Regulatory Capital Rule: Simplifications to the Capital Rule Pursuant to the Economic Growth and Regulatory Paperwork Reduction Act of 1996

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (collectively, the agencies) are adopting a final rule (final rule) to simplify certain aspects of the capital rule. The final rule is responsive to the agencies’ March 2017 report to Congress pursuant to the Economic Growth and Regulatory Paperwork Reduction Act of 1996, in which the agencies committed to meaningfully reduce regulatory burden, especially on community banking organizations. The key elements of the final rule apply solely to banking organizations that are not subject to the advanced approaches capital rule (non-advanced approaches banking organizations). Under the final rule, non-advanced approaches banking organizations will be subject to simpler regulatory capital requirements for mortgage servicing assets, certain deferred tax assets arising from temporary differences, and investments in the capital of unconsolidated financial institutions than those currently applied. The final rule also simplifies, for non-advanced approaches banking organizations, the calculation for the amount of capital issued by a consolidated subsidiary of a banking organization and held by third parties (sometimes referred to as a minority interest) that is includable in regulatory capital. In addition, the final rule makes technical amendments to, and clarifies certain aspects of, the agencies’ capital rule for both non-advanced approaches banking organizations and advanced approaches banking organizations (technical amendments). Revisions to the definition of high-volatility commercial real estate exposure in the agencies’ capital rule are being addressed in a separate rulemaking.