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OCC extends comment period on proposed rules for the Bank Merger Act
On April 10, the OCC announced a notice published in the Federal Register extending the comment period for the OCC’s proposed rule on bank mergers. The NPRM titled, “Business Combinations under the Bank Merger Act,” was originally published on February 14. As previously covered by InfoBytes, the rule would amend procedures to include a policy statement that “summarizes the principles the OCC uses when it reviews proposed bank merger transactions under the Bank Merger Act.” Under the typical 60-day comment period, the comment period for the original NPRM would have closed on April 15. The OCC extended the comment period in response to a request to do so, to allow interested parties additional time to prepare and submit their comments. The notice will not not indicate who made the request. The new deadline for parties to submit comments is June 15.
FDIC opens comment period on proposed Statement of Policy regarding bank merger transactions, highlights “added scrutiny” for $100+ billion mergers
On March 21, the FDIC issued a request for comment on its proposed Statement of Policy (SOP) on bank merger transactions, which will aim to update, strengthen, and clarify the FDIC’s approach to bank merger evaluation. The proposed SOP does note that transactions in excess of $100 billion are more likely to present financial stability concerns and will be “subject to added scrutiny.” The new SOP will replace the FDIC’s current SOP on its responsibilities under the Bank Merger Act (BMA) or Section 18(c) of the FDI Act. Both the heads of the CFPB and OCC issued statements on this review, with the Acting Comptroller of the Currency offering his explicit support.
Broadly speaking, the proposed SOP aims to make the process more principles based, communicate the FDIC’s expectations in its evaluation of merger applications, and describe which merger transactions are under the FDIC’s domain. The proposed SOP will include separate discussions for each statutory factor as set forth in the BMA, including the effects on competition, financial resources, future prospects, CRA, financial and banking stability risk, and AML considerations. Further, this will not be an exhaustive list, as the FDIC will claim jurisdiction over any other elements that could present a risk to financial stability. Of note, the proposed SOP will not include any “bright lines or specific metrics” on what transaction would be considered anti-competitive, as the FDIC wishes to maintain its flexibility to appropriately evaluate the circumstances of each merger application.
This new comment period will begin after the FDIC reviewed 33 comment letters received during the previous comment period, about three-fourths of which were in favor of at least some changes to the FDIC’s merger review process. Six commenters were against such changes and two commenters were neither in favor of nor against the changes. The comments against argued that the current framework was “sound,” and any revisions could harm the sector by making the bank merger process more difficult and disproportionally impacting community, mid-size, and regional banks. Comments must be received by 60 days from the date of the SOP’s publication in the Federal Register.
OCC issues proposed rule for bank merger approvals
On January 29, the OCC announced a proposed rule for bank merger approvals under the Bank Merger Act (BMA). The OCC proposed changes to 12 CFR 5.33 to reflect its view that a business combination is a significant corporate transaction.
The OCC suggested two key changes to its business combination regulation (12 CFR 5.33). First, it proposed removing the expedited review procedures outlined in § 5.33(i). Currently, this provision automatically approves certain filings after the 15th day following the close of the comment period, but the OCC believes that no business combinations subject to § 5.33 should be approved solely based on elapsed time. Additionally, the OCC suggests removing paragraph (d)(3), as it pertains to defining applications eligible for expedited review. Second, the OCC proposes the removal of § 5.33(j), which outlines four scenarios allowing an applicant to use the OCC's streamlined business combination application instead of the full Interagency Bank Merger Act Application. The streamlined application seeks information on similar topics, but only requires detailed information if the applicant answers affirmatively to specific yes-or-no questions. Currently, a transaction eligible for the streamlined application also qualifies for expedited review, a feature the OCC is proposing to eliminate. Additionally, a new policy statement (proposed as Appendix A to 12 CFR part 5, subpart C) is introduced to provide clarity and guidance on general principles used by the OCC in reviewing applications under the BMA. The policy statement also covers considerations for financial stability, resources, prospects, and convenience and needs factors. Criteria for deciding whether to hold a public meeting on a BMA application were also outlined.
Comments from the public are due 60 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register.
Governor Hochul unveils statewide cybersecurity strategy for New York
On August 9, Governor Hochul announced New York’s first-ever statewide cybersecurity strategy to protect the state’s digital infrastructure from cyber threats. The cybersecurity strategy articulates a set of high-level objectives and agency roles and responsibilities, as well as outlines how existing and planned initiatives will be weaved together in a unified approach. The central principles of the strategy are unification, resilience, and preparedness, with a focus on state agencies working together with local governments to strengthen the entire state’s defenses. Included in the plan was a $600 million commitment to improve cybersecurity, including (i) a $90 million investment for cybersecurity in Fiscal Year 2024; (ii) $500 million to enhance healthcare information technology; and (iii) $7.4 million for law enforcement entities to expand their cybercrime capabilities.
Senators call for stronger Fed oversight over bank mergers
On August 9, Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Jack Reed (D-RI), and John Fetterman (D-PA) wrote a letter to the Chair and Vice Chair of Supervision for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System urging the Fed to “review and reconsider” its procedures for approving bank mergers. The letter cites the Dodd-Frank Act’s amendment to the Bank Merger Act, which mandates that federal banking regulators consider whether a proposed merger “would result in greater or more concentrated risks” to the stability of the banking or financial system. The senators also voiced concern that the Fed has “not issued any rules or guidance indicating the types of bank mergers that would implicate financial stability concerns” and criticized the process around the Fed’s approval of recent acquisitions.
FDIC issues RFI on bank mergers
On March 25, the FDIC issued a request for information (RFI) seeking public comments on bank mergers, including mergers between an insured depository institution and a noninsured institution, to aid the agency’s understanding of and any potential policymaking in this area. Specifically, the RFI seeks input related to the effectiveness of the existing framework in meeting the requirements of Section 18(c) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (known as the Bank Merger Act). According to the FDIC, “[s]ignificant changes over the past several decades in the banking industry and financial system warrant a review of the regulatory framework.”
Among the questions posed by the RFI are topics concerning (i) whether additional requirements or criteria (including quantitative measures) should be added to the existing regulatory framework to address financial stability risks that may arise from bank mergers (e.g. “[s]hould the FDIC presume that any merger transaction that results in a financial institution that exceeds a predetermined asset size threshold, for example $100 billion in total consolidated assets, poses a systemic risk concern?”); (ii) the extent to which prudential factors should be considered when acting on a merger application, and whether bright line minimum standards for these factors should be established; (iii) whether agencies should rethink the way they consider whether a merger might affect the convenience and needs factor of a community, and to “what extent should the CFPB be consulted by the FDIC when considering the convenience and needs factor and should that consultation be formalized”; (iv) whether the existing merger review framework creates “an implicit presumption of approval” or requires “an appropriate burden of proof” on bank applicants to prove they have met the criteria of the Bank Merger Act; (v) to what extent has the Bank Merger Act exception “proven beneficial or detrimental to the bank resolution process and to financial stability”; and (vi) to what extent would responses to the questions differ if the merger transaction involves a small insured depository institution.
Comments on the RFI are due 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.
Chopra releases statement on bank merger policy conflict
On December 14, after his first public meeting as a Member of the Board of Directors of the FDIC, CFPB Director Rohit Chopra issued a statement detailing the circumstances leading up to the request for information (RFI) that seeks public comment on revising the FDIC’s framework for vetting proposed bank mergers. Chopra’s statement follows an FDIC statement (covered by InfoBytes here) refuting a request for review of bank merger policies announced in a CFPB blog post. In his December 14 statement, Chopra challenged the view that only the FDIC Chairperson has the right to raise matters for discussion in board meetings and explained how the Directors had “circulated a draft Request for Information on the Bank Merger Act with the intention of releasing it jointly with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.” Chopra noted the draft RFI “was not a draft rule or guidance document – it was largely a series of questions to solicit input, given the President’s reasonable request, the need to incorporate the Dodd-Frank Act’s amendments, and the long-term trend in consolidation.” Chopra further stated that it “should have been a no-brainer where consensus could easily be achieved,” but due to “the General Counsel’s improper assertion that the Chairperson had implicit veto power, the draft was not given appropriate attention.”
Chopra called for “immediate[]” resolution of the conflict, adding that “[a]bsent a return to legal reality and constructive engagement, board members will need to take further steps to exercise independence from management and to ensure sound governance of the [FDIC].”
The same day, acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael J. Hsu released a statement supporting “the view of the majority of the FDIC Board members that the Bank Merger Act (BMA) guidelines are ripe for review,” noting that his particular focus is on “the financial stability prong, given large bank merger trends and my experience in the 2008 financial crisis with too-big-to-fail firms.” Hsu also stated that he “voted for the Request for Information (RFI) on the BMA due to the inability to reach compromise and urgency on the financial stability issue,” and he expressed concerns that “legal or procedural quicksand may ultimately limit our ability to act on this issue in a timely manner.”
FDIC refutes CFPB’s bank merger policy announcement
On December 9, the FDIC issued a statement refuting a request for review of bank merger policies announced in a CFPB blog post. According to a joint statement issued by FDIC Board member Martin J. Gruenberg and Rohit Chopra (who has an automatic board seat as Director of the CFPB), the FDIC Board of Directors voted to launch a public comment period on updating the FDIC’s regulatory implementation of the Bank Merger Act. Gruenberg and Chopra indicated that the Board members taking part in this action have approved a Request for Information and Comment on Rules, Regulations, Guidance, and Statements of Policy Regarding Bank Merger Transactions, which would seek public input on the FDIC’s approach to considering prudential factors in acting on a bank merger application, specifically related to “whether bright line minimum standards for prudential factors should be established, and if so, what minimum standards for which prudential factors.” In his blog post, Chopra noted that the Bureau is particularly interested in how the assessment of a bank merger’s impact on families and businesses in local communities would work in practice, and how should regulators ensure a merger does not increase the risk of bank failure or otherwise disrupt the economy should the bank face financial distress. According to the Gruenberg and Chopra joint statement, the Board’s action authorizes the FDIC’s executive secretary to publish the RFI in the Federal Register, upon which a 60-day window for comments will commence.
Shortly following the release of the joint statement, the FDIC released a statement disputing that any action had been approved, stressing that it “has longstanding internal policies and procedures for circulating and conducting votes of its Board of Directors, and for issuing documents for publication in the Federal Register.” Adding that “[i]n this case, there was no valid vote by the Board, and no such request for information and comment has been approved by the agency for publication in the Federal Register,” the FDIC commented that “[n]otwithstanding the actions taken today, the FDIC expects this time-honored tradition of collegiality and comity to continue.”