[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 34 (Monday, February 22, 2010)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 7925-7926]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-2672]


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FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM

12 CFR Part 227

[Regulation AA; Docket No. R-1383]


Unfair or Deceptive Acts or Practices

AGENCY: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: On January 29, 2009, the Board published a final rule amending 
Regulation AA and the staff commentary to the regulation. The 
substantive requirements in the January 2009 Regulation AA Rule, which 
were scheduled to go into effect on July 1, 2010, have been superseded 
by provisions of the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and 
Disclosure Act of 2009 (Credit Card Act) that go into effect on 
February 22, 2010. Elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, the 
Board is implementing these Credit Card Act provisions in a new final 
rule amending Regulation Z. Accordingly, in order to avoid duplication 
and inconsistency, the Board is further amending Regulation AA to 
remove the substantive requirements in the January 2009 Regulation AA 
Rule. For procedural reasons, these requirements will be removed 
effective July 1, 2010. However, it is the Board's intent that the 
substantive requirements of the January 2009 Regulation AA Rule will 
not take effect.
    The Board issued its January 2009 Regulation AA Rule jointly with 
rules issued by the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) and the National 
Credit Union Administration (NCUA). This final rule applies only to the 
Board's Regulation AA and does not affect the rules issued by the OTS 
and NCUA.

DATES: This rule is effective July 1, 2010.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephen Shin, Attorney, or Amy 
Henderson or Benjamin K. Olson, Senior Attorneys, Division of Consumer 
and Community Affairs, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve 
System, at (202) 452-3667 or 452-2412; for users of Telecommunications 
Device for the Deaf (TDD) only, contact (202) 263-4869.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 18, 2008, the Board used its 
authority under the Federal Trade

[[Page 7926]]

Commission Act (FTC Act) to adopt a final rule amending Regulation AA 
(12 CFR Part 227) and the staff commentary to the rule in order to 
protect consumers from unfair acts or practices with respect to 
consumer credit card accounts. In addition to imposing new substantive 
requirements, the rule also made several non-substantive amendments to 
Regulation AA. For example, the Board revised certain subpart headings 
and consolidated the consumer complaint provisions in Sec. Sec.  227.1 
and 227.2 into a new Sec.  227.1 and added an e-mail address and Web 
site where consumers can submit complaints.
    The rule was published in the Federal Register on January 29, 2009 
(See 74 FR 5498 (January 2009 Regulation AA Rule)), and the effective 
date for the amendments is July 1, 2010. The Board issued its January 
2009 Regulation AA Rule jointly with a rule issued by the Office of 
Thrift Supervision (OTS) amending 12 CFR Part 535 and a rule issued by 
the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) amending 12 CFR Part 
706.
    On May 22, 2009, the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and 
Disclosure Act of 2009 (Credit Card Act) was signed into law. See 
Public Law 111-24, 123 Stat. 1734 (2009). The Credit Card Act primarily 
amends the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and establishes a number of new 
substantive and disclosure requirements to establish fair and 
transparent practices pertaining to open-end consumer credit plans, 
including credit card accounts. The majority of the Credit Card Act's 
provisions go into effect on February 22, 2010, including provisions 
that supersede the substantive requirements in the Board's January 2009 
Regulation AA Rule. Elsewhere in today's Federal Register, the Board 
has published a new final rule amending Regulation Z and the staff 
commentary to the regulation in order to implement those provisions of 
the Credit Card Act.
    Accordingly, because the substantive requirements in the Board's 
January 2009 Regulation AA Rule are no longer necessary and--in some 
cases--are inconsistent with the provisions of the Credit Card Act, the 
Board is amending Regulation AA to remove those requirements. However, 
the Board is retaining the non-substantive amendments in the January 
2009 Regulation AA Rule, such as the revisions to the consumer 
complaint provisions.
    For procedural reasons, these requirements will be removed 
effective July 1, 2010. However, it is the Board's intent that the 
substantive requirements in the January 2009 Regulation AA Rule will 
not take effect. In addition, the Board does not intend to finalize the 
proposed amendments to the January 2009 Regulation AA Rule, which were 
published in the Federal Register on May 5, 2009. See 74 FR 20804. This 
final rule applies only to the Board's Regulation AA and does not 
affect the rule issued by the OTS amending 12 CFR Part 535 or the rule 
issued by the NCUA amending 12 CFR Part 706.

List of Subjects in 12 CFR Part 227

    Banks, Banking, Credit, Intergovernmental relations, Trade 
practices.

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

12 CFR Chapter II

Authority and Issuance

0
For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Board amends 12 CFR part 
227 as set forth below:

PART 227--UNFAIR OR DECEPTIVE ACTS OR PRACTICES (REGULATION AA)

0
1. The authority citation for part 227 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  15 U.S.C. 57a(f).

Subpart A--General Provisions

0
2. Section 227.1 is revised to read as follows:


Sec.  227.1  Authority, purpose, and scope.

    (a) Authority. This part is issued by the Board under section 18(f) 
of the Federal Trade Commission Act, 15 U.S.C. 57a(f) (section 202(a) 
of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty--Federal Trade Commission Improvement 
Act, Pub. L. 93-637).
    (b) Purpose. The purpose of this part is to prohibit unfair or 
deceptive acts or practices in violation of section 5(a)(1) of the 
Federal Trade Commission Act, 15 U.S.C. 45(a)(1). This part defines and 
contains requirements prescribed for the purpose of preventing specific 
unfair or deceptive acts or practices of banks. The prohibitions in 
this part do not limit the Board's or any other agency's authority to 
enforce the FTC Act with respect to any other unfair or deceptive acts 
or practices.
    (c) Scope. This part applies to banks, including subsidiaries of 
banks and other entities listed in paragraph (c)(2) of this section. 
This part does not apply to savings associations as defined in 12 
U.S.C. 1813(b). Compliance is to be enforced by:
    (1) The Comptroller of the Currency, in the case of national banks 
and federal branches and federal agencies of foreign banks;
    (2) The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, in the 
case of banks that are members of the Federal Reserve System (other 
than banks referred to in paragraph (c)(1) of this section), branches 
and agencies of foreign banks (other than federal branches, federal 
agencies, and insured state branches of foreign banks), commercial 
lending companies owned or controlled by foreign banks, and 
organizations operating under section 25 or 25A of the Federal Reserve 
Act; and
    (3) The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, in the case of banks 
insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (other than banks 
referred to in paragraphs (c)(1) and (c)(2) of this section), and 
insured state branches of foreign banks.
    (d) Definitions. Unless otherwise noted, the terms used in 
paragraph (c) of this section that are not defined in the Federal Trade 
Commission Act or in section 3(s) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act 
(12 U.S.C. 1813(s)) shall have the meaning given to them in section 
1(b) of the International Banking Act of 1978 (12 U.S.C. 3101).

Subpart C--[Removed and Reserved]

0
3. Subpart C is removed and reserved.

0
4. Supplement I is revised to read as follows:

Supplement I to Part 227--Official Staff Commentary

Subpart A--General Provisions for Consumer Protection Rules


Sec.  227.1  Authority, purpose, and scope.

1(c) Scope

    1. Penalties for noncompliance. Administrative enforcement of the 
rule for banks may involve actions under section 8 of the Federal 
Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1818), including cease-and-desist 
orders requiring that actions be taken to remedy violations and civil 
money penalties.
    2. Industrial loan companies. Industrial loan companies that are 
insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation are covered by the 
Board's rule.

    By order of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve 
System, February 3, 2010.
Jennifer J. Johnson,
Secretary of the Board.
[FR Doc. 2010-2672 Filed 2-19-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6210-01-P