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[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 13 (Wednesday, January 21, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3182-3184]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-1292]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Office of Thrift Supervision

FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCIES: Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Office of 
Thrift Supervision (OTS), Treasury; Board of Governors of the Federal 
Reserve System (Board); and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation 
(FDIC).

ACTION: Notice and request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The OCC, OTS, Board, and FDIC (Agencies) as part of their 
continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invite the 
general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to 
comment on proposed revisions to a continuing information collection, 
as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. In accordance with 
the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 35), 
the Agencies may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is not 
required to respond to, an information collection that has been 
extended, revised, or implemented on or after October 1, 1995, unless 
it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
control number. Currently, the Agencies are soliciting comments 
regarding an information collection concerning certain corporate 
changes. The information collection is titled: Interagency Bank Merger 
Act Application. In the case of the OCC, this collection is a part of 
the Comptroller's Corporate Manual. Additionally, the OCC is making 
other clarifying changes to the Comptroller's Corporate Manual.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted by March 23, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Direct written comments as follows:
    OCC: Communications Division, Office of the Comptroller of the 
Currency, Third Floor, 250 E Street, SW, Washington, DC 20219; 
Attention: 1557-0014. Comments also may be sent by facsimile 
transmission to (202) 874-5274, or by electronic mail to: 
[email protected]. Comments will be available for inspection 
and photocopying at the OCC's Public Reference Room, 250 E Street, SW, 
Washington, DC 20219, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., on business

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days. Appointments for inspection of comments can be made by calling 
(202) 874-5043.
    OTS: Dissemination Branch, Records Management and Information 
Policy, Office of Thrift Supervision, 1700 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 
20552, Attention 1550-0016. These submissions may be hand-delivered to 
1700 G Street, NW, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., on business days. They may be 
sent by facsimile transmission to (202) 906-7755. Comments over 25 
pages in length should be sent to Fax (202) 906-6956. Comments will be 
available for inspection at 1700 G Street, NW, from 9 a.m. until 4 
p.m., on business days.
    Board: William W. Wiles, Secretary, Board of Governors of the 
Federal Reserve System, 20th and C Streets, NW, Washington, DC 20551, 
or delivered to the Board's mail room, between 8:45 a.m. and 5:15 p.m., 
and to the security control room outside of those hours. Both the mail 
room and the security control room are accessible from the courtyard 
entrance on 20th Street between Constitution Avenue and C Street NW. 
Comments received may be inspected in Room MP-500 of the Martin 
Building, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays, except as provided in 12 
CFR 261.8 of the Board's Rules Regarding Availability of Information, 
12 CFR 261.8(a).
    FDIC: Steven F. Hanft, FDIC Clearance Officer, Office of the 
Executive Secretary, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 550 17th 
Street, NW, Washington, DC 20429, (202) 898-3907. Comments may be hand-
delivered to the guard station at the rear of the 17th Street building 
(located on F Street) on business days, between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. (Fax 
number (202) 898-3838; Internet address: [email protected]).
    A copy of the comments may also be submitted to the OMB desk 
officer for the agencies: Alexander T. Hunt, Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, New Executive 
Office Building, Room 3208, Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
a copy of the collection may be obtained by contacting:
    OCC: Jessie Gates, OCC Clearance Officer, (202) 874-5090, 
Legislative and Regulatory Activities Division, Office of the 
Comptroller of the Currency, 250 E Street, SW, Washington, DC 20219.
    OTS: Scott Ciardi, Financial Analyst, Corporate Activities, 
(202)906-6960, or Frances C. Augello, Senior Counsel, Business 
Transactions Division, (202)906-6151, Office of Thrift Supervision, 
1700 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20552. Copies of the forms with 
instructions are available for inspection at 1700 G Street, NW, from 9 
a.m. until 4 p.m. on business days or from PubliFax, OTS Fax-on-Demand 
system, at (202)906-5660.
    Board: Mary M. McLaughlin, Chief, Financial Reports Section, 
(202)452-3829. Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD), users may 
contact Diane Jenkins (202)452-3544, Board of Governors of the Federal 
Reserve System, 20th and C Streets, NW, Washington, DC 20551.
    FDIC: Steven F. Hanft, FDIC Clearance Officer, Office of the 
Executive Secretary, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 550 17th 
Street NW, Washington, DC 20429, (202) 898-3907.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Proposal to extend for three years with 
major revision the following currently approved collections of 
information:
    Title: Interagency Bank Merger Act Application.
    OCC's Title: Comptroller's Corporate Manual. The specific portions 
of the Comptroller's Corporate Manual covered by this notice are those 
that pertain to the Business Combination Application, certain 
disclosures, and various portions to which the OCC is making clarifying 
changes.
    OMB Number: OCC: 1557-0014.
    OTS: 1550-0016.
    Board: 7100-0171.
    FDIC: 3064-0015.
    Form Number: OCC: None.
    OTS: 1639 (formerly 1588).
    Board: FR 2070.
    FDIC: 6220/01 and 6220/07.

    Abstract: This submission covers a revision to make uniform among 
the Agencies the merger application forms for both affiliated and 
nonaffiliated institutions. The form name is the Interagency Bank 
Merger Act Application. The Agencies need the information collected to 
insure that the proposed transactions are permissible under law and 
regulation and are consistent with safe and sound banking practices. 
The Agencies are required, for example, under the Bank Merger Act, to 
consider financial and managerial resources, future prospects, 
convenience and needs of the community, community reinvestment, and 
competition.
    Some agencies will collect limited supplemental information in 
certain cases. For example, the OCC and OTS will collect information 
regarding CRA commitments, the FDIC may require a legal certification 
of counsel to confirm that the merger agreement is legally sufficient, 
and all agencies will require additional information on the competitive 
impact of proposed mergers under separate instructions.
    Further, the OCC is correcting its information collection inventory 
to cover certain disclosures required in the Manual. This is an 
administrative adjustment, and does not change, in any way, the 
requirements on national banks. Finally, the OCC is making technical 
and clarifying changes to various Manual booklets. These changes are 
not material. The changes are technical in nature and do not change, in 
any way, the requirements on national banks.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; Businesses or other 
for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: OCC: Nonaffiliate--120; Affiliate--260.
    OTS: Nonaffiliate--60; Affiliate--5.
    Board: Nonaffiliate--57; Affiliate--79.
    FDIC: Nonaffiliate--240; Affiliate--290.
    Total Annual Responses: OCC: Nonaffiliate--120; Affiliate--260.
    OTS: Nonaffiliate--60; Affiliate--5.
    Board: Nonaffiliate--57; Affiliate--79.
    FDIC: Nonaffiliate--240; Affiliate--290.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: OCC: Nonaffiliate--3,600; Affiliate--
4,680. Total: 8,280 burden hours.
    OTS: Nonaffiliate--1,800; Affiliate--90. Total: 1,890 burden hours.
    Board: Nonaffiliate--1,710; Affiliate--1,422. Total: 3,132 burden 
hours.
    FDIC: Nonaffiliate--7,200; Affiliate--5,220. Total: 12,420 burden 
hours.
    General Description of Report: This information collection is 
mandatory. 12 U.S.C. 1828(c) (OCC, FDIC, and OTS); and 12 U.S.C. 321, 
1828(c), and 4804 (Board).

Comments

    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized in 
each Agency's OMB submission. All comments will become a matter of 
public record. Written comments are invited on:
    (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the 
proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether 
the information will have practical utility;
    (b) The accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
collection of information;
    (c) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected, while minimizing burden;
    (d) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection

[[Page 3184]]

techniques or other forms of information technology;
    (e) Estimates of capital or startup costs and costs of operation, 
maintenance, and purchase of services to provide the required 
information; and
    (f) The agencies also request specific comment on the format of the 
application form. Which is preferable: (1) A narrative style form that 
describes a feature of the merger that may be answered ``not 
applicable,'' if appropriate; or (2) a yes/no form with boxes to check 
``yes'' and ``no,'' followed by a requirement to describe the feature 
if appropriate?

    Dated: January 9, 1998.
Karen Solomon,
Director, Legislative & Regulatory Activities Division, Office of the 
Comptroller of the Currency.

    Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, January 13, 
1998.
William W. Wiles,
Secretary of the Board.

    Dated at Washington, D.C., this 22d day of December 1997.

    Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Robert E. Feldman,
Executive Secretary.

    Dated: January 9, 1998.

    By the Office of Thrift Supervision.
Catherine C. Teti,
Director, Records Management and Information Policy.
[FR Doc. 98-1292 Filed 1-20-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-33-P, 6210-01-P, 6714-01-P, 6720-01-P
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