U.S. bank regulators issued final rules Friday that spell out the conditions under which accounting firms can be barred from performing bank audits.

Regulators have had the legal authority to regulate banks’ use of outside auditors and can remove, suspend or bar accountants from performing bank audits if there is good cause, such as reckless or negligent behavior.

The new rules detail the conditions under which regulators would take disciplinary action against accounting firms that audit banks.

The final rules, which take effect October 1, were issued by the Federal Reserve Board, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Office of Thrift Supervision.

“The final rules enhance the agencies’ ability to address misconduct by accountants who perform annual audit and attestation services,” the regulators said. The rules reflect an “increasing concern with the quality of audits and internal controls for financial reporting at insured depositary institutions.”

The Securities and Exchange Commission has the authority to bar accountants from auditing public companies. Congress created the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board last summer to inspect and discipline accountants.