Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Joint Comment Request

AGENCY:

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Treasury; Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board); Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

ACTION:

Notice of information collection.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35), the OCC, the Board, and the FDIC (collectively, the agencies) may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is not required to respond to, an information collection unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. On July 29, 2015, the agencies, under the auspices of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), published a notice in the Federal Register (80 FR 45274) and requested public comment for 60 days on a proposal to extend, with revision, the Foreign Branch Report of Condition (FFIEC 030 and FFIEC 030S), which is a currently approved information collection for each agency. The comment period for this notice expired on September 28, 2015. The agencies did not receive any comments addressing the proposed changes and are now submitting a request to OMB for review and approval of the extension, with revision, of the FFIEC 030 and FFIEC 030S.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted on or before December 18, 2015.

ADDRESSES:

Interested parties are invited to submit written comments to any or all of the agencies. All comments, which should refer to the OMB control number, will be shared among the agencies.

OCC: 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: 1557-0099, 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 prainfo@occ.treas.gov. 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.

Board: You may submit comments, identified by FFIEC 030 or FFIEC 030S, by any of the following methods:

• Agency Web site: http://www.federalreserve.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments at: http://www.federalreserve.gov/generalinfo/foia/ProposedRegs.cfm .
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov . Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
• Email: regs.comments@federalreserve.gov. Include reporting form 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 www.federalreserve.gov/generalinfo/foia/ProposedRegs.cfm 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 in Room MP-500 of the Board's Martin Building (20th and C Streets, NW.) between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on weekdays.

FDIC: You may submit comments, which should refer to “Foreign Branch Report of Condition, 3064-0011,” by any of the following methods:

• Agency Web site: http://www.fdic.gov/regulations/laws/federal/propose.html. Follow the instructions for submitting comments on the FDIC's Web site.
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
• Email: comments@FDIC.gov. Include “FFIEC 030 and FFIEC 030S” in the subject line of the message.
• Mail: Gary A. Kuiper, Counsel, Attn: Comments, Room MB-3016, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 550 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20429.
• Hand Delivery: Comments may be hand delivered to the guard station at the rear of the 550 17th Street Building (located on F Street) on business days between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Public Inspection: All comments received will be posted without change to http://www.fdic.gov/regulations/laws/federal/propose.html including any personal information provided. Comments may be inspected at the FDIC Public Information Center, Room E-1002, 3501 Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22226, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on business days.

Additionally, commenters may send a copy of their comments to the OMB desk officer for the agencies by mail to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, U.S. Office of Management and Budget, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, 725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503; by fax to (202) 395-6974; or by email to oira_submission@omb.eop.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For further information about the revisions discussed in this notice, please contact any of the agency clearance officers whose names appear below. In addition, copies of the report forms can be obtained at the FFIEC's Web site ( http://www.ffiec.gov/ffiec_report_forms.htm ).

OCC: Shaquita Merritt, OCC 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.

Board: Mark Tokarski, Federal Reserve Board Acting Clearance Officer, (202) 452-3829, Office of the Chief Data Officer, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 20th and C Streets NW., Washington, DC 20551. Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) users may call (202) 263-4869.

FDIC: Gary A. Kuiper, Counsel, (202) 898-3877, Legal Division, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 550 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20429.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Proposal to request approval from OMB of the extension for three years, with revision, of the following currently approved collection of information:

Report Title: Foreign Branch Report of Condition.

Form Numbers: FFIEC 030 and FFIEC 030S.

Frequency of Response: Annually, and quarterly for significant branches.

Affected Public: Business or other for profit.

OCC

OMB Number: 1557-0099.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 199 annual branch respondents (FFIEC 030), 57 quarterly branch respondents (FFIEC 030), 30 annual branch respondents (FFIEC 030S).

Estimated Average Time per Response: 3.4 burden hours (FFIEC 030), 0.5 burden hours (FFIEC 030S).

Estimated Total Annual Burden: 1,467 burden hours.

Board

OMB Number: 7100-0071.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 14 annual branch respondents (FFIEC 030), 24 quarterly branch respondents (FFIEC 030), 11 annual branch respondents (FFIEC 030S).

Estimated Average Time per Response: 3.4 burden hours (FFIEC 030), 0.5 burden hours (FFIEC 030S).

Estimated Total Annual Burden: 380 burden hours.

FDIC

OMB Number: 3064-0011.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 8 annual branch respondents (FFIEC 030), 1 quarterly branch respondent (FFIEC 030), 8 annual branch respondents (FFIEC 030S).

Estimated Average Time per Response: 3.4 burden hours (FFIEC 030), 0.5 burden hours (FFIEC 030S).

Estimated Total Annual Burden: 45 burden hours.

General Description of Reports

This information collection is mandatory: 12 U.S.C. 602 (Board); 12 U.S.C. 161 and 602 (OCC); and 12 U.S.C. 1828 (FDIC). This information collection is given confidential treatment under 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4) and (8).

Abstract

The FFIEC 030 contains asset and liability information for foreign branches of insured U.S. banks and insured U.S. savings associations (U.S. institutions) and is required for regulatory and supervisory purposes. The information is used to analyze the foreign operations of U.S. institutions. All foreign branches of U.S. institutions regardless of charter type file this report as provided in the instructions to the FFIEC 030 and FFIEC 030S.

An institution must file a separate report for each foreign branch, but in some cases may consolidate filings for multiple foreign branches in the same country. A branch with either total assets of at least $2 billion or commitments to purchase foreign currencies and U.S. dollar exchange of at least $5 billion as of the end of a calendar quarter is considered a “significant branch” and is required to report quarterly on the FFIEC 030. A foreign branch that does not meet either of the criteria to file quarterly, but has total assets in excess of $250 million, must file the entire FFIEC 030 report on an annual basis as of each December 31.

A foreign branch that does not meet the criteria to file the FFIEC 030 report, but has total assets of $50 million or more (but less than or equal to $250 million), must file the Abbreviated Foreign Branch Report of Condition (FFIEC 030S) on an annual basis as of each December 31. A foreign branch with total assets of less than $50 million is exempt from filing the FFIEC 030 and 030S reports.

Current Actions

On July 29, 2015, the agencies published a notice in the Federal Register (80 FR 45274) and requested comment on a proposal to revise the officer declaration requirement that applies to the FFIEC 030 and FFIEC 030S, reduce the information provided if the consolidation option is elected, and add a field on the cover page for an institution to indicate whether the branch meets the criteria for annual or quarterly filing. These revisions would become effective for the December 31, 2015, report date. The comment period for this notice expired on September 28, 2015. The agencies did not receive any comments addressing the proposed changes and are now submitting to OMB a request for review and approval of the extension, with revision, of the FFIEC 030 and FFIEC 030S.

Request for Comment

Public comment is requested on all aspects of this joint notice. Comments are invited on:

a. Whether the information collection is necessary for the proper performance of the agencies' functions, including whether the information has practical utility;

b. The accuracy of the agencies' estimate of the burden of the 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 the 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 the requested information.

Comments submitted in response to this notice will be shared among the agencies. All comments will become a matter of public record.