Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 29 / Monday, February 13, 2012 / Notices 7579 

1An exempt SLHC includes: (1) A grandfathered 

unitary SLHC whose assets are primarily 

commercial and whose thrifts make up less than 5 

percent of its consolidated assets; and (2) a SLHC 

whose assets are primarily insurance-related and 

who does not otherwise submit financial reports 

with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 

552(b). All such requests for 

confidential treatment will be reviewed 

on a case-by-case basis. 

Abstract: The FR 2320 will be a 

quarterly information collection of 

parent only and consolidated financial 

and organizational structure data of top 

and lower tier SLHCs. The data was 

previously collected on Schedule HC of 

the TFR. Title III of the Dodd-Frank Act 

transferred all former OTS authorities 

(including rulemaking) related to SLHCs 

to the Federal Reserve on July 21, 2011. 

Consequently, the Federal Reserve 

became responsible for the consolidated 

supervision of SLHCs beginning July 21, 

2011. The Federal Reserve will use the 

data to evaluate a diversified holding 

company and to determine whether an 

SLHC is in compliance with applicable 

laws and regulations. In addition, the 

data collected will contribute to the 

analyses of the overall financial 

condition of SLHCs to ensure safe and 

sound operations. 

Current Actions: On November 10, 

2011, the Federal Reserve published a 

notice in the Federal Register (76 FR 

70146) requesting public comment for 

60 days on the implementation of the 

Quarterly Savings and Loan Holding 

Company Report (FR 2320). The 

comment period for this notice expired 

on January 9, 2012. The Federal Reserve 

received three comment letters 

addressing the proposed 

implementation of the FR 2320: two 

from law firms and one from a financial 

services company. 

Two commenters requested 

clarification of the reporting criteria for 

multi-tiered SLHCs. Also, these 

commenters asked that the Federal 

Reserve be flexible when determining 

which SLHCs within a multi-tiered 

organization would be required to file 

the FR 2320. In response to the 

comments, the Federal Reserve will 

clarify the FR 2320 instructions to 

indicate which SLHCs should file the 

FR 2320. The FR 2320 will generally be 

filed by the top-tier SLHC if that SLHC 

is exempt 1 from filing the Federal 

Reserve’s existing regulatory reports. 

However, if a top-tier SLHC is not 

required to file the FR 2320, then a 

lower-tier SLHC must file FR 2320. 

Such determination as to which SLHC 

will be required to file the FR 2320 will 

be made by the district Federal Reserve 

Bank. In addition, lower-tier SLHCs may 

voluntarily file the FR 2320 or may be 

required to file (in addition to the toptier SLHC) for safety and soundness 

purposes at the discretion of the district 

Federal Reserve Bank. 

One commenter noted certain data 

items that were given confidential 

treatment by the OTS are no longer 

afforded the same treatment in the FR 

2320 and this may be of concern to 

privately held institutions. After 

considering these comments, the 

Federal Reserve believes the data items 

no longer held as confidential will not 

cause competitive harm to any 

institution, publicly or privately held 

and notes there are several BHCs that 

are privately held where similar 

information is made publicly available. 

However, as noted above, institutions 

may request, in writing, confidential 

treatment for any data item in the FR 

2320 or for all data items in the report, 

and confidential treatment will be 

afforded if the institution is able to 

establish that disclosure would cause 

substantial competitive harm. 

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve 

System, February 7, 2012. 

Jennifer J. Johnson, 

Secretary of the Board. 

[FR Doc. 2012–3192 Filed 2–10–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6210–01–P 

FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM 

Formations of, Acquisitions by, and 

Mergers of Bank Holding Companies 

The companies listed in this notice 

have applied to the Board for approval, 

pursuant to the Bank Holding Company 

Act of 1956 (12 U.S.C. 1841 et seq.) 

(BHC Act), Regulation Y (12 CFR part 

225), and all other applicable statutes 

and regulations to become a bank 

holding company and/or to acquire the 

assets or the ownership of, control of, or 

the power to vote shares of a bank or 

bank holding company and all of the 

banks and nonbanking companies 

owned by the bank holding company, 

including the companies listed below. 

The applications listed below, as well 

as other related filings required by the 

Board, are available for immediate 

inspection at the Federal Reserve Bank 

indicated. The applications will also be 

available for inspection at the offices of 

the Board of Governors. Interested 

persons may express their views in 

writing on the standards enumerated in 

the BHC Act (12 U.S.C. 1842(c)). If the 

proposal also involves the acquisition of 

a nonbanking company, the review also 

includes whether the acquisition of the 

nonbanking company complies with the 

standards in section 4 of the BHC Act 

(12 U.S.C. 1843). Unless otherwise 

noted, nonbanking activities will be 

conducted throughout the United States. 

Unless otherwise noted, comments 

regarding each of these applications 

must be received at the Reserve Bank 

indicated or the offices of the Board of 

Governors not later than March 9, 2012. 

A. Federal Reserve Bank of 

Minneapolis (Jacqueline G. King, 

Community Affairs Officer) 90 

Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, 

Minnesota 55480–0291: 

1. Western State Agency, Inc. 

Employee Stock Ownership Plan and 

Trust, Devils Lake, North Dakota; to 

acquire an additional 14.44 percent, for 

a total of 43.25 percent of the voting 

shares of Western State Agency, Inc., 

Devils Lake, North Dakota, and thereby 

indirectly acquire additional voting 

shares of Western State Bank, Devils 

Lake, North Dakota. 

Dated: February 8, 2012. 

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve 

System. 

Jennifer J. Johnson, 

Secretary of the Board. 

[FR Doc. 2012–3256 Filed 2–10–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6210–01–P 

GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY 

OFFICE 

Debarment, Suspension, and 

Ineligibility of Contractors 

AGENCY: Government Accountability 

Office. 

ACTION: Policy statement. 

SUMMARY: On September 30, 2011, the 

Government Accountability Office 

(GAO) provided notice of its proposed 

policy to adopt the policies and 

procedures contained in the Federal 

Acquisition Regulation (FAR) regarding 

the debarment, suspension, and 

ineligibility of government contractors. 

Comments on GAO’s policy were due 

on or before November 14, 2011. GAO 

received two comments. Both comments 

expressed support for GAO’s efforts to 

adopt policies and procedures regarding 

the debarment, suspension, and 

ineligibility of government contractors. 

Neither comment suggested any changes 

to GAO’s policy statement. GAO is 

adopting, with minor changes, the 

policy statement published in the 

Federal Register on September 30, as set 

forth below. 

As a legislative branch agency, GAO 

is not subject to the requirements of the 

FAR. However, it is GAO’s general 

policy to follow the FAR, as appropriate 

and applicable. Mandatory application 

of the FAR is not to be inferred from 


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