83_FR_48756 83 FR 48569 - Miscellaneous Federal Home Loan Bank Operations and Authorities-Financing Corporation Assessments

83 FR 48569 - Miscellaneous Federal Home Loan Bank Operations and Authorities-Financing Corporation Assessments

FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 187 (September 26, 2018)

Page Range48569-48574
FR Document2018-20975

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is proposing to amend its regulations pertaining to the operation of the Financing Corporation (FICO), a vehicle established by one of FHFA's predecessors to issue bonds, the proceeds of which were used to help fund the resolution of failed savings and loan associations during the 1980s. The last of those FICO bonds will mature in September 2019. By statute, FICO obtains the monies to pay the interest on those bonds by assessing depository institutions (FICO assessments) that are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The proposed rule addresses the manner in which FICO would conduct the 2019 FICO assessments, which are expected to be the last of those assessments. Specifically, the proposed rule would provide that all payments made by FDIC-insured depository institutions during 2019 will be final, and that no adjustments to prior FICO assessments would be permitted after March 26, 2019, the projected date as of which the FDIC will finalize the amounts of the final collection for the 2019 FICO assessments.

Federal Register, Volume 83 Issue 187 (Wednesday, September 26, 2018)
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 187 (Wednesday, September 26, 2018)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 48569-48574]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-20975]


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FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY

12 CFR Part 1271

RIN 2590-AA99


Miscellaneous Federal Home Loan Bank Operations and Authorities--
Financing Corporation Assessments

AGENCY: Federal Housing Finance Agency.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is proposing to 
amend its regulations pertaining to the operation of the Financing 
Corporation (FICO), a vehicle established by one of FHFA's predecessors 
to issue bonds, the proceeds of which were used to help fund the 
resolution of failed savings and loan associations during the 1980s. 
The last of those FICO bonds will mature in September 2019. By statute, 
FICO obtains the monies to pay the interest on those bonds by assessing 
depository institutions (FICO assessments) that are insured by the 
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The proposed rule 
addresses the manner in which FICO would conduct the 2019 FICO 
assessments, which are expected to be the last of those assessments. 
Specifically, the proposed rule would provide that all payments made by 
FDIC-insured depository institutions during 2019 will be final, and 
that no adjustments to prior FICO assessments would be permitted after 
March 26, 2019, the projected date as of which the FDIC will finalize 
the amounts of the final collection for the 2019 FICO assessments.

DATES: FHFA must receive written comments on or before October 26, 
2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit your comments on the proposed rule, 
identified by regulatory information number (RIN) 2590-AA99 by any of 
the following methods:
     Agency Website: www.fhfa.gov/open-for-comment-or-input.
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments. If you submit your 
comments to the Federal eRulemaking Portal, please also send it by 
email to FHFA at RegComments@FHFA.gov to ensure timely receipt by the 
agency. Please include ``RIN 2590-AA99'' in the subject line of the 
message.
     Hand Delivery/Courier: The hand delivery address is: 
Alfred M. Pollard, General Counsel, Attention: Comments/RIN 2590-AA99, 
Federal Housing Finance Agency, Constitution Center, (OGC) Eighth 
Floor, 400 Seventh Street SW, Washington, DC 20219. The package should 
be delivered to the Seventh Street entrance Guard Desk, First Floor, on 
business days between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
     U.S. Mail, United Parcel Service, Federal Express, or 
Other Mail Service: The mailing address for comments is: Alfred M. 
Pollard, General Counsel, Attention: Comments/RIN 2590-AA99, Federal 
Housing Finance Agency, Constitution Center, (OGC) Eighth Floor, 400 
Seventh Street SW, Washington, DC 20219.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Louis M. Scalza, Associate Director, 
Examinations, Office of Safety & Soundness Examinations, 
Louis.Scalza@fhfa.gov, (202) 649-3710; Winston Sale, Assistant General 
Counsel, Winston.Sale@fhfa.gov, (202) 649-3081; or Neil R. Crowley, 
Deputy General Counsel, Neil.Crowley@fhfa.gov, (202) 649-3055 (these 
are not toll-free numbers), Federal Housing Finance Agency, 400 Seventh 
Street SW, Washington, DC 20219. The telephone number for the 
Telecommunications Device for the Hearing Impaired is (800) 877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Comments

    FHFA invites comment on all aspects of the proposed rulemaking, 
which FHFA is publishing with a 30-day comment period. After 
considering the comments, FHFA will develop a final regulation. Copies 
of all comments received will be posted without change on the FHFA 
website at http://www.fhfa.gov, and will include any personal 
information you provide, such as your name, address, email address, and 
telephone number.

II. Background

    FHFA is an independent agency of the federal government established 
to regulate and oversee the Federal National Mortgage Association, the 
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal Home Loan Banks 
(Banks), and the Bank System's Office of Finance.\1\ FHFA also is 
responsible for overseeing FICO. The Competitive Equality Banking Act 
of 1987 \2\ amended the Federal Home Loan Bank Act (Bank Act) and 
authorized FHFA's predecessor to establish FICO, and authorizes the 
FHFA Director to select the two Bank presidents that serve on its 
directorate, to prescribe such regulations as are necessary to carry 
out the statutory provisions relating to FICO, and to oversee the 
dissolution of FICO.\3\
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    \1\ 12 U.S.C. 4511.
    \2\ Public Law 100-86, 101 Stat. 552.
    \3\ See 12 U.S.C. 1441(a) (establishment of FICO), (b)(1)(B) 
(selection of directors), (i) (dissolution, and authority for FHFA 
to exercise any FICO powers, needed to conclude its affairs), and 
(j) (authority to prescribe regulations).
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    FICO is a mixed-ownership, tax-exempt government corporation, 
chartered in 1987 by the former Federal Home Loan Bank Board, one of 
FHFA's predecessor agencies, pursuant to the Federal Savings and Loan 
Insurance Corporation (FSLIC) Recapitalization Act of 1987, as amended 
(Recapitalization Act).\4\ The Recapitalization Act's purpose was to 
recapitalize the FSLIC insurance fund, which had been significantly 
depleted by a wave of savings and loan (S&L) failures during the S&L 
crisis of the 1980s. FICO's mission was to provide funding for FSLIC 
(and later for the FSLIC Resolution Fund after FSLIC's insolvency and 
later abolishment by the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and 
Enforcement Act of 1989 (FIRREA)) by selling bonds to the public. 
FICO's operations are managed by a directorate composed of the Director 
of the Office of Finance and two Bank presidents

[[Page 48570]]

who rotate after serving one year terms.\5\ FICO has no permanent staff 
and utilizes Office of Finance staff to execute its day-to-day 
functions.
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    \4\ See 12 U.S.C. 1441(a).
    \5\ See 12 U.S.C. 1441(b).
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    FICO was initially capitalized by issuing stock to the Banks in an 
aggregate amount of $680 million, apportioned pro rata among the Banks 
in accordance with a statutory formula.\6\ FICO used the proceeds from 
the stock issuances to purchase U.S. Treasury zero-coupon securities 
(Zeros), which were to be the sole source of repayment of the principal 
of the bonds to be issued by FICO. Between 1987 and 1989 FICO issued 14 
separate series of 30-year bonds (Obligations) in an aggregate 
principal amount of approximately $8.1 billion. FICO conveyed the 
proceeds of the Obligations to FSLIC, to finance its resolution of 
failed S&Ls.\7\ FICO is required by statute to hold the Zeros in a 
segregated account until they are used to pay the principal due on the 
Obligations at their maturity.\8\ The Obligations began to mature in 
2017, and the last Obligation will mature in September 2019.
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    \6\ See 12 U.S.C. 1441(d)(4). FICO issued the stock in a series 
of transactions between 1987 and 1989, each in anticipation of an 
issuance of a particular series of the FICO bonds.
    \7\ FICO used the net proceeds from the first 13 series of its 
Obligations to purchase nonredeemable capital certificates and 
nonredeemable nonvoting capital stock issued by the FSLIC. After the 
FSLIC was abolished in 1989, FICO used the proceeds from its final 
series of Obligations to purchase nonredeemable capital certificates 
issued by the FSLIC Resolution Fund, the statutory successor to the 
FSLIC. See 12 U.S.C. 1821a (establishment of FSLIC Resolution Fund). 
Those instruments have no value and have been charged to FICO's 
capital.
    \8\ See 12 U.S.C 1441(g)(2).
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    The Recapitalization Act established a different source for 
providing funds needed to service the semiannual interest payments on 
the FICO Obligations.\9\ The statute authorized FICO to assess FSLIC-
insured depository institutions for the funds needed to pay the 
interest due on the FICO Obligations.\10\ The Deposit Insurance Funds 
Act of 1996 authorized FICO to assess against institutions with 
deposits insured by both the Bank Insurance Fund (BIF) and the Savings 
Association Insurance Fund (SAIF).\11\ Pursuant to the Federal Deposit 
Insurance Reform Act of 2005, effective March 31, 2006, the BIF and 
SAIF were merged into the newly created Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF), 
and thus FICO may assess institutions insured by the DIF.\12\ FICO is 
authorized to assess insured depository institutions only for three 
purposes: For making interest payments on the FICO Obligations; paying 
issuance costs for the FICO Obligations; and paying custodial fees 
associated with the FICO Obligations. The Bank Act, as amended by 
FIRREA, further provides that FICO is to conduct its assessments in the 
same manner that the FDIC uses when assessing its insured depository 
institutions for deposit insurance purposes.\13\ FICO and the FDIC 
entered into a memorandum of understanding in 1997 (Memorandum of 
Understanding), as amended in 1999, pursuant to which the FDIC collects 
FICO's assessments from its insured depository institutions quarterly, 
as agent for FICO.
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    \9\ Interest on each FICO Obligation is paid on the anniversary 
of its issuance date, and six months after that date each year.
    \10\ 12 U.S.C. 1441(f)(2). The statute further provides that the 
FICO assessments are subject to the approval of the FDIC board of 
directors. FICO and the FDIC have entered into a memorandum of 
understanding under which FDIC, as agent for FICO, collects the FICO 
assessments on insured depository institutions, as approved by the 
FDIC.
    \11\ Public Law 104-131, 110 Stat. 1213.
    \12\ Public Law 109-171 sec. 2109(a)(2), 120 Stat. 20.
    \13\ 12 U.S.C. 1441(f)(2).
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    The FDIC conducts its own Deposit Insurance Fund assessments 
quarterly (FDIC assessment), with the amount of the FDIC assessment for 
each insured depository institution being determined based, in part, on 
data that the institution has submitted to the Federal Financial 
Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) in its Consolidated Reports of 
Condition and Income (call report). If an insured depository 
institution amends a call report on which a previous FDIC assessment 
had been calculated and the amendment to the call report would cause 
the calculation of the prior FDIC assessment to change, the institution 
may receive an adjustment, which generally appears on an upcoming 
invoice.\14\
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    \14\ See 12 U.S.C. 1817(e)(1) (addressing refunds of 
overpayments of FDIC assessments).
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    Pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding, the FDIC collects the 
FICO assessments from the insured depository institutions quarterly, as 
agent for FICO, at the same time as the collection of FDIC assessments. 
Pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding, FICO assessments are made 
based on an assessment rate formula adopted by FICO, and approved by 
the FDIC Board of Directors. One factor in FICO's formula is the 
deposit insurance assessment base, which (as described above) is 
calculated using an insured depository institution's call report data. 
Under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding, twice per year, 
FICO notifies the FDIC of the total amounts that would be needed for 
FICO to make its upcoming Obligation interest payments and annually 
informs the FDIC of the interest it has earned. Using that information 
and FICO's assessment rate formula, the FDIC calculates a ``quarterly 
multiplier'' and applies it to information derived from each 
institution's call report to determine the FICO assessment for each 
institution for that calendar quarter. The FDIC then issues an invoice 
to each insured depository institution detailing both its quarterly 
FDIC and FICO assessments.\15\ Insured depository institutions submit 
payment for their FDIC and FICO assessments to the FDIC via ACH. The 
FDIC then transfers the aggregate FICO collections to an account that 
FICO maintains at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, from which FICO 
pays the interest that is due on the FICO Obligations.
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    \15\ The FDIC provides to each institution a Quarterly Certified 
Statement Invoice that specifies the total amount of that quarter's 
assessment, including the FDIC assessment and the FICO assessment 
for that calendar quarter.
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    In the case of an insured depository institution that amends its 
call report for a prior period, FICO assessments are adjusted in the 
same manner as FDIC assessments. Thus, if an amended call report 
results in an institution having overpaid or underpaid a prior 
quarter's FICO assessment an adjustment amount will appear on an 
upcoming invoice, provided that the amendment has been made within 
three years after the date that the associated FICO payment was 
due.\16\ Pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding, overpayments 
arising from amended call reports are generally credited against the 
next quarter's FICO assessment and underpayments are added to the next 
quarter's FICO assessment.
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    \16\ See 12 U.S.C. 1817(g)(2) (establishing a three-year statute 
of limitations on actions by insured depository institutions to 
recover overpayments from FDIC, and on actions by FDIC to recover 
underpayments from the insured institutions).
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    With respect to all such refunds for overpayments of prior period 
FICO assessments once all FICO obligations are paid, however, FICO has 
no legal obligation to use its own assets (other than those funds 
obtained from the FICO assessments) to provide monies to any insured 
depository institutions to make those refunds and does not do so. 
Indeed, FICO has no legal authority to assess insured depository 
institutions for the sole purpose of obtaining monies to provide 
refunds to other insured depository institutions or to spend its own 
non-assessment assets for that purpose. As a practical matter, because 
these refunds are processed as credits against the next FICO 
assessment, they do not require any cash outlay from FICO and all 
refunds are effectively paid

[[Page 48571]]

from the assessments on the other insured depository institutions 
collectively. The principal effect of such refunds is that they 
modestly reduce the amount of monies actually collected by the FDIC, as 
agent for FICO, as part of a particular quarter's FICO assessment. 
Those refund credits, however, may be offset by the additional amounts 
that the FDIC collects, as an agent for FICO, from other institutions 
that had previously underpaid a prior FICO assessment.\17\ To the 
extent overpayment credits exceed underpayment collections, such 
shortfall is made up the following quarter by increasing the total 
collection amount accordingly. Moreover, because the determination of 
the quarterly multiplier for setting the FICO assessment involves 
rounding, any quarterly collection of the FICO assessment may yield 
slightly more money than the initially projected assessment amount. 
Pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding with the FDIC, FICO also 
maintains a cash reserve that is available to make up modest shortfalls 
that might arise during a quarterly collection. FICO has never needed 
to use the cash reserve, because it has always collected sufficient 
funds to make all required interest payments when due. FHFA anticipates 
that FICO will draw down the monies in its cash reserve to fund a 
portion of the remaining interest payments on its Obligations as they 
come due, which also would reduce the amount needed to be assessed and 
collected from insured depository institutions during 2019.
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    \17\ The number of call report amendments submitted during a 
particular calendar quarter that will affect a FICO assessment will 
vary, but is small in comparison to the number of insured depository 
institutions filing call reports with FDIC. Generally speaking, the 
dollar amounts of the gross FICO refunds and FICO additional 
collections for any calendar quarter are also small, and the net 
amounts of such adjustments during a particular quarter often are 
less than $100,000.
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    As is evident from the above description, the current practice for 
adjusting individual FICO assessments--to account for either refunds or 
additional collections--depends on the existence of a subsequent FICO 
collection that could serve as the source of funds and the means by 
which any such adjustments may be processed. The last of the FICO bonds 
will mature during 2019 and FICO is scheduled to make five different 
interest payments during 2019.\18\ FHFA anticipates that the FDIC, as 
agent for FICO, will collect one FICO assessment during 2019 and that 
the amounts received by FICO from the March 2019 collections will be 
sufficient (when combined with any other available funds that FICO will 
have on hand) to make all remaining interest payments due during 2019. 
Accordingly, once the final FICO assessment has been collected, there 
will be no subsequent billing cycle through which an insured depository 
institution could have a prior FICO assessment adjusted, i.e., the 
FDIC, which will cease to be collection agent for FICO, will no longer 
invoice institutions for FICO assessments that could be adjusted to 
reflect increases or decreases attributable to amendments to their 
prior period call reports. Because FICO assessments are collected in 
the same manner as FDIC assessments, the FDIC's billing practices, as 
agent for FICO, have long included the above-described adjustment 
provision for the FICO assessments. Thus, FHFA has determined that it 
would be appropriate, as FICO's regulator, to adopt a rule to make 
clear that such adjustments must cease after FICO has collected its 
final assessment from the insured depository institutions, and that 
FICO has no obligation to make any adjustments to prior FICO 
assessments.
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    \18\ Two interest payments, in the approximate amount of $28 
million each, are due during March 2019, and FICO will collect 
monies needed to make those payments during the December 2018 
collection. The remaining three interest payments, in the 
approximate amounts of $25 million each, are due during April, June, 
and September 2019, and FICO will collect monies needed to make 
those payments during the March 2019 collection.
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    This rulemaking pertains only to the FICO assessments, which the 
FDIC collects on behalf of FICO. It does not affect the deposit 
insurance assessments that the FDIC collects from insured depository 
institutions, which will continue in their normal manner. The sections 
below describe the content of the proposed rule.

III. The Proposed Rule

    Content of the Proposed Rule. The proposed rule would do four 
things. First, it would provide that all FICO assessments collected 
during 2019 will be final, meaning that there will be no possibility of 
any subsequent adjustments to those assessment amounts. Second, it 
would provide that after the collection of the final FICO assessment 
(which is expected to occur on March 29, 2019) no insured depository 
institution would be entitled to any adjustment of any prior FICO 
assessment that arises as a result of an amendment to the call report 
on which the prior assessment had been based. This recognizes the fact 
that adjustments to prior FICO assessments can only be made as part of 
the process of collecting a subsequent FICO assessment. Third, it would 
preserve the existing adjustment practice through the final FICO 
assessment collection, i.e., it would allow the FDIC, as agent for 
FICO, to adjust the March 2019 FICO assessment for any institution to 
reflect amendments that the institution has made to its call reports 
for any calendar quarters prior to and including the fourth quarter of 
2018. This provision is phrased in terms of setting March 26, 2019--the 
projected date as of which the FDIC will finalize the amounts due for 
the March 2019 FICO assessment--as the last date for any such call 
report amendments to affect the institution's FICO assessments.\19\ 
Fourth, the proposal includes a provision that is intended to address 
the possibility, which FHFA believes to be small, that FICO may need to 
conduct another assessment in June 2019, which would occur only if the 
March collection did not yield sufficient monies to make the remaining 
interest payments on the FICO bonds. This provision has been drafted to 
preserve the current practice of allowing an insured depository 
institution to amend the call report on which its June FICO assessments 
will be based up until the date on which the FDIC finalizes the amounts 
due from each institution for that quarter. This paragraph provides 
that any amendments to the call reports for the calendar quarter ending 
on March 31, 2019 that are submitted after June 25, 2019, the 
anticipated date on which the FDIC would finalize payments for the 
collection, will not affect the institution's FICO assessment. Any 
amended call reports for the first quarter of 2019 submitted prior to 
that date will be used to calculate the June assessments. This is 
consistent with current practice for FICO assessments, under which 
payment amounts for FICO assessments are finalized three days prior to 
the date of collection.
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    \19\ For example, an insured depository institution that amends 
a prior period call report on or before March 26, 2019 will receive 
an appropriate adjustment to the assessment amount anticipated to be 
collected on March 29, 2019. An institution that amends a prior 
period call report after that date will not receive any adjustment 
to its prior FICO assessment because there is not expected to be 
another FICO assessment after that date.
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    Analysis. In the absence of an ongoing FICO assessment process 
there is no funding mechanism for FICO to provide an insured depository 
institution a credit for any overpayment of a prior FICO assessment or 
to bill it for any underpayment of a prior assessment. FHFA has 
therefore determined to provide clarity and finality by affirmatively 
declaring the FICO assessment adjustment practices terminated, 
effective with the collection

[[Page 48572]]

of the final FICO assessment. FHFA is mindful of the statutory 
requirement that FICO should assess the depository institutions for its 
costs in the same manner as the FDIC assesses those institutions for 
deposit insurance purposes. FHFA also understands, however, that the 
FDIC has an established practice of allowing insured depository 
institutions to have adjustments made to their prior FDIC assessments 
if they later amend the call report data on which those assessments 
were based, provided it occurs within the three-year statutory period, 
a practice that will not be available when the FICO assessments cease.
    A key difference between the FICO assessments and the FDIC 
assessments is that the FDIC assessments are continual, with no 
predetermined termination date. The FICO assessment authority, however, 
is required by statute to cease after FICO has collected sufficient 
monies to pay the interest and related costs on its Obligations. In 
light of that difference, FHFA believes that the statutory language 
requiring FICO to conduct its assessments in the same manner as the 
FDIC assessments is best read as requiring FICO to follow the FDIC 
practice for prior period adjustments only for so long as FICO actually 
is collecting assessments from the insured depository institutions. 
FHFA has drafted the proposed regulation in that manner, i.e., the 
proposed rule would preserve the existing FDIC adjustment process 
through and including what is expected to be the final collection of 
the FICO assessment in March 2019. Until that final collection has been 
completed, all insured depository institutions that are eligible to be 
credited a refund for any prior overpayment of their FICO assessment or 
to be billed for any prior underpayment of their FICO assessment will 
be able to continue to have the appropriate adjustment included in the 
calculation of the amount they are to pay.
    For the foregoing reasons, FHFA does not believe that the ``in the 
same manner'' language of the Bank Act can reasonably be construed to 
require FICO to provide refunds to, or to collect monies from, insured 
depository institutions that amend a prior period call report after 
FICO has ceased its assessments. As noted above, there will be no 
practical way to process such adjustments because there will be no 
invoiced amount against which a credit could be applied or to which a 
surcharge could be added. Moreover, there is no source of funds from 
which FICO could pay cash refunds because FICO will have used all 
monies received from its prior assessments to pay the interest and 
other costs due on its Obligations. FICO also could not assess insured 
depository institutions to obtain funds to provide refunds to other 
institutions because its authority is limited to assessing the 
institutions only for monies needed for interest payments, issuance 
costs, and custodial fees. Finally, Congress has mandated that FHFA 
dissolve FICO as soon as practicable after it has repaid the last of 
its Obligations, which evidences an intent that FICO may not undertake 
any new activities, such as facilitating collections from and payments 
to insured institutions, after FICO has repaid its Obligations.
    FHFA believes that the most appropriate reading of the Bank Act in 
these circumstances is that it allows insured depository institutions 
to continue to receive refunds for prior overpayments (and to continue 
to be billed for prior underpayments) in the same manner as FDIC 
assessments through and including the final FICO assessment. That 
approach gives appropriate effect to the ``in the same manner'' 
language of the statute without creating any conflict with the 
provision requiring the prompt dissolution of FICO, and without 
imposing on FICO any obligations that are not expressly mandated by the 
Bank Act.
    FHFA also does not believe that the proposed rule would have a 
significant effect on FDIC-insured institutions. As an initial matter, 
the number of insured depository institutions amending call reports in 
any calendar quarter that affect their prior FICO assessments typically 
is small. For example, the number of such amended call reports for the 
fourth quarter of 2017 was 91, out of approximately 5,600 FDIC-insured 
depository institutions filing call reports. Moreover, the dollar 
amount of FICO assessment adjustments also is generally small. For that 
same period, the gross amount of refunds of prior FICO assessments 
related to those amended call reports was approximately $24,000, while 
the gross amount of collections of prior FICO underpayments was 
approximately $170,000, resulting in a net surplus of collections over 
refunds of approximately $146,000, i.e., the insured depository 
institutions generally owe more for underpayments than they are 
entitled to receive in refunds. From mid-2011 through the last 2017 
assessment period, the average net quarterly adjustment of prior FICO 
assessments resulting from all institutions' amendments to their prior 
call reports was approximately $95,000 of additional collections of 
prior FICO underpayments. As noted previously, and notwithstanding the 
typically modest numbers involved, the proposed rule has been drafted 
so as to preserve, through the date of the final FICO collection, the 
current practice of allowing all insured depository institutions to 
have their FICO assessments adjusted to reflect amendments to their 
prior call reports up until the date that FDIC finalizes the amount of 
each institution's final FICO assessment in March 2019.

IV. Paperwork Reduction Act

    The Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) requires that 
regulations involving the collection of information receive clearance 
from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This rule contains no 
such collection of information requiring OMB approval under the 
Paperwork Reduction Act. Consequently, no information has been 
submitted to OMB for review.

V. Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) generally requires that, in 
connection with a notice of proposed rulemaking, an agency prepare and 
make available for public comment an initial regulatory flexibility 
analysis describing the impact of the proposed rule on small 
entities.\20\ A regulatory flexibility analysis is not required, 
however, if the agency certifies that the rule will not have a 
significant economic effect on a substantial number of small entities. 
The SBA has defined ``small entities'' to include banking organizations 
with total assets less than or equal to $550 million.\21\ As discussed 
further below, the FHFA certifies that this proposed rule would not 
have a significant impact on a substantial number of FDIC-insured small 
entities.
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    \20\ 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.
    \21\ 13 CFR 121.201 (as amended, effective December 2, 2014).
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Description of Need and Policy Objectives

    By statute, FHFA must dissolve FICO as soon as practicable after it 
has made the final payments of principal and interest due on its 
Obligations, the last of which matures in September 2019. To facilitate 
FICO's prompt and orderly dissolution, and for the other reasons 
described in Section III, above, FHFA is proposing to make all 2019 
FICO assessments final and to terminate FICO assessment adjustments as 
of March 26, 2019.

[[Page 48573]]

Description of the Proposal

    A description of the proposal is presented in Section III: Contents 
of the Proposed Rule. Please refer to it for further information.

Other Federal Rules

    FHFA has exclusive regulatory authority over FICO and has sole 
responsibility for interpreting and applying the provisions of the Bank 
Act that govern FICO's operations. For the reasons described in Section 
III, above, FHFA has determined that the most appropriate way to 
interpret the provisions of the Bank Act that refer to the manner in 
which the FDIC conducts its own assessments is to read them as applying 
only while FICO is conducting its assessments. FHFA has not identified 
any likely duplication, overlap, and/or potential conflict between the 
proposed rule and any other federal rule.

Economic Impacts on Small Entities

    The proposed rule would apply to FICO and the manner in which it 
conducts its assessments, and could indirectly affect any FDIC-insured 
depository institutions that have been assessed to pay interest on the 
FICO's obligations. As of March 2018, the FDIC insured 5,606 depository 
institutions, of which 4,492 are defined as small banking entities for 
purposes of the RFA.\22\ Each insured depository institution's share of 
the FICO assessment is based on the insured depository institution's 
self-reported call report data, which the depository institution may 
amend after their initial filing with the FFIEC. Because decisions to 
amend previously filed call reports are solely within the control of 
the insured depository institution, it is not possible to predict how 
many depository institutions may amend a prior period call report 
during any calendar quarter, how many of those institutions amending a 
prior call report would be small entities for RFA purposes, whether the 
call report amendments would affect the calculation of an individual 
institution's prior FICO assessment, the dollar amount by which a prior 
FICO assessment had changed as a result of an amended call report, or 
the net amount of all such changes for all insured depository 
institutions, i.e., whether the dollar amount of all refunds for prior 
overpayments was greater or less than the dollar amount of all billings 
for prior underpayments. Based on historical FFIEC data relating to 
call report amendments that affected individual institution FICO 
assessments, however, it appears that the proposed rule would not 
affect a substantial number of small entities, and that the economic 
effect on those small entities that may be affected by the proposed 
rule would not be significant. Indeed, the potential net economic 
effect on those small entities would most likely be positive, meaning 
that more of them would receive a financial benefit--being relieved of 
the obligation to pay for any prior underpayment of a FICO assessment--
than would experience the negative effect of losing refunds for prior 
overpayment of FICO assessments.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \22\ Call Report data as of March 31, 2018.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Between March 2012 and December 2017, there has been an average of 
approximately 205 FICO assessments amended per calendar quarter, split 
evenly between refunds and additional collections. Based on the 
proportion of small entities to the total number of FDIC-insured 
depository institutions, FHFA has deemed approximately 80 percent of 
those amendments to have been attributable to small entities. The 
actual number of small entities amending call reports that affect their 
FICO assessments is apt to be lower, however, because each institution 
may amend multiple quarters' call reports at one time. For example, an 
institution amending a call report from a particular calendar quarter 
two years ago may also amend some or all of the subsequent call 
reports. Of the 164 FICO assessment amendments attributable to small 
banking entities per quarter, if each entity submits an average of two 
amendments per quarter, approximately 82, or slightly less than two 
percent, of FDIC-insured small banking entities would be affected per 
quarter by the proposed rule.
    During the same period, the average gross FICO refunds to 
institutions due to their overpayments of prior FICO assessments was 
approximately $139,000 per quarter, or an average of about $1,350 per 
amendment. The average gross additional FICO collection for 
underpayment of prior FICO assessments was $243,000 per quarter, or 
$2,370 per amendment. Based on those numbers, and assuming the largest 
possible estimated refunds, i.e., where an institution amended call 
reports for each of the twelve calendar quarters in the three year 
period and was entitled to an overpayment credit for each quarter of 
$1,350 each, the potential cost to that institution would be $16,200. 
In a similar fashion, assuming the largest possible estimated billings, 
i.e., where the institution amended its twelve most recent call reports 
and had underpaid each of the FICO assessments for those periods, the 
potential savings to that institution would be $28,440. These figures 
indicate that the proposed rule would likely not have a significant 
economic effect on even the smallest banking entities. When viewed in 
the aggregate, it appears that the most likely net effect on all FDIC 
insured institutions, including small entities, will be positive 
because the available data indicates that most adjustments to prior 
FICO assessments result in the depository institution paying additional 
amounts to make up for prior underpayments of its prior period FICO 
assessments, and that the amounts of such billings are greater than the 
amounts of any refunds.
    The proposed rule would pose no regulatory costs for FDIC insured 
small entities, as their FDIC assessment process would remain in place 
as currently implemented. Overall assessment costs will be permanently 
reduced to the extent each entity's FICO assessment is no longer 
collected. Further, FDIC assessment adjustments would be unaffected by 
the proposed rule, which typically represent 90 percent of an insured 
institution's total potential adjustment value. For these reasons and 
based on the figures cited above, FHFA finds that the proposed rule 
would not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of 
small entities.

Alternatives Considered

    As discussed previously, FHFA is issuing the proposed rule to 
provide clarity and finality to an issue--the status of future 
adjustments to prior FICO assessments--that is not otherwise addressed 
by the statute. FHFA has considered three other approaches to 
addressing this issue. First, FHFA considered taking no action. That 
approach likely would have resulted in insured depository institutions 
being in the same situation as will be the case under the proposed 
rule--without any mechanism to process adjustments to their prior FICO 
assessments--but neither they nor FICO would have had any guidance as 
to the status of their prior FICO assessments. By providing that all 
FICO assessments become final and nonrefundable when FICO completes its 
2019 assessments, the proposed rule provides certainty to those 
institutions that they would not have otherwise, and without placing 
them in any different situation than would be the case if FHFA took no 
action.
    Second, FHFA considered whether, once all FICO obligations are 
paid, FICO could assess all FDIC-insured institutions or use its own 
assets to obtain the monies needed to pay refunds to any insured 
depository

[[Page 48574]]

institutions whose FICO assessments had changed due to amendments to 
their call reports. FHFA concluded that further assessments are not 
legally permissible because Congress has authorized FICO to assess 
FDIC-insured institutions only for three specific purposes--to pay 
interest on the FICO Obligations, issuance costs, and custodian fees--
which means that FICO's assessment authority does not extend to 
obtaining monies for paying refunds of prior FICO assessments. FICO 
also could not use its own assets to provide such monies because, as 
described previously, FICO has no legal obligation under any statute to 
reimburse insured institutions for their prior overpayments of FICO 
assessments, and has no authority to spend its assets for any purposes 
beyond those authorized by statute.
    Third, FHFA considered whether FICO could direct the FDIC, as 
collection agent, to could continue to process adjustments to prior 
FICO assessments on its own, but deemed that approach not to be legally 
permissible. The FDIC acts as FICO's agent when collecting the FICO 
assessments, and as such FDIC's authority derives from, and can be no 
greater than, FICO's own assessment authority.

Solicitation of Comments

    FHFA invites comments on all aspects of the supporting information 
provided in this RFA section.

 List of Subjects in 12 CFR Part 1271

    Accounting, Community development, Credit, Federal home loan banks, 
Government securities, Housing, Miscellaneous federal home loan bank 
operations and authorities, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

Authority and Issuance

    Accordingly, for reasons stated in the Supplementary Information 
and under the authority of 12 U.S.C. 1431(a), 1432(a), 4511(b), 4513, 
4526(a), FHFA proposes to amend part 1271 of subchapter D of chapter 
XII of title 12 of the Code of Federal Regulations as follows:

PART 1271--MISCELLANEOUS FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK OPERATIONS AND 
AUTHORITIES

0
1. The authority citation for part 1271 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 12 U.S.C. 1430, 1431, 1432, 1441(b)(8), (c), (j), 
1442, 4511(b), 4513(a), 4526.

0
2. Amend Sec.  1271.37 by adding paragraph (d) to read as follows:


Sec.  1271.37   Non-administrative expenses; assessments.

* * * * *
    (d)(1) Final Assessments. All Financing Corporation assessments 
collected during 2019 shall be final. Subsequent to March 29, 2019, no 
insured depository institution shall have any right to receive refunds 
for any overpayment of any prior Financing Corporation assessments nor 
shall it be billed for any underpayment of any prior Financing 
Corporation assessments that arise as a result of an amendment to any 
Consolidated Reports of Condition and Income on which the prior 
Financing Corporation assessment had been based.
    (2) Amendments to call reports. Amendments to an institution's 
Consolidated Reports of Condition and Income for quarters prior to and 
including the fourth quarter of 2018 shall not affect an institution's 
Financing Corporation assessments after March 26, 2019.
    (3) June 2019 Assessment. In the event Financing Corporation 
assessments are collected in June 2019, amendments to an institution's 
first quarter 2019 Consolidated Reports of Condition and Income that 
are submitted after June 25, 2019 shall not affect the institution's 
Financing Corporation assessment.

    Dated: September 20, 2018.
Melvin L. Watt,
Director, Federal Housing Finance Agency.
[FR Doc. 2018-20975 Filed 9-25-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8070-01-P



                                                                   Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 187 / Wednesday, September 26, 2018 / Proposed Rules                                                      48569

                                                   (A) Is submitted for placement                        to be the last of those assessments.                  I. Comments
                                                 through a deposit placement network by                  Specifically, the proposed rule would
                                                 an agent institution; and                               provide that all payments made by                       FHFA invites comment on all aspects
                                                   (B) Does not consist of funds that                    FDIC-insured depository institutions                  of the proposed rulemaking, which
                                                 were obtained for the agent institution,                during 2019 will be final, and that no                FHFA is publishing with a 30-day
                                                 directly or indirectly, by or through a                 adjustments to prior FICO assessments                 comment period. After considering the
                                                 deposit broker before submission for                    would be permitted after March 26,                    comments, FHFA will develop a final
                                                 placement through a deposit placement                   2019, the projected date as of which the              regulation. Copies of all comments
                                                 network.                                                FDIC will finalize the amounts of the                 received will be posted without change
                                                   (iii) Deposit placement network                       final collection for the 2019 FICO                    on the FHFA website at http://
                                                 means a network in which an insured                     assessments.                                          www.fhfa.gov, and will include any
                                                 depository institution participates,                                                                          personal information you provide, such
                                                                                                         DATES: FHFA must receive written
                                                 together with other insured depository                                                                        as your name, address, email address,
                                                                                                         comments on or before October 26,
                                                 institutions, for the processing and                                                                          and telephone number.
                                                                                                         2018.
                                                 receipt of reciprocal deposits.                                                                               II. Background
                                                   (iv) Network member bank means an                     ADDRESSES: You may submit your
                                                 insured depository institution that is a                comments on the proposed rule,                           FHFA is an independent agency of the
                                                 member of a deposit placement                           identified by regulatory information                  federal government established to
                                                 network.                                                number (RIN) 2590–AA99 by any of the                  regulate and oversee the Federal
                                                   (v) Reciprocal deposits means                         following methods:                                    National Mortgage Association, the
                                                 deposits received by an agent institution                  • Agency Website: www.fhfa.gov/
                                                                                                                                                               Federal Home Loan Mortgage
                                                 through a deposit placement network                     open-for-comment-or-input.
                                                                                                            • Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://              Corporation, the Federal Home Loan
                                                 with the same maturity (if any) and in                                                                        Banks (Banks), and the Bank System’s
                                                                                                         www.regulations.gov. Follow the
                                                 the same aggregate amount as covered                                                                          Office of Finance.1 FHFA also is
                                                                                                         instructions for submitting comments. If
                                                 deposits placed by the agent institution                                                                      responsible for overseeing FICO. The
                                                                                                         you submit your comments to the
                                                 in other network member banks.                                                                                Competitive Equality Banking Act of
                                                                                                         Federal eRulemaking Portal, please also
                                                   Dated at Washington, DC, on September                 send it by email to FHFA at                           1987 2 amended the Federal Home Loan
                                                 12, 2018.                                               RegComments@FHFA.gov to ensure                        Bank Act (Bank Act) and authorized
                                                 Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.                  timely receipt by the agency. Please                  FHFA’s predecessor to establish FICO,
                                                                                                         include ‘‘RIN 2590–AA99’’ in the                      and authorizes the FHFA Director to
                                                 Robert E. Feldman,
                                                                                                         subject line of the message.                          select the two Bank presidents that
                                                 Executive Secretary.
                                                                                                            • Hand Delivery/Courier: The hand                  serve on its directorate, to prescribe
                                                 [FR Doc. 2018–20303 Filed 9–25–18; 8:45 am]                                                                   such regulations as are necessary to
                                                                                                         delivery address is: Alfred M. Pollard,
                                                 BILLING CODE 6714–01–P
                                                                                                         General Counsel, Attention: Comments/                 carry out the statutory provisions
                                                                                                         RIN 2590–AA99, Federal Housing                        relating to FICO, and to oversee the
                                                                                                         Finance Agency, Constitution Center,                  dissolution of FICO.3
                                                 FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE                                 (OGC) Eighth Floor, 400 Seventh Street                   FICO is a mixed-ownership, tax-
                                                 AGENCY                                                  SW, Washington, DC 20219. The                         exempt government corporation,
                                                                                                         package should be delivered to the                    chartered in 1987 by the former Federal
                                                 12 CFR Part 1271
                                                                                                         Seventh Street entrance Guard Desk,                   Home Loan Bank Board, one of FHFA’s
                                                 RIN 2590–AA99                                           First Floor, on business days between 9               predecessor agencies, pursuant to the
                                                                                                         a.m. and 5 p.m.                                       Federal Savings and Loan Insurance
                                                 Miscellaneous Federal Home Loan                            • U.S. Mail, United Parcel Service,                Corporation (FSLIC) Recapitalization
                                                 Bank Operations and Authorities—                        Federal Express, or Other Mail Service:               Act of 1987, as amended
                                                 Financing Corporation Assessments                       The mailing address for comments is:                  (Recapitalization Act).4 The
                                                 AGENCY: Federal Housing Finance                         Alfred M. Pollard, General Counsel,                   Recapitalization Act’s purpose was to
                                                 Agency.                                                 Attention: Comments/RIN 2590–AA99,                    recapitalize the FSLIC insurance fund,
                                                                                                         Federal Housing Finance Agency,                       which had been significantly depleted
                                                 ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.
                                                                                                         Constitution Center, (OGC) Eighth Floor,              by a wave of savings and loan (S&L)
                                                 SUMMARY:    The Federal Housing Finance                 400 Seventh Street SW, Washington, DC                 failures during the S&L crisis of the
                                                 Agency (FHFA) is proposing to amend                     20219.                                                1980s. FICO’s mission was to provide
                                                 its regulations pertaining to the                       FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:                      funding for FSLIC (and later for the
                                                 operation of the Financing Corporation                  Louis M. Scalza, Associate Director,                  FSLIC Resolution Fund after FSLIC’s
                                                 (FICO), a vehicle established by one of                 Examinations, Office of Safety &                      insolvency and later abolishment by the
                                                 FHFA’s predecessors to issue bonds, the                 Soundness Examinations, Louis.Scalza@                 Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery,
                                                 proceeds of which were used to help                     fhfa.gov, (202) 649–3710; Winston Sale,               and Enforcement Act of 1989 (FIRREA))
                                                 fund the resolution of failed savings and               Assistant General Counsel,                            by selling bonds to the public. FICO’s
                                                 loan associations during the 1980s. The                 Winston.Sale@fhfa.gov, (202) 649–3081;                operations are managed by a directorate
                                                 last of those FICO bonds will mature in                 or Neil R. Crowley, Deputy General                    composed of the Director of the Office
                                                 September 2019. By statute, FICO                        Counsel, Neil.Crowley@fhfa.gov, (202)                 of Finance and two Bank presidents
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with PROPOSALS




                                                 obtains the monies to pay the interest on               649–3055 (these are not toll-free
                                                 those bonds by assessing depository                     numbers), Federal Housing Finance                       1 12 U.S.C. 4511.
                                                 institutions (FICO assessments) that are                Agency, 400 Seventh Street SW,                          2 Public  Law 100–86, 101 Stat. 552.
                                                 insured by the Federal Deposit                          Washington, DC 20219. The telephone                     3 See 12 U.S.C. 1441(a) (establishment of FICO),

                                                 Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The                       number for the Telecommunications                     (b)(1)(B) (selection of directors), (i) (dissolution, and
                                                                                                                                                               authority for FHFA to exercise any FICO powers,
                                                 proposed rule addresses the manner in                   Device for the Hearing Impaired is (800)              needed to conclude its affairs), and (j) (authority to
                                                 which FICO would conduct the 2019                       877–8339.                                             prescribe regulations).
                                                 FICO assessments, which are expected                    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:                              4 See 12 U.S.C. 1441(a).




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                                                 48570             Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 187 / Wednesday, September 26, 2018 / Proposed Rules

                                                 who rotate after serving one year terms.5               merged into the newly created Deposit                  the FDIC of the interest it has earned.
                                                 FICO has no permanent staff and                         Insurance Fund (DIF), and thus FICO                    Using that information and FICO’s
                                                 utilizes Office of Finance staff to                     may assess institutions insured by the                 assessment rate formula, the FDIC
                                                 execute its day-to-day functions.                       DIF.12 FICO is authorized to assess                    calculates a ‘‘quarterly multiplier’’ and
                                                    FICO was initially capitalized by                    insured depository institutions only for               applies it to information derived from
                                                 issuing stock to the Banks in an                        three purposes: For making interest                    each institution’s call report to
                                                 aggregate amount of $680 million,                       payments on the FICO Obligations;                      determine the FICO assessment for each
                                                 apportioned pro rata among the Banks                    paying issuance costs for the FICO                     institution for that calendar quarter. The
                                                 in accordance with a statutory formula.6                Obligations; and paying custodial fees                 FDIC then issues an invoice to each
                                                 FICO used the proceeds from the stock                   associated with the FICO Obligations.                  insured depository institution detailing
                                                 issuances to purchase U.S. Treasury                     The Bank Act, as amended by FIRREA,                    both its quarterly FDIC and FICO
                                                 zero-coupon securities (Zeros), which                   further provides that FICO is to conduct               assessments.15 Insured depository
                                                 were to be the sole source of repayment                 its assessments in the same manner that                institutions submit payment for their
                                                 of the principal of the bonds to be                     the FDIC uses when assessing its                       FDIC and FICO assessments to the FDIC
                                                 issued by FICO. Between 1987 and 1989                   insured depository institutions for                    via ACH. The FDIC then transfers the
                                                 FICO issued 14 separate series of 30-                   deposit insurance purposes.13 FICO and                 aggregate FICO collections to an account
                                                 year bonds (Obligations) in an aggregate                the FDIC entered into a memorandum of                  that FICO maintains at the Federal
                                                 principal amount of approximately $8.1                  understanding in 1997 (Memorandum of                   Reserve Bank of New York, from which
                                                 billion. FICO conveyed the proceeds of                  Understanding), as amended in 1999,                    FICO pays the interest that is due on the
                                                 the Obligations to FSLIC, to finance its                pursuant to which the FDIC collects                    FICO Obligations.
                                                 resolution of failed S&Ls.7 FICO is                     FICO’s assessments from its insured                       In the case of an insured depository
                                                 required by statute to hold the Zeros in                depository institutions quarterly, as                  institution that amends its call report for
                                                 a segregated account until they are used                agent for FICO.                                        a prior period, FICO assessments are
                                                 to pay the principal due on the                            The FDIC conducts its own Deposit                   adjusted in the same manner as FDIC
                                                 Obligations at their maturity.8 The                     Insurance Fund assessments quarterly                   assessments. Thus, if an amended call
                                                 Obligations began to mature in 2017,                    (FDIC assessment), with the amount of                  report results in an institution having
                                                 and the last Obligation will mature in                  the FDIC assessment for each insured                   overpaid or underpaid a prior quarter’s
                                                 September 2019.                                         depository institution being determined                FICO assessment an adjustment amount
                                                    The Recapitalization Act established a               based, in part, on data that the                       will appear on an upcoming invoice,
                                                 different source for providing funds                    institution has submitted to the Federal               provided that the amendment has been
                                                 needed to service the semiannual                        Financial Institutions Examination                     made within three years after the date
                                                 interest payments on the FICO                           Council (FFIEC) in its Consolidated                    that the associated FICO payment was
                                                 Obligations.9 The statute authorized                    Reports of Condition and Income (call                  due.16 Pursuant to the Memorandum of
                                                 FICO to assess FSLIC-insured                            report). If an insured depository                      Understanding, overpayments arising
                                                 depository institutions for the funds                   institution amends a call report on                    from amended call reports are generally
                                                 needed to pay the interest due on the                   which a previous FDIC assessment had                   credited against the next quarter’s FICO
                                                 FICO Obligations.10 The Deposit                         been calculated and the amendment to                   assessment and underpayments are
                                                 Insurance Funds Act of 1996 authorized                  the call report would cause the                        added to the next quarter’s FICO
                                                 FICO to assess against institutions with                calculation of the prior FDIC assessment               assessment.
                                                 deposits insured by both the Bank                       to change, the institution may receive an                 With respect to all such refunds for
                                                 Insurance Fund (BIF) and the Savings
                                                                                                         adjustment, which generally appears on                 overpayments of prior period FICO
                                                 Association Insurance Fund (SAIF).11
                                                                                                         an upcoming invoice.14                                 assessments once all FICO obligations
                                                 Pursuant to the Federal Deposit                            Pursuant to the Memorandum of
                                                 Insurance Reform Act of 2005, effective                                                                        are paid, however, FICO has no legal
                                                                                                         Understanding, the FDIC collects the                   obligation to use its own assets (other
                                                 March 31, 2006, the BIF and SAIF were                   FICO assessments from the insured                      than those funds obtained from the
                                                   5 See
                                                                                                         depository institutions quarterly, as                  FICO assessments) to provide monies to
                                                          12 U.S.C. 1441(b).
                                                   6 See  12 U.S.C. 1441(d)(4). FICO issued the stock
                                                                                                         agent for FICO, at the same time as the                any insured depository institutions to
                                                 in a series of transactions between 1987 and 1989,      collection of FDIC assessments.                        make those refunds and does not do so.
                                                 each in anticipation of an issuance of a particular     Pursuant to the Memorandum of                          Indeed, FICO has no legal authority to
                                                 series of the FICO bonds.                               Understanding, FICO assessments are
                                                    7 FICO used the net proceeds from the first 13
                                                                                                                                                                assess insured depository institutions
                                                 series of its Obligations to purchase nonredeemable
                                                                                                         made based on an assessment rate                       for the sole purpose of obtaining monies
                                                 capital certificates and nonredeemable nonvoting        formula adopted by FICO, and approved                  to provide refunds to other insured
                                                 capital stock issued by the FSLIC. After the FSLIC      by the FDIC Board of Directors. One                    depository institutions or to spend its
                                                 was abolished in 1989, FICO used the proceeds           factor in FICO’s formula is the deposit
                                                 from its final series of Obligations to purchase
                                                                                                                                                                own non-assessment assets for that
                                                 nonredeemable capital certificates issued by the        insurance assessment base, which (as                   purpose. As a practical matter, because
                                                 FSLIC Resolution Fund, the statutory successor to       described above) is calculated using an                these refunds are processed as credits
                                                 the FSLIC. See 12 U.S.C. 1821a (establishment of        insured depository institution’s call                  against the next FICO assessment, they
                                                 FSLIC Resolution Fund). Those instruments have          report data. Under the terms of the
                                                 no value and have been charged to FICO’s capital.                                                              do not require any cash outlay from
                                                    8 See 12 U.S.C 1441(g)(2).                           Memorandum of Understanding, twice                     FICO and all refunds are effectively paid
                                                    9 Interest on each FICO Obligation is paid on the    per year, FICO notifies the FDIC of the
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with PROPOSALS




                                                 anniversary of its issuance date, and six months        total amounts that would be needed for                    15 The FDIC provides to each institution a

                                                 after that date each year.                              FICO to make its upcoming Obligation                   Quarterly Certified Statement Invoice that specifies
                                                    10 12 U.S.C. 1441(f)(2). The statute further                                                                the total amount of that quarter’s assessment,
                                                                                                         interest payments and annually informs                 including the FDIC assessment and the FICO
                                                 provides that the FICO assessments are subject to
                                                 the approval of the FDIC board of directors. FICO                                                              assessment for that calendar quarter.
                                                                                                           12 Public   Law 109–171 sec. 2109(a)(2), 120 Stat.
                                                 and the FDIC have entered into a memorandum of                                                                    16 See 12 U.S.C. 1817(g)(2) (establishing a three-

                                                 understanding under which FDIC, as agent for            20.                                                    year statute of limitations on actions by insured
                                                 FICO, collects the FICO assessments on insured            13 12U.S.C. 1441(f)(2).                              depository institutions to recover overpayments
                                                 depository institutions, as approved by the FDIC.         14 See12 U.S.C. 1817(e)(1) (addressing refunds of    from FDIC, and on actions by FDIC to recover
                                                    11 Public Law 104–131, 110 Stat. 1213.               overpayments of FDIC assessments).                     underpayments from the insured institutions).



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                                                                   Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 187 / Wednesday, September 26, 2018 / Proposed Rules                                                    48571

                                                 from the assessments on the other                       anticipates that the FDIC, as agent for               existing adjustment practice through the
                                                 insured depository institutions                         FICO, will collect one FICO assessment                final FICO assessment collection, i.e., it
                                                 collectively. The principal effect of such              during 2019 and that the amounts                      would allow the FDIC, as agent for
                                                 refunds is that they modestly reduce the                received by FICO from the March 2019                  FICO, to adjust the March 2019 FICO
                                                 amount of monies actually collected by                  collections will be sufficient (when                  assessment for any institution to reflect
                                                 the FDIC, as agent for FICO, as part of                 combined with any other available                     amendments that the institution has
                                                 a particular quarter’s FICO assessment.                 funds that FICO will have on hand) to                 made to its call reports for any calendar
                                                 Those refund credits, however, may be                   make all remaining interest payments                  quarters prior to and including the
                                                 offset by the additional amounts that the               due during 2019. Accordingly, once the                fourth quarter of 2018. This provision is
                                                 FDIC collects, as an agent for FICO, from               final FICO assessment has been                        phrased in terms of setting March 26,
                                                 other institutions that had previously                  collected, there will be no subsequent                2019—the projected date as of which
                                                 underpaid a prior FICO assessment.17                    billing cycle through which an insured                the FDIC will finalize the amounts due
                                                 To the extent overpayment credits                       depository institution could have a prior             for the March 2019 FICO assessment—
                                                 exceed underpayment collections, such                   FICO assessment adjusted, i.e., the                   as the last date for any such call report
                                                 shortfall is made up the following                      FDIC, which will cease to be collection               amendments to affect the institution’s
                                                 quarter by increasing the total collection              agent for FICO, will no longer invoice                FICO assessments.19 Fourth, the
                                                 amount accordingly. Moreover, because                   institutions for FICO assessments that                proposal includes a provision that is
                                                 the determination of the quarterly                      could be adjusted to reflect increases or             intended to address the possibility,
                                                 multiplier for setting the FICO                         decreases attributable to amendments to               which FHFA believes to be small, that
                                                 assessment involves rounding, any                       their prior period call reports. Because              FICO may need to conduct another
                                                 quarterly collection of the FICO                        FICO assessments are collected in the                 assessment in June 2019, which would
                                                 assessment may yield slightly more                      same manner as FDIC assessments, the                  occur only if the March collection did
                                                 money than the initially projected                      FDIC’s billing practices, as agent for                not yield sufficient monies to make the
                                                 assessment amount. Pursuant to the                      FICO, have long included the above-                   remaining interest payments on the
                                                 Memorandum of Understanding with                        described adjustment provision for the                FICO bonds. This provision has been
                                                 the FDIC, FICO also maintains a cash                    FICO assessments. Thus, FHFA has                      drafted to preserve the current practice
                                                 reserve that is available to make up                    determined that it would be                           of allowing an insured depository
                                                 modest shortfalls that might arise during               appropriate, as FICO’s regulator, to                  institution to amend the call report on
                                                 a quarterly collection. FICO has never                  adopt a rule to make clear that such                  which its June FICO assessments will be
                                                 needed to use the cash reserve, because                 adjustments must cease after FICO has                 based up until the date on which the
                                                 it has always collected sufficient funds                collected its final assessment from the               FDIC finalizes the amounts due from
                                                 to make all required interest payments                  insured depository institutions, and that             each institution for that quarter. This
                                                 when due. FHFA anticipates that FICO                    FICO has no obligation to make any                    paragraph provides that any
                                                 will draw down the monies in its cash                   adjustments to prior FICO assessments.                amendments to the call reports for the
                                                 reserve to fund a portion of the                           This rulemaking pertains only to the               calendar quarter ending on March 31,
                                                 remaining interest payments on its                      FICO assessments, which the FDIC                      2019 that are submitted after June 25,
                                                 Obligations as they come due, which                     collects on behalf of FICO. It does not               2019, the anticipated date on which the
                                                 also would reduce the amount needed                     affect the deposit insurance assessments              FDIC would finalize payments for the
                                                 to be assessed and collected from                       that the FDIC collects from insured                   collection, will not affect the
                                                 insured depository institutions during                  depository institutions, which will                   institution’s FICO assessment. Any
                                                 2019.                                                   continue in their normal manner. The                  amended call reports for the first quarter
                                                    As is evident from the above                         sections below describe the content of                of 2019 submitted prior to that date will
                                                 description, the current practice for                   the proposed rule.                                    be used to calculate the June
                                                 adjusting individual FICO                                                                                     assessments. This is consistent with
                                                 assessments—to account for either                       III. The Proposed Rule
                                                                                                                                                               current practice for FICO assessments,
                                                 refunds or additional collections—                         Content of the Proposed Rule. The
                                                                                                                                                               under which payment amounts for FICO
                                                 depends on the existence of a                           proposed rule would do four things.
                                                                                                                                                               assessments are finalized three days
                                                 subsequent FICO collection that could                   First, it would provide that all FICO
                                                                                                                                                               prior to the date of collection.
                                                 serve as the source of funds and the                    assessments collected during 2019 will                   Analysis. In the absence of an ongoing
                                                 means by which any such adjustments                     be final, meaning that there will be no               FICO assessment process there is no
                                                 may be processed. The last of the FICO                  possibility of any subsequent                         funding mechanism for FICO to provide
                                                 bonds will mature during 2019 and                       adjustments to those assessment                       an insured depository institution a
                                                 FICO is scheduled to make five different                amounts. Second, it would provide that                credit for any overpayment of a prior
                                                 interest payments during 2019.18 FHFA                   after the collection of the final FICO                FICO assessment or to bill it for any
                                                                                                         assessment (which is expected to occur                underpayment of a prior assessment.
                                                   17 The number of call report amendments
                                                                                                         on March 29, 2019) no insured                         FHFA has therefore determined to
                                                 submitted during a particular calendar quarter that     depository institution would be entitled
                                                 will affect a FICO assessment will vary, but is small                                                         provide clarity and finality by
                                                 in comparison to the number of insured depository       to any adjustment of any prior FICO                   affirmatively declaring the FICO
                                                 institutions filing call reports with FDIC. Generally   assessment that arises as a result of an              assessment adjustment practices
                                                 speaking, the dollar amounts of the gross FICO          amendment to the call report on which
                                                 refunds and FICO additional collections for any                                                               terminated, effective with the collection
                                                                                                         the prior assessment had been based.
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                                                 calendar quarter are also small, and the net amounts
                                                 of such adjustments during a particular quarter         This recognizes the fact that                           19 For example, an insured depository institution
                                                 often are less than $100,000.                           adjustments to prior FICO assessments                 that amends a prior period call report on or before
                                                   18 Two interest payments, in the approximate
                                                                                                         can only be made as part of the process               March 26, 2019 will receive an appropriate
                                                 amount of $28 million each, are due during March        of collecting a subsequent FICO                       adjustment to the assessment amount anticipated to
                                                 2019, and FICO will collect monies needed to make                                                             be collected on March 29, 2019. An institution that
                                                 those payments during the December 2018                 assessment. Third, it would preserve the              amends a prior period call report after that date will
                                                 collection. The remaining three interest payments,                                                            not receive any adjustment to its prior FICO
                                                 in the approximate amounts of $25 million each,         and FICO will collect monies needed to make those     assessment because there is not expected to be
                                                 are due during April, June, and September 2019,         payments during the March 2019 collection.            another FICO assessment after that date.



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                                                 48572             Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 187 / Wednesday, September 26, 2018 / Proposed Rules

                                                 of the final FICO assessment. FHFA is                   from its prior assessments to pay the                 underpayments. As noted previously,
                                                 mindful of the statutory requirement                    interest and other costs due on its                   and notwithstanding the typically
                                                 that FICO should assess the depository                  Obligations. FICO also could not assess               modest numbers involved, the proposed
                                                 institutions for its costs in the same                  insured depository institutions to obtain             rule has been drafted so as to preserve,
                                                 manner as the FDIC assesses those                       funds to provide refunds to other                     through the date of the final FICO
                                                 institutions for deposit insurance                      institutions because its authority is                 collection, the current practice of
                                                 purposes. FHFA also understands,                        limited to assessing the institutions only            allowing all insured depository
                                                 however, that the FDIC has an                           for monies needed for interest                        institutions to have their FICO
                                                 established practice of allowing insured                payments, issuance costs, and custodial               assessments adjusted to reflect
                                                 depository institutions to have                         fees. Finally, Congress has mandated                  amendments to their prior call reports
                                                 adjustments made to their prior FDIC                    that FHFA dissolve FICO as soon as                    up until the date that FDIC finalizes the
                                                 assessments if they later amend the call                practicable after it has repaid the last of           amount of each institution’s final FICO
                                                 report data on which those assessments                  its Obligations, which evidences an                   assessment in March 2019.
                                                 were based, provided it occurs within                   intent that FICO may not undertake any
                                                 the three-year statutory period, a                      new activities, such as facilitating                  IV. Paperwork Reduction Act
                                                 practice that will not be available when                collections from and payments to
                                                 the FICO assessments cease.                             insured institutions, after FICO has                    The Paperwork Reduction Act (44
                                                    A key difference between the FICO                    repaid its Obligations.                               U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) requires that
                                                 assessments and the FDIC assessments                       FHFA believes that the most                        regulations involving the collection of
                                                 is that the FDIC assessments are                        appropriate reading of the Bank Act in                information receive clearance from the
                                                 continual, with no predetermined                        these circumstances is that it allows                 Office of Management and Budget
                                                 termination date. The FICO assessment                   insured depository institutions to                    (OMB). This rule contains no such
                                                 authority, however, is required by                      continue to receive refunds for prior                 collection of information requiring OMB
                                                 statute to cease after FICO has collected               overpayments (and to continue to be                   approval under the Paperwork
                                                 sufficient monies to pay the interest and               billed for prior underpayments) in the                Reduction Act. Consequently, no
                                                 related costs on its Obligations. In light              same manner as FDIC assessments                       information has been submitted to OMB
                                                 of that difference, FHFA believes that                  through and including the final FICO                  for review.
                                                 the statutory language requiring FICO to                assessment. That approach gives                       V. Regulatory Flexibility Act
                                                 conduct its assessments in the same                     appropriate effect to the ‘‘in the same
                                                 manner as the FDIC assessments is best                  manner’’ language of the statute without                 The Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)
                                                 read as requiring FICO to follow the                    creating any conflict with the provision              generally requires that, in connection
                                                 FDIC practice for prior period                          requiring the prompt dissolution of                   with a notice of proposed rulemaking,
                                                 adjustments only for so long as FICO                    FICO, and without imposing on FICO                    an agency prepare and make available
                                                 actually is collecting assessments from                 any obligations that are not expressly                for public comment an initial regulatory
                                                 the insured depository institutions.                    mandated by the Bank Act.                             flexibility analysis describing the
                                                 FHFA has drafted the proposed                              FHFA also does not believe that the                impact of the proposed rule on small
                                                 regulation in that manner, i.e., the                    proposed rule would have a significant                entities.20 A regulatory flexibility
                                                 proposed rule would preserve the                        effect on FDIC-insured institutions. As               analysis is not required, however, if the
                                                 existing FDIC adjustment process                        an initial matter, the number of insured              agency certifies that the rule will not
                                                 through and including what is expected                  depository institutions amending call
                                                                                                                                                               have a significant economic effect on a
                                                 to be the final collection of the FICO                  reports in any calendar quarter that
                                                                                                                                                               substantial number of small entities.
                                                 assessment in March 2019. Until that                    affect their prior FICO assessments
                                                                                                                                                               The SBA has defined ‘‘small entities’’ to
                                                 final collection has been completed, all                typically is small. For example, the
                                                                                                                                                               include banking organizations with total
                                                 insured depository institutions that are                number of such amended call reports for
                                                                                                                                                               assets less than or equal to $550
                                                 eligible to be credited a refund for any                the fourth quarter of 2017 was 91, out
                                                                                                         of approximately 5,600 FDIC-insured                   million.21 As discussed further below,
                                                 prior overpayment of their FICO
                                                                                                         depository institutions filing call                   the FHFA certifies that this proposed
                                                 assessment or to be billed for any prior
                                                                                                         reports. Moreover, the dollar amount of               rule would not have a significant impact
                                                 underpayment of their FICO assessment
                                                                                                         FICO assessment adjustments also is                   on a substantial number of FDIC-insured
                                                 will be able to continue to have the
                                                 appropriate adjustment included in the                  generally small. For that same period,                small entities.
                                                 calculation of the amount they are to                   the gross amount of refunds of prior                  Description of Need and Policy
                                                 pay.                                                    FICO assessments related to those                     Objectives
                                                    For the foregoing reasons, FHFA does                 amended call reports was approximately
                                                 not believe that the ‘‘in the same                      $24,000, while the gross amount of                      By statute, FHFA must dissolve FICO
                                                 manner’’ language of the Bank Act can                   collections of prior FICO                             as soon as practicable after it has made
                                                 reasonably be construed to require FICO                 underpayments was approximately                       the final payments of principal and
                                                 to provide refunds to, or to collect                    $170,000, resulting in a net surplus of               interest due on its Obligations, the last
                                                 monies from, insured depository                         collections over refunds of                           of which matures in September 2019. To
                                                 institutions that amend a prior period                  approximately $146,000, i.e., the                     facilitate FICO’s prompt and orderly
                                                 call report after FICO has ceased its                   insured depository institutions                       dissolution, and for the other reasons
                                                 assessments. As noted above, there will                 generally owe more for underpayments                  described in Section III, above, FHFA is
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                                                 be no practical way to process such                     than they are entitled to receive in                  proposing to make all 2019 FICO
                                                 adjustments because there will be no                    refunds. From mid-2011 through the last               assessments final and to terminate FICO
                                                 invoiced amount against which a credit                  2017 assessment period, the average net               assessment adjustments as of March 26,
                                                 could be applied or to which a                          quarterly adjustment of prior FICO                    2019.
                                                 surcharge could be added. Moreover,                     assessments resulting from all
                                                 there is no source of funds from which                  institutions’ amendments to their prior                 20 5
                                                                                                                                                                    U.S.C. 601 et seq.
                                                 FICO could pay cash refunds because                     call reports was approximately $95,000                  21 13
                                                                                                                                                                     CFR 121.201 (as amended, effective
                                                 FICO will have used all monies received                 of additional collections of prior FICO               December 2, 2014).



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                                                                      Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 187 / Wednesday, September 26, 2018 / Proposed Rules                                          48573

                                                 Description of the Proposal                                it appears that the proposed rule would               figures indicate that the proposed rule
                                                   A description of the proposal is                         not affect a substantial number of small              would likely not have a significant
                                                 presented in Section III: Contents of the                  entities, and that the economic effect on             economic effect on even the smallest
                                                 Proposed Rule. Please refer to it for                      those small entities that may be affected             banking entities. When viewed in the
                                                 further information.                                       by the proposed rule would not be                     aggregate, it appears that the most likely
                                                                                                            significant. Indeed, the potential net                net effect on all FDIC insured
                                                 Other Federal Rules                                        economic effect on those small entities               institutions, including small entities,
                                                    FHFA has exclusive regulatory                           would most likely be positive, meaning                will be positive because the available
                                                 authority over FICO and has sole                           that more of them would receive a                     data indicates that most adjustments to
                                                 responsibility for interpreting and                        financial benefit—being relieved of the               prior FICO assessments result in the
                                                 applying the provisions of the Bank Act                    obligation to pay for any prior                       depository institution paying additional
                                                 that govern FICO’s operations. For the                     underpayment of a FICO assessment—                    amounts to make up for prior
                                                 reasons described in Section III, above,                   than would experience the negative                    underpayments of its prior period FICO
                                                 FHFA has determined that the most                          effect of losing refunds for prior                    assessments, and that the amounts of
                                                 appropriate way to interpret the                           overpayment of FICO assessments.                      such billings are greater than the
                                                 provisions of the Bank Act that refer to                      Between March 2012 and December                    amounts of any refunds.
                                                 the manner in which the FDIC conducts                      2017, there has been an average of                       The proposed rule would pose no
                                                 its own assessments is to read them as                     approximately 205 FICO assessments                    regulatory costs for FDIC insured small
                                                 applying only while FICO is conducting                     amended per calendar quarter, split                   entities, as their FDIC assessment
                                                 its assessments. FHFA has not identified                   evenly between refunds and additional                 process would remain in place as
                                                 any likely duplication, overlap, and/or                    collections. Based on the proportion of               currently implemented. Overall
                                                 potential conflict between the proposed                    small entities to the total number of                 assessment costs will be permanently
                                                 rule and any other federal rule.                           FDIC-insured depository institutions,                 reduced to the extent each entity’s FICO
                                                                                                            FHFA has deemed approximately 80                      assessment is no longer collected.
                                                 Economic Impacts on Small Entities                         percent of those amendments to have                   Further, FDIC assessment adjustments
                                                    The proposed rule would apply to                        been attributable to small entities. The              would be unaffected by the proposed
                                                 FICO and the manner in which it                            actual number of small entities                       rule, which typically represent 90
                                                 conducts its assessments, and could                        amending call reports that affect their               percent of an insured institution’s total
                                                 indirectly affect any FDIC-insured                         FICO assessments is apt to be lower,                  potential adjustment value. For these
                                                 depository institutions that have been                     however, because each institution may                 reasons and based on the figures cited
                                                 assessed to pay interest on the FICO’s                     amend multiple quarters’ call reports at              above, FHFA finds that the proposed
                                                 obligations. As of March 2018, the FDIC                    one time. For example, an institution                 rule would not have a significant
                                                 insured 5,606 depository institutions, of                  amending a call report from a particular              economic impact on a substantial
                                                 which 4,492 are defined as small                           calendar quarter two years ago may also               number of small entities.
                                                 banking entities for purposes of the                       amend some or all of the subsequent
                                                                                                                                                                  Alternatives Considered
                                                 RFA.22 Each insured depository                             call reports. Of the 164 FICO assessment
                                                 institution’s share of the FICO                            amendments attributable to small                         As discussed previously, FHFA is
                                                 assessment is based on the insured                         banking entities per quarter, if each                 issuing the proposed rule to provide
                                                 depository institution’s self-reported                     entity submits an average of two                      clarity and finality to an issue—the
                                                 call report data, which the depository                     amendments per quarter, approximately                 status of future adjustments to prior
                                                 institution may amend after their initial                  82, or slightly less than two percent, of             FICO assessments—that is not otherwise
                                                 filing with the FFIEC. Because decisions                   FDIC-insured small banking entities                   addressed by the statute. FHFA has
                                                 to amend previously filed call reports                     would be affected per quarter by the                  considered three other approaches to
                                                 are solely within the control of the                       proposed rule.                                        addressing this issue. First, FHFA
                                                 insured depository institution, it is not                     During the same period, the average                considered taking no action. That
                                                 possible to predict how many                               gross FICO refunds to institutions due to             approach likely would have resulted in
                                                 depository institutions may amend a                        their overpayments of prior FICO                      insured depository institutions being in
                                                 prior period call report during any                        assessments was approximately                         the same situation as will be the case
                                                 calendar quarter, how many of those                        $139,000 per quarter, or an average of                under the proposed rule—without any
                                                 institutions amending a prior call report                  about $1,350 per amendment. The                       mechanism to process adjustments to
                                                 would be small entities for RFA                            average gross additional FICO collection              their prior FICO assessments—but
                                                 purposes, whether the call report                          for underpayment of prior FICO                        neither they nor FICO would have had
                                                 amendments would affect the                                assessments was $243,000 per quarter,                 any guidance as to the status of their
                                                 calculation of an individual institution’s                 or $2,370 per amendment. Based on                     prior FICO assessments. By providing
                                                 prior FICO assessment, the dollar                          those numbers, and assuming the largest               that all FICO assessments become final
                                                 amount by which a prior FICO                               possible estimated refunds, i.e., where               and nonrefundable when FICO
                                                 assessment had changed as a result of an                   an institution amended call reports for               completes its 2019 assessments, the
                                                 amended call report, or the net amount                     each of the twelve calendar quarters in               proposed rule provides certainty to
                                                 of all such changes for all insured                        the three year period and was entitled                those institutions that they would not
                                                 depository institutions, i.e., whether the                 to an overpayment credit for each                     have otherwise, and without placing
                                                 dollar amount of all refunds for prior                     quarter of $1,350 each, the potential cost            them in any different situation than
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                                                 overpayments was greater or less than                      to that institution would be $16,200. In              would be the case if FHFA took no
                                                 the dollar amount of all billings for prior                a similar fashion, assuming the largest               action.
                                                 underpayments. Based on historical                         possible estimated billings, i.e., where                 Second, FHFA considered whether,
                                                 FFIEC data relating to call report                         the institution amended its twelve most               once all FICO obligations are paid, FICO
                                                 amendments that affected individual                        recent call reports and had underpaid                 could assess all FDIC-insured
                                                 institution FICO assessments, however,                     each of the FICO assessments for those                institutions or use its own assets to
                                                                                                            periods, the potential savings to that                obtain the monies needed to pay
                                                   22 Call   Report data as of March 31, 2018.              institution would be $28,440. These                   refunds to any insured depository


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                                                 48574             Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 187 / Wednesday, September 26, 2018 / Proposed Rules

                                                 institutions whose FICO assessments                     § 1271.37 Non-administrative expenses;                ADDRESSES:  Send comments to the
                                                 had changed due to amendments to                        assessments.                                          Federal Aviation Administration, Policy
                                                 their call reports. FHFA concluded that                 *     *     *     *     *                             and Innovation Division, Rotorcraft
                                                 further assessments are not legally                       (d)(1) Final Assessments. All                       Standards Branch, AIR–681, Attention:
                                                 permissible because Congress has                        Financing Corporation assessments                     Michael Hughlett, 10101 Hillwood
                                                 authorized FICO to assess FDIC-insured                  collected during 2019 shall be final.                 Parkway, Fort Worth, Texas 76177.
                                                 institutions only for three specific                    Subsequent to March 29, 2019, no                      Comments may also be emailed to:
                                                 purposes—to pay interest on the FICO                    insured depository institution shall                  Michael.Hughlett@faa.gov.
                                                 Obligations, issuance costs, and                        have any right to receive refunds for any             FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
                                                 custodian fees—which means that                         overpayment of any prior Financing                    Michael Hughlett, Aviation Safety
                                                 FICO’s assessment authority does not                    Corporation assessments nor shall it be               Engineer, Rotorcraft Standards Branch,
                                                 extend to obtaining monies for paying                   billed for any underpayment of any                    Policy and Innovation Division, FAA,
                                                 refunds of prior FICO assessments. FICO                 prior Financing Corporation                           10101 Hillwood Pkwy., Fort Worth,
                                                 also could not use its own assets to                    assessments that arise as a result of an              Texas 76177; telephone (817) 222–5110;
                                                 provide such monies because, as                         amendment to any Consolidated Reports                 email Michael.Hughlett@faa.gov.
                                                 described previously, FICO has no legal                 of Condition and Income on which the                  SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
                                                 obligation under any statute to                         prior Financing Corporation assessment
                                                 reimburse insured institutions for their                had been based.                                       Comments Invited
                                                 prior overpayments of FICO                                (2) Amendments to call reports.                        The FAA invites interested parties to
                                                 assessments, and has no authority to                    Amendments to an institution’s                        submit comments on the proposed
                                                 spend its assets for any purposes                       Consolidated Reports of Condition and                 airworthiness standards to the address
                                                 beyond those authorized by statute.                     Income for quarters prior to and                      specified above. Commenters must
                                                   Third, FHFA considered whether                        including the fourth quarter of 2018                  identify the VAT Model S–52L on all
                                                 FICO could direct the FDIC, as                          shall not affect an institution’s                     submitted correspondence. The most
                                                 collection agent, to could continue to                  Financing Corporation assessments after               helpful comments reference a specific
                                                 process adjustments to prior FICO                       March 26, 2019.                                       portion of the airworthiness standards,
                                                 assessments on its own, but deemed that                   (3) June 2019 Assessment. In the event              explain the reason for any
                                                 approach not to be legally permissible.                 Financing Corporation assessments are                 recommended change, and include
                                                 The FDIC acts as FICO’s agent when                      collected in June 2019, amendments to                 supporting data. The FAA will consider
                                                 collecting the FICO assessments, and as                 an institution’s first quarter 2019                   all comments received on or before the
                                                 such FDIC’s authority derives from, and                 Consolidated Reports of Condition and                 closing date before issuing the final
                                                 can be no greater than, FICO’s own                      Income that are submitted after June 25,              acceptance. We will consider comments
                                                 assessment authority.                                   2019 shall not affect the institution’s               filed late if it is possible to do so
                                                                                                         Financing Corporation assessment.                     without incurring expense or delay. We
                                                 Solicitation of Comments
                                                                                                           Dated: September 20, 2018.                          may change the proposed airworthiness
                                                   FHFA invites comments on all aspects                  Melvin L. Watt,                                       standards based on received comments.
                                                 of the supporting information provided                  Director, Federal Housing Finance Agency.
                                                 in this RFA section.                                                                                          Background
                                                                                                         [FR Doc. 2018–20975 Filed 9–25–18; 8:45 am]
                                                 List of Subjects in 12 CFR Part 1271                    BILLING CODE 8070–01–P
                                                                                                                                                                 The primary category for aircraft was
                                                                                                                                                               created specifically for the simple, low
                                                   Accounting, Community                                                                                       performance personal aircraft. Section
                                                 development, Credit, Federal home loan                                                                        21.17(f) provides a means for applicants
                                                 banks, Government securities, Housing,                  DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION                          to propose airworthiness standards for
                                                 Miscellaneous federal home loan bank                                                                          their particular primary category
                                                 operations and authorities, Reporting                   Federal Aviation Administration                       aircraft. The FAA procedure
                                                 and recordkeeping requirements.                                                                               establishing appropriate airworthiness
                                                                                                         14 CFR Part 21                                        standards includes reviewing and
                                                 Authority and Issuance
                                                                                                         [Docket No. FAA–2018–0860]                            possibly revising the applicants’
                                                   Accordingly, for reasons stated in the                                                                      proposal, publication of the submittal in
                                                 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION and under                     Proposed Primary Category Design                      the Federal Register for public review
                                                 the authority of 12 U.S.C. 1431(a),                     Standards; Vertical Aviation                          and comment, and addressing the
                                                 1432(a), 4511(b), 4513, 4526(a), FHFA                   Technologies (VAT) Model S–52L                        comments. After all necessary revisions,
                                                 proposes to amend part 1271 of                          Rotorcraft                                            the standards are published as approved
                                                 subchapter D of chapter XII of title 12                                                                       FAA airworthiness standards.
                                                 of the Code of Federal Regulations as                   AGENCY: Federal Aviation
                                                 follows:                                                Administration, DOT.                                  Proposed Airworthiness Standards for
                                                                                                                                                               Acceptance Under the Primary
                                                                                                         ACTION: Notice of availability; request
                                                 PART 1271—MISCELLANEOUS                                                                                       Category
                                                                                                         for comments.
                                                 FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK                                                                                          This document prescribes
                                                 OPERATIONS AND AUTHORITIES                              SUMMARY:   This notice announces the                  airworthiness standards for the issuance
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                                                                                                         existence of and requests comments on                 of a type certificate for the VAT Model
                                                 ■ 1. The authority citation for part 1271               the proposed airworthiness design                     S–52L, a primary category rotorcraft,
                                                 continues to read as follows:                           standards for acceptance of the Vertical              and its engine. The airworthiness
                                                   Authority: 12 U.S.C. 1430, 1431, 1432,                Aviation Technologies (VAT) Model S–                  standards for this aircraft include a sub-
                                                 1441(b)(8), (c), (j), 1442, 4511(b), 4513(a),           52L rotorcraft under the regulations for              set of regulations for the fuel system that
                                                 4526.                                                   primary category aircraft.                            are at amendment levels higher than
                                                 ■ 2. Amend § 1271.37 by adding                          DATES: Comments must be received on                   Amendment 27–0 to provide improved
                                                 paragraph (d) to read as follows:                       or before November 26, 2018.                          occupant protection.


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Document Created: 2018-09-26 00:46:28
Document Modified: 2018-09-26 00:46:28
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionProposed Rules
ActionNotice of proposed rulemaking.
DatesFHFA must receive written comments on or before October 26, 2018.
ContactLouis M. Scalza, Associate Director, Examinations, Office of Safety & Soundness Examinations, [email protected], (202) 649-3710; Winston Sale, Assistant General Counsel, [email protected], (202) 649-3081; or Neil R. Crowley, Deputy General Counsel, [email protected], (202) 649-3055 (these are not toll-free numbers), Federal Housing Finance Agency, 400 Seventh Street SW, Washington, DC 20219. The telephone number for the Telecommunications Device for the Hearing Impaired is (800) 877-8339.
FR Citation83 FR 48569 
RIN Number2590-AA99
CFR AssociatedAccounting; Community Development; Credit; Federal Home Loan Banks; Government Securities; Housing; Miscellaneous Federal Home Loan Bank Operations and Authorities and Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements

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