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A bill introduced last week by House Financial Services Committee members Scott Tipton, R-Colo., and Andy Barr, R-Ky., would provide regulatory relief to smaller community banks and credit unions by requiring federal regulators to tailor their rulemaking to fit the institutions' business model and risk profile.

NAFCU has steadily urged Congress and regulators to do more to ensure the benefits of the rules they impose on credit unions justify the costs of complying with them.

"Banks and credit unions are currently regulated under a one-size-fits-all approach, regardless of size or risk profile," Tipton said in introducing H.R. 2896, the "Taking Account of Institutions with Low Operation Risk (TAILOR) Act of 2015."

Tipton called the compliance burden imposed by one-size-fits-all regulations "unbearable" and said his bill would foster a regulatory environment where smaller institutions can invest in their communities and generate economic growth.

Specifically, H.R. 2896 would:

• Require the Federal Reserve, FDIC, OCC, NCUA and CFPB to tailor any regulatory action after enactment to appropriately apply to banks and credit unions.
• Require NCUA to consider the risk profile and business model of credit unions and determine the necessity, appropriateness and impact of applying such regulatory action, including the aggregate impact of adding a new rule to existing regulations.
• Require NCUA to testify annually before the House Financial Services and Senate Banking Committees on specific actions taken to tailor the agency's rulemaking as required by the bill.
• Require that within three years of enactment, the five federal regulatory agencies review all regulations adopted over the five years prior to enactment and apply the bill's requirements to those.

H.R. awaits action of the House Financial Services Committee.