Agency to open phase 1 of onsite operations
(July 16, 2021) The “first phase” of NCUA’s plan to resume onsite operations – including exams — will begin Monday, the agency said this week, with staff and contractors permitted to volunteer to work onsite in locations where pandemic conditions have “sufficiently moderated,” the agency’s chairman said in a Letter to Credit Unions Wednesday.
In a letter to credit unions (NCUA letter 21-CU-06), NCUA Board Chairman Todd Harper said the determination of whether conditions have sufficiently moderated will be based on public health data for those areas.
“To the extent they exceed the NCUA’s safety protocols for Phase 1, NCUA staff working onsite in credit unions will generally be expected to follow credit union policies related to safety and security,” Harper wrote. “To the extent possible, the NCUA will respect a credit union’s preference to not have examination staff onsite during this phase. However, the NCUA reserves the right to conduct onsite work at a credit union if necessary to address a serious and time-sensitive matter.”
NCUA will continue to maintain heightened safeguards in its facilities to ensure the health and safety of staff and any visitors, the letter states. It also points out that the agency will continue to monitor conditions and inform credit unions of any changes in how it plans to conduct operations, “including examination procedures and protocols affected by the pandemic.”
NASCUS has already prepared a summary of the letter (available to members only).
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