Agency Information Collection Activities: Information Collection Revision; Comment Request (3064-0200)

AGENCY:

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

ACTION:

Notice and request for comment.

SUMMARY:

The FDIC, 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 the revision of an existing information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The FDIC is soliciting comment on the revision of the existing information collection entitled “Joint Standards for Assessing Diversity Policies and Practices” by adding a form to the information collection entitled “Diversity Self-Assessment Template for Entities Regulated by the FDIC.”

DATES:

Comments must be submitted on or before October 24, 2016.

ADDRESSES:

Interested parties are invited to submit written comments to the FDIC by any of the following methods:

• http://www.FDIC.gov/regulations/laws/federal/.
• Email: comments@fdic.gov Include the name and number of the collection in the subject line of the message.
• Mail: Manny Cabeza (202.898.3767), Counsel MB-3105, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 550 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20429.
• Hand Delivery: 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 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

All comments should refer to the relevant OMB control number. A copy of the comments may also be submitted to the OMB desk officer for the FDIC: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Manny Cabeza, at the FDIC address above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Under the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), 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) of the PRA implementing regulations) to include agency requests or requirements that members of the public submit reports, keep records, or provide information to a third party. The PRA (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)) directs these Federal agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information before submitting the collection to OMB for approval. To comply with this requirement, the FDIC is publishing this notice of a revision to the following currently-approved collection of information:

Title: Joint Standards for Assessing Diversity Policies and Practices.

OMB Number: 3064-0200.

Affected Public: Insured financial institutions supervised by the FDIC.

Annual Number of Respondents: 398.

Frequency of Response: Annual.

Average Response Time per Respondent: 8 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Buren Hours: 3,184 hours.

General Description: This voluntary information collection applies to entities regulated by the FDIC for purposes of assessing their diversity policies and practices as described in the final Interagency Policy Statement Establishing Joint Standards for Assessing the Diversity Policies and Practices of Entities Regulated by the Agencies. This revision to the previously approved collection adds a form entitled Diversity Self-Assessment Template for Entities Regulated by the FDIC intended to facilitate responders' self-assessment process. The FDIC estimates that the use of the template will result in a reduction in the average response time per respondent from 12 hours to 8 hours with a corresponding reduction in the estimated total annual burden hours for this collection of information from 4,778 hours to 3,184 hours. The Diversity Self-Assessment Template for Entities Regulated by the FDIC can be viewed at www.fdic.gov/about/diversity/dsa_template.docx. This revision to the previously approved collection of information: (1) Asks for general information about a respondent; (2) includes a checklist of the standards set forth in the Policy Statement; (3) seeks additional diversity data; and (4) provides an opportunity for a respondent to give other information regarding or comment on the self-assessment of its diversity policies and practices.

The FDIC may use the information submitted by the entities it regulates to monitor progress and trends in the financial services industry with regard to diversity and inclusion in employment and contracting activities and to identify and highlight those policies and practices that have been successful. The FDIC will continue to reach out to the regulated entities and other interested parties to discuss diversity and inclusion in the financial services industry and share leading practices. The FDIC may also publish information disclosed by the entity, such as any identified leading practices, in any form that does not identify a particular institution or individual or disclose confidential business information.

Request for Comments: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the collections of information are necessary for the proper performance of the FDIC's functions, including whether the information has practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the estimates of the burden of the collections of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collections of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. All comments will become a matter of public record.