2025 first_quarter Filing

Lapses by the retail industry/merchants in securing consumer information continue to be extremely problematic and costly to consumers and financial institutions. MCUL is advocating that Congress hold retailers to the same or similar data security standard as the financial service industry has to abide by and require that retailers notify credit unions sooner once a breach occurs. We support the introduction and passage of legislation that ensures all businesses, institutions and organizations that collect, collect, use or share personal data subject to national standards, to include language that preempts state requirements, among other things. MCUL supports modernizing the Federal Credit Union Act (FCUA). The financial service industry is rapidly changing. Advancements in technology, including high speed internet connectivity, have significantly changed our society and how financial institutions do business. Updating the FCUA has become necessary to ensure federally chartered credit unions have the powers and flexibility to be competitive and members can benefit from new technology. We are currently supporting the Veterans Member Business Loan Act (S.210/H.R. 507) that would exempt credit union business loans to veterans from the member business lending cap and we are supporting the Credit Union Board Modernization Act (S.522/H.R. 975) which would afford federal credit unions flexibility with regard to how often their boards meet. MCUL is monitoring developments for GSE/housing finance reform and will advocate to make sure any reforms reflect the significant role credit unions play in the secondary mortgage market and we will defend against anything that is potentially harmful to credit unions and their members. MCUL is calling on Congress to pass bank secrecy act/anti-money laundering reforms and provide financial institutions relief from unnecessary, duplicate and burdensome rules and increase the SAR and CTR thresholds. MCUL is educating members of our congressional delegation on the growing interest among credit union members and credit unions in cryptocurrency. We believe Congress should explore ways to regulate the delivery of financial services using digital currencies to ensure consumers are protected in the same way if they received financial services a financial institution. We urge Congress to look for ways to enable credit unions and other financial institutions to provide digital assets, so that these services can be properly overseen by federal regulators. Finally, credit unions seek parity with other financial institutions in this area as credit unions must be able to offer digital/crypto products and services directly to their members in the same way that other institutions can to their customers. Lastly, credit unions are non-for-profit member-owned financial institutions. Credit unions' consumer-focused model is self-regulating and a principal reason why credit unions are not covered by the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). MCUL will educate members of the delegation of the work credit unions are doing to serve low/moderate-income, diverse communities and the negative impacts of including credit unions in the CRA. We will oppose efforts that would result in credit unions of any size being included in the CRA.