Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

AGENCY:

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

ACTION:

Notice, request for comment.

SUMMARY:

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) invites comment on a proposal to extend for three years, without revision, the Reporting, Recordkeeping, and Disclosure Requirements Associated with Regulation NN (FR NN; OMB No. 7100-0353).

DATES:

Comments must be submitted on or before July 16, 2019.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments, identified by FR NN, by any of the following methods:

• Agency website: http://www.federalreserve.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments at http://www.federalreserve.gov/apps/foia/proposedregs.aspx.
• Email: regs.comments@federalreserve.gov. Include OMB number in the subject line of the message.
• FAX: (202) 452-3819 or (202) 452-3102.
• Mail: Ann E. Misback, Secretary, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 20th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20551.

All public comments are available on the Board's website 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 in Room 146, 1709 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20006, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on weekdays. For security reasons, the Board requires that visitors make an appointment to inspect comments. You may do so by calling (202) 452-3684. Upon arrival, visitors will be required to present valid government-issued photo identification and to submit to security screening in order to inspect and photocopy comments.

Additionally, commenters may send a copy of their comments to the Office of Management and Budget (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 Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) OMB submission, including the proposed reporting form and instructions, supporting statement, and other documentation will be placed into OMB's public docket files, if approved. These documents will also be made available on the Board's public website 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:

On June 15, 1984, OMB delegated to the Board authority under the PRA to approve 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.

Request for Comment on Information Collection Proposal

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 Board's functions, including whether the information has practical utility;

b. The accuracy of the Board'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 Board should modify the proposal.

Proposal Under OMB Delegated Authority To Extend For Three Years, Without Revision, the Following Information Collection

Report title: Reporting, Recordkeeping, and Disclosure Requirements Associated with Regulation NN.

Agency form number: FR NN.

OMB control number: 7100-0353.

Frequency: Event generated.

Respondents: Banking institutions.

Estimated number of respondents: Reporting: 1; recordkeeping: 2; disclosure: 2.

Estimated average hours per response: Reporting: 16; recordkeeping: 183; disclosure: 787.

Estimated annual burden hours: 1,956.

General description of report: Regulation NN includes certain reporting, recordkeeping, and disclosure requirements for banking institutions that elect to provide foreign currency exchange services to retail consumers. The regulation applies to state member banks, uninsured state-licensed branches of foreign banks, financial holding companies, bank holding companies, savings and loan holding companies, agreement corporations, and Edge Act corporations (collectively, “banking institutions”) that engage in retail foreign exchange transactions.

Legal authorization and confidentiality: The reporting, recordkeeping, and disclosure requirements in Regulation NN are authorized pursuant to section 2(c)(2)(E) of the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”), 7 U.S.C. 2(c)(2)(E). Section 2(c)(2)(E) of the CEA prohibits a United States financial institution and its related persons under the supervision of a Federal regulatory agency, such as the Board, from offering or entering into certain types of foreign exchange transactions with retail customers except pursuant to a rule or regulation prescribed by the appropriate Federal regulatory agency allowing the transaction under such terms and conditions as the Federal regulatory agency shall prescribe.

Regulation NN's reporting requirement (12 CFR 240.4), recordkeeping requirements (12 CFR 240.7, 240.9(b)(2), and 240.13(a)) and disclosure requirements (240.5(a), 240.6, 240.7, 240.9(b)(2), 240.10, 240.13(a) & (c)-(d), 240.15, and 240.16(a) and (b)) are mandatory for banking institutions that engage in retail foreign exchange transactions.

The reporting requirement under section 240.4 of Regulation NN requires a banking institution to provide a prior written notice to the Board that includes information concerning customer due diligence; the policies and procedures for haircuts to be applied to noncash margin; information concerning new product approvals; and information on addressing conflicts of interest. The disclosure of this information is reasonably likely to result in substantial competitive harm to the banking institution, and therefore, may be kept confidential under exemption (b)(4) of the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”), which protects “trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained from a person [that is] privileged or confidential” (5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4)). In addition, the prior written notice must also include a resolution of the banking institution's board of directors certifying that the institution has written policies, procedures, and risk measurement and management systems and controls in place to ensure retail foreign exchange transactions are conducted in a safe and sound manner and in compliance with Regulation NN. Generally, this resolution by the board of directors would not be accorded confidential treatment. If confidential treatment is requested by a banking institution, the Board will review the request to determine if confidential treatment is appropriate.

The recordkeeping and disclosures required under sections 240.5(a), 240.6, 240.7, 240.9(b)(2), 240.10, 240.13(a) & (c)-(d), 240.15, and 240.16(a) and (b) of Regulation NN generally are not submitted to the Board. Accordingly, no confidentiality issues will normally arise under the FOIA. In the event such records or disclosures are obtained by the Federal Reserve through the examination or enforcement process, such information may be kept confidential under exemption 8 of the FOIA, which protects information contained in or related to an examination of a financial institution (5 U.S.C. 552(b)(8)).