Number: RL34485
Title: Basel II in the United States: Progress Toward a Workable Framework
Authors: Walter W. Eubanks, Government and Finance Division 
Abstract: Federal banking regulators (Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Treasury, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Office of Thrift Supervision, and the National Credit Union Administration) issued a final rule for the implementation of the Basel II capital accord on December 7, 2007. The final rule became effective on April 1, 2008. It is expected that 11 of the largest U.S. banks will be mandated to be the "core" Basel II banks. Other banks may optin, if their implementation plans are approved by their primary federal supervisors. The rest of the U.S. banking industry will be able to choose between a modified version of the existing Basel I (Basel 1-A, the United States version of the Basel II standardized approach) or continue to operate under the Basel I framework. These three methods are expected to be available to financial institutions in the United States to determine the minimum amount of regulatory capital that must be held under the first pillar of the Basel II framework. Congress' oversight might be most productive in enforcing the other two pillars of Basel II - supervisory review and public disclosures of bank financial information.
Pages: 7
Date: May 14, 2008