H.R. 6955

Main Street Capital Access Act

Sponsor: J. French Hill · 33 cosponsors

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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

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I New Bank Formation and Local Community Access

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

Sec. 603. Merger Process Review 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

… 10 unchanged passages …

(2) Federal depository institution regulatory agency. The term Federal depository institution regulatory agency means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the National Credit Union Administration Board .

… 10 unchanged passages …

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.

(a) Review. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and every 3 years thereafter, the Inspector General of each Federal depository institution regulatory agency shall review the Federal depository institution regulatory agency’s merger review procedures, including record of timeliness and efficiency in reviewing and acting upon insured depository institution merger applications. The review shall—

(1) include an evaluation of relevant quantifiable metrics, including mean and median application processing times;

(2) identify sources of delay that may hinder the timely consummation of proposals that meet the relevant statutory factors;

(3) consider the benefits and risks of utilizing different merger review approaches and procedures in compliance with the law;

(4) include an evaluation of the impact of such merger review procedures and resulting approved mergers on safety and soundness, financial stability, competition, and the availability of financial products and services offered by insured depository institutions; and

(5) include specific recommendations to improve the merger review process, including timeliness and efficiency of application processing, consistent with the Federal depository institution regulatory agency’s statutory responsibilities.

(b) Report. Each Inspector General described under subsection (a) shall, at the conclusion of each review required under subsection (a), 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 containing all findings and determinations made in carrying out the review, and publish such report online.

(c) Agency response. In response to each report issued under subsection (a), the appropriate Federal depository institution regulatory agency shall submit to the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate and publish online a written response, including a plan to implement the recommendations in the report, to the extent such implementation is appropriate.

(d) Definitions. In this section:

(1) Application. The term application means an application, notice, or other similar request for permission submitted to a Federal depository institution regulatory agency.

(2) Federal depository institution regulatory agency. The term Federal depository institution regulatory agency means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the National Credit Union Administration.

(3) Insured depository institution. The term insured depository institution—

(A) has the meaning given that term in section 3 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813); and

(B) means an insured credit union, as defined in section 101 of the Federal Credit Union Act (12 U.S.C. 1752).

(4) Insured depository institution merger application. The term insured depository institution merger application means an application with respect to the acquisition of an insured depository institution, its equity interests, its assets, or its deposits under—

(A) section 10(e) of the Home Owners’ Loan Act (12 U.S.C. 1467a(e));

(B) section 205(b) of the Federal Credit Union Act (12 U.S.C. 1785(b));

(C) section 7(j) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1817(j));

(D) section 18(c)(2) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1828(c)(2));

(E) section 3 of the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 (12 U.S.C. 1842); and

(F) section 4 of the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 (12 U.S.C. 1843).

VII Strengthening Transparency and Involvement in Bank Resolutions

VIII Facilitating Innovation and Bank Partnerships