SBA: SBA and EPA Announce New Guidance to Ease Diesel Exhaust Mandates for Small Businesses and Small Farms
Guidance expected to save family farmers $727 million annually Today, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Kelly Loeffler joined U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin in Des Moines, Iowa to announce new action to protect American farmers, truckers, and diesel equipment operators from sudden speed and power losses caused by diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) mandates. EPA’s new…
ICBA: ICBA Urges Congress to Build on Pro-Agriculture Policies in Testimony Before House Agriculture Committee
The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) today testified before Congress on the importance of community banks to the nation’s agriculture credit markets and how policymakers can enhance the new farm bill. Testifying before the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit, Brian Gilbert of First National Bank in Sioux Falls, S.D.,…
ABA: U.S. Farm Banks Deliver Strong Growth and Stability in 2024, Reinforce Vital Role in Agricultural Credit
The American Bankers Association today released its annual Farm Bank Performance Report highlighting the critical role farm banks played in supporting U.S. agriculture in 2024. Despite continued challenges from global uncertainty and lingering supply chain disruptions, farm banks posted solid financial performance, improved asset quality and increased lending to America’s farmers and ranchers. The U.S. banking industry…
ICBA: ICBA Thanks House Ways and Means Committee for Including Community Bank Legislative Priorities in Tax Proposal
Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey issued the following statement on the House Ways and Means Committee’s release of its “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” legislative package. “ICBA and the nation’s community bankers thank Chairman Jason Smith and the members of the House Ways and Means Committee for their work…
ABA: ABA Testifies Before Senate Ag Committee on Risk Management, Credit and the Agricultural Economy
The American Bankers Association offered the banking industry’s views on risk management, credit and the agricultural economy in testimony before the Senate Committee on Agriculture today. Caleb Hopkins, current chair of ABA’s Agricultural and Rural Bankers Committee, testified on behalf of ABA. Hopkins, based in Halbur, Iowa, has worked in agricultural banking for 13 years, including the…
ICBA: ICBA Strongly Supports Bipartisan ACRE Act Offering Lower-Cost Credit to Rural Americans
The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) today expressed strong support for the introduction of the Access to Credit for our Rural Economy (ACRE) Act to support farmers, ranchers, and rural homeowners. The bipartisan bill introduced by Sens. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Angus King (D-Maine) in the Senate and Reps. Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) and Don…
ABA: ABA Applauds Introduction of ACRE Act of 2025
“ABA applauds today’s bipartisan, bicameral introduction of the Access to Credit for our Rural Economy Act of 2025, and we thank the bill’s lead sponsors Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS), Angus King (I-ME), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Roger Marshall (R-KS), and Representatives Randy Feenstra (R-IA-04), Don Davis (D-NC-01) and Nathaniel…
Treasury: Suspension of Enforcement of Corporate Transparency Act Against U.S. Citizens and Domestic Reporting Companies Announced
The Treasury Department is announcing today that, with respect to the Corporate Transparency Act, not only will it not enforce any penalties or fines associated with the beneficial ownership information reporting rule under the existing regulatory deadlines, but it will further not enforce any penalties or fines against U.S. citizens or domestic reporting companies or…
FFIEC: Federal Bank Regulatory Agencies Release 2023 Small Business, Small Farm, and Community Development Lending Data
The federal bank regulatory agencies, as members of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), today released data on small business, small farm, and community development lending during 2023. The Community Reinvestment Act regulations require the agencies to annually disclose these data. The FFIEC also prepared aggregate disclosure statements of small business and small farm…
ABA: Ag Lender Survey Shows Farm Profitability Expected to Decline in 2024
ABA, Farmer Mac survey results revealed at ABA Agricultural Bankers Conference in Milwaukee Agricultural lenders expect only 58% of borrowers will remain profitable this year compared to 78% last year, according to the 2024 Ag Lender Survey report produced jointly by the American Bankers Association and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation, more commonly known as Farmer Mac (NYSE:…