Regulations

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) proposes to amend its Regulation D (Reserve Requirements of Depository Institutions) to differentiate between master accounts and a proposed new category of special-purpose payment accounts (Payment Accounts). The proposed amendments would exclude Payment Accounts from Regulation D's provisions directing Federal Reserve Banks (Reserve Banks) to pay interest on balances maintained at a Reserve Bank. As a result, the Reserve Banks would not pay interest on balances maintained in Payment Accounts. The proposal would not affect reserve requirement ratios, which would remain zero.

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) proposes to amend its Regulation A (Extensions of Credit by Federal Reserve Banks) to specify that a holder of a proposed special-purpose payment account (a Payment Account) would not be eligible for access to discount window credit made available by the Federal Reserve Banks (Reserve Banks). The proposal would change neither the existing programs under which the Reserve Banks generally provide discount window credit (primary credit, secondary credit, and seasonal credit) nor the process for establishing the primary credit, secondary credit, and seasonal credit rates.

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) is issuing a notice and request for comment on proposed revisions to the Federal Reserve Policy on Payment System Risk (PSR Policy), including the proposed addition of a new Part IV, to accommodate the provision by Reserve Banks of special-purpose accounts that would clear and settle certain payment activity (Payment Accounts). The Board is also proposing updates to its guidelines for Federal Reserve Banks (Reserve Banks) to utilize in evaluating requests for access to Reserve Bank account and services (Account Access Guidelines or Guidelines) to accommodate requests for access to Payment Accounts. Finally, the Board is encouraging Reserve Banks to pause decisions on requests for Reserve Bank accounts and services from institutions that are Tier 3 under the Account Access Guidelines until the Board has completed its policy development process on the Payment Account proposal.

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) is adopting a proposal to extend for three years, with revision, the Capital Assessments and Stress Testing Reports (FR Y14A/Q/M; OMB No. 7100-0341).