SBA: Proposed Rule Issued to Overhaul & Simplify Small Business Classification & Expand Access to Federal Programs
Size standard proposal would increase small business count by over 110,000 Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) proposed a comprehensive overhaul of its small business size standards, modernizing how the federal government defines and classifies small businesses across the United States. Published in a proposed rule, the new standards would simplify industry categorization and raise applicable size thresholds,…
Treasury: Public Comments Sought on GENIUS Act Proposed Rulemaking
Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), seeking public comment related to Treasury’s implementation of section 3 of the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act. “President Trump and Congress delivered the GENIUS Act, establishing a landmark framework and clear rules of the road for…
Treasury: FinCEN Permanently Ends Beneficial Ownership Reporting Requirements for Millions of Small Business Owners
Will Delete Information Previously Reported by U.S. Persons Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) is issuing a final rule that permanently removes the requirement for U.S. companies and U.S. persons to report beneficial ownership information to FinCEN under the Corporate Transparency Act. The final rule became effective on August 14, 2026. FinCEN today…
ICBA: Statement Issued on Proposal to Amend Community Reinvestment Act Rules
Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey issued the following statement on today’s Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) proposed rule opens in a new tabto amend Community Reinvestment Act regulations. “While ICBA looks forward to closely reviewing today’s proposed rule, we are strongly…
FDIC: Board Approves Proposal to Amend Regulations Regarding Lending Limits for Bank Insiders
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Board of Directors today approved a notice of proposed rulemaking that would raise and index thresholds for certain lending limits for executive officers and other insiders of FDIC-supervised institutions. The proposed rule seeks to ensure that the FDIC’s lending thresholds to insiders align with those proposed by the Board of…
FDIC & OCC Issue Joint Proposal Amending the Community Reinvestment Act Rules
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the agencies) today proposed targeted changes to their current rules implementing the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) to better align with the statutory mandate; better ensure that community development grants reach the communities they are intended to benefit; reduce burden for banks,…
ABA: Statement Issued on Joint OCC/FDIC Community Reinvestment Act Rule Proposal
“Today’s joint proposal from the FDIC and OCC marks progress toward a Community Reinvestment Act framework that provides banks with greater clarity to plan and deliver loans and investments that reflect local needs, bank business strategies and today’s banking landscape. While we are continuing to review it closely, we are pleased that the proposal would…
Agencies Issue Guidance on Lending to Individuals Not Legally Authorized to Work in the United States
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the National Credit Union Administration (collectively, the agencies) today issued guidance to remind supervised financial institutions of existing supervisory expectations with respect to credit risk management, particularly as it relates to borrowers who are not legally authorized to work in the…
ABA: ABA, ICBA Join State Associations in Urging Senate to Strengthen Stablecoin Yield Provisions in Clarity Act
In a new letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Minority Leader Charles Schumer today, the American Bankers Association and Independent Community Bankers of America joined 76 state associations representing thousands of community financial institutions across the country expressing genuine concerns with the Clarity Act and urging targeted changes to provide greater certainty that payment stablecoins…
ICBA: ICBA Congratulates Lawmakers for Enactment of Bipartisan Housing Law with Pro-Community Bank Policies
The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) congratulated members of Congress for today’s enactment of bipartisan housing legislation that includes a community banking title of ICBA-advocated regulatory relief to promote lending and housing affordability. “ICBA and the nation’s community banks applaud today’s enactment of bipartisan housing legislation with pro-community bank reforms that will promote lending…