Agency Information Collection Activities: Information Collection Renewal; Submission for OMB Review; Joint Standards for Assessing the Diversity Policies and Practices of Entities Regulated by the Agencies and Diversity Self-Assessment Template for OCC-Regulated Entities

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). The OCC may not conduct or sponsor, and a 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 on the renewal of its information collection titled “Joint Standards for Assessing the Diversity Policies and Practices of Entities Regulated by the Agencies and Diversity Self-Assessment Template for OCC-Regulated Entities.” The OCC also is giving notice that it has sent the collection to OMB for review.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted on or before January 15, 2020.

ADDRESSES:

Commenters are encouraged to submit comments by email, if possible. You may submit comments by any of the following methods:

• Email: prainfo@occ.treas.gov.
• Mail: Chief Counsel's Office, Attention: Comment Processing, 1557-0334, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, 400 7th Street SW, Suite 3E-218, Washington, DC 20219.
• Hand Delivery/Courier: 400 7th Street SW, Suite 3E-218, Washington, DC 20219.
• Fax: (571) 465-4326.

Instructions: You must include “OCC” as the agency name and “1557-0334” in your comment. In general, the OCC will publish comments on www.reginfo.gov without change, including any business or personal information provided, such as name and address information, email addresses, or phone numbers. 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.

Additionally, please send a copy of your comments by mail to: OCC Desk Officer, 1557-0334, U.S. Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street NW, #10235, Washington, DC 20503 or by email to oira_submission@omb.eop.gov.

You may review comments and other related materials that pertain to this information collection following the close of the 30-day comment period for this notice by any of the following methods:

• Viewing Comments Electronically: Go to www.reginfo.gov. Click on the “Information Collection Review” tab. Underneath the “Currently under Review” section heading, from the drop-down menu select “Department of Treasury” and then click “submit.” This information collection can be located by searching by OMB control number “1557-0334” or “Joint Standards for Assessing the Diversity Policies and Practices of Entities Regulated by the Agencies and Diversity Self-Assessment Template for OCC-Regulated Entities.” Upon finding the appropriate information collection, click on the related “ICR Reference Number.” On the next screen, select “View Supporting Statement and Other Documents” and then click on the link to any comment listed at the bottom of the screen.
• For assistance in navigating www.reginfo.gov,, please contact the Regulatory Information Service Center at (202) 482-7340.
• Viewing Comments Personally: You may personally inspect comments at the OCC, 400 7th Street SW, Washington, DC. 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 hearing impaired, 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 comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Shaquita Merritt, Clearance Officer, (202) 649-5490 or, for persons who are deaf or hearing impaired, TTY, (202) 649-5597, Chief Counsel's Office, 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 et seq.), certain Federal agencies must obtain approval from OMB for each collection of information that 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. The OCC asks that OMB extend its approval of the collection of information described in this document.

Title: Joint Standards for Assessing the Diversity Policies and Practices of Entities Regulated by the Agencies and Diversity Self-Assessment Template for OCC-Regulated Entities.

OMB Control No.: 1557-0334.

Description: This information collection covers standards, pursuant to which certain entities regulated by the OCC voluntarily self-assess their diversity policies and practices, and a template to assist with the self-assessment. The template (1) asks for general information about a respondent; (2) includes questions about certain standards and solicits comments about the successes and challenges of a respondent's diversity program; (3) asks for a description of current practices for the self-assessment standards; (4) seeks additional diversity data; and (5) provides an opportunity for a respondent to provide other information regarding or comment on the self-assessment of its diversity policies and practices.

The OCC may use information submitted to monitor progress and trends in the financial services industry regarding diversity and inclusion in employment and contracting activities and to identify and highlight diversity and inclusion policies and practices that have been successful. The OCC will continue to reach out to the entities it regulates and other interested parties to discuss diversity and inclusion in the financial services industry and share leading practices. The OCC may also publish information disclosed by an entity, such as leading practices, in any form that does not identify the specific entity or individual or disclose confidential business information. Finally, if an OCC-regulated entity submits confidential commercial information that is both customarily and actually treated as private by the entity, the entity can designate the information as such, in which case the OCC will treat the self-assessment information as private to the extent permitted by law, including the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552, et seq.

Type of Review: Regular.

Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit.

Burden Estimates:

Number of Respondents: 110.

Estimated Annual Burden for Standards and Template: 8 hours.

Total Annual Burden: 880 hours.

Frequency of Response: Annual.

Comments: On September 4, 2019, the OCC issued a notice for 60 days of comment concerning this collection, 84 FR 46604. No comments were received. Comments continue to be 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 services to provide information.