Application

Any State may apply to the Board for a determination that a class of transactions subject to State law is exempt from the requirements of the Act and this regulation. An application shall be in writing and addressed to the Secretary, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Washington, DC 20551, and shall be signed by the appropriate State official. The application shall be made pursuant to the procedures herein and the Board's Rules of Procedure (12 CFR Part 262).

Supporting Documents

An application shall be accompanied by:

(1) The text of the State statute or regulation that is the subject of the application, and any other statute, regulation, or judicial or administrative opinion that implements, interprets, or applies it.

(2) A comparison of the State law with the corresponding provisions of the Federal law.

(3) The text of the State statute or regulation that provides for civil and criminal liability and administrative enforcement of the State law.

(4) A statement of the provisions for enforcement, including an identification of the State office that administers the relevant law, information on the funding and the number and qualifications of personnel engaged in enforcement, and a description of the enforcement procedures to be followed, including information on examination procedures, practices, and policies. If an exemption application extends to federally chartered institutions, the applicant must furnish evidence that arrangements have been made with the appropriate Federal agencies to ensure adequate enforcement of State law in regard to such creditors.

(5) A statement of reasons to support the applicant's claim that an exemption should be granted.

Public Notice of Application

Notice of an application will be published, with an opportunity for public comment, in the Federal Register, unless the Board finds that notice and opportunity for comment would be impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest and publishes its reasons for such decision.

Subject to the Board's Rules Regarding Availability of Information (12 CFR Part 261), all applications made, including any documents and other material submitted in support of the applications, will be made available for public inspection and copying. A copy of the application also will be made available at the Federal Reserve Bank of each district in which the applicant is situated.

Favorable Determination

If the Board determines on the basis of the information before it that an exemption should be granted, notice of the exemption will be published in the Federal Register, and a copy furnished to the applicant and to each Federal official responsible for administrative enforcement.

The appropriate State official shall inform the Board within 30 days of any change in its relevant law or regulations. The official shall file with the Board such periodic reports as the Board may require.

The Board will inform the appropriate State official of any subsequent amendments to the Federal law, regulation, interpretations, or enforcement policies that might require an amendment to State law, regulation, interpretations, or enforcement procedures.

Adverse Determination

If the Board makes an initial determination that an exemption should not be granted, the Board will afford the applicant a reasonable opportunity to demonstrate further that an exemption is proper. If the Board ultimately finds that an exemption should not be granted, notice of an adverse determination will be published in the Federal Register and a copy furnished to the applicant.

Revocation of Exemption

The Board reserves the right to revoke an exemption if at any time it determines that the standards required for an exemption are not met.

Before taking such action, the Board will notify the appropriate State official of its intent, and will afford the official such opportunity as it deems appropriate in the circumstances to demonstrate that revocation is improper. If the Board ultimately finds that revocation is proper, notice of the Board's intention to revoke such exemption will be published in the Federal Register with a reasonable period of time for interested persons to comment.

Notice of revocation of an exemption will be published in the Federal Register. A copy of such notice will be furnished to the appropriate State official and to the Federal officials responsible for enforcement. Upon revocation of an exemption, creditors in that State shall then be subject to the requirements of the Federal law.