12 CFR § 19.3 - Definitions.
---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t12/s19.3"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "12 CFR § 19.3 - Definitions."
title_number: 12
title_name: "Banks and Banking"
section_number: "19.3"
section_name: "Definitions."
chapter_name: "COMPTROLLER OF THE CURRENCY, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY"
part_number: "19"
part_name: "RULES OF PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-04-05"
last_updated: "2026-04-05"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "5 U.S.C. 504, 554-557; 12 U.S.C. 93, 93a, 161, 164, 481, 504, 1462a, 1463(a), 1464; 1467(d), 1467a(r), 1817(j), 1818, 1820, 1831m, 1831o, 1832, 1884, 1972, 3102, 3108, 3110, 3349, 3909, 4717, and 5412(b)(2)(B); 15 U.S.C. 78 78o-4, 78o-5, 78q-1, 78s, 78u, 78u-2, 78u-3, 78w, and 1639e; 28 U.S.C. 2461; 31 U.S.C. 330 and 5321; and 42 U.S.C. 4012a."
regulatory_source: "88 FR 89842, Dec. 28, 2023, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "19"
---
# 19.3 Definitions.
For purposes of this part, unless explicitly stated to the contrary:
(a) *Administrative law judge (ALJ)* means one who presides at an administrative hearing under authority set forth at 5 U.S.C. 556.
(b) *Adjudicatory proceeding* means a proceeding conducted pursuant to these rules and leading to the formulation of a final order other than a regulation.
(c) *Comptroller* means the Comptroller of the Currency or a person delegated to perform the functions of the Comptroller of the Currency.
(d) *Decisional employee* means any member of the Comptroller's or ALJ's staff who has not engaged in an investigative or prosecutorial role in a proceeding and who may assist the Comptroller or the ALJ, respectively, in preparing orders, recommended decisions, decisions, and other documents under the Uniform Rules.
(e) *Electronic signature* means electronically affixing the equivalent of a signature to an electronic document filed or transmitted electronically.
(f) *Enforcement Counsel* means any individual who files a notice of appearance as counsel on behalf of the OCC in an adjudicatory proceeding.
(g) *Final order* means an order issued by the Comptroller with or without the consent of the affected institution or the institution-affiliated party, that has become final, without regard to the pendency of any petition for reconsideration or review.
(h) *Institution* includes any national bank, Federal savings association, or Federal branch or agency of a foreign bank.
(i) *Institution-affiliated party* means any institution-affiliated party as that term is defined in section 3(u) of the FDIA (12 U.S.C. 1813(u)).
(j) *Local Rules* means those rules promulgated by the OCC in the subparts of this part excluding this subpart.
(k) *OCC* means the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.
(l) *OFIA* means the Office of Financial Institution Adjudication, the executive body charged with overseeing the administration of administrative enforcement proceedings for the OCC, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (“Board of Governors”), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”), and the National Credit Union Administration (“NCUA”).
(m) *Party* means the OCC and any person named as a party in any notice.
(n) *Person* means an individual, sole proprietor, partnership, corporation, unincorporated association, trust, joint venture, pool, syndicate, agency, or other entity or organization, including an institution as defined in paragraph (h) this section.
(o) *Respondent* means any party other than the OCC.
(p) *Uniform Rules* means those rules in this subpart that are common to the OCC, the Board of Governors, the FDIC, and the NCUA.
(q) *Violation* means any violation as that term is defined in section 3(v) of the FDIA (12 U.S.C. 1813(v)).