Ppr Int D9Ec703D3Ee68D1E Joint Statement On Cra Consideration For Activities In Response T - Ppr Int D9Ec703D3Ee68D1E Joint Statement On.

Summary

Joint statement dated March 19, 2020 by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency on Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) consideration for activities in response to COVID-19. The agencies say they will favorably consider retail banking services and lending that respond to the needs of low- and moderate-income individuals, small businesses and small farms affected by COVID-19, such as waiving certain fees and offering payment accommodations. They say prudent loan modifications for such borrowers will receive CRA consideration and not be subject to examiner criticism, and that community development activities in a broader statewide or regional area will be considered. The statement runs through the six-month period after the national emergency declaration is lifted, unless extended.

Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used

Issuer: Congressional materials
Document type: Ppr Int D9Ec703D3Ee68D1E Joint Statement On Cra Consideration For Activities In Response T
Case: Ppr Int D9Ec703D3Ee68D1E Joint Statement On Cra Consideration For Activities In Response To Covid 19 Pdf 2317Fde222

Cite this document

“Ppr Int D9Ec703D3Ee68D1E Joint Statement On Cra Consideration For Activities In Response T - Ppr Int D9Ec703D3Ee68D1E Joint Statement On.” Original at www.federalreserve.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/ppr-int-d9ec703d3ee68d1e-joint-statement-on-cra-consideration-for-activities-in-response-to-covid-19-pdf-2317fde222/, SHA-256 d73564411efe6bb8c6bf10a8a3248d0717e5f73fb9c8716148f7fdaec58b370a.

Full text

                                               Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
                                                         Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
                                                       Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

                                                                                          March 19, 2020

                              Joint Statement on CRA Consideration
                              for Activities in Response to COVID-19

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve), the Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)
(collectively, the agencies) recognize the potential for Coronavirus Disease (also referred to as
COVID-19) to adversely affect the customers and operations of financial institutions. On March
9, 2020, the federal financial institution regulatory agencies and state bank regulators issued a
statement to encourage financial institutions to meet the financial services needs of their
customers and members in areas affected by COVID-19. 1

Consistent with the March 9, 2020, statement and existing information that the agencies have
provided in prior communications on disasters and national emergencies, the agencies encourage
financial institutions to work with affected customers and communities, particularly those that
are low- and moderate-income. The agencies recognize that such efforts—when consistent with
safe and sound banking practices and applicable laws, including consumer protection laws—
serve the long-term interests of these communities and the financial system.

Working with Customers. Pursuant to the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), the agencies
will favorably consider retail banking services and retail lending activities in a financial
institution’s assessment areas that are responsive to the needs of low- and moderate-income
individuals, small businesses, and small farms affected by COVID-19 and that are consistent
with safe and sound banking practices. These activities may include, but are not limited to:

    •   Waiving certain fees, such as:
            o Automated teller machine (ATM) fees for customers and non-customers,
            o Overdraft fees,
            o Late payment fees on credit cards and other loans, and
            o Early withdrawal penalties on time deposits;
    •   Easing restrictions on cashing out-of-state and non-customer checks;
    •   Expanding the availability of other short-term, unsecured credit products for creditworthy
        borrowers;
    •   Increasing credit card limits for creditworthy borrowers;


1
  https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/bcreg20200309a.htm (Federal Reserve);
https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2020/pr20025.html (FDIC); https://www.occ.gov/news-issuances/news-
releases/2020/nr-ia-2020-30.html (OCC).
   •   Providing alternative service options to customers in light of limited ability to access
       branches; and
   •   Offering payment accommodations, such as allowing borrowers to defer or skip
       payments or extending the payment due date, which would avoid delinquencies and
       negative credit bureau reporting, caused by COVID-19-related issues.

The agencies emphasize that prudent efforts to modify the terms on new or existing loans for
affected low- and moderate-income customers, small businesses, and small farms will receive
CRA consideration and not be subject to examiner criticism. For example, when appropriate, a
financial institution may restructure a borrower’s debt obligations due to temporary hardships
resulting from COVID-19-related issues. Such efforts can ease cash flow pressures on affected
borrowers, improve their capacity to service debt, help to recover or maintain customers’
financial capacity, and facilitate the financial institution’s ability to collect on its loans.

Financial institutions may also receive CRA consideration for easing terms for new loans to
affected low- and moderate-income customers, small businesses, and small farms, consistent
with prudent banking practices. Such practices may help customers to recover or maintain their
financial capacity and enhance their ability to service their debt.

The agencies encourage financial institutions to work with their respective supervisory agency
regarding additional actions that may effectively manage or mitigate any adverse impact due to
COVID-19, consistent with safe and sound banking practices and applicable consumer protection
laws.

Community Development Activities: In light of the declaration of a national emergency, this
statement clarifies that financial institutions will receive CRA consideration for community
development activities.

Qualifying activities include those that help to revitalize or stabilize low- or moderate-income
geographies as well as distressed or underserved nonmetropolitan middle-income geographies,
and that support community services targeted to low- or moderate-income individuals. Such
activities may include, but are not limited to:

   •   Loans, investments or services that support digital access for low- and moderate-income
       individuals or communities;
   •   Loans, investments or services that support access to health care, particularly for low-
       and moderate-income individuals or communities;
   •   Economic development activities that sustain small business operations, particularly in
       low- and moderate-income communities; and
   •   Investment or service activities that support provision of food supplies and services for
       low- and moderate-income individuals or communities.

The COVID-19 emergency has had a significant economic impact that may extend beyond
banks’ assessment areas. Therefore, the agencies are reminding institutions that favorable
consideration will be given to community development activities located in a broader statewide
or regional area that includes a bank’s CRA Assessment Area 2 and that help to stabilize
communities affected by the COVID-19, provided that such institutions are responsive to the
community development needs and opportunities that exist in their own assessment area(s).
This statement shall be effective through the six-month period after the national emergency
declaration is lifted, unless extended by the agencies.




2
  The CRA Interagency Question and Answer § __.12(h)-6, 7 (https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2016-07-
25/pdf/2016-16693.pdf) provides that a “regional area” may be an intrastate area or a multistate area, and may
include commonly accepted regions or regional designations used by government authorities. Questions regarding
whether a particular area constitutes an appropriate broader statewide or regional area should be discussed with the
bank’s federal supervisory agency.

File and source

File: ppr-int-d9ec703d3ee68d1e-Joint-Statement-on-CRA-Consideration-for-Activities-in-Response-to-COVID-19-PDF-2317fde222.pdf
Size: 57,117 bytes
SHA-256: d73564411efe6bb8c6bf10a8a3248d0717e5f73fb9c8716148f7fdaec58b370a
Our copy: ppr-int-d9ec703d3ee68d1e-Joint-Statement-on-CRA-Consideration-for-Activities-in-Response-to-COVID-19-PDF-2317fde222.pdf
Original: www.federalreserve.gov