OCC: References to Disparate Impact Removed from OCC “Fair Lending” Booklet and No Longer Included in Examinations
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has removed references to supervising banks1 for disparate impact liability from the “Fair Lending” booklet of the Comptroller’s Handbook and has commenced removing references in other issuances. Concurrently, the OCC has instructed its examiners that they should no longer examine for disparate impact. Note for Community Banks The OCC’s…
HUD: Home Appraisal Process Streamlined Through Termination of PAVE Task Force Policies
Termination of DEI PAVE task force policies will improve efficiency, reduce regulatory burden, and expand access to homeownership U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner and Acting Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Jeffrey Clark announced the termination of…
Agencies Release 2025 List of Distressed and Underserved Nonmetropolitan Middle-Income Geographies
Federal bank regulatory agencies today released the 2025 list of distressed or underserved nonmetropolitan middle-income geographies where certain bank activities are eligible for Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) credit. Under the CRA, the agencies assess a bank’s record of meeting the credit needs of its entire community, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, consistent with safe and…
CDFI Fund: Public Comments Sought on Certification of Material Events Form
The U.S. Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Currently, the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund), U.S….
ICBA: ICBA Applauds House Passage of Bill to Restrict Mortgage “Trigger Leads” Following Unanimous Senate Passage
The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) applauded Congress following today’s House passage of the bipartisan Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act (H.R. 2808), which will help protect the financial privacy of mortgage applicants. With today’s vote on H.R. 2808 following the Senate’s unanimous passage of its version of the bill (S. 1467) earlier this month, ICBA…
CFPB: Financial Civil Penalty Fund Rule Amended
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is proposing to amend its 2013 rule implementing the provision of the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 (CFPA) that establishes a Consumer Financial Civil Penalty Fund. Under the CFPA, the Civil Penalty Fund may be used for payments to victims of activities subject to civil penalties; to the…
SBA: Agency Reinstates Rule to Return Federal Contractors to Work
COVID-Era Moratorium on Physical Office Requirement for 8(a) Program Will End September 30 Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration announced that it would be reinstating a rule to require government contractors to return to work. Effective Oct. 1, participants in SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program will once again be required to have an actual, physical office within the geographic…
Federal Bank Regulatory Agencies Seek Comment to Address Payments and Check Fraud
The federal bank regulatory agencies today announced a request for comment on potential actions to help consumers, businesses, and financial institutions mitigate risk of payments fraud, with a particular focus on check fraud. For purposes of the request for information, payments fraud generally refers to the use of illegal means to make or receive payments…
OCC: Acting Comptroller of the Currency Discusses Regulatory Agenda
Acting Comptroller of the Currency Rodney E. Hood today discussed his regulatory agenda in remarks at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Capital Markets Summit. In his remarks, Acting Comptroller Hood detailed the Office of the Comptroller’s work to embrace bank-fintech partnerships, expand bank activities involving digital assets, promote financial inclusion and reduce regulatory burden to…
Treasury: Request for Information Released Related to the Executive Order 14247 “Modernizing Payments To and From America’s Bank Account”
Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) released a request for information related to the Executive Order (EO) 14247 “Modernizing Payments To and From America’s Bank Account,” which transitions federal disbursements to electronic payments. Beginning September 30, 2025, all federal payments that are currently made by paper check—including Social Security benefits, tax refunds, and vendor payments—will be…