Federal Reserve Board Seeks Comment on Proposal to Implement ”Volcker Rule” Requirements of the Dodd-Frank Act

October 12, 2011

The Federal Reserve Board on October 11, 2011 requested public comment on a proposed regulation implementing the so-called ''Volcker Rule'' requirements of section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Section 619 generally contains two prohibitions. First, it prohibits insured depository institutions, bank holding companies, and their subsidiaries or affiliates (banking entities) from engaging in short-term proprietary trading of any security, derivative, and certain other financial instruments for a banking entity's own account, subject to certain exemptions. Second, it prohibits owning, sponsoring, or having certain relationships with, a hedge fund or private equity fund, subject to certain exemptions.