November 20, 2018
Agencies propose amendments to Regulation CC regarding funds availability
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection
For release at 12:00 p.m. EST
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection and the Federal Reserve Board today jointly proposed amendments to Regulation CC that would implement a statutory requirement to adjust for inflation the amount of funds depository institutions must make available to their customers. The amendments would apply in circumstances ranging from next business day withdrawal of certain check deposits to setting the threshold amount for determining whether an account has been repeatedly withdrawn.
Regulation CC implements the Expedited Funds Availability Act of 1987 (EFA Act). The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act) amended the EFA Act to grant the Bureau and the Board joint rulemaking authority for funds-availability schedules, disclosure policies, payment of interest, and other EFA Act provisions implemented by Regulation CC.
The Dodd-Frank Act amendments require that the EFA Act's dollar amounts be inflation adjusted every five years by the annual percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). The first set of proposed adjustments are detailed in the attached Federal Register notice. To help ensure that institutions have sufficient time to implement the adjustments, the agencies propose a compliance date that would be at least 12 months after publication of a final rule in the Federal Register.
The agencies also propose to implement in Regulation CC, EFA Act amendments made by the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, which include extending coverage of the EFA Act to American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam.
Finally, the agencies are providing an additional opportunity for public comment on certain funds-availability amendments in subpart B of Regulation CC that the Board published in 2011 regarding funds availability schedule provisions and associated definitions. In taking this step, the agencies have not made a decision on whether to make any aspects of the 2011 proposal final. Reopening the comment period will provide the agencies with up-to-date public views to consider.
The agencies are accepting comments on all aspects of the proposed amendments for 60 days following publication in the Federal Register.