Congress·In Committee·19 days ago
Banking: Inflation Adjustments for Community Bank Rules
Also known as: Community Bank Relief Act
Legislative Progress
✓ Filed
Review
Senate
House
President
Key Points
- This bill changes the rules for which banks are considered 'small' and exempt from certain fee limits. It updates a $10 billion asset limit that has stayed the same since 2009, adjusting it to match the current value of money.
- Community banks and credit unions are the most affected. Currently, if a bank grows past $10 billion in assets, it must lower the 'swipe fees' it charges stores when customers use debit cards. This bill raises that limit so growing banks can keep their current fee income.
- The goal is to help local banks stay competitive against giant national banks. Supporters argue the old limit is outdated because $10 billion doesn't buy as much today as it did 15 years ago.
- If the bill becomes law, the first major adjustment would happen by July 1, 2026. This initial change would account for all the inflation that happened between 2009 and 2025. After that, the limit would be updated every year on January 15.
- For everyday people, this might help keep local banks in business. However, it could also mean that some stores continue paying higher fees on debit card transactions instead of seeing the savings that usually happen when a bank grows past the current limit.
Milestones
2 milestones2 actions
Feb 11, 2026Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
Feb 11, 2026
Introduced in Senate
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Community Bank Relief Act
Bill NumberS 3849
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(1)R: 1
Data Sources
Analysis generated by AI. While we strive for accuracy, this should not be considered legal or professional advice. Always verify information with official government sources.