Agency Information Collection Activities: Information Collection Renewal; Comment Request; Consumer Protections for Depository Institution Sales of Insurance

AGENCY:

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Treasury.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comment.

SUMMARY:

The OCC, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on a continuing information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).

In accordance with the requirements of the PRA, the OCC may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is not required to respond to, an information collection unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.

The OCC is soliciting comment concerning renewal of its information collection titled, “Consumer Protections for Depository Institution Sales of Insurance.”

DATES:

Comments must be received by April 29, 2016.

ADDRESSES:

Because paper mail in the Washington, DC area and at the OCC is subject to delay, commenters are encouraged to submit comments by email, if possible. Comments may be sent to: Legislative and Regulatory Activities Division, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Attention: 1557-0220, 400 7th Street SW., Suite 3E-218, Mail Stop 9W-11, Washington, DC 20219. In addition, comments may be sent by fax to (571) 465-4326 or by electronic mail to prainfo@occ.treas.gov. You may personally inspect and photocopy comments at the OCC, 400 7th Street SW., Washington, DC 20219. For security reasons, the OCC requires that visitors make an appointment to inspect comments. You may do so by calling (202) 649-6700 or, for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, TTY, (202) 649-5597. Upon arrival, visitors will be required to present valid government-issued photo identification and submit to security screening in order to inspect and photocopy comments.

All comments received, including attachments and other supporting materials, are part of the public record and subject to public disclosure. Do not include any information in your comment or supporting materials that you consider confidential or inappropriate for public disclosure.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Shaquita Merritt, Clearance Officer, (202) 649-5490 or, for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, TTY, (202) 649-5597, Legislative and Regulatory Activities Division, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, 400 7th Street SW., Suite 3E-218, Mail Stop 9W-11, Washington, DC 20219.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Under the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), Federal agencies must obtain approval from OMB for each collection of information they conduct or sponsor. “Collection of information” is defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 1320.3(c) to include agency requests or requirements that members of the public submit reports, keep records, or provide information to a third party. Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)) requires Federal agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension of an existing collection of information, before submitting the collection to OMB for approval. To comply with this requirement, the OCC is publishing notice of the collection of information set forth in this document.

The OCC is proposing to extend OMB approval of the following information collection:

Title: Consumer Protections for Depository Institution Sales of Insurance.

OMB Control No.: 1557-0220.

Type of Review: Extension, without revision, of a currently approved collection.

Description: This information collection is required under section 305 of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLB Act), Public Law 106-102. Section 305 of the GLB Act requires the OCC, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (collectively, the Agencies) to prescribe joint consumer protection regulations that apply to retail sales practices, solicitations, advertising, and offers of any insurance product by a depository institution or by other persons performing these activities at an office of the institution or on behalf of the institution (other covered persons). Section 305 also requires those performing such activities to disclose certain information to consumers (e.g., that insurance products and annuities are not FDIC-insured).

This information collection requires national banks, Federal savings associations, and other covered persons, as defined in 12 CFR 14.20(f) and 136.20, involved in insurance sales to make two separate disclosures to consumers. Under §§ 14.40 and 136.40, a national bank, Federal savings association, or other covered person must prepare and provide orally and in writing: (1) Certain insurance disclosures to consumers before the completion of the initial sale of an insurance product or annuity to a consumer and (2) certain credit disclosures at the time of application for the extension of credit (if insurance products or annuities are sold, solicited, advertised, or offered in connection with an extension of credit).

Consumers use the disclosures to understand the risks associated with insurance products and annuities and to understand that they are not required to purchase, and may refrain from purchasing, certain insurance products or annuities in order to qualify for an extension of credit.

Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit.

Frequency: On occasion.

Estimated Burden:

Estimated Number of Respondents: 663.

Total Estimated Burden Hours: 3,315 hours.

Comments: Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and included in the request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of public record. Comments are invited on:

(a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the OCC, including whether the information has practical utility;

(b) The accuracy of the OCC's estimate of the information collection burden;

(c) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected;

(d) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and

(e) Estimates of capital or start-up costs and costs of operation, maintenance, and purchase of the services necessary to provide the required information.