that rely on FDICIA and would meet the statutory objectives of reducing 
systemic risk and increasing efficiency in those financial markets. 
Furthermore, given that the Board is amending Regulation EE to define 
Federal Reserve Banks as financial institutions, the Board believes 
that a parallel addition of foreign central banks would be appropriate. 
Accordingly, the Board is amending Regulation EE to define foreign 
central banks as financial institutions.
3. The BIS
    Multiple commenters suggested that the Board include the BIS in the 
definition of financial institution. The BIS's shareholders are central 
banks and monetary authorities that are members of the BIS.\16\ The BIS 
engages in financial contracts (e.g., foreign exchange derivatives) to 
help central banks and other official monetary institutions manage 
their foreign exchange reserves.\17\ Because the BIS engages in market-
facing financial contracts and has characteristics similar to those of 
the Federal Reserve Banks and foreign central banks, the Board believes 
that the BIS should receive financial institution status, which is also 
being extended to the Federal Reserve Banks and foreign central banks. 
The Board believes that extending financial institution status to the 
BIS would meet the statutory objectives of reducing systemic risk and 
increasing efficiency in the financial markets. Accordingly, the Board 
is amending Regulation EE to define the BIS as a financial institution.
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    \16\ See https://www.bis.org/about/index.htm.
    \17\ See https://www.bis.org/banking/finserv.htm.
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4. Other Categories of Entities
    Two private-sector financial institutions and one international 
organization requested that the Board add the following categories of 
entities to the definition of financial institution: (i) Supranational 
institutions, such as multilateral development banks; (ii) foreign 
systemically important financial market infrastructures that are 
subject to the Principles for Financial Market Infrastructures \18\ as 
implemented in their respective jurisdictions, and their operators; 
(iii) sovereign wealth funds; and (iv) electronic money institutions 
and payment institutions. The commenters did not provide detailed 
explanations for why the Board should extend financial institution 
status to these categories of entities.
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    \18\ See https://www.bis.org/cpmi/publ/d101.htm.
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    As discussed above, the domestic and global landscape for financial 
regulation has changed dramatically since the Board promulgated 
Regulation EE. In particular, several types of entities are now subject 
to expanded federal supervision and regulation. In subjecting these 
types of entities to higher levels of regulation and supervision due to 
their activities, transaction volumes, and risks presented to the 
financial markets, Congress indicated the importance of the smooth 
functioning of these entities to the financial markets.
    The Board is not extending the financial institution definition to 
include the four categories of entities suggested by commenters. It is 
not clear the extent to which these types of entities, as categories, 
are active in financial contract netting such that the smooth 
functioning of their netting contracts is important for reducing 
systemic risk within the U.S. banking system or financial markets. 
Additionally, it is not clear the extent to which some of these 
entities function as market intermediaries. The Board notes that some 
foreign systemically important financial market infrastructures may be 
captured by other newly-added categories in the definition of financial 
institution, including DCOs, clearing agencies, and QCCPs.
    As the Board noted in the proposed rule, it has the authority to 
issue case-by-case determinations for individual entities seeking 
financial institution status. Further, while the Board is not 
categorically defining all of the entities described above as financial 
institutions, individual entities in these categories might 
independently qualify as financial institutions under Regulation EE's 
activities-based test.

B. Activities-Based Test

    The quantitative component of the activities-based test requires 
that a person have either (1) one or more financial contracts of a 
total gross dollar value of at least $1 billion in notional principal 
amount outstanding on any day during the previous 15-month period with 
counterparties that are not its affiliates or (2) total gross mark-to-
market positions of at least $100 million (aggregated across 
counterparties) in one or more financial contracts on any day during 
the previous 15-month period with counterparties that are not its 
affiliates.\19\
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    \19\ 12 CFR 231.3(a). The Bankruptcy Code includes a test for 
identifying ``financial participants'' that is substantively 
identical to the quantitative test in Regulation EE. 11 U.S.C. 
101(22A). Under the Bankruptcy Code, financial participants that 
enter into certain types of financial contracts and master netting 
agreements for those financial contracts are exempt from provisions 
of the Bankruptcy Code that might otherwise delay or prevent netting 
related to those contracts. See, e.g., 11 U.S.C. 362(b)(6), (7), 
(17), and (27) (specifying that the Bankruptcy Code's automatic stay 
does not prevent a financial participant from exercising a 
contractual right to, inter alia, ``offset or net out any 
termination value, payment amount, or other transfer obligation 
arising under or in connection with'' certain types of financial 
contracts and master netting agreements for those financial 
contracts).
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    The Board proposed to clarify how the quantitative component of the 
activities-based test would apply following a consolidation of legal 
entities. Specifically, the Board proposed that, upon the consolidation 
of two or more entities, the surviving entity may aggregate the total 
gross dollar value of notional principal amounts outstanding or the 
total gross mark-to-market positions of both

[[Page 11621]]

entities on each calendar day during the previous 15-month period, and 
such total amounts would be used to determine whether the surviving 
entity meets the quantitative thresholds of the activities-based test. 
The Board did not receive any responsive comments on this clarification 
and is adopting the clarification as proposed.
    The Board also proposed to add language to clarify, consistent with 
its current understanding, that the ``previous 15-month period'' 
described in the activities-based test includes the day on which a 
person evaluates whether it meets the relevant thresholds in the 
quantitative component of the activities-based test. Specifically, the 
Board proposed to add the words ``at such time'' to proposed Sec. Sec.  
231.3(a)(1) and (a)(2) to clarify that a person can qualify as a 
financial institution under the activities-based test if (1) the 
person's positions exceeded one of the quantitative threshold on any 
prior day within the previous 15-month period or (2) the person's 
positions exceed one of the quantitative thresholds on the day the 
person evaluates its status as a financial institution. One commenter 
requested that the Board confirm that the proposed clarification is not 
intended to modify the settled understanding that the ``previous 15-
month period'' includes the day on which a party evaluates its status 
as a financial institution. The Board is adopting the proposed 
clarification, and confirms that a person can qualify as a financial 
institution under the activities-based test if the person's positions 
exceed one of the quantitative thresholds on the day the person 
evaluates its status as a financial institution.
    A commenter also requested clarification that satisfying the 
qualitative component of the activities-based test (which requires that 
a person ``represent[ ], orally or in writing, that it will engage in 
financial contracts as a counterparty on both sides of one or more 
financial markets'') \20\ does not affect a person's regulatory status 
for any other purpose. The Board confirms that satisfying the 
qualitative component of the activities-based test does not affect a 
person's regulatory status for any other purpose.
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    \20\ 12 CFR 231.3(a). Regulation EE generally defines the term 
``financial contract'' by reference to the term ``qualified 
financial contract'' under section 11(e)(8)(D) of the Federal 
Deposit Insurance Act, 12 U.S.C. 1821(e)(8)(D). 12 CFR 231.2(c).
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IV. Regulatory Analysis

A. Paperwork Reduction Act

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. 3506; 5 CFR part 1320, Appendix A.1), the Board may not conduct 
or sponsor, and a respondent is not required to respond to, an 
information collection unless it displays a valid Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) control number. The Board reviewed the final rule 
under the authority delegated to the Board by the OMB and determined 
that it contains no collections of information under the PRA.\21\ 
Accordingly, there is no paperwork burden associated with the rule.
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    \21\ See 44 U.S.C. 3502(3).
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B. Regulatory Flexibility Act

    In accordance with section 4 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act 
(RFA), 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq., the Board is publishing a final regulatory 
flexibility analysis for the final rule. The RFA generally requires an 
agency to assess the impact a rule is expected to have on small 
entities. The RFA requires an agency either to provide a regulatory 
flexibility analysis or to certify that the final rule will not have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. 
The Small Business Administration (SBA) has adopted small entity size 
standards which generally provide that financial entities are ``small 
entities'' only if they have (1) at most, $41.5 million or less in 
annual receipts or (2) for depository institutions and credit card 
issuers, $600 million or less in assets.\22\
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    \22\ 13 CFR 121.201, sector 52 (SBA small entity size standards 
for finance and insurance entities).
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    The Board did not receive any comments on its initial regulatory 
flexibility analysis. The Board certifies that the final rule will not 
have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities. The final rule extends the ``financial institution'' 
definition to swap dealers, security-based swap dealers, MSPs, MSBSPs, 
DCOs, clearing agencies, QCCPs, bridge institutions, Federal Reserve 
Banks, foreign central banks, and the BIS.\23\
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    \23\ As explained above, the final rule also codifies the 
Board's existing view that foreign banks are financial institutions.
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    The Board has previously determined that designated financial 
market utilities are not small entities; \24\ the CFTC has previously 
determined that swap dealers, MSPs, and DCOs are not small entities; 
\25\ and the SEC has previously determined that security-based swap 
dealers, MSBSPs, and clearing agencies are not small entities.\26\ The 
Federal Reserve Banks are not small entities.\27\ Similarly, the Board 
does not believe that foreign central banks or the BIS would be small 
entities. All domestic QCCPs are registered as DCOs and/or clearing 
agencies and, accordingly, are not small entities. Certain foreign-
based QCCPs are not registered as DCOs or clearing agencies, but these 
foreign-based QCCPs function similarly to DCOs and clearing agencies 
and--like DCOs and clearing agencies--are unlikely to be small 
entities.
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    \24\ 79 FR 65543, 65556 (Nov. 5, 2014).
    \25\ See, e.g., 81 FR 80563, 80565 (Nov. 16, 2016); 76 FR 69334, 
69428 (Nov. 8, 2011).
    \26\ See, e.g., 81 FR 29959, 30142 (May 3, 2016); 81 FR 70744, 
70784 (Oct. 13, 2016).
    \27\ None of the industry codes in the SBA's small entity size 
standards necessarily apply to the Federal Reserve Banks per se, but 
the SBA's size standards for commercial depository institutions are 
instructive. Generally, the SBA's size standards provide that 
depository institutions are small entities if they have $600 million 
or less in assets. 13 CFR 121.201, sector 52. Each of the Federal 
Reserve Banks holds significantly more than $600 million in assets. 
See the Statement of Condition of Each Federal Reserve Bank, https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h41/current/h41.htm#h41tab10a.
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    Similarly, a bridge financial company would not be a small 
entity.\28\ Under U.S. law, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation 
(FDIC) can establish a bridge financial company when it acts as 
receiver for a failing financial company. In order for the FDIC to be 
appointed as receiver for a financial company, the Secretary of the 
Treasury must determine that, inter alia, ``the failure of the 
financial company and its resolution under otherwise applicable Federal 
or State law would have serious adverse effects on financial stability 
in the United States.'' \29\ The failure of a financial company that is 
a ``small entity'' would not affect financial stability in the United 
States.\30\ Accordingly, the FDIC would not act as receiver--and would 
not form a bridge financial company--for a small entity. It is 
therefore unlikely that a bridge financial company would be a small 
entity. Similarly, it is unlikely that a foreign bridge institution 
established to facilitate the resolution of a foreign

[[Page 11622]]

nonbank financial institution would be a small entity.
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    \28\ A bridge depository institution might be a small entity, 
but this final rule would not affect the status of bridge depository 
institutions under FDICIA because (as noted above) such institutions 
qualify as ``financial institutions'' under FDICIA's statutory 
definition.
    \29\ 12 U.S.C. 5383(b)(2).
    \30\ See 13 CFR 121.201, sector 52 (Small Business 
Administration small entity size standards for finance and insurance 
entities), which generally provides that financial entities are 
``small entities'' only if they have (1) at most, $41.5 million or 
less in annual receipts or (2) for depository institutions and 
credit card issuers, $600 million or less in assets.
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    Foreign banks (including bridge banks) are already covered by 
FDICIA's statutory definition of financial institution. Accordingly, 
while this final rule clarifies that foreign banks are financial 
institutions, it will not have any economic impact on foreign banks.

List of Subjects in 12 CFR Part 231

    Banks, Banking, Financial institutions, Netting.

    For the reasons set forth in the preamble, the Board amends 
Regulation EE, 12 CFR part 231, as follows:

PART 231--NETTING ELIGIBILITY FOR FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS 
(REGULATION EE)

0
1. The authority citation for part 231 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 12 U.S.C. 4402(1)(B) and 4402(9).


0
2. In Sec.  231.2, redesignate paragraphs (c) through (f) as paragraphs 
(d) through (g), and add new paragraph (c) to read as follows:


Sec.  231.2  Definitions.

* * * * *
    (c) Bridge institution means a legal entity that has been 
established by a governmental authority to take over, transfer, or 
continue operating critical functions and viable operations of an 
entity in resolution. A bridge institution could include a bridge 
depository institution or a bridge financial company organized by the 
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in accordance with 12 U.S.C. 
1821(n) or 5390(h), respectively, or a similar entity organized under 
foreign law.

0
3. Amend Sec.  231.3 by:
0
a. Revising paragraph (a);
0
b. Redesignating paragraphs (b) and (c) as paragraphs (c) and (d);
0
c. Adding new paragraphs (b) and (e).
    The revision and additions read as follows:


Sec.  231.3  Qualification as a financial institution.

    (a) A person qualifies as a financial institution for purposes of 
sections 401-407 of the Act if it represents, orally or in writing, 
that it will engage in financial contracts as a counterparty on both 
sides of one or more financial markets and either--
    (1) Had one or more financial contracts of a total gross dollar 
value of at least $1 billion in notional principal amount outstanding 
at such time or on any day during the previous 15-month period with 
counterparties that are not its affiliates; or
    (2) Had total gross mark-to-market positions of at least $100 
million (aggregated across counterparties) in one or more financial 
contracts at such time or on any day during the previous 15-month 
period with counterparties that are not its affiliates.
    (b) After two or more persons consolidate, such as through a merger 
or acquisition, the surviving person meets the quantitative thresholds 
under paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(2) if, on the same, single calendar day 
during the previous 15-month period, the aggregate financial contracts 
of the consolidated persons would have met such quantitative 
thresholds.
* * * * *
    (e) A person qualifies as a financial institution for purposes of 
sections 401-407 of the Act if it is--
    (1) A swap dealer or major swap participant registered with the 
Commodity Futures Trading Commission pursuant to section 4s of the 
Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. 6s);
    (2) A security-based swap dealer or major security-based swap 
participant registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission 
pursuant to section 15F of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 
U.S.C. 78o-10);
    (3) A derivatives clearing organization registered with the 
Commodity Futures Trading Commission pursuant to section 5b(a) of the 
Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. 7a-1(a)) or a derivatives clearing 
organization that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has exempted 
from registration by rule or order pursuant to section 5b(h) of the 
Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. 7a-1(h));
    (4) A clearing agency registered with the U.S. Securities and 
Exchange Commission pursuant to section 17A(b) of the Securities 
Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78q-1(b)) or a clearing agency that the 
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has exempted from registration 
by rule or order pursuant to section 17A(k) of the Securities Exchange 
Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78q-1(k));
    (5) A financial market utility that the Financial Stability 
Oversight Council has designated as, or as likely to become, 
systemically important pursuant to 12 U.S.C. 5463;
    (6) A qualifying central counterparty under 12 CFR 217.2;
    (7) A nonbank financial company that the Financial Stability 
Oversight Council has determined shall be supervised by the Board and 
subject to prudential standards, pursuant to 12 U.S.C. 5323;
    (8) A foreign bank as defined in section 1(b) of the International 
Banking Act of 1978 (12 U.S.C. 3101), including a foreign bridge bank;
    (9) A bridge institution established for the purpose of resolving a 
financial institution;
    (10) A Federal Reserve Bank or a foreign central bank; or
    (11) The Bank for International Settlements.

    By order of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve 
System, February 17, 2021.
Ann Misback,
Secretary of the Board.
[FR Doc. 2021-03596 Filed 2-25-21; 8:45 am]
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