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Financial Services Law Insights and Observations

FinCEN outlines BSA due diligence requirements for hemp-related businesses

Agency Rule-Making & Guidance FinCEN Bank Secrecy Act Anti-Money Laundering Hemp Businesses CDD Rule

Agency Rule-Making & Guidance

On June 29, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued guidance for hemp-related business customers to explain due diligence requirements and identify the types of information financial institutions can collect to comply with Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) regulatory requirements. The guidance supplements a December 2019 interagency statement (covered by a Buckley Special Alert), which confirmed that financial institutions are no longer required to file a suspicious activity report (SARs) on customers solely because they are “engaged in the growth or cultivation of hemp in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.” Among other things, the guidance reiterates FinCEN’s expectation that financial institutions conduct customer due diligence (CDD) for hemp-related businesses, as they would for other customers, and establish appropriate on-going risk-based CDD procedures. This may include confirming that the hemp business is complying with applicable state, tribal government, or United States Department of Agriculture licensing requirements. Financial institutions should also tailor BSA/Anti-Money Laundering programs to appropriately reflect the risks associated with a customer’s particular risk profile and file the required reports. The guidance further provides that while financial institutions are not required to file SARs on customers solely because they are engaged in a hemp business, “financial institutions are expected to follow standard SAR procedures.” Examples of suspicious activity that may warrant the filing of a SAR are provided. Finally, the guidance states that financial institutions must report currency transactions connected to hemp-related businesses as they would for any other customer for transactions above $10,000 in aggregate on a single business day.