Banking regulator updates exam process booklets, makes four rescissions

Four supervisory booklets – “Bank Supervision Process,” “Community Bank Supervision,” “Federal Branches and Agencies Supervision,” and “Large Bank Supervision” – have been updated by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the agency said in a bulletin (2019-44) issued Monday.

The updated booklets, the agency said, reflect the following:

  • The interim final rule for the expanded supervisory cycle. Refer to OCC Bulletin 2018-27, “Expanded Examination Cycle Eligibility: Interim Final Rule.”
  • An updated OCC report of examination policy based on the revised Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council report of examination policy.
  • Information about the OCC’s authority to access banks’ books and records.
  • Revision of the OCC’s enforcement action policies. Refer to OCC Bulletin 2018-41, “OCC Enforcement Action Policies and Procedures Manuals.”
  • The revised “Capital and Dividends” booklet of the Comptroller’s Handbook.
  • Updates to the OCC’s credit underwriting assessment.
  • Changes to references to include new issuances and to reflect rescissions of OCC issuances since June 28, 2018.

The updated booklets replace the ones of the same titles issued previously, the agency said. They also rescind:

  • OCC Bulletin 2016-13, “Communications Technology: Guidance for Banks’ Maintenance of Records, Records Retention, and Examiner Access” (now incorporated into appendix B of the “Bank Supervision Process” booklet);
  • Office of Thrift Supervision Examination Handbook section 360, appendix B, “Questions and Answers – Examination Obstruction” (replaced by appendix B of the “Bank Supervision Process” booklet);
  • OCC Bulletin 2019-11, “Report of Examination: FFIEC Policy and Rescissions” (the “Report of Examination” section of the “Bank Supervision Process” booklet was updated for consistency with the interagency policy statement, “FFIEC Policy Statement on the Report of Examination,” attached to Monday’s bulletin); and
  • “Overview” booklet in the Consumer Compliance series of the Comptroller’s Handbook (replaced by the “Compliance Management Systems” booklet and the Examination Process series of booklets of the Comptroller’s Handbook).

OCC Bulletin 2019-44