The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed by the New York Department of Financial Services (DFS) challenging the OCC’s authority to grant special purpose national bank (SPNB) charters to nondepository fintech companies.
The DFS lawsuit, which was filed in May 2017 in a New York federal district court, is similar to the lawsuit filed in April 2017 by the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) in D.C. federal district court. Earlier this month, the OCC filed a motion to dismiss the CSBS lawsuit.
The arguments made by the OCC in support of its motion to dismiss the DFS lawsuit track those made in support of its motion to dismiss the CSBS lawsuit. Most notably, the OCC again makes the central argument that because it has not yet decided whether it will offer SPNB charters to companies that do not take deposits, the DFS complaint should be dismissed for failing to present either a justiciable case or controversy under the U.S. Constitution or a reviewable final agency action under the Administrative Procedure Act.
In remarks given last month, Acting Comptroller Keith Noreika confirmed that the OCC is continuing to consider its SNPB charter proposal despite the departure of the SPNB proposal’s architect, former Comptroller Thomas Curry, who Mr. Noreika replaced. While indicating that the OCC planned to vigorously defend its authority to grant an SNPB charter to a nondepository company in the DFS and CSBS lawsuits, Mr. Noreika was noncommittal about what the OCC’s ultimate position would be on implementing the proposal. He also suggested that fintech companies consider seeking a national bank charter by using more established OCC authority.