Relief bills are gaining momentum in Congress, leading many community bankers' to believe their regulatory burdens will ease by yearend.
A relief package proposed last week by Sens. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Mark Kirk, R-Ill., is the most recent bill to garner attention.
"We're not talking about highly partisan, highly contentious issues here that require weeks of debate," said Camden Fine, the chief executive of the Independent Community Bankers of America. "The bulk of these bills has broad bipartisan support and could probably pass on voice votes or with unanimous consent."
"You're looking for that must-pass piece of legislation that's getting in at the end of the year before the session is over," said Brian Gardner, an analyst with Keefe, Bruyette & Woods.
"If other lawmakers try to use it as a vehicle to make other changes to Dodd-Frank, it all collapses," Gardner said of possible complications. "The final product will have to be narrowly crafted and not loaded up with other things. Once it starts getting loaded up with other Dodd-Frank-related issues, it's dead."
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