Newsroom

December 22, 2012

Senate approves defense authorization bill

NAFCU's advocacy efforts on the National Defense Authorization Act ensured that the bill won Senate approval Friday without including a provision that would have required the Defense Department to broaden the scope of Military Lending Act rules beyond predatory products.

The Senate approved the bill by a vote of 81-14. The bill now heads to the president's desk to be signed into law.

On Dec. 18, a House-Senate conference panel approved a compromise between two versions of the National Defense Authorization Act. While preventing a broadening in scope of MLA rules that would have made some products more difficult for credit unions to provide, the conferees retained language that adds civil liability to the list of MLA penalties. They also included language giving MLA enforcement authority to the CFPB and NCUA.

NAFCU will work closely with the Department of Defense on any changes enacted that affect credit unions.