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FRB--Press Release--Interagency rules on disciplinary actions against accountants and accounting firms--August 8, 2003

Joint Press Release

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Office of Thrift Supervision

For Immediate Release

August 8, 2003

Agencies Issue Final Rules on Disciplinary Actions Against Accountants and Accounting
Firms Performing Certain Audit Services
The federal bank and thrift regulatory agencies today issued final rules governing their
authority to take disciplinary actions against independent public accountants and accounting
firms that perform audit and attestation services required by section 36 of the Federal Deposit
Insurance Act. Proposed rules were published for comment in the Federal Register in
January 2003.
The final rules, which take effect on October 1, 2003, establish procedures under which the
agencies can, for good cause, remove, suspend, or bar an accountant or firm from performing
audit and attestation services for insured depository institutions with assets of $500 million or
more. The rules permit immediate suspensions in limited circumstances.
The rules provide that certain violations of law, negligent conduct, reckless violations of
professional standards or lack of qualifications to perform auditing services may be
considered good cause to remove, suspend or bar an accountant or firm from providing audit
services for banking organizations subject to section 36. Also, the rules prohibit an
accountant or accounting firm from performing audit services if the accountant or firm has
been removed, suspended, or debarred by one of the agencies, or if the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission or the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board has taken certain
disciplinary action against the accountant or firm.
The rules are being issued by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the
Office of Thrift Supervision. The rules amend each agency's rules of practice separately, but
are substantively identical.
Attachment (258 KB PDF)
Media Contacts:
Federal Reserve Dave Skidmore (202) 452-2955
FDIC
David Barr
(202) 898-6992
OCC
Dean DeBuck (202) 874-5770
OTS
Chris Smith
(202) 906-6677
2003 Banking and consumer regulatory policy
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Last update: August 4, 2003
https://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/bcreg/2003/20030808/default.htm

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