81 FR 6261 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request Re FDIC Small Business Lending Survey
FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 24 (February 5, 2016)
Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 24 (February 5, 2016)
| Page Range | 6261-6263 | |
| FR Document | 2016-02237 |
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 24 (Friday, February 5, 2016)] [Notices] [Pages 6261-6263] From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org] [FR Doc No: 2016-02237] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION [3064-NEW] Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request Re FDIC Small Business Lending Survey AGENCY: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). ACTION: Notice and Request for Comment. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The FDIC, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on the survey collection instruments for a proposed new collection of information, a Small Business Lending Survey of banks that is proposed to be fielded in June 2016. On October 7, 2015, the FDIC published a notice in the Federal Register requesting comment for 60 days on the proposed information collection (80 FR 60678). Two comments were received, and are discussed below. The FDIC hereby gives notice of its plan to submit to OMB a request to approve this new information collection, and again invites comment. DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before March 7, 2016. ADDRESSES: Interested parties are invited to submit written comments by any of the following methods. All comments should reference ``FDIC Small Business Lending Survey'':http://www.FDIC.gov/regulations/laws/federal/. Email: [email protected]. Include the name of the collection in the subject line of the message. Mail: Gary Kuiper (202.898.3877), Counsel, MB-3016, or Manuel Cabeza (202.898.3767), Counsel, MB-3105, Legal Division, 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. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Interested members of the public may obtain a copy of the survey and related instructions by clicking on the link for the FDIC Small Business Lending Survey on the following Web page: http://www.fdic.gov/regulations/laws/federal/. Interested members of the public may also obtain additional information about the collection, including a paper copy of the proposed collection and related instructions, without charge, by contacting Gary Kuiper or Manuel Cabeza at the address or phone number identified above. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FDIC proposes to establish the following collection of information: Title: FDIC Small Business Lending Survey OMB Number: New collection. Frequency of Response: Once. Affected Public: FDIC-insured depository institutions. Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,500 respondents with assets less than $1 billion. 500 respondents with assets of $1 billion or greater. Average time per response: 3 hours per respondent with assets less than $1 billion. 6 hours per respondent with assets of $1 billion or greater. Estimated Total Annual Burden: 3 hours x 1,500 respondents = 4,500 hours 6 hours x 500 respondents = 3,000 hours. Total: 7,500 hours. General Description of Collection Small businesses are an important component of the U.S. economy. According to the Small Business Administration, small firms accounted for almost half of private-sector employment and 63 percent of net new jobs between mid-1993 and 2013.\i\Many small businesses have little or no direct access to capital markets and are thus reliant on bank financing. For banks, small business lending is an important way that they help meet their communities' needs, especially for the many banks that primarily focus on commercial rather than consumer lending. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \i\ https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/FAQ_March_2014_0.pdf, accessed Sep 15, 2015. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Due to the importance of small businesses to the U.S. economy and the importance of bank lending to small businesses, the proposed FDIC Small Business Lending Survey, which surveys banks, will provide important data to complement existing sources of data on small business lending. The proposed survey data will not duplicate existing sources of data and will provide additional insight into many aspects of small business lending. The FDIC Small Business Lending Survey, proposed to begin data collection in June 2016, is designed to yield heretofore unavailable nationally representative estimates on the volume and details of small business loans extended by FDIC-insured banks. In addition, the survey will provide new information on banks' perceived competition and market area for small business lending. The survey will yield nationally representative estimates of small business lending by banks of several different asset size categories and with different levels of urban or rural presence. In addition to the questions on small business lending, the new survey will include some questions related to consumer transaction accounts that are directly responsive to the mandate in Section 7 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Reform Conforming Amendments Act of 2005 (``Reform Act'') (Pub. L. 109-173), which calls for the FDIC to conduct ongoing surveys ``on efforts by insured depository institutions to bring those individuals and families who have rarely, if ever, held a checking account, a savings account or other type of transaction or check cashing account at an insured depository institution (hereafter in this section referred to as the `unbanked') into the conventional finance system.'' Section 7 of the Reform Act further instructs the FDIC to consider several factors in its conduct of the surveys, including: ``What cultural, language and identification issues as well as transaction costs appear to most prevent `unbanked' individuals from establishing conventional accounts.'' The consumer account-focused questions are designed to provide a factual basis for examining identification issues and transaction costs related to establishing mainstream transaction accounts at banks. These consumer account-focused questions have been added to the Small Business Lending Survey in lieu of fielding a separate second survey to respond to the Congressional mandate. The reason for the consolidation of these efforts is to reduce the burden on banks and increase the participation rate relative to fielding two separate surveys. Comment Discussion On October 7, 2015 (80 FR 60678), the FDIC issued a request for comment on a proposed new collection of information, a Small Business Lending Survey of banks that is proposed to be [[Page 6262]] fielded in June 2016. The FDIC received two comments related to this survey effort. One commenter suggested that the FDIC separate the proposed survey into two separate surveys, one on small business lending and one on consumer bank accounts, in order to encourage participation, reduce the burden on respondents and ensure the accuracy of information collected regarding consumer bank accounts. To ensure accurate responses and minimize the effort necessary to gather information needed for responses, the FDIC conducted three rounds of cognitive testing of the survey questions across the U.S. in 10 states with 40 banks of different sizes and that serve different types of market areas. The cognitive testing was conducted to ensure that the survey questions are clearly worded and understood by bank personnel, and primarily draw on expert knowledge or data available in existing internal reports. To ensure that the appropriate bank personnel respond to the survey questions for which they have subject-matter expertise, the FDIC has also organized the questions into distinct sections that can be accessed independently and answered by different bank personnel. In addition, the section containing the consumer bank account questions has been renamed ``Information about Consumer Bank Accounts'' to more clearly indicate its focus. Fielding two separate surveys at about the same time may decrease participation for both surveys, and may increase the challenge of communicating with banks about the surveys, resulting in increased confusion. One commenter recommended that the FDIC accurately explain the goal of the consumer bank account questions. The FDIC has revised the introduction to the ``Information about Consumer Bank Accounts'' section that explains the purpose of the consumer bank account questions. Additionally, the FDIC will transmit the survey to respondent banks with a cover letter, which will include an overview of the survey and a discussion of the motivation for each section. One commenter queried whether the question regarding ``network branded general purpose reloadable prepaid cards'' is intended to identify the universe of alternatives to full-service checking accounts offered by insured depository institutions, and, more specifically, expressed concern regarding the lack of definition of ``network branded general purpose reloadable prepaid cards.'' The FDIC intends this question to inquire about a specific type of card-based product offered by some insured depository institutions, not the universe of alternatives to full-service checking accounts. This question has been edited to refer specifically to ``a Visa or MasterCard branded general purpose reloadable (GPR) prepaid card that your bank markets directly to consumers in your market area.'' This revision is responsive to feedback that the FDIC received from the three rounds of cognitive testing with banks of different sizes and that serve different types of markets. One commenter recommended that two questions about bank applicant screening processes, specifically inquiring whether prior account closure due to account mismanagement or applicant fraud on a prior account would make an applicant ineligible to open a basic, entry-level consumer checking account, be changed from accepting only ``yes'' and ``no'' responses to also including a third potential response of ``it depends.'' This commenter also suggested the addition of a follow-up question asking whether the bank offers an alternative account to those ineligible for the standard checking account. The FDIC has removed from the survey the question regarding applicant fraud on a prior account. The question regarding account mismanagement has been revised to include a third response, that applicants in this situation would be ``eligible to open a second-chance account or an account with more limited features.'' The additional answer was developed in response to feedback from cognitive testing and is responsive to the suggestion offered here by the commenter. One commenter cautioned that the FDIC should be mindful of the complexity and range of reasons why unbanked and under banked consumers do not fully engage with the banking system. This commenter expressed concern that the proposed consumer account questions in the survey focus on the costs of bank accounts and prior account mismanagement as impediments to opening bank accounts when studies suggest that the primary reasons for consumers not having an account are not having enough money or not wanting or needing an account. This commenter also cautioned that regulations may impede banks' ability to offer consumer products that might encourage greater participation within the banking system. The FDIC is interested in the full range of reasons why some consumers are unbanked. To that end, the FDIC has asked, in each biennial Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households, for all the reasons that households are unbanked. The consumer banking section of this survey is intended, in large part, to provide a factual context for interpreting some of the results of other FDIC research efforts into consumer engagement with financial services and institutions. The consumer bank account questions in this survey represent one prong in a multi-pronged approach to understanding how unbanked and lower-income consumers make decisions about using financial services, how banks engage with those consumers through the development of products and services and outreach programs, and contextual factors that influence the choices of both consumers and banks. One commenter expressed concern regarding the level of effort required of banks, especially community banks, to respond to the survey. The FDIC has made a concerted effort to streamline the survey and reduce the burden associated with providing responses. This effort included three rounds of cognitive testing of the survey questions with banks of different sizes and that serve different types of market areas to ensure that the survey will capture useful information while minimizing response burden. In response to feedback from the cognitive testing, the FDIC has significantly reduced the number of questions in the survey, retaining only questions that rely on expert knowledge and do not require the gathering of data, or questions that require data that can be provided from core data systems or from existing internal reports. Additionally, the FDIC has also reduced the number of question that will be answered by banks with less than $1 billion in assets. In addition, the FDIC has revised the survey to include screener questions that will also reduce the number of questions for banks with $1 billion or more in assets whose systems do not collect specific information. The revised survey is now significantly shorter for banks of all sizes. Request for Comment Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the FDIC's functions, including whether the information has practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the estimates of the burden of the information collection; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the information collection on respondents, including through the use [[Page 6263]] of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. The FDIC will consider all comments to determine the extent to which the survey instruments should be modified prior to submission to OMB for review and approval. After the comment period closes, comments will be summarized and included in the FDIC's request to OMB for approval of the collection. All comments will become a matter of public record. Dated at Washington, DC, this 2nd day of February, 2016. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Robert E. Feldman, Executive Secretary. [FR Doc. 2016-02237 Filed 2-4-16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6714-01-P
![Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 24 / Friday, February 5, 2016 / Notices 6261
and the Receivership Estate has ceased FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: proposed survey data will not duplicate
to exist as a legal entity. Interested members of the public may existing sources of data and will provide
Dated: February 1, 2016. obtain a copy of the survey and related additional insight into many aspects of
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
instructions by clicking on the link for small business lending.
the FDIC Small Business Lending The FDIC Small Business Lending
Robert E. Feldman, Survey, proposed to begin data
Survey on the following Web page:
Executive Secretary. http://www.fdic.gov/regulations/laws/ collection in June 2016, is designed to
[FR Doc. 2016–02153 Filed 2–4–16; 8:45 am] federal/. Interested members of the yield heretofore unavailable nationally
BILLING CODE 6714–01–P public may also obtain additional representative estimates on the volume
information about the collection, and details of small business loans
including a paper copy of the proposed extended by FDIC-insured banks. In
FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE collection and related instructions, addition, the survey will provide new
CORPORATION without charge, by contacting Gary information on banks’ perceived
Kuiper or Manuel Cabeza at the address competition and market area for small
[3064–NEW] business lending. The survey will yield
or phone number identified above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FDIC
nationally representative estimates of
Agency Information Collection
proposes to establish the following small business lending by banks of
Activities: Submission for OMB
collection of information: several different asset size categories
Review; Comment Request Re FDIC
Title: FDIC Small Business Lending and with different levels of urban or
Small Business Lending Survey
Survey rural presence.
AGENCY: Federal Deposit Insurance OMB Number: New collection. In addition to the questions on small
Corporation (FDIC). Frequency of Response: Once. business lending, the new survey will
ACTION: Notice and Request for Affected Public: FDIC-insured include some questions related to
Comment. depository institutions. consumer transaction accounts that are
Estimated Number of Respondents: directly responsive to the mandate in
SUMMARY: The FDIC, as part of its 1,500 respondents with assets less Section 7 of the Federal Deposit
continuing effort to reduce paperwork than $1 billion. Insurance Reform Conforming
and respondent burden, and as required 500 respondents with assets of $1 Amendments Act of 2005 (‘‘Reform
by the Paperwork Reduction Act of billion or greater. Act’’) (Pub. L. 109–173), which calls for
1995, invites the general public and Average time per response: the FDIC to conduct ongoing surveys
other Federal agencies to comment on 3 hours per respondent with assets ‘‘on efforts by insured depository
the survey collection instruments for a less than $1 billion. institutions to bring those individuals
proposed new collection of information, 6 hours per respondent with assets of and families who have rarely, if ever,
a Small Business Lending Survey of $1 billion or greater. held a checking account, a savings
banks that is proposed to be fielded in Estimated Total Annual Burden: account or other type of transaction or
June 2016. On October 7, 2015, the FDIC 3 hours × 1,500 respondents = 4,500 check cashing account at an insured
published a notice in the Federal hours depository institution (hereafter in this
Register requesting comment for 60 6 hours × 500 respondents = 3,000 section referred to as the ‘unbanked’)
days on the proposed information hours. into the conventional finance system.’’
collection (80 FR 60678). Two Total: 7,500 hours. Section 7 of the Reform Act further
comments were received, and are instructs the FDIC to consider several
General Description of Collection factors in its conduct of the surveys,
discussed below. The FDIC hereby gives
notice of its plan to submit to OMB a Small businesses are an important including: ‘‘What cultural, language and
request to approve this new information component of the U.S. economy. identification issues as well as
collection, and again invites comment. According to the Small Business transaction costs appear to most prevent
Administration, small firms accounted ‘unbanked’ individuals from
DATES: Comments must be submitted on
for almost half of private-sector establishing conventional accounts.’’
or before March 7, 2016. The consumer account-focused
employment and 63 percent of net new
ADDRESSES: Interested parties are jobs between mid-1993 and 2013.iMany questions are designed to provide a
invited to submit written comments by small businesses have little or no direct factual basis for examining
any of the following methods. All access to capital markets and are thus identification issues and transaction
comments should reference ‘‘FDIC reliant on bank financing. For banks, costs related to establishing mainstream
Small Business Lending Survey’’: small business lending is an important transaction accounts at banks. These
• http://www.FDIC.gov/regulations/ way that they help meet their consumer account-focused questions
laws/federal/. communities’ needs, especially for the have been added to the Small Business
• Email: comments@fdic.gov. Include many banks that primarily focus on Lending Survey in lieu of fielding a
the name of the collection in the subject commercial rather than consumer separate second survey to respond to the
line of the message. lending. Congressional mandate. The reason for
• Mail: Gary Kuiper (202.898.3877), Due to the importance of small the consolidation of these efforts is to
Counsel, MB–3016, or Manuel Cabeza businesses to the U.S. economy and the reduce the burden on banks and
(202.898.3767), Counsel, MB–3105, importance of bank lending to small increase the participation rate relative to
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Legal Division, Federal Deposit businesses, the proposed FDIC Small fielding two separate surveys.
Insurance Corporation, 550 17th Street Business Lending Survey, which
NW., Washington, DC 20429. Comment Discussion
surveys banks, will provide important
• Hand Delivery: Comments may be data to complement existing sources of On October 7, 2015 (80 FR 60678), the
hand-delivered to the guard station at data on small business lending. The FDIC issued a request for comment on
the rear of the 550 17th Street Building a proposed new collection of
(located on F Street), on business days i https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/FAQ_ information, a Small Business Lending
between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. March_2014_0.pdf, accessed Sep 15, 2015. Survey of banks that is proposed to be
VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:22 Feb 04, 2016 Jkt 238001 PO 00000 Frm 00037 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\05FEN1.SGM 05FEN1](https://thefederalregister.org/doc/81_FR_6285/page/1.svg)
![Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 24 / Friday, February 5, 2016 / Notices 6263
of automated collection techniques or international ocean transportation Port Forum), Baltimore, MD (Mid-
other forms of information technology. system that supports the transportation Atlantic and Northeast Port Forum),
The FDIC will consider all comments of goods by water. The purposes of the Charleston, SC (South Atlantic Port
to determine the extent to which the Shipping Act include the requirements Forum) and New Orleans, LA (Gulf
survey instruments should be modified to ‘‘provide an efficient and economic Coast Port Forum). The forums brought
prior to submission to OMB for review transportation system in the ocean together port officials, ocean carriers,
and approval. After the comment period commerce of the United States that is, trucking and warehousing service
closes, comments will be summarized insofar as possible, in harmony with, providers, beneficial cargo owners,
and included in the FDIC’s request to and responsive to, international marine terminal operators, stevedoring
OMB for approval of the collection. All shipping practices,’’ and also ‘‘to companies, ocean transportation
comments will become a matter of promote the growth and development of intermediaries, and port labor to discuss
public record. United States exports through and offer ideas to address port
Dated at Washington, DC, this 2nd day of
competitive and efficient ocean congestion. The comments and
February, 2016. transportation and by placing a greater suggestions offered at those forums were
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
reliance on the marketplace.’’ summarized and developed in an FMC
In carrying out its broad report entitled ‘‘U.S. Port Congestion &
Robert E. Feldman, responsibilities under the Shipping Act Related International Supply Chain
Executive Secretary. with respect to ocean common carriers, Issues: Causes, Consequences and
[FR Doc. 2016–02237 Filed 2–4–16; 8:45 am] U.S. ports, marine terminal operators, Challenges’’ that was released in July
BILLING CODE 6714–01–P ocean transportation intermediaries and 2015.
the American exporters and importers The report identified six major themes
they serve, the Commission has from the port forums: Investment and
FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE developed an understanding of and an planning; chassis availability and
CORPORATION expertise in evaluating the U.S. related issues; port drayage and truck
international supply chain. As the turn times; extended gate hours,
Notice of Termination; 10303 Progress premier competition agency with PierPASS, and congestion pricing;
Bank of Florida; Tampa, Florida oversight responsibilities for the United vessel and terminal operations; and
The Federal Deposit Insurance States foreign ocean transportation supply chain planning, collaboration,
Corporation (FDIC), as Receiver for system, the Commission has extensive and communication. Some of these
10303 Progress Bank of Florida, Tampa, experience with global maritime and topics involve longer-term issues such
Florida (Receiver) has been authorized marine terminal innovation and as investment and planning. Others
to take all actions necessary to terminate efficiency issues. focus on short and medium-term
the receivership estate of Progress Bank Maintaining the effectiveness and concerns. All of them, however, are at
of Florida (Receivership Estate); the reliability of America’s global supply the heart of current efforts by various
Receiver has made all dividend chain is critically important to the groups to develop the flexible, resilient
distributions required by law. Nation’s continued economic vitality. and reliable systems necessary for
The Receiver has further irrevocably Approximately $980 billion of ensuring well-functioning international
authorized and appointed FDIC- containerized ocean commerce moves supply chains.
Corporate as its attorney-in-fact to through U.S. ports annually. The Commission has also advanced
execute and file any and all documents Unfortunately, congestion and related port and marine terminal efforts to
bottlenecks at ports and other points in improve supply chain efficiency by
that may be required to be executed by
the Nation’s supply chain have become expediting the implementation of port
the Receiver which FDIC-Corporate, in
a serious risk to the growth of the U.S. and terminal amendments aimed at
its sole discretion, deems necessary;
economy, job growth, and to our enhancing the efficient flow of cargo.
including but not limited to releases,
Nation’s competitive position in the For example, several port and marine
discharges, satisfactions, endorsements,
world. Past congestion at major U.S. terminal operator agreements on file
assignments and deeds.
ports has highlighted the impact of with the Commission that cover the
Effective February 1, 2016, the
congestion on the U.S. economy. As a Pacific Coast ports, commit the parties
Receivership Estate has been
result, the U.S. economy suffered to exploring measures for achieving
terminated, the Receiver discharged,
billions of dollars in losses to the supply improvements with regard to
and the Receivership Estate has ceased congestion, efficiency, fluidity, and
chain.
to exist as a legal entity. other operational conditions.*
In addition, congestion problems
Dated: February 2, 2016. contributed to hundreds of millions of Given the economic importance of
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. dollars in losses for U.S. agricultural reliable port and terminal operations to
Robert E. Feldman, exporters including poultry and meat the effectiveness of the United States
Executive Secretary. farmers. Perishable fruit and vegetable international supply chain, and the
[FR Doc. 2016–02235 Filed 2–4–16; 8:45 am] exporters suffered when their cargo was Commission’s mandate to ensure an
not loaded onto ships and sent overseas efficient and economic transportation
BILLING CODE 6714–01–P
within specific time frames. system for its ocean commerce, the
Although the congestion crisis has Commission has a clear and compelling
receded, unresolved supply chain
FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
problems that could produce new * The Los Angeles and Long Beach Port
Infrastructure and Environmental Programs
International Ocean Transportation challenges remain. Cooperative Working Agreement (FMC No. 201219),
Supply Chain Engagement; Order In response to those events, and the West Coast MTO Agreement (FMC No. 201143),
desire of affected parties to find ways to Pacific Ports Operational Improvements Agreement
Pursuant to the Shipping Act of 1984, prevent or mitigate similar future (FMC No. 201227), Ocean Carrier Equipment
Management Association (FMC No. 202–011284),
46 U.S.C. 40101 et seq. (Shipping Act), occurrences, the Commission hosted and Los Angeles/Long Beach Port Terminal
the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC four regional port forums during the fall Operator Administrative and Implementation
or Commission) regulates the U.S. of 2014, in San Pedro, CA (West Coast Agreement (FMC No. 201178).
VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:22 Feb 04, 2016 Jkt 238001 PO 00000 Frm 00039 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\05FEN1.SGM 05FEN1](https://thefederalregister.org/doc/81_FR_6285/page/3.svg)
Document Created: 2016-02-05 00:17:05
Document Modified: 2016-02-05 00:17:05
| Category | Regulatory Information | |
| Collection | Federal Register | |
| sudoc Class | AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106: | |
| Publisher | Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration | |
| Section | Notices | |
| Action | Notice and Request for Comment. | |
| Dates | Comments must be submitted on or before March 7, 2016. | |
| Contact | Interested members of the public may obtain a copy of the survey and related instructions by clicking on the link for the FDIC Small Business Lending Survey on the following Web page: http://www.fdic.gov/regulations/laws/federal/. Interested members of the public may also obtain additional information about the collection, including a paper copy of the proposed collection and related instructions, without charge, by contacting Gary Kuiper or | |
| FR Citation | 81 FR 6261 |
2025 Federal Register | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy
USC | CFR | eCFR