InfoBytes Blog
Filter
Subscribe to our InfoBytes Blog weekly newsletter and other publications for news affecting the financial services industry.
Legislation Introduced to Reduce Mortgage Appraisal Requirements in Rural Communities
On July 13, Representative David Kustoff (R-Tenn.) introduced legislation intended to decrease costs and delays when obtaining a mortgage by reducing appraisal requirements. As set forth in a July 13 press release issued by Rep. Kustoff’s office, the Securing Access to Affordable Mortgage Act of 2017 (H.R. 3221) would (i) ease “unfair” appraisal requirements, which would benefit rural communities where there is a demonstrated lack of qualified appraisers, and (ii) assist prospective homebuyers by decreasing costs and delays. H.R. 3221 would increase access to affordable mortgages by excluding loans of $250,000 or less from property appraisal requirements through new exemptions under the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989 and the Truth in Lending Act.
As previously discussed in InfoBytes, earlier this year several financial agencies jointly issued an Interagency Advisory to address concerns regarding the shortage of certified and licensed appraisers, particularly in rural areas.
House Appropriations Committee Approves Fiscal 2018 Funding Bill Designed to Overhaul Existing Financial Regulations
On July 13, the House Appropriations Committee approved the fiscal year 2018 financial services funding bill by a vote of 31-21. The bill totaling $20.231 billion—$1.284 billion below fiscal year 2017 and $2.483 billion less than President Trump’s budget request—incorporates several provisions of the Financial CHOICE Act designed to, among other things, overhaul existing financial regulations and restructure the CFPB. The bill provides funding for the Treasury Department, Judiciary, SEC, Federal Reserve, CFPB, and other related agencies. According to the press release issued by the committee, the bill “provides the funding necessary for federal regulators to do their jobs in a timely and appropriate manner, while stopping burdensome regulations before they can damage [the] economy irreparably.”
A summary of the bill is available here.
House Committee Okays Five Additional Flood Insurance Bills
On June 21, the House Financial Services Committee (Committee) approved changes to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), passing five additional bills. As previously reported in InfoBytes, the committee passed two flood insurance measures on June 15. The approval of these latest bills completes a seven-bill package to reauthorize the NFIP.
According to the committee’s press release, the five newly passed bills include:
H.R. 2875 ,the “National Flood Insurance Program Administrative Reform Act of 2017”— introduced by Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.)— is intended to help NFIP policyholders when challenging claim denials and to also cut down on claim fraud. The bill passed in a 58-0 vote.
H.R. 1558, the “Repeatedly Flooded Communities Preparation Act” —introduced by Rep. Ed Royce (R-Cal.)—was approved by the committee in a voice vote. The bill will “ensure community accountability for areas repetitively damaged by floods” by requiring these flood-prone areas to design mitigation plans.
H.R. 1422, the “Flood Insurance Market Parity and Modernization Act”— introduced by Rep. Dennis Ross (R-Fla.)—allows homeowners to use private flood insurance to satisfy the flood insurance mandate, if the private policies are sufficiently similar to NFIP insurance policies. This bill passed by a vote of 58-0.
H.R. 2246, the “Taxpayer Exposure Mitigation Act of 2017”—introduced by Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-Mo.)—eliminates the requirement that commercial properties located in flood hazard areas must maintain flood insurance coverage. Additionally, the measure will “provide for greater transfer of risk . . . to private capital and reinsurance markets,” and will allow state and local governments to develop their own flood maps. The committee approved the bill in a 36-24 vote.
H.R. 2565, also introduced by Rep. Luetkemeyer, will “require the use of replacement cost value in determining the premium rates for flood insurance coverage.” The committee approved it in a 34-25 vote.
Bipartisan HOME Act Introduced to Protect Access to Affordable Housing
On June 13, Representatives Randy Hultgren (R-Ill.) and Gwen Moore (D-Wis.) introduced legislation to strengthen the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) System by ensuring access to mortgage credit and affordable housing assistance for millions of consumers. As set forth in a June 15 press release issued by Rep. Hultgren’s office, the Housing Opportunity Mortgage Expansion (HOME) Act (H.R. 2890) would allow lenders to regain membership in the FHLB System provided they (i) joined before the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) proposed its recently finalized membership rule, and (i) are able to “demonstrate a commitment to residential mortgage activities.”
As previously discussed in InfoBytes, FHFA’s final rule added a revision intended to help streamline membership applications. However, Hultgren asserts that the rule “restricts FHLB membership eligibility” by excluding “captive insurers” under its definition of an “insurance company” thereby prohibiting membership. The HOME Act, Hultgren states, “would clarify that companies with a history and mission of supporting residential housing should be able to continue to serve our communities.”
Senators Introduce Bipartisan National Flood Insurance Program Reauthorization Bill
On June 13, a bipartisan group of senators introduced draft legislation to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) for six years, while incorporating reforms to address sustainability, affordability, and efficiency. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), a senior member of the Senate Banking Committee overseeing the NFIP, and a co-sponsor of the Sustainable, Affordable, Fair and Efficient National Flood Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2017 (SAFE NFIP), stated in a press release issued by his office, “SAFE NFIP addresses critical problems with the program, administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), following Superstorm Sandy and other disasters: unsustainability, low participation rates, inaccurate flood maps, an indifference to the benefits of flood control infrastructure, agency mismanagement, unsustainable debt service costs and contractor profiteering.” Among other things, the Act proposes a cap on premium rate hikes and an interest freeze on the NFIP’s debt to the Treasury for six years after enactment and fosters investments in mitigation efforts. U.S. Senators John Kennedy (R-La.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) cosponsored the bill.
House Passes Financial CHOICE Act of 2017
On June 8, by a vote of 233-186 with no Democrats voting in favor of the bill and one Republican voting against, the House passed the Financial CHOICE Act of 2017 (H.R. 10), as amended, which would repeal or modify provisions of Dodd-Frank and restructure the CFPB. Committee Report 115-163 accompanying House Resolution 375, which provided for consideration H.R. 10 and recommended that the resolution be adopted, outlines the provisions introduced to overhaul existing financial regulations. Included were five additional amendments incorporated into H.R. 10 introduced by members of Congress:
- Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Tex.): “Revises provisions subjecting certain FDIC and National Credit Union Association functions to congressional appropriations, relating to appointments of positions created by [H.R. 10], and providing congressional access to non-public [Financial Security Oversight Council] information”;
- Rep. Joseph Hollingsworth (R-Ind.): “Allows closed-end funds that are listed on a national securities exchange, and that meet certain requirements to be considered ‘well-known seasoned issuers’”;
- Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.): “Expresses the sense of Congress that consumer reporting agencies and their subsidiaries should implement stronger multi-factor authentication procedures when providing access to personal information files to more adequately protect consumer information from identity theft”;
- Rep. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.): “Requires the Department of Treasury” to submit a report to Congress regarding its efforts to work with Federal bank regulators, financial institutions, and money service businesses to ensure that legitimate financial transactions along the southern border move freely”; and
- Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.), “Requires the [General Services Administration] to study the [Consumer Law Enforcement Agency’s] real estate needs due to changes in the Agency’s structure. It would then authorize the GSA to sell the current CLEA building if CLEA’s real estate needs have changed and there is no government department or agency that can utilize the building.”
See previous InfoBytes here and here for additional coverage.
The bill now advances to the Senate where it is unlikely to pass in its current form—a fact acknowledged by both Democrats and Republicans.
White House Issues Statement Supporting Substitute Amendment to H.R. 10; CBO Releases Cost Estimate
On June 6, the White House Administration issued a statement supporting the Substitute Amendment to the Financial CHOICE Act of 2017. In the statement, the White House announced it is “committed to reforming the Nation’s financial system” and believes the substitute amendment drafted by House Financial Services Committee Chairman, Jeb Hensarling (R-Tex.) reflects the Administration’s Core Principles in a number of ways. Specifically, the Administration supports the following provisions outlined in H.R.10: (i) eliminating taxpayer bailouts; (ii) simplifying regulations and holding regulators accountable; (iii) facilitating capital formation to encourage economic growth; (iv) allowing identified financial institutions to “opt out of certain regulatory requirements”; (v) reducing the independence of the CFPB; (vi) increasing the use of cost-benefit analysis by financial regulators; and (vii) easing regulatory burdens for community banks.
“The administration supports these provisions, and looks forward to working with Congress to undo additional mandates from the Dodd-Frank law that unnecessarily raise costs and limit choices for consumers,” the White House asserted in the statement.
On the same day the White House issued its statement, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a requested analysis of Hensarling's amendment for H.R. 10. The CBO discovered that the changes from the version the House Financial Services Committee initially approved would reduce deficits by an additional $9.5 billion, for a total reduction of $33.6 billion over the 2017-2027 period. CBO stated the majority of the budgetary savings comes from “eliminating the FDIC’s authority to use the Orderly Liquidation Fund and changing how the [CFPB] and certain other regulators are funded.” However, CBO noted it would cost an estimated $11.6 billion over the referenced time period to implement the bill.
Senators Introduce Bill to Provide Relief to Community Banks
On May 26, Senators Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Angus King (I-Me.), and Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) introduced bipartisan legislation intended to provide regulatory relief to small financial intuitions. According to a press release issued by Sen. Hatch’s office, the Community Bank Relief Act (S. 1284) would increase the asset threshold from $1 billion to $5 billion, thereby expanding the number of institutions covered by the Small Bank Holding Company Policy Statement (Statement). Based on FDIC data, raising the asset threshold would affect 443 bank holding companies (BHC) and other financial institutions. Additionally, 96 percent of BHCs and savings and loan holding companies would be covered by the Statement compared to 87 percent as of December 31, 2016, according to the Federal Reserve (Fed). The legislators believe the bill will improve the Dodd-Frank Act “without compromising safety standards” and help “small financial institutions provide households and small businesses more quality-based loans” that will advance economic growth. Notably, the Fed will still be able to exclude any BHC or savings and loan company if it determines the action is warranted.
Rep. Leutkemeyer Reintroduces Legislation to End Operation Choke Point
On May 25, Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-Mo.) reintroduced the Financial Institution Customer Protection Act (H.R. 2706), which would prohibit federal agencies from requesting or ordering a financial institution to terminate a banking relationship unless the regulator had material reason. H.R. 2706 would, in effect, seek to end the Department of Justice’s “Operation Choke Point” by requiring termination requests to rely on information other than reputational risk.
Notably, as previously discussed in InfoBytes, last month a group of payday lenders filed a brief with an appellate court claiming a district court judge was wrong to deny their request for a preliminary injunction against regulator activities they claim violate their rights to due process.
Senators Reintroduce Truth in Settlements Act to Increase Transparency of Agency Settlements
On May 17, Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.) reintroduced a bipartisan bill entitled the Truth in Settlements Act of 2017 (S. 1145) to increase the transparency of major settlements reached by federal enforcement agencies. The bill—which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs—seeks to inform the public and hold federal regulators accountable for the true value of these settlements by requiring more accessible, detailed disclosures and “adequate information regarding the tax treatment of payments” made by companies and individuals under settlements with federal agencies. As previously covered in InfoBytes, the bill was first introduced in 2014. Sen. Warren commented that “more transparency means Congress, citizens and watchdog groups can better hold regulatory agencies accountable for enforcing laws so that everyone—even corporate CEOs—are equal under the law.” Similarly, Sen. Lankford remarked, “Taxpayers deserve an open and transparent government that is accountable to the American people.”
Notably, the proposed bill would demand more specificity and transparency by requiring federal agencies to post online, in a searchable format, a list of each covered settlement agreement, criminal or civil, with payments totaling $1 million or more. Furthermore, agencies will be required, among other things, to justify confidentiality provisions and explain whether any portion of the settlement amount is potentially tax deductible. The Senators also released a fact sheet detailing past settlements by federal agencies that have allowed tax deductions, offset credits, or designated agreements as confidential.