meta_id 3368056

On July 31, 2026, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) jointly proposed targeted amendments to their Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) rules. The proposal seeks to better align with the CRA's statutory mandate, ensure community development grants reach intended beneficiaries, reduce compliance burden for banks—particularly community banks—and provide greater clarity on obtaining CRA consideration. The CRA requires the agencies to assess banks' records of meeting credit needs across entire communities, including low- and moderate-income neighbourhoods, consistent with safe and sound operations. The proposed rulemaking retains key elements of the regulatory framework applied since 1995 while introducing substantive, technical, and process-oriented changes. The agencies adopted final CRA rules on October 24, 2023; however, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas enjoined those rules before implementation, prompting this new proposal. The proposed amendments increase focus on lending and ensure community development grants and donations benefit intended communities rather than being diverted to other activities or excessive operating costs. The rulemaking narrows retail banking services considered under CRA to focus on credit services, excluding deposit services. Banks with $10 billion or less in assets would be exempt from data collection, maintenance, and reporting requirements and would receive more flexible supervision. The proposal also streamlines other requirements and increases clarity, transparency, and objectivity in CRA evaluations for banks of all sizes. The comment period closes 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. Interested parties can submit responses during this window.