CRA

Months after OceanFirst Financial settled federal redlining allegations, it received the highest possible Community Reinvestment Act rating from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. CEO Christopher Maher said the bank made a "significant effort" to introduce its lending products to markets it had recently entered via acquisition.

The Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency say they will move to rescind a 2023 reform to the Community Reinvestment Act, citing litigation concerns about the rule.

The change, which goes into effect April 1, delays when certain banks would have to change their assessment areas until 2026.

Top banking regulators reaffirmed their commitment to bolstering the Community Reinvestment Act despite a court challenge, emphasizing their personal dedication to seeing the rule implemented.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released a report last week examining state CRA laws that have a more expansive scope and are more tightly integrated in the state licensing process.

Heads of the three major bank regulatory agencies made their case for why the recently finalized framework implementing the Community Reinvestment Act is not all bad for the banks subjected to it.

After years of discussion among regulators, the Federal Reserve Board has approved changes to its CRA rules that will base compliance exams on where lending occurs rather than branch locations. The updates — set to take effect in January 2026 — also emphasize lending in lower-income areas as well as community development loans and investments.

Banking regulators have been debating how to reform the implementing regulations for the Community Reinvestment Act across two presidential administrations. But despite banks' urging to slow down, regulators are poised to finish the job in early fall.

The American Bankers Association and Bank Policy Institute Tuesday urged bank regulators to delay the finalization of its Community Reinvestment Act rule, saying regulators have not calibrated the rule to account for upcoming capital changes or considered whether courts will find the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's funding structure constitutional.

Bank regulators are considering a measure that would rewrite the rules implementing the Community Reinvestment Act. They should consider taking their existing rules seriously.