lobbying_activities: 3386743
Data license: Public Domain (U.S. Government data) · Data source: Federal Register API & Regulations.gov API
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| 3386743 | fa3f5585-fcb9-4516-9467-559d6744596d | Q2 | COMMUNITY BANKERS ASSOCIATION OF ILLINOIS | 400531588 | COMMUNITY BANKERS ASSOCIATION OF ILLINOIS | 2025 | second_quarter | SMB | CBAI Federal Policy Priorities - Bank Regulators Fulfilling Their Responsibilities Regarding Check Fraud Including Reimbursement for Fraudulently Altered Returned Checks Community banks continue to experience a growing problem of check fraud including reimbursements for fraudulently altered checks drawn on their customers accounts. The problem in the banking industry has been identified by our members as being enabled by the nations largest banks and credit unions, where fraudulent accounts are opened and fraudulent checks are deposited, which clear back to many community banks, harming them and their customers, in addition to undermining the publics confidence in the nations banking and financial system. CBAI urges the regulators to fulfill their responsibilities to address this problem by initiating Joint Supervisory Guidance and ramping up their examination and enforcement against the largest financial institutions to ensure they are held accountable for their apparent safety and soundness and compliance inadequacies. Agriculture and Rural America In the 119th Congress, CBAI strongly advocates for the passage of a multi-year Farm Bill that provides ample funding for commodity programs and rural broadband, maintains strong crop insurance products, approves higher USDA-guaranteed loan limits and expedited USDA Express program approvals, and prevents the expansion of the Farm Credit System into non-farm lending activities and opposes their exemption from the Section 1071 small business data reporting requirements. Community banks and their agricultural borrowers merit favorable tax treatment for interest income on ag loans secured by ag property and primary residences in ag communities. This will help sustain and strengthen ag lending by community banks and reduce interest expenses for their banks ag borrowers. Governments Unnecessary Intrusion into Banking and Lending Which Displaces Community Banks SBA Direct Lending Community banks and the SBA have a long, beneficial and cooperative private sector/public sector relationship and the SBA has historically not competed with banks in lending to businesses. Community banks are far superior in prudently underwriting and administering commercial lending relationships. The SBA originating and disbursing 7(a) loans will result in credit underwriting lapses which will put billions of taxpayer dollars at risk of loss. CBAI urges policymakers to prohibit the SBA from making direct 7(a) loans or otherwise expanding the institutions beyond well-regulated banks that could originate SBA loans. New Credit Card Routing Mandates Efforts to mandate credit card routing is ill conceived policymaking that will fail to benefit consumers by forcing a costly overhaul of the credit card payments landscape. The beneficiaries of the new mandates will be the largest merchants (not small businesses) which will not pass their savings on to consumers. CBAI supports greater competition and opposes concentrations in financial services represented by the too-big-to-fail banks and oligopolies like VISA and MasterCard, but misguided legislation is not the solution to the problems they create. Responsible Regulation of Digital Assets - Cryptocurrency, Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), Stablecoins and Decentralized Finance (DeFi) The risks posed by digital assets (cryptocurrency), central Bank digital currency (CBDC) and stablecoin, and decentralized finance (DeFi) are enormous, as well as the consequences for monetary policy, our financial system, and the banking industry. They pose threats to the privacy and security of consumers and small businesses. There is no single regulator responsible for this rapidly growing sector which combines elements of currency, payments and investments, and there is insufficient transparency and lack of accountability in this ecosystem. Policymakers must develop and implement a consistent federal regulatory framework that does not permit digital assets and DeFi to offer financial services or products without being subject to the same regulations as community banks and deny nonbank stablecoin issuers access to the Federal Reserve master account, both of which would threaten the essential and highly successful business model of responsible community banks. The Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBs) in Their Comprehensive Review by the FHFA The FHLB System is an admirable public-private partnership where the FHLBs banks provide short-term liquidity, long-term funding, mortgage-related products, and other financial services to help their owner-members weather crisis and provide affordable credit to support the local communities. FHLBanks contributes a substantial portion of its income to affordable housing and community development in their respective districts. The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has embarked on a comprehensive review of the FHLBs. CBAI recommends that the FHFA should not seek to disrupt the cooperative structure, regional nature, special functions, and the unique purposes of the FHLBanks. Reasonable Regulatory Rules and Implementation Small Business Data Collection A Final Rule was published in March of 2023. The Final Rule was flawed because it exempted too few financial institutions and set the revenue threshold so high that it now encompasses too many businesses, in addition to raising privacy and other concerns. There have been legal challenges to the Final Rule. CBAI supports the reasonable implementation of this reporting requirement and opposed efforts by Farm Credit to exempt its lenders. Customer Data Sharing A Final Rule was published in October of 2024. The Final Rule was flawed because it exempted too few financial institutions, ignores the costs of providing this service to consumers and does not adequately protect consumers and their community banks or compensate them from any losses related to data misuse, breaches and fraud. Modernizing the Community Reinvestment Act The Final Joint Rule was published in October of 2023. The Final Joint Rule was flawed because it exempted too few financial institutions and for many other reasons. There have been legal challenges to the Final Joint Rule. CBAI supports the reasonable implementation of the CRA that includes credit unions being subject to the CRA. Reporting Beneficial Ownership Information CBAI supports shifting the burden of collecting the BOI of community bank accountholders to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). The current requirement is flawed because it does not relieve community banks from this burden. There have been legal challenges to the reporting requirements. CBAI supports making FinCEN the sole repository of BOI and relieving community banks from this burden. Federal Safe Harbor for Banking Cannabis-Related Businesses Without taking a position on the legalization of cannabis, CBAI supports a federal safe harbor from sanctions for financial institutions that choose to serve legally compliant cannabis-related businesses (CRBs) and ancillary businesses that have commercial relationships with CBRs, in states where cannabis is legal. Allowing these businesses access to the traditional banking system and its services, versus operating exclusively in cash, is a public safety issue. Harmful Climate Risk Regulations Community bankers high-contact and relationship-based lending model ensures that controls are in place to monitor climate risks on an ongoing basis. CBAI opposes any climate change regulations that will adversely impact community banks and their ability to support their customers and communities. Meaningful Regulatory Relief for Community Banks and Regulatory Overreach CBAI joins the ICBA in supporting a more efficient system of rules and regulations, unbiased laws governing the financial sector, a safer and more secure business environment, and more efficient agricultural policies to support the nations economic growth and development in all parts of the country. Many new and significant rules have been approved which individually and collectively present incredible challenges for community banks which are less likely to be able to comply with these many new requirements. CBAI urges carefully constructed legislation and regulation, robust congressional oversight of the regulators, and a moratorium on new rules until the impact of existing rules can be thoroughly assessed to minimize the damages to community banks. Credit Unions and Their Expanded Powers Credit unions have long since strayed from their founding purposes, weaponizing their competitive advantages, and are virtually indistinguishable from tax-paying community banks. Credit union acquisitions of community banks are increasing at an alarming pace and is an abuse of the tax code which exacerbates consolidation among financial institutions, negatively impacts all taxpayers, and reduces consumer choice. Credit union abuse of their tax exemption is an existential threat to community banks and the communities they serve and must end. Farm Credit System and its Expanded Powers The Farm Credit System (FCS) has long since strayed from its founding purpose, weaponizing its competitive advantages against community banks. The FCS is the only government sponsored entity (GSE) that competes directly with community banks. Its lenders leverage their tax and funding advantages as a GSE to steal away many of the best agriculture loans from community banks, which is contrary to their mission of serving young and beginning farmers and ranchers. This blatant and continued discrimination against community banks must end, the FCS competitive advantages must be reined in, and the playing field must be leveled for community banks. Enhanced Data, Cyber and Payment Card Security (Data Security) The need for data security is paramount in financial services. Community banks are strong guardians of the security and confidentiality of their customers information. Enhanced security standards should be enforced through a tiered system where the more restrictive rules are imposed on the largest members of the financial system and economy (bot community banks) where their lapses pose the greatest threat to the largest number of consumers. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Reform and Exemptions for Community Banks CFPBs regulations must provide community banks with the flexibility to meet the needs of their customers - not a one-size-fits-all approach. They must not be burdened with additional and unnecessary regulatory requirements that would prevent them from serving their customers and communities. In reforming the CFPB, the single director governance should be replaced by a five-member board or commission. A broader definition of firms that grant credit should be subject to the CFPB rules, and they should be robustly supervised and examined. The focus of any enhanced regulation of financial products should be on the largest banks and financial firms, the unregulated shadow financial industry, and fintechs - not community banks. The Federal Reserves Role in Payments System Improvement (FedNow Service) The FedNow Service is a significant payments system improvement. The payments system must not be monopolized by The Clearing House and its large bank owners with their RTP Network. Community banks, consumers and small businesses must rely on the Federal Reserve to provide access to a safe and secure payments system, which requires the Fed to play a preeminent role in system improvements. The FedNow Service should have robust capabilities, should be interoperable with other payments systems and should only be accessed by regulated financial institutions - not Amazon, Walmart, and the many fintechs that are seeking direct access to the payment rails. Finally Address the Risks of Too-Big-To-Fail Banks and Financial Firms, to Protect Community Banks, our Financial System, the Economy, and American Taxpayers from Future Bailouts The Great Financial Crisis, and the mini crisis caused by the failures of SVB and SBNY, were caused by the misconduct of the nations largest banks and financial firms and by banking regulators that did not ensure the safety and soundness of these financial behemoths. The megabanks and financial firms have proven, at great cost to American taxpayers, that they cannot be managed, supervised, disciplined or prosecuted. They are clearly too-big-to-change, too-big-to-fail, and must be downsized. This necessary policy objective can be accomplished by separating the traditional deposit-taking and lending activities of the largest banks from their speculative investment banking, securities underwriting, and market making activities. The time to act is now before the next financial crisis. (House and Senate, Federal Reserve, OCC and FDIC) Legislation and Regulation - H.R. 3633 or the CLARITY Act (All Sections) and S. 394 or the GENIUS Act (All Sections), S. 1582 or the GENIUS Act (All Sections) regarding stablecoins and ICBA/CBAI guiding principles (House, Senate, OCC) H.R. 1822 and S. 838 or the ACRE Act of 2025 (All Sections) to provide that interest income on loans to ag borrowers secured by ag assets or residences in ag areas will be considered exempt for income tax purposes (House and Senate) Action Alerts - None Miscellaneous - OCCs Virtual Innovations Office Hours discussed FinTechs, digital assets, cryptocurrency, Special Purpose National Banks, third party risk management, stablecoins, and the disintermediation of community banks (OCC) The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) 2025 Legislative Priorities discussed at the ICBA Capital Summit and CBAIs Call on Washington including - the CFPBs Section 1071 Rule, Major Tax Legislation, Taxing Credit Unions with Assets of More than $1 billion, Access to Credit for Rural Economies (ACRE) Act, Ensure Stablecoin Frameworks Dont Harm Community Banks, Oppose Credit Card Routing Mandates, Support for Agricultural Lending and Rural America, Support Community Bank Formation, Growth and Tiered Regulation and Restricting the Sale of Mortgage Trigger Leads (House and Senate) Statement of appreciation for the publication of a Request for Information (RFI) on Potential Actions to Address Payments Fraud (including check fraud) (Federal Reserve, FDIC and OCC) | Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC),Federal Reserve System,HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC),SENATE | 65000 | 0 | 0 | 2025-07-16T18:10:30-04:00 |