On October 20, the federal bank regulatory agencies finalized the net stable funding ratio rule, which requires large banks to maintain a minimum level of stable funding relative to each institution’s assets, derivatives, and commitments over a one-year period. The rule aims to strengthen the resilience of large banks and their ability to lend across economic conditions. Release.
On October 20, the federal bank regulatory agencies finalized a rule to limit the impact of the failure of large banking organizations. The final rule requires a more stringent regulatory capital treatment for holdings of total loss-absorbing capacity (TLAC) debt, which is issued by U.S. global systemically important bank holding companies (GSIBs). This is intended to discourage large banking organizations from purchasing such debt and reduce the interconnectedness between large banking organizations. The final rule is effective on April 1, 2021. Release.
On October 8, the Small Business Administration (SBA), in consultation with the Treasury Department, released an Interim Final Rule providing for a simpler loan forgiveness application for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans of $50,000 or less. The new rule is intended to ease burdens on small borrowers and PPP lenders in submitting and processing loan forgiveness applications. Treasury Press Release. Interim Final Rule.
On October 9, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), with approval from the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), issued a revised order exempting premium finance loans (loans made to facilitate a borrower’s purchase of property and casualty insurance policies) from the customer identification program requirements applicable to a lender’s Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering (BSA/AML) compliance program. Order.
On September 23, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted amendments to modernize the process for a shareholder to have its proposal included in a company’s proxy statement for consideration by all of the company’s shareholders. The amendments aim to ensure that shareholder-proponents demonstrate a sufficient economic stake or investment interest in a company before they are able to submit proposals to be included in a company proxy’s statement, paid for by all shareholders. Release.
On September 17, the Federal Reserve Board released its hypothetical scenarios for a second round of bank stress tests. Earlier this year, the Board’s first round of stress tests found that large banks were well capitalized under a range of hypothetical events. An additional round of stress tests is being performed due to the continued uncertainty from the COVID event. Release.
On September 29, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), together with the OCC and the Federal Reserve (the “Agencies”), published final rules temporarily deferring real estate appraisal requirements for financial institutions and mitigating the regulatory capital and liquidity effects for banks that participate in certain COVID-related Federal Reserve liquidity facilities. The final rules are identical or substantially similar to interim final rules currently in effect that were issued earlier this year. The final rule on real estate appraisals temporarily allows financial institutions to defer completion of appraisals and evaluations on certain residential and commercial real estate transactions for up to 120 days after closing. The final rule on the Federal Reserve liquidity facilities provides that banking organizations that participate in the Federal Reserve’s Money Market Mutual Fund Liquidity Facility and Paycheck Protection Program Liquidity Facility are permitted to exclude exposures acquired through their participation in such programs when determining their compliance with the Agencies’ regulatory capital rule and/or liquidity coverage ratio rule. OCC Release. Federal Reserve Release. FDIC Release.
On September 17, the OCC along with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the FDIC published a final rule that makes technical corrections to certain provisions of the capital rule related to the standardized approach for counterparty credit risk (SA-CCR), which is used for calculating the exposure amount of derivative contracts. Final Rule.
On September 17, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) approved three final rules to revise CFTC regulations for swap data reporting, dissemination and public reporting requirements for market participants. The CFTC also approved a final rule that will permit derivatives clearing organizations organized outside of the U.S. to be registered with the CFTC. The CFTC also approved a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking regarding amendments to the CFTC’s regulations that govern bankruptcy proceedings for commodity brokers. Release.
On September 9, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced additional requirements and flexibilities for $3.96 billion in emergency solutions grants provided to states and units of local government under the CARES Act. These flexibilities allow for additional eligible activities for which the recipients can use the funds and also extends the obligation deadline for the recipients. Release.
