OCC finalizes CRA rule without FDIC and Fed

The OCC has announced its release of a final rule strengthening and modernizing the agency’s regulations under the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA).

The OCC reported it made several changes to its December 2019 proposal that respond to stakeholders’ comments, including:

• Clarifying the importance of the quantity and quality of activities as well as their value.
• Increasing credit for mortgage origination to promote availability of affordable housing in low- and moderate-income areas.
• Clarifying credit for athletic facilities to ensure they benefit and support low- and moderate-income communities.
• Deferring establishment of thresholds for grading banks’ CRA performance and delineating banks’ deposit-based assessment areas until the OCC assesses improved data required by the final rule.

The final CRA rule applies to national banks and savings associations, which, according to the OCC, conduct the majority of all CRA activity. The rule will become effective October 1, 2020, with a compliance date of January 1, 2023. Small and intermediate banks have until January 1, 2024, to comply with requirements involving assessment area, data collection and recordkeeping.

• List of CRA Qualifying Activities

The FDIC, which had issued a proposal for CRA modernization jointly with the OCC in December 2019, issued a statement by Chairman Jelena McWilliams that the FDIC "is not prepared to finalize the CRA proposal at this time." The Federal Reserve Board has not issued a proposal to amend its current CRA regulations.

PUBLICATION UPDATE: The OCC's final rule amending its CRA regulations was published at 85 FR 34734 on 6/5/2020.