WASHINGTON—To ensure consistent Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) coverage across the banking industry, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) today issued a final rule that requires minimum standards for anti-money laundering programs for banks lacking a Federal functional regulator. The final rule also extends customer identification program and beneficial ownership requirements to those banks.
Banks without a Federal functional regulator are currently required to comply with certain BSA obligations, including filing suspicious activity and currency transaction reports. FinCEN anticipates that banks lacking a Federal functional regulator will be able to leverage existing policies, procedures, and internal controls required by other statutory and regulatory requirements to fulfill the obligations set out in the final rule.
Banks lacking a Federal functional regulator will have 180 days from the day the final rule is published in the Federal Register to be in compliance.