[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 12, Volume 2]
[Revised as of January 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 12CFR202.15]

[Page 33-34]
 
                       TITLE 12--BANKS AND BANKING
 
                   CHAPTER II--FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM
 
PART 202--EQUAL CREDIT OPPORTUNITY (REGULATION B)--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 202.15  Incentives for self-testing and self-correction.

    (a) General rules--(1) Voluntary self-testing and correction. The 
report or results of the self-test that a creditor voluntarily conducts 
(or authorizes) are privileged as provided in this section. Data 
collection required by law or by any governmental authority is not a 
voluntary self-test.
    (2) Corrective action required. The privilege in this section 
applies only if the creditor has taken or is taking appropriate 
corrective action.
    (3) Other privileges. The privilege created by this section does not 
preclude the assertion of any other privilege that may also apply.
    (b) Self-test defined--(1) Definition. A self-test is any program, 
practice, or study that:
    (i) Is designed and used specifically to determine the extent or 
effectiveness of a creditor's compliance with the act or this 
regulation; and
    (ii) Creates data or factual information that is not available and 
cannot be derived from loan or application files or other records 
related to credit transactions.
    (2) Types of information privileged. The privilege under this 
section applies to the report or results of the self-test, data or 
factual information created by the self-test, and any analysis, 
opinions, and conclusions pertaining to the self-test report or results. 
The privilege covers workpapers or draft documents as well as final 
documents.
    (3) Types of information not privileged. The privilege under this 
section does not apply to:
    (i) Information about whether a creditor conducted a self-test, the 
methodology used or the scope of the self-test, the time period covered 
by the self-test, or the dates it was conducted; or
    (ii) Loan and application files or other business records related to 
credit transactions, and information derived from such files and 
records, even if it has been aggregated, summarized, or reorganized to 
facilitate analysis.
    (c) Appropriate corrective action--(1) General requirement. For the 
privilege in this section to apply, appropriate corrective action is 
required when the self-test shows that it is more likely than not that a 
violation occurred,

[[Page 34]]

even though no violation has been formally adjudicated.
    (2) Determining the scope of appropriate corrective action. A 
creditor must take corrective action that is reasonably likely to remedy 
the cause and effect of a likely violation by:
    (i) Identifying the policies or practices that are the likely cause 
of the violation; and
    (ii) Assessing the extent and scope of any violation.
    (3) Types of relief. Appropriate corrective action may include both 
prospective and remedial relief, except that to establish a privilege 
under this section:
    (i) A creditor is not required to provide remedial relief to a 
tester used in a self-test;
    (ii) A creditor is only required to provide remedial relief to an 
applicant identified by the self-test as one whose rights were more 
likely than not violated; and
    (iii) A creditor is not required to provide remedial relief to a 
particular applicant if the statute of limitations applicable to the 
violation expired before the creditor obtained the results of the self-
test or the applicant is otherwise ineligible for such relief.
    (4) No admission of violation. Taking corrective action is not an 
admission that a violation occurred.
    (d)(1) Scope of privilege. The report or results of a privileged 
self-test may not be obtained or used:
    (i) By a government agency in any examination or investigation 
relating to compliance with the act or this regulation; or
    (ii) By a government agency or an applicant (including a prospective 
applicant who alleges a violation of Sec. 202.5(a)) in any proceeding or 
civil action in which a violation of the act or this regulation is 
alleged.
    (2) Loss of privilege. The report or results of a self-test are not 
privileged under paragraph (d)(1) of this section if the creditor or a 
person with lawful access to the report or results):
    (i) Voluntarily discloses any part of the report or results, or any 
other information privileged under this section, to an applicant or 
government agency or to the public;
    (ii) Discloses any part of the report or results, or any other 
information privileged under this section, as a defense to charges that 
the creditor has violated the act or regulation; or
    (iii) Fails or is unable to produce written or recorded information 
about the self-test that is required to be retained under 
Sec. 202.12(b)(6) when the information is needed to determine whether 
the privilege applies. This paragraph does not limit any other penalty 
or remedy that may be available for a violation of Sec. 202.12.
    (3) Limited use of privileged information. Notwithstanding paragraph 
(d)(1) of this section, the self-test report or results and any other 
information privileged under this section may be obtained and used by an 
applicant or government agency solely to determine a penalty or remedy 
after a violation of the act or this regulation has been adjudicated or 
admitted. Disclosures for this limited purpose may be used only for the 
particular proceeding in which the adjudication or admission was made. 
Information disclosed under this paragraph (d)(3) remains privileged 
under paragraph (d)(1) of this section.

[62 FR 66419, Dec. 18, 1997]