Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Supporting Statement
Release of Non-Public Information – 12 CFR 4, Subpart C
OMB Control Number 1557-0200
A. Justification.
1. Circumstances that make the collection necessary:
The information requirements require individuals who are requesting non-public OCC information to provide the OCC with information regarding the legal grounds for the request. Release of non-public OCC information to a requester without sufficient legal grounds to obtain the information would inhibit open consultation between a bank and the OCC thereby impairing the OCC’s supervisory and regulatory mission. The OCC is entitled, under statute and case law, to require requesters to demonstrate that they have sufficient legal grounds for the OCC to release non-public OCC information. The OCC needs to know the requester’s legal grounds to determine if it should release the requested non-public OCC information.
The OCC maintains the non-public nature of certain OCC information pursuant to the bank examination exemption of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552(b)(8)), judicial interpretation of the bank examination privilege (see Schreiber v. Society for Savings Bancorp, Inc., 11 F.3d 217 (D.C. Cir. 1993); In Re: Subpoena Served Upon the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Secretary of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 967 F.2d 630, 634 (D.C. Cir. 1992) (discussing the bank examination privilege, which is analogous to the examination exemption under FOIA)), and other agency privileges, such as deliberative process and attorney-client privilege.
2. Use of the information:
The OCC uses the information to process requests for non-public OCC information and to determine if sufficient grounds exist for the OCC to release the requested information or provide testimony. This information collection makes more efficient the mechanism for processing requests and facilitates and expedites the OCC’s release of non-public information and testimony to the requester.
3. Consideration of the use of improved information technology:
The use of information technology would not reduce the burden of this submission. The OCC collects only the minimum information necessary to make a decision and an information collection is conducted only when a requestor asks for the release of OCC non-public information.
4. Efforts to identify duplication:
The required information is unique and is not duplicative of any other information already collected.
5. Methods used to minimize burden if the collection has a significant impact on a substantial number of small entities:
Not applicable. The collection does not have a significant impact on a substantial number of small entities.
6. Consequences to the Federal program if the collection were conducted less frequently:
The information collection is conducted infrequently and only when a requester asks OCC to release non-public information or testimony.
7. Special circumstances that would cause an information collection to be conducted in a manner inconsistent with 5 CFR Part 1320:
None. The information collection is conducted in accordance with the requirements of 5 CFR Part 1320.
8. Efforts to consult with persons outside the agency:
On January 26, 2015, the OCC published a Notice in the Federal Register soliciting comments on the proposed extension of OMB approval of this information collection (80 FR 4038). The OCC received no public comments.
9. Payment or gift to respondents:
None.
10. Any assurance of confidentiality:
None.
11. Justification for questions of a sensitive nature:
Not applicable. No personally identifiable information is collected.
12. Burden estimate:
Cost of Hour Burden to Respondents:
The OCC estimates the cost of the hour burden to respondents (by wage rate categories) as follows:
Clerical ($20/hour): 20% x 241 hours = 48.2 hours @ $20= $ 964
Managerial/technical ($40/hour): Not applicable
Senior Management ($80/hour): 80% x 241hours = 192.8 hours @ $80 = $15,424
Legal Counsel ($100/hour): Not applicable
Total cost of hour burden: $16,388
13. Estimate of total annual costs to respondents (excluding cost of hour burden in Item #12):
Not applicable.
14. Estimate of annualized costs to the Federal government:
None.
15. Change in burden:
Previous Burden: 592 hours.
Current Burden: 241 hours.
Difference: - 351 hours.
The decrease in burden is due to updating the burden estimates based on number of requests received in the past year.
16. Information regarding collections whose results are to be published for statistical use:
The OCC has no plans to publish the information for statistical purposes.
17. Reasons for not displaying OMB approval expiration date:
Not applicable. This submission involves a regulation.
18. Exceptions to the certification statement in Item 19 of OMB Form 83-I:
None.
B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods.
Not applicable.
File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
File Title | Supporting Statement |
Author | Administrator |
File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
File Created | 2021-01-25 |