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Oct. 2, 2024 Need to Earn a FAC-C (Professional) or FAC-COR Certification? FAI currently has seats available in the following FAC certification courses: FCR 201 - Contracting Officer's Representative Level 2 (Dec. 2-6) FCR 400 - Advanced Contracting Officer's Representative (Dec. 2-6) CON 1100V - Contract Foundational Skills (Dec. 2-11, Dec. 4-13) CON 1200V - Contract Pre-Award (Dec. 4-13) CON 1300V - Contract Award (Dec. 2-11) Introducing the CFEN 001 AI Prompt Engineering Credential FAI is excited to launch the CFEN 001 AI Prompt Engineering Credential to equip the federal acquisition workforce with vital AI skills. As AI reshapes federal operations, mastering prompt engineering is essential for optimizing tools like ChatGPT. This credential aligns with federal AI directives and includes two Coursera courses—Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT and Advanced Prompt Engineering for Everyone—totaling 28 hours of online training via FAI's CSOD platform. Participants will learn AI fundamentals, effective prompt crafting, and ethical AI use. Designed for federal employees in diverse roles, this program enhances decision-making and innovation while ensuring compliance. Enroll today! Don't Miss PSHC's Office Hours: FAR 8.4 and FAR 15: Roles of Each in Acquisition Strategy Register today for the Oct. 10, 2024 GSA Office of Professional Services and Human Capital (PSHC) Categories Office Hours. This month's topic is "FAR 8.4 and FAR 15: Roles of Each in Acquisition Strategy." The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) provides the regulatory foundation for buying products and services on behalf of the federal government. FAR 8.4 provides ordering procedures for GSA Schedules and FAR 15 addresses contracting by negotiation. Which method should you use? What are the advantages of each method? What are the restrictions? Join them this month for an insightful overview comparing GSA Schedules and FAR 15. Register now. Earn one CLP! Sign Up for the FY25 Government-Wide IT Category Forum on Oct. 17 Come learn how the IT category can help you! In partnership with ACT-IAC, GSA is hosting the first annual Government-Wide IT Category Forum on Oct. 17, 2024 at the Carahsoft Conference & Collaboration Center in Reston, Virginia. Registration closes soon. GSA’s Commercial Platforms Program Kicks Off New “Meet the Platform” Demo Sessions The Commercial Platforms program is excited to announce a new round of virtual “Meet the Platform” training demos. Sessions cycle through the program’s awardees: Amazon Business, e-Procurement Services, Fisher Scientific, G-Commerce, Grainger, NOBLE, Pacific Ink, and Staples, highlighting new tools and features followed by a live Q&A with platform representatives. Federal purchase cardholders can see which platforms are available to them by checking with their agency's point of contact before registering. Registration links are on the Commercial Platforms website. These sessions are for government only and are not intended for industry. GSA's De-risking Government Technology Guide 2.0 is Now Live! A new version of 18F’s De-risking Guide is available online. Federal, state, and local agencies face similar challenges when delivering technology projects. This guide is a tool for agency staff involved in planning, procurement, or delivery of software solutions. Topics include when and why to use a commercial product or invest in building custom software, and how to contract and work with a vendor development team to deliver human-centered software to target users quickly. Contact via 18F@gsa.gov  Use this Free Resource to Combat Trafficking in Persons for Compliance with FAR 52.222-50 The U.S. Department of State's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, partnering with Verité, presents the Responsible Sourcing Tool (RST). The website aims to help prospective bidders and federal contractors establish robust due diligence systems to prevent human trafficking, including forced labor, in supply chains. It offers policies, performance standards, and processes to assess, address, and monitor human trafficking risks. COs and CORs will also find it useful to share the Compliance Plan template to encourage adherence to FAR 52.222-50. New Micro-Learning Series on Construction Wage Rate Requirements Statute and Labor Standards FAI restructured and updated FAC 046, the comprehensive course on Construction Wage Rate Requirements Statute and Other Labor Standards for Contracts Involving Construction, to reflect the latest changes to the Federal Acquisition Regulation. We divided the course into five standalone micro-learning classes, making it easier to access up-to-date information. These classes are ideal for contracting officers and specialists, whether you're new to the topics or refreshing your knowledge. Here’s a quick overview of the new offerings: FAC 130 - Construction Labor Standards and Related Acts (0.5 CLP): Get a broad understanding of the labor requirements for construction contracts, along with other related labor acts that may apply. FAC 131 - Wage Rate Requirements for Construction (0.5 CLP): Learn the ins and outs of WRRC, including when they apply and the roles of the contracting officer, contractor, and Department of Labor in enforcing these requirements. FAC 132 - Construction Wage Determination (1 CLP): Delve into construction wage determinations—both general and project-specific—and learn how to select and incorporate them into your construction contracts. FAC 133 - Construction Payroll Documentation (1 CLP): Master the nuances of prevailing wages, including hourly rates and fringe benefits, and understand the contractor’s obligations to submit weekly certified payrolls. A hands-on exercise will solidify your learning. FAC 134 - Construction Labor Compliance Checks and Enforcement (0.5 CLP): Explore the responsibilities of the contracting officer and Department of Labor in labor compliance reviews and enforcement actions, including common violations and the appeals process. Three NEW Playlists in FAI CSOD! The Next Generation Acquisition Leadership Playlist equips acquisition professionals with essential skills for success. Each course focuses on strategic thinking, leadership, and innovation, ensuring a well-rounded learning experience. Whether you're a contracting officer or part of the broader acquisition workforce, these courses will enhance your capabilities and drive successful federal acquisitions. Stay updated as this playlist evolves. The Foreign Acquisitions/Buy American Playlist provides critical insights into the Buy American Act, helping you navigate its complexities to ensure compliance in federal contracting. Key courses cover trade agreements and construction-specific guidelines. The ITAWG C-SCRM in Acquisition Credential Playlist strengthens your expertise in Cyber Supply Chain Risk Management. Explore zero trust principles, regulatory frameworks, and case studies to secure federal supply chains against cyber risks. Don't miss out—sign up now! Earn Your Digital Services Credential (DITAP) (formerly FAC-C-DS) via the DITAP Training Program! Successful completion of the Digital IT Acquisition Professional (DITAP) training program earns students a DITAP training certificate, 80 CLPs, and the ability to apply for the Digital Services Credential (DITAP) (formerly FAC-C-DS) through FAI's credential program. FAC-C (Professional) holders with at least two years of experience and assigned to acquisitions consisting primarily of digital services over FAR 13.500(c) thresholds are required to attend the DITAP training program. FAC-COR Level II/III and FAC-P/PM Level II/III holders with at least two years of experience and assigned to acquisitions consisting primarily of digital services over FAR 13.500(c) thresholds are encouraged to attend DITAP training to create a cohesive team that fully understands how to buy digital services. There are several vendors who provide the training: Skylight, Management Concepts, EAGLES, ICF, CivicActions, and Graduate School USA. Learn more about DITAP by visiting the TechFAR Hub.

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How to order free COVID test kits from the federal government and avoid the scammers By Eunice Kim The federal government is once again offering free COVID test kits. When it opens in September, you can order up to four kits per household at COVIDTests.gov. All for free. Read more > Recovery scams will follow Hurricane Helene. Here’s how to spot them By Jim Kreidler Nobody knows how long it’ll take to recover from the devastating flooding and destruction of Hurricane Helene. But we do know it won’t be long before scammers try to cash in on the storm. As you’re working to get back on your feet, learn how scammers operate — and how to avoid them. Read more > Some things to know this Medicare Open Enrollment Period By Kira Krown If you have Medicare, Open Enrollment — which runs from October 15 through December 7 — is when you can make changes to your health and prescription drug plans. Leading up to and during this time, you might see lots (and lots, and lots) of ads, and get lots (and lots, and lots) of phone calls about Medicare Advantage plans. Here are some things to know as you review and compare your options this year. Read more >

An underused free tax filing option. Erroneous claims for a pandemic-related credit. Here's a snapshot of our newest reports.    Management Took Actions to Address Erroneous Employee Retention Credit Claims; However, Some Questionable Claims Still Need to Be Addressed Why did we do this audit? We assessed the IRS’s processes to ensure the accuracy of tax returns with the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) and the IRS’s efforts to prevent or recover erroneous ERC. This is our third review of the ERC, which was intended to provide relief to businesses affected by the pandemic.  What did we find? The IRS experienced delays in processing ERC claims. The IRS didn't begin processing claims for 12 months, due to a lack of updated programming, procedural guidance, and the effects of the pandemic. These ERC claims were also filed on paper forms, so they were processed manually. As of April 2024, the IRS reported 1.4 million ERC claims waiting to be worked. The IRS doesn't have enough data to verify eligibility. For example, the IRS had no data to support whether the employer fully or partially suspended operations due to a pandemic government order or whether it experienced a decline in gross receipts. The IRS would need to conduct a resource-intensive exam to determine if an employer met these criteria. The IRS updated identity theft filters to identify more than 155,000 tax returns claiming potentially erroneous ERC and prevented $487 million in refunds from being issued during 2021 through 2023. However, the IRS does not apply updated filters to tax returns that were previously screened using old criteria. We identified nearly 1,000 returns reporting $19.6 million in potentially erroneous ERC through July 2023 that the IRS didn't identify. For more of our findings: Read the report Improvements Are Needed to Ensure Oversight of and Increase Participation in the Free File Program   Why did we do this audit? Several years ago, we reported that the complexity, confusion, and lack of taxpayer awareness about the IRS Free File Program cause many eligible taxpayers to not use it. This review was a follow up on IRS’s efforts to improve the Free File Program, focusing on additional taxpayer safeguards and actions the IRS has taken to improve testing and monitoring of compliance with program participation requirements.   What is the Free File Program? It's a public‑private partnership between the IRS and a group of tax preparation software companies that provide free electronic preparation and filing of Federal tax returns for certain taxpayers.  The Free File Program started in 2002 to help increase the electronic filing rate to 80% for individual taxpayers. The IRS has since exceeded this goal (96%).   What did we find? The IRS doesn't ensure that Free File Program partners are meeting all requirements to protect tax return data from unauthorized disclosure. Several companies have been sanctioned by the Federal Trade Commission for an unauthorized disclosure of taxpayer information while also participating in the Free File Program. However, IRS won't consider allegations of wrongdoing as a reason to remove a partner.  We also found that the IRS has not implemented any effective solutions to increase taxpayer participation in the program. Between 2020 and 2024, only 3% of eligible taxpayers used it. We recommended the IRS explore additional ways to reach eligible taxpayers, such as mailers, e-mails, and text messaging. We also recommended that the IRS and the partners should share the responsibility to promote the Free File Program. For more of our findings: Read the report Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration     Stay Connected 901 D Street, SW, Suite 600 Washington, D.C. 20024-2169 Expected Investment Builds on CHIPS for America’s Sustainability Commitments to Workers, Stakeholders, and Industry FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  Wednesday, October 2, 2024 Media Contact: Office of Public Affairs, publicaffairs@doc.gov Biden-Harris Administration to Invest up to $100 Million to Accelerate R&D and AI Technologies for Sustainable Semiconductor Materials   Expected Investment Builds on CHIPS for America’s Sustainability Commitments to Workers, Stakeholders, and Industry Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce issued a Notice of Intent (NOI) to announce an open competition demonstrating how AI can assist in developing new sustainable semiconductor materials and processes that meet industry needs and can be designed and adopted within five years. For the U.S. semiconductor industry to flourish in the long-term, it must be able to develop innovative and commercially competitive technologies to sustainably produce materials and manufacture chips in a way that protects the environment and local communities. To accomplish this, CHIPS for America anticipates up to $100 million in funding to award recipients that develop university-led, industry-informed, collaborations about artificial intelligence-powered autonomous experimentation (AI/AE) relevant to sustainable semiconductor manufacturing. The full text of the NOI can be found here. “Right now, new semiconductor materials often take years to be production-ready and are incredibly resource-intensive. If we’re going to quickly build up America’s semiconductor manufacturing base, in a way that’s sustainable over the long term in the face of increasing threats from the climate crisis, we need to leverage AI to help develop sustainable material processes quickly. With this new program, the Biden-Harris Administration will harness the vast capabilities of AI to unleash the full potential of our workers and innovators, while building a more secure and enduring domestic semiconductor industry,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “President Biden says our nation can be defined in a single word: Possibilities. Using AI to accelerate the extensive, intricate work of developing sustainable materials for this incredibly complicated product is a great example of American ingenuity,” said Arati Prabhakar, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. “This is how CHIPS research and development will help manufacturers continue to succeed and thrive here at home.” AI/AE has emerged as a potentially game-changing approach to accelerating materials research and development. AI/AE combines automated synthesis and characterization tools with an AI “planner” to determine the next round of an experimental campaign, vastly accelerating the design of new materials and the acquisition of materials data. In enabling federated research across multiple locations, AI/AE can create opportunities for collaborations across established research universities, emerging research institutions, industry, and national laboratories. CHIPS for America – with its programs spanning manufacturing incentives and multiple areas of research and development – is uniquely positioned to work with stakeholders across federal, state, and local government, industry, academia and research institutions, labor unions, and environmental groups to investigate, commercialize, and advance solutions in this space. Addressing sustainability challenges also presents an opportunity to better engage universities, including emerging research institutions, to conduct high-impact semiconductor R&D and to grow semiconductor research talent. “We have a unique opportunity to make the United States a world leader in efficient, safe, high-volume, and competitive semiconductor manufacturing,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Director Laurie E. Locascio. “This CHIPS for America funding opportunity will help bring about sustainable manufacturing processes and materials to meet increasing demands for sustainability and safe working environments in perhaps as few as five years.” Through this anticipated funding opportunity, CHIPS for America will support the sustainability of the U.S. semiconductor industry while recognizing the ongoing demand for improving microelectronics power, performance, area, and cost metrics. The competition will also aim to expand the participation of universities, including emerging research institutions, and their graduates in the semiconductor research and development (R&D) ecosystem. The notice of funding opportunity is expected to be released later this year. More information about CHIPS for America’s environmental work can be found here. Follow CHIPS.gov for updates. Australia has an ambitious defense expansion plan underway with a ten year acquisition plan of the order of US$ 220 billion augmented by a strategic refocus on naval shipbuilding, GWEO and high tech engagement with the U.S. and the U.K. including the acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines. And we are privileged to have as our key speaker the Head of Australia’s defense acquisition and sustainment group, Chris Deeble. Speakers: Australian Department of Defence Chris Deeble Head, Capability and Acquisition Group U.S. Embassy Briefing – Canberra Australia Colonel Lewis Vaughn Chief, Office of Defense Cooperation Dr Doug Hartley, Aerospace and Defense Commercial Specialist U.S. Commercial Service Defense Prime Contractor – Australia Chris Hess Industrial Development Lead, Lockheed Martin Australia REGISTER NOW   Register Now Webinar Date & Time: Oct. 29, 2024 3:00-4:15PM California 6:00-7:15PM New York Oct. 30 9:00-10:15AM Canberra Cost: $25 Questions: Jason Sproule A&D Team Leader U.S. Commercial Service - Los Angeles Doug Hartley A&D Commercial Specialist U.S. Embassy - Australia              The U.S. Commercial Service is the trade promotion arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration. U.S. Commercial Service trade professionals in over 100 U.S. cities and in more than 75 markets help U.S. companies get started in exporting or increase sales to global markets. At this year’s UN General Assembly, USAID launched the Partnership for a Lead-Free Future, a coalition to end childhood lead poisoning in developing countries by 2040. And we also announced $517 million in new support for countries experiencing democratic openings, and named Guatemala the latest country to join the Democracy Delivers Initiative. There were two big announcements supporting women around the world: a new public-private partnership that aims to accelerate gender equality and enhance environmental sustainability in agricultural supply chains, and two foundations are joining the Women in the Digital Economy Fund, which works to close the gender digital divide. Watch this recap and learn more at the link below. Learn More   News & Events The U.S. announced $424 million in additional aid for people affected by the crisis in Sudan. USAID helped deliver 50,000 doses of the Mpox vaccine to the Democratic Republic of Congo. And we explained how regional partnerships are leading to healthier air across Southeast Asia. Press Release   Digital Feature USAID and our partners are building and defending democracy and human rights around the world. Take a closer look at 10 of those efforts through our latest photo contest. These winning images illustrate how democracy delivers. Read More   Collaborating with USAID Are you passionate about addressing some of the world's most pressing challenges? Then apply to the USAID Donald M. Payne International Development Graduate Fellowship Program, which awards up to 30 fellowships to people interested in pursuing careers in the Foreign Service. Learn More   Did You Know... Ocean plastic pollution has reached crisis levels. Every minute an entire garbage truck’s worth of plastic enters the world’s oceans. How to ramp up efforts to improve ocean health—and our own? Read how USAID’s partnerships with the private sector are making an impact. Learn More Democracy Delivers 2024 Search OFAC's Sanctions Lists OFAC Recent Actions Sanctions FAQs Press Releases Contact OFAC Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. You are subscribed to SDN and/or Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Recent Actions updates for the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Update to OFAC's list of Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) and Blocked Persons The SDN list has recently been updated. Please visit this page to access the latest version of the SDN list. Check this page periodically as it may also be updated if a new list-related format or product is offered. Please visit this link for more information on today's update. U.S. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Oct. 1, 2024 EEOC Sues Two Employers for Sexual Harassment of Teens Federal Agency Alleges Applebee’s Franchise and Sports Facility Allowed Hostile Work Environment to Fester WASHINGTON –The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today filed lawsuits against two companies who failed to maintain harassment-free working environments for our nation’s youth. “Young workers are particularly vulnerable to harassment and other forms of workplace discrimination because they have less work experience, are less likely to know when someone crosses a boundary, and may be afraid to report an older or more powerful harasser,” said EEOC General Counsel Karla Gilbride. “The EEOC will defend the rights of these young workers and hold accountable the employers who failed to protect them.” The EEOC filed: EEOC v. Quality Restaurant Concepts, LLC, Case No. 2:24-cv-1331 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. The agency filed suit against the Applebee’s restaurant franchisee after the company failed to take appropriate action to address a sexually hostile work environment for at least six female employees since April 2023. According to the lawsuit, the male general manager, other male employees, and customers at the Applebee’s restaurant in Chelsea, Alabama harassed female employees through sexual comments, unwanted sexual advances, sexually offensive conduct, and sexual contact. The company failed to take appropriate action upon receiving complaints of the general manager’s conduct and allowed him to continue working closely with female employees he harassed, despite his prior history of sexually harassing a 16-year-old female employee at another restaurant. The restaurant’s managers admonished a 16-year-old female employee after she complained about sexual harassment from a 38-year-old bartender, and they later prohibited her from working as a server. At least two female employees quit because of the toxic work environment. Marsha Rucker, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Birmingham District, said, “Many of the female employees in this case are teenagers who were new to the workplace and unfamiliar with their rights. A priority of the EEOC is defending the civil rights of vulnerable young people such as the teenage employees in this case. The EEOC will continue to hold employers accountable when they fail to protect their workers from a sexually hostile work environment.” EEOC v. Intrepid Gymnastics, LLC, Case 3:24-cv-0310 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi. The agency filed suit against the gymnastics training facility after it subjected female employees, including teenage coaches, to severe and pervasive sexual harassment. According to the lawsuit, the president and majority owner of Intrepid subjected a 19-year-old employee to unwelcome sexual harassment, continuing a pattern of unlawful conduct including making sexual advances to female employees and students who were 19 years old or younger, frequently offering money for sex, asking them to procure other female employees for group sex, and sending sexually charged text messages. Intrepid failed to provide its young coaches and employees with a harassment policy defining conduct constituting sexual harassment, failed to give details on reporting harassment, and failed to identify the person responsible for receiving reports of harassment. “Sexual harassment of young employees regardless of the industry is a serious problem, and combatting this remains a priority of the EEOC,” said Edmond Sims, Jr., acting district director of the EEOC’s Memphis District Office. These companies’ alleged conduct violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits a sexually hostile environment in the workplace and retaliation. The EEOC filed suit after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process in each of the cases. In fiscal year 2023, the EEOC received more than 7,700 charges of sexual harassment in the nation’s workplaces, the highest number in 12 years and up nearly 25% from the previous year. The EEOC recently released updated Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace with more than 70 examples, including online harassment. For more information on sexual harassment, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/sexual-harassment. For more information on retaliation, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/retaliation. For more information for educating youth on their workplace rights, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/youthwork. The EEOC prevents and remedies unlawful employment discrimination and advances equal opportunity for all. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates. ### Please contact newsroom@eeoc.gov for media inquiries. Contact: Office of Communications & Legislative Affairs 131 M Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20507 newsroom@eeoc.gov ASL videophone 844-234-5122

Helping your child feel safe in uncertain times

Emergencies can be overwhelming, especially for children. But with preparation and guidance, you can help your child feel safe and confident, even during tough situations.   Explain and discuss. Children need to understand what’s going on, but in ways that aren’t scary. Consider using child-friendly resources like Pedro the Penguin to explain safety in a fun, interactive way. Pedro teaches kids about emergencies like house fires and storms through stories and games.  Make an emergency plan together. When children know what to do, they feel empowered. Create a family plan and make it a family activity to help reduce anxiety and boost your child’s sense of control.   Stay calm and offer comfort. Children take emotional cues from adults, so staying calm can help them feel safe. Learn more about how to talk to your child about disasters and help them process difficult situations.

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Press material Wednesday, 02 October 2024

● Council of the EU   02/10/2024 12:43 | Press release | Court of Justice of the European Union: member states’ representatives appoint nine judges and an advocate-general   The representatives of the governments of the member states today appointed nine judges and an advocate-general to the Court of Justice of the European Union. The Court of Justice of the European Union includes the Court of Justice and the General Court. Two judges were appointed to the Court of Justice: Mr Niels FENGER (from 7 October 2024 to 6 October 2027) Mr Andreas KUMIN (from 7 October 2024 to 6 October 2030) Seven judges were appointed to the General Court: Mr Juraj SCHWARCZ (from the date of the entry into force of this decision to 31 August 2028) Mr Hervé CASSAGNABÈRE (from 7 October 2024 to 31 August 2025) Mr Raphaël MEYER (from 7 October 2024 to 31 August 2028) Ms Suzanne KINGSTON (from 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2031) Mr Colm MAC EOCHAIDH (from 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2031) Mr José MARTÍN Y PÉREZ DE NANCLARES (from 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2031) Mr Miguel SAMPOL PUCURULL (from 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2031) In addition, Mr Andrea BIONDI was appointed advocate-general to the Court of Justice from 7 October 2024 to 6 October 2030. The relevant decisions will enter into force on the date of their publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. Background The judges and advocates-general are appointed by common accord of the governments of the member states after consultation of a panel responsible for giving an opinion on prospective candidates' suitability to perform the duties concerned. They are chosen from among individuals whose independence is beyond doubt. For appointment to the Court of Justice, candidates must possess the qualifications required for appointment, in their respective countries, to the highest judicial offices, or be jurisconsults of recognised competence. For appointment to the General Court, candidates must possess the ability required for appointment to high judicial office.

JOINT PRESS RELEASE | OCTOBER 2, 2024

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Federal Reserve Board National Credit Union Administration Office of the Comptroller of the Currency State Financial Regulators ________________________________________________________________ Federal and State Financial Regulatory Agencies Issue Interagency Statement on Supervisory Practices Regarding Financial Institutions Affected by Hurricane Helene The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board, the National Credit Union Administration, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and state financial regulators, collectively the agencies, recognize the serious impact of Hurricane Helene on the customers and operations of many financial institutions and will provide appropriate regulatory assistance to affected institutions subject to their supervision. The agencies encourage institutions operating in the affected areas to meet the financial services needs of their communities. A complete list of the current disaster areas can be found at https://www.fema.gov/disaster/declarations. Lending: The agencies encourage financial institutions to work constructively with borrowers in communities affected by Hurricane Helene. Prudent efforts to adjust or alter terms on existing loans in affected areas are supported by the agencies and should not be subject to examiner criticism. In accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, institutions should individually evaluate modifications of existing loans to determine whether they represent troubled debt restructurings or modifications to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty, as applicable. In making this evaluation, institutions should consider the facts and circumstances of each borrower and modification. In supervising institutions affected by Hurricane Helene, the agencies will consider the unusual circumstances these institutions face. The agencies recognize that efforts to work with borrowers in communities under stress can be consistent with safe-and-sound practices as well as in the public interest. Temporary Facilities: The agencies understand that many financial institutions face staffing, power, telecommunications, and other challenges in re-opening facilities after Hurricane Helene. In cases in which operational challenges persist, the primary federal and/or state regulator will expedite, as appropriate, any request to operate temporary facilities to provide more convenient availability of services to those affected by Hurricane Helene. In most cases, a telephone notice to the primary federal and/or state regulator will suffice initially to start the approval process, with necessary written notification being submitted shortly thereafter. Publishing Requirements: The agencies understand that the damage caused by Hurricane Helene may affect compliance with publishing and other requirements for branch closings, relocations, and temporary facilities under various laws and regulations. Institutions experiencing disaster-related difficulties in complying with any publishing or other requirements should contact their primary federal and/or state regulator. Regulatory Reporting Requirements: Institutions affected by Hurricane Helene that expect to encounter difficulty meeting the agencies’ reporting requirements should contact their primary federal and/or state regulator to discuss their situation. The agencies do not expect to assess penalties or take other supervisory action against institutions that take reasonable and prudent steps to comply with the agencies’ regulatory reporting requirements if those institutions are unable to fully satisfy those requirements because of Hurricane Helene. The agencies’ staffs stand ready to work with affected institutions that may be experiencing problems fulfilling their reporting responsibilities, taking into account each institution’s particular circumstances, including the status of its reporting and recordkeeping systems and the condition of its underlying financial records. Community Reinvestment Act (CRA): Financial institutions may receive CRA consideration for community development loans, investments, or services that revitalize or stabilize federally designated disaster areas in their assessment areas or in the states or regions that include their assessment areas. For additional information, refer to the Interagency Questions and Answers Regarding Community Reinvestment at https://www.ffiec.gov/cra/qnadoc.htm. Investments: Institutions are encouraged to monitor municipal securities and loans affected by Hurricane Helene. The agencies realize local government projects may be negatively affected by the disaster and encourage institutions to engage in appropriate monitoring and take prudent efforts to stabilize such investments. For more information, refer to the Interagency Supervisory Examiner Guidance for Institutions Affected by a Major Disaster, which is available as follows: State Financial Regulators:  https://www.csbs.org/interagency-supervisory-examiner-guidance-institutions-affected-major-disaster FDIC:  https://www.fdic.gov/news/disaster/hurricane-helene-2024 FRB:  https://www.federalreserve.gov/supervisionreg/srletters/sr1714a1.pdf OCC:  https://www.occ.gov/news-issuances/bulletins/2017/bulletin-2017-61.html NCUA:  https://www.ncua.gov/regulation-supervision/letters-credit-unions-other-guidance/examiner-guidance-institutions-affected-major-disaster ### MEDIA CONTACTS:  SLC Laura Fisher (202) 360-4918 FDIC LaJuan Williams-Young (202) 898-3876 FRB Meg Nelson (202) 452-2955 NCUA Ben Hardaway (703) 518-6333 OCC Stephanie Collins (202) 649-6870 FDIC: PR-83-2024

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