Law and regulation

Without rollbacks of existing anti-money-laundering reporting requirements, a measure designed to make Bank Secrecy Act enforcement more risk-focused would do little to ease banks' regulatory burden.

The legislation, which takes effect in July, follows a 2019 law that modernized the state's credit union statutes.

The agency will hold an exercise this summer related to emerging fraud risks and one board member suggested Congress should once again consider allowing the NCUA to oversee third-party vendors — a measure that would cost the regulator roughly $2 million a year.

The legislation, led by Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., would qualify many farmers, ranchers and self-employed Americans for more Paycheck Protection Program funds.

If passed, the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act introduced last week could spur development of 2 million rental units for low- and moderate-income households over the next decade.

The SAFE Banking Act would prohibit federal banking regulators from penalizing banks and other depository institutions for providing banking services to cannabis businesses. It passed Monday night on a 321-101 bipartisan vote.

Key legislation to protect banks and credit unions serving the legal marijuana industry looks set to move forward in the House this week.

The Michigan lender agreed in 2012 to pay $133 million to resolve civil fraud charges tied to government-backed mortgages. But the deal with the Justice Department came with a catch that eventually allowed Flagstar to pay far less.

State-level groups are pushing measures intended to improve the operating environment for the industry, such as increasing flexibility with field of membership, and providing parity with banks and federally chartered institutions.

Like their counterparts in the U.K., U.S. regulators should be working closely with the private sector to establish principles and guardrails to direct and focus tech advancements in ways that will protect consumers and financial stability.