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Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., on Friday congratulated NCUA Chairman Rick Metsger on his decision to hold a public budget briefing this year and invited his support for S. 924, a bill to require annual hearings and public comment on the agency's draft budgets.

Heller introduced S. 924 last year with Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va.; both lawmakers serve on the Senate Banking Committee. In a letter to Metsger Friday, Heller praised Metsger's plan for a budget briefing. In seeking support for S. 794, he said the bill would ensure such hearings continue into the future regardless of who is chairman at NCUA.

"Given your support for holding a public hearing on the NCUA's budget this year, I would respectfully request that you support … the National Credit Union Administration Budget Transparency Act," Heller wrote. "No matter who the chair of the NCUA in the future may be, knowing that the there will always be a forum to receive public input during the NCUA budget process will foster more accountability and confidence in the NCUA."

Metsger, during his address Wednesday before NAFCU's Annual Conference, said the agency will hold a public budget briefing in October and that credit union stakeholders will be able to make their views known. He also said the agency will release more details of its 2017 budget plan in advance of the hearing.

NAFCU, which has long urged a return to NCUA budget briefings, thanked Metsger for his decision to share the agency's budget plans in advance and to allow stakeholder review and input on the 2017 budget.

Also on Friday, Rep. Rubén Hinojosa, D-Texas, praised Metsger's initiative for an extended examination cycle and his proposal to remove the strict calendar-year exam requirement for all federal credit unions as well as federally insured, state-chartered credit unions with more than $250 million in assets.

Hinojosa, ranking member of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training, said the change will help direct limited resources where they are most needed and enhance safety and soundness. He also said it will ease regulatory burdens on community and small institutions so they can "focus their resources on providing credit to consumers and banking services to small local businesses."