InfoBytes Blog
OCC to rescind CRA final rule as agencies signal joint overhaul
On July 20, the OCC announced it will propose to rescind the agency’s May 2020 final rule overhauling the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), signaling the OCC’s intention to collaborate with the Federal Reserve Board and the FDIC on a separate joint rulemaking. As previously covered by a Buckley Special Alert, the OCC’s final rule was intended to modernize the regulatory framework implementing the CRA by, among other things: (i) updating deposit-based assessment areas; (ii) mandating the inclusion of consumer loans in CRA evaluations; (iii) including quantitative metric-based benchmarks for determining a bank’s CRA rating; and (iv) including a non-exhaustive illustrative list of activities that qualify for CRA consideration.
The announcement follows the completion of a review undertaken by acting Comptroller Michael Hsu (covered by InfoBytes here). Hsu stated that although “the OCC deserves credit for taking action to modernize the CRA,” the adoption of the final rule was “a false start” in attempting to overhaul the regulation. According to Hsu, the OCC intends to work with the Fed and the FDIC to develop a joint Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and build on an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking issued by the Fed last September (covered by InfoBytes here). The federal agencies issued an interagency statement noting that they have “broad authority and responsibility for implementing the CRA” and that “[j]oint agency action will best achieve a consistent, modernized framework across all banks to help meet the credit needs of the communities in which they do business, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods.”