Consumer Leasing (Regulation M)

AGENCIES:

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board); and Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Bureau).

ACTION:

Final rules, official interpretations and commentary.

SUMMARY:

The Board and the Bureau are publishing final rules amending the official interpretations and commentary for the agencies' regulations that implement the Consumer Leasing Act (CLA). The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act) amended the CLA by requiring that the dollar threshold for exempt consumer leases be adjusted annually by the annual percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). If there is no annual percentage increase in the CPI-W, the Board and Bureau will not adjust this exemption threshold from the prior year. Based on the annual percentage decrease in the CPI-W as of June 1, 2015, the exemption threshold will remain at $54,600 through December 31, 2016.

Because the Dodd-Frank Act also requires similar adjustments in the Truth in Lending Act's threshold for exempt consumer credit transactions, the Board and the Bureau are making similar amendments to each of their respective regulations implementing the Truth in Lending Act elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.

DATES:

This final rule is effective January 1, 2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Board: Vivian W. Wong, Counsel, Division of Consumer and Community Affairs, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, at (202) 452-3667; for users of Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) only, contact (202) 263-4869.

Bureau: James Wylie, Counsel, Office of Regulations, Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, at (202) 435-7700.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (Dodd-Frank Act) increased the threshold in the Consumer Leasing Act (CLA) for exempt consumer leases from $25,000 to $50,000, effective July 21, 2011. In addition, the Dodd-Frank Act requires that this threshold be adjusted annually for inflation by the annual percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In April 2011, the Board issued a final rule amending Regulation M (which implements the CLA) consistent with these provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act along with a similar final rule amending Regulation Z (which implements the Truth in Lending Act) (collectively, the Board Final Threshold Rules).

Title X of the Dodd-Frank Act transferred rulemaking authority for a number of consumer financial protection laws from the Board to the Bureau, effective July 21, 2011. In connection with this transfer of rulemaking authority, the Bureau issued its own Regulation M implementing the CLA in an interim final rule, 12 CFR part 1013 (Bureau Interim Final Rule). The Bureau Interim Final Rule substantially duplicated the Board's Regulation M, including the revisions to the threshold for exempt transactions made by the Board in April 2011. Although the Bureau has the authority to issue rules to implement the CLA for most entities, the Board retains authority to issue rules under the CLA for certain motor vehicle dealers covered by section 1029(a) of the Dodd-Frank Act, and the Board's Regulation M continues to apply to those entities.

Section 213.2(e)(1) of the Board's Regulation M and § 1013.2(e)(1) of the Bureau's Regulation M, and their accompanying commentaries, provide that the exemption threshold will be adjusted annually effective January 1 of each year based on any annual percentage increase in the CPI-W that was in effect on the preceding June 1. Any increase in the threshold amount will be rounded to the nearest $100 increment. For example, if the annual percentage increase in the CPI-W would result in a $950 increase in the threshold amount, the threshold amount will be increased by $1,000. However, if the annual percentage increase in the CPI-W would result in a $949 increase in the threshold amount, the threshold amount will be increased by $900. As stated in the Board Final Threshold Rules, if there is no annual percentage increase in the CPI-W, the Board and Bureau will not adjust the exemption threshold from the prior year.

II. Adjustment and Commentary Revision

Effective January 1, 2016, the exemption threshold amount remains at $54,600. This is based on the CPI-W in effect on June 1, 2015, which was reported on May 22, 2015. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes consumer-based indices monthly, but does not report a CPI change on June 1; adjustments are reported in the middle of the month. The CPI-W is a subset of the CPI-U index (based on all urban consumers) and represents approximately 28 percent of the U.S. population. Because the CPI-W reported on May 22, 2015 reflects a 0.8 percent decrease in the CPI-W from April 2014 to April 2015, the Board and the Bureau are not adjusting the exemption threshold amount. The Board and the Bureau are revising the commentaries to their respective regulations to add new comment 2(e)-9.vii to state that, from January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016, the threshold amount is $54,600. These revisions are effective January 1, 2016.

III. Administrative Law Matters

Administrative Procedure Act

Under the Administrative Procedure Act, notice and opportunity for public comment are not required if the Board and the Bureau find that notice and public comment are impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest. The amendment in this notice is technical and applies the method previously set forth in the Board Final Threshold Rules. For these reasons, the Board and the Bureau have determined that publishing a notice of proposed rulemaking and providing opportunity for public comment are unnecessary. Therefore, the amendments are adopted in final form.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

The Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) does not apply to a rulemaking where a general notice of proposed rulemaking is not required. As noted previously, the agencies have determined that it is unnecessary to publish a general notice of proposed rulemaking for this joint final rule. Accordingly, the RFA's requirements relating to an initial and final regulatory flexibility analysis do not apply.

Paperwork Reduction Act

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the agencies reviewed this final rule. No collections of information pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act are contained in the final rule.

List of Subjects

12 CFR Part 213

• Advertising
• Consumer leasing
• Consumer protection
• Federal Reserve System
• Reporting and recordkeeping requirements

12 CFR Part 1013

• Advertising
• Consumer leasing
• Reporting and recordkeeping requirements

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

Text of Final Revisions

For the reasons set forth in the preamble, the Board amends Regulation M, 12 CFR part 213, as set forth below:

PART 213—CONSUMER LEASING (REGULATION M)

1. The authority citation for part 213 continues to read as follows:

Authority: 15 U.S.C. 1604 and 1667f; Pub. L. 111-203 section 1100E, 124 Stat. 1376.

2. In Supplement I to Part 213, under Section 213.2—Definitions, under 2(e) Consumer Lease, paragraph 9.vii is added to read as follows:

Supplement I to Part 213—Official Staff Commentary to Regulation M

Section 213.2—Definitions

2(e) Consumer Lease.

9. * * *

vii. From January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016, the threshold amount is $54,600.

Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection

Authority and Issuance

For the reasons set forth in the preamble, the Bureau amends Regulation M, 12 CFR part 1013, as set forth below:

PART 1013—CONSUMER LEASING (REGULATION M)

3. The authority citation for part 1013 continues to read as follows:

Authority: 15 U.S.C. 1604 and 1667f; Pub. L. 111-203 section 1100E, 124 Stat. 1376.

4. In Supplement I to part 1013, under Section 1013.2—Definitions, under 2(e) Consumer Lease, paragraph 9.vii is added to read as follows:

Supplement I to Part 1013—Official Interpretations

Section 1013.2—Definitions

2(e) Consumer Lease. * * * .

9. * * *

vii. From January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016, the threshold amount is $54,600.