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Federal Reserve Board expands counterparties eligible to transact in facilities
On July 23, the Federal Reserve Board announced the expansion of counterparties eligible to transact with and provide services in the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility, Secondary Market Corporate Credit Facility, and Commercial Paper Funding Facility (previously discussed here, here, here, here). These facilities were created pursuant to section 13(3) of the Federal Reserve Act with the objective of increasing the movement of credit to households, businesses, and the economy.
Fed holds line on 2021 payment services
On July 21, the Federal Reserve Board announced that due to the uncertainties created by the Covid-19 pandemic, it will retain the current schedule of prices for most of its payment services to depository institutions in 2021. The Board notes that the pricing information is normally conveyed later in the year and that the Federal Register notice containing the final fee schedules will be released later in 2020. However, in order to “support the business planning of users and providers of payment services,” it wanted to provide early notice of “its intent to keep most 2021 prices flat.”
Fed expands MSLP to nonprofits
On July 17, the Federal Reserve Board announced that the Main Street Lending Program will support tax-exempt, nonprofit organizations. In June, the Board proposed expanding the program to certain nonprofits (covered by InfoBytes here), and in response to public feedback on the proposal, the Board (i) set the minimum employment threshold for nonprofits to 10 employees from the proposed 50; (ii) eased the donation-based funding limit; and (iii) adjusted several financial eligibility criteria to accommodate a wider range of nonprofit operating models.
The Main Street nonprofit loans have similar terms as the Main Street for-profit business loans, including the “interest rate, principal and interest payment deferral, five-year term, and minimum and maximum loan sizes.” The Board’s announcement also contains a chart covering the detailed changes and term sheets for the program’s Nonprofit Organization Expanded Loan Facility and Nonprofit Organization New Loan Facility.
EU - U.S. forum studies implications of Covid-19 for financial stability
On July 17, the U.S. Treasury Department issued a joint statement on the EU - U.S. Financial Regulatory Forum, which met virtually on July 14 and 15 and included participants from Treasury, the Federal Reserve Board, CFTC, FDIC, SEC, and OCC. Forum participants discussed six key themes: (i) potential financial stability implications and economic responses to the Covid-19 pandemic; (ii) capital market supervisory and regulatory cooperation, including cross-border supervision; (iii) “multilateral and bilateral engagement in banking and insurance,” including “cross-border resolution of systemic banks” and Volcker Rule implementation; (iv) approaches to anti-money laundering/countering the financing of terrorism financing and remittances; (v) the regulation and supervision of digital finance and financial innovation, such as “digital operational resilience and developments in crypto-assets, so-called stablecoins, and central bank digital currencies”; and (vi) sustainable finance developments. EU and U.S. participants recognized the importance of communicating mutual supervisory and regulatory concerns to “support financial stability, investor protection, market integrity, and a level playing field.”
Fed extends temporary exception to allow bank insiders access to PPP
On July 15, the Federal Reserve Board adopted an interim final rule (IFR) extending a temporary exception from the requirements of section 22(h) of the Federal Reserve Act and corresponding provisions of Regulation O for certain loans guaranteed under the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The IFR extends the exception to August 8—the new date on which the PPP is set to expire (covered by InfoBytes here). The original extension was announced on April 17 (covered by InfoBytes here) and permits banks to extend credit to bank insiders, but only for PPP loans. However, the IFR does not except a PPP loan from other restrictions that may apply, including those under section 22(g) the Federal Reserve Act, section 215.5 of Regulation O, or applicable SBA PPP lending restrictions. The IFR takes effect immediately, and comments will be accepted for 45 days after publication in the Federal Register.
Fed enforcement action targets flood insurance
On July 2, the Federal Reserve Board announced an enforcement action against a West Virginia-based bank for alleged violations of the National Flood Insurance Act (NFIA) and Regulation H, which implements the NFIA. The consent order assesses a $24,500 penalty against the bank for an alleged pattern or practice of violations of Regulation H, but does not specify the number or the precise nature of the alleged violations. The maximum civil money penalty under the NFIA for a pattern or practice of violations is $2,000 per violation.
Federal Reserve announces temporary revisions to Capital Assessment and Stress Testing Reports
On July 8, the Federal Reserve announced revisions to its Capital Assessments and Stress Testing Reports, Form FR Y-14A/Q/M; OMB No. 7100-0341. The temporary revisions implement changes in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, including the incorporation of data related to certain aspects of the CARES Act, the Paycheck Protection Program, and Federal Reserve lending facilities. The changes apply to reports beginning with July 31, 2020, or September 30, 2020, as-of dates. Additionally, the Federal Reserve has temporarily revised the submission frequency of FR Y–14Q, Schedule H (Wholesale) from a quarterly basis to a monthly basis for Category I–III firms, effective July 31, 2020.
Fed releases CARES Act credit reporting, mortgage servicing examination procedures
On July 7, the Federal Reserve Board (Fed) released CA 20-11 and related examination procedures for the credit reporting and mortgage servicing provisions of the CARES Act. The procedures apply to CARES Act provisions that created new requirements for furnishers of credit information and mortgage servicers of certain mortgage loans for consumers impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The CARES Act amended the FCRA and required that consumer accounts be reported by furnishers as current if the consumer was current prior to the grant of a CARES Act accommodation. For mortgage servicers, the CARES Act generally required servicers of federally backed mortgage loans to grant forbearance requests toCovid-19-impacted borrowers. Servicers of these mortgages were also prohibited from initiating foreclosures through May 17, 2020. Structured as a series of modules with similar requirements grouped together, the examination procedures are intended to provide the framework for an institution’s examination, including an evaluation of the adequacy of an institution’s compliance management system. The examination procedures’ credit reporting provisions apply to supervised institutions with total consolidated assets of $10 billion or less, whereas the mortgage servicing provisions apply to all supervised institutions, including those with total consolidated assets of $10 billion or less.
The Fed advised that in exercising supervisory and enforcement responsibilities it intends to take into account the unique circumstances impacting borrowers and institutions resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. As such, the Fed does not expect to initiate a public enforcement action against an institution provided the circumstances were related to Covid-19, and the institution demonstrated good faith efforts to support borrowers and comply with consumer protection laws.
Fed issues enforcement action for flood insurance violations
On June 30, the Federal Reserve Board announced an enforcement action against a Virginia-based bank for alleged violations of the National Flood Insurance Act (NFIA) and Regulation H, which implements the NFIA. The consent order assesses an $8,500 penalty against the bank for an alleged pattern or practice of violations of Regulation H, but does not specify the number or the precise nature of the alleged violations. The maximum civil money penalty under the NFIA for a pattern or practice of violations is $2,000 per violation.
Agencies finalize covered funds changes to Volcker Rule
On June 25, the Federal Reserve Board, CFTC, FDIC, OCC, and SEC (agencies) finalized the rule, which will amend the Volcker Rule to modify and clarify the regulations implementing Section 13 of the Bank Holding Company Act with respect to covered funds. As covered by InfoBytes in February, the agencies issued the proposed rule, and, after the notice and comment period, finalized the proposal with certain modifications based on the public comments. Among other things, the final rule (i) exempts qualifying foreign excluded funds from certain restrictions, but modifies the anti-evasion provision and compliance program requirements from the proposal; (ii) revises the exclusions from the covered fund provisions for foreign public funds, loan securitizations, and small business investment companies; (iii) adopts several new exclusions from the covered fund provisions, including an exclusion for venture capital funds, family wealth management, and customer facilitation vehicles; (iv) permits established, codified categories of limited low-risk transactions between a banking entity and a related fund; (v) provides an express safe harbor for senior loans and senior debt, and redefines “ownership interest”; and (vi) provides clarity regarding permissible investments in the same investments as a covered fund organized or offered by the same banking entity. The final rule is effective October 1.
The FDIC also released a Fact Sheet on the final rule.