Passing the “Main Street Capital Access Act” (HR 6955)

The bill

Main Street Capital Access Act

Topic: Finance and Financial Sector

What the bill does

This bill lessens and otherwise modifies banking regulations, including those regarding institution formation, supervision by federal financial regulators, and bank merger requirements. Under the bill, new banks have a three-year phase-in period to meet certain capital requirements. The bill also reduces the leverage ratio for certain rural community banks. Financial regulators must (1) tailor regulatory actions to limit burdens on financial institutions and must consider the institutions' risk profiles and business models, and (2) review their regulations more frequently and expand the scope of these reviews. The bill eases requirements regarding bank mergers, for example, by allowing financial regulators to approve certain bank mergers without considering if the merger is noncompetitive or monopolistic. The bill increases the dollar asset thresholds for various fees, reporting requirements, and other regulatory requirements so that more financial companies and banks are exempt from these requirements.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary

Bill on congress.gov(opens in a new tab)