H.R. 6955

Main Street Capital Access Act

Sponsor: J. French Hill · 33 cosponsors

Follow this bill

Official summary

Written by the Congressional Research Service.

Main Street Capital Access Act or the Main Street Act

This bill lessens and otherwise modifies banking regulations, including those regarding institution formation, supervision by federal financial regulators, and bank merger requirements. 

Under the bill, new banks have a three-year phase-in period to meet certain capital requirements. The bill also reduces the leverage ratio for certain rural community banks.

Financial regulators must (1) tailor regulatory actions to limit burdens on financial institutions and must consider the institutions' risk profiles and business models, and (2) review their regulations more frequently and expand the scope of these reviews. 

The bill eases requirements regarding bank mergers, for example, by allowing financial regulators to approve certain bank mergers without considering if the merger is noncompetitive or monopolistic.

The bill increases the dollar asset thresholds for various fees, reporting requirements, and other regulatory requirements so that more financial companies and banks are exempt from these requirements. For example, the bill increases the total asset threshold above which financial holding companies need Federal Reserve Board approval to acquire a company, thereby allowing for more acquisitions without board approval. The bill also raises certain asset thresholds so as to allow additional small bank holding companies to operate with higher debt levels and additional small banks to qualify for a longer examination cycle.

The bill also provides flexibilities regarding the use of reciprocal deposits, the resolution of failed banks, and other regulated activities.  

Text of the bill

Expand all

I New Bank Formation and Local Community Access

Sec. 101. Promoting New Bank Formation Changed · Jul 21

Where this section came from

  1. Jan 7, 2026 · Introduced in House Referred to House Committee on Financial Services, Jan 7
  2. Apr 20, 2026 · Reported in House Marked up by House Committee on Financial Services, Mar 4 Reported by House Committee on Financial Services, Apr 20 Committee members' individual votes aren't in our records.
  3. Jul 21, 2026 · Engrossed in House H.Amdt. 241: Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 1438, in lieu of the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Financial Services now printed in the bill, an amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 119-35 is considered as adopted. Official page › H.Res. 1438: On Ordering the Previous Question — Passed, 213–209 · Roll Call 253 H.Res. 1438: On Agreeing to the Resolution — Passed, 214–211 · Roll Call 254 On Motion to Recommit — Failed, 210–216 · Roll Call 270On Passage — Passed, 270–155 · Roll Call 271
What changed in the text

(a) Section Phase-In 908 of capital standards. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Federal 21st banking Century agencies ROAD shall issue rules that provide for a 3-year phase-in period for a depository institution or depository institution holding company to meet Housing any Act Federal is capital requirements that would otherwise be applicable to the depository institution or depository institution holding company, beginning on amended — (1) the date on which the depository institution became an insured depository institution; or (2) in the subsection case of a depository institution holding company, the date on which the depository institution subsidiary of the depository institution holding company became an insured depository institution. (b ) )(2), Changes to business plans. (1) In general. During the 3-year period beginning on the date on which a depository institution became an insured depository institution, if, as a condition of approval, the appropriate Federal banking agency imposes a requirement to obtain prior approval before deviating from a business plan, the insured depository institution or its depository institution holding company may request to deviate materially from a business plan that has been approved by the striking appropriate Federal banking agency by submitting a request to such agency pursuant to this section. (2) Review of changes. The appropriate Federal banking agency shall, not later than the end of the 30 180 -day period beginning on the receipt of a request under paragraph (1)— (A) approve, conditionally approve, or deny such request; and (B) inserting notify the applicant of such decision and, if the agency denies the request— (i) provide the applicant with the reason for such denial; and (ii) suggest changes to the request that, if adopted, would allow the agency to approve such request. (3) Result of failure to act. If an appropriate Federal banking agency fails to approve or deny a request within the 30 90 -day ; period required under paragraph (2 ), ) such in request subsection shall be deemed to be approved. (c ) )— Rural community depository institution leverage ratio. ( 1 A ) In in general. During the 3-year period beginning on the date on which a rural depository institution became an insured depository institution heading , the Community Bank Leverage Ratio for the rural community bank shall be the lesser of— (A) the Community Bank Leverage Ratio adopted by the inserting Federal banking agencies pursuant to section 201(b)(1) of the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer extension Protection after Act study; ( 12 U.S.C. 5371 note); or ( B) 7.5 by percent. redesignating (2) Phase-In authority. The Federal banking agencies shall issue rules to phase-in the Community Bank Leverage Ratio described under paragraph ( 1 2 ) with as respect to a rural depository institution by setting lower Community Bank Leverage Ratio percentages during the first 2 years of the 3-year period described under paragraph ( 1). ( 3 ) ); Definitions. In this subsection: (A) Community Bank Leverage Ratio. The term Community Bank Leverage Ratio has the meaning given that term under section 201(a) of the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act ( 12 U.S. C . 5371 note). (B ) Rural area. The term rural area means— (i) a county that is neither in a metropolitan statistical area nor in a micropolitan statistical area that is adjacent to a metropolitan statistical area, as those terms are defined by the inserting Office after of paragraph Management and Budget and as they are applied under applicable Urban Influence Codes, established by the Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service; or ( ii) a census block that is not in an urban area, as defined by the Bureau of the Census using the latest decennial census of the United States. (C) Rural depository institution. The term rural depository institution means a depository institution— (i) with total consolidated assets of less than $10,000,000,000; and (ii) located in a rural area. (d) Agricultural loan authority for Federal savings associations. Section 5(c) of the Home Owners’ Loan Act (12 U.S.C. 1464(c)) is amended— ( 1) in paragraph (1), by adding at the end the following:

[Inserted into the law:

( V 2 ) Agricultural Safety loans and soundness determination; extension of pilot program . Secured (A) or Determination. unsecured Not loans earlier than January 1, 2031, and not later than June 30, 2031, the Federal banking agencies may, jointly, determine that subsections (a) and (b) have had a significant adverse effect on the safety and soundness of qualifying community banks. (B) Extension. Unless the Federal banking agencies make the determination described in subparagraph (A), the authorities under subsections (a) and (b) shall be permanent. (C) Termination. If the Federal banking agencies make the determination described in subparagraph (A)— (i) subsections (a) and (b) shall only apply to a qualifying community bank that became an insured depository institution before the date of such determination; and (ii) the Federal banking agencies shall issue a report to the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate, and make such report available to the public, containing such determination and the reasons for agricultural such purposes determination .

… 2 unchanged passages …

( 2 3 ) in paragraph subsection ( 2 e )( A 6)(B ), by striking business, between or January agricultural and inserting or business. (e) Study on de novo insured depository institutions. ( 1 ) Study. The Federal banking agencies shall , jointly 2026 , carry out a study on— (A) the principal causes for the low number of de novo insured depository institutions in the 10-year period ending on the date of enactment of this Act; and (B) December ways to promote more de novo insured depository institutions in areas currently underserved by insured depository institutions. (2) Report to Congress. Not later than the end of the 1-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act 31 , the 2028 Federal banking agencies shall, jointly, issue a report to the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives and the inserting Committee on Banking, or Housing, after and January Urban Affairs of the Senate containing all findings and determinations made in carrying out the study required under paragraph ( 1 ). (f) Definitions. In this section , the terms appropriate Federal banking agency, depository institution, depository institution holding company, Federal banking agency, and insured depository institution have the meaning given those terms, respectively, under section 3 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U 2026 . S.C. 1813).

What does "considered adopted" mean?

When a chamber approves a rule that says a change is "considered adopted", the change becomes part of the bill as soon as the rule passes, without a separate vote on the change itself.

What is a markup?

A markup is a committee meeting where members go through a bill and vote on changes before sending it to the full chamber.

Section 908 of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is amended—

(1) in subsection (b)(2), by striking 180-day and inserting 90-day;

(2) in subsection (c)—

(A) in the heading, by inserting and extension after study;

(B) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and

(C) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(2) Safety and soundness determination; extension of pilot program

(A) Determination. Not earlier than January 1, 2031, and not later than June 30, 2031, the Federal banking agencies may, jointly, determine that subsections (a) and (b) have had a significant adverse effect on the safety and soundness of qualifying community banks.

(B) Extension. Unless the Federal banking agencies make the determination described in subparagraph (A), the authorities under subsections (a) and (b) shall be permanent.

(C) Termination. If the Federal banking agencies make the determination described in subparagraph (A)—

(i) subsections (a) and (b) shall only apply to a qualifying community bank that became an insured depository institution before the date of such determination; and

(ii) the Federal banking agencies shall issue a report to the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate, and make such report available to the public, containing such determination and the reasons for such determination.

; and

(3) in subsection (e)(6)(B), by striking between January 1, 2026, and December 31, 2028 and inserting on or after January 1, 2026.

II Tailoring Bank Regulation

III Fair and Transparent Bank Supervision

IV Regulatory Accountability and Transparency

V Strengthening Local Bank Funding

VI Promoting Bank Competition and Merger Clarity

VII Strengthening Transparency and Involvement in Bank Resolutions

VIII Facilitating Innovation and Bank Partnerships