Member agencies of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), including the Federal Reserve Board, FDIC, OCC and the National Credit Union Administration issued a joint report to Congress detailing their review of rules affecting financial institutions.  The review was conducted as part of the Economic Growth and Regulatory Paperwork Reduction Act of 1996 (EGRPRA) as part of the agencies’ continued efforts to reduce regulatory burdens while ensuring the safety and soundness of US financial institutions. EGRPRA requires the federal banking agencies, along with the FFIEC, to conduct a review of their rules at least every 10 years to identify outdated or unnecessary regulations.

The report describes several joint actions planned or taken by the federal financial institutions regulators, including: (i) simplifying regulatory capital rules for community banks and savings associations; (ii) streamlining reports of condition and income (call reports); (iii) increasing the appraisal threshold for commercial real estate loans; and (iv) expanding the number of institutions eligible for less frequent examination cycles.  The report also describes the individual actions taken by each agency to update its own rules, eliminate unnecessary requirements, and streamline supervisory procedures.

View the report.