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HR-5262House2025-11-04Finance and Financial Sector

Bank Competition Modernization Act

YourVoice.Now Summary

Corporate Benefits

Bank mergers that end up under $10 billion would skip the competition review — most U.S. banks fit that line.

Corporate Benefits

Bank mergers exempt from competition review — resulting bank under $10 billion

Right now, regulators must ask if a bank merger would leave too little competition. This bill says they may not ask that when the merged bank is under $10 billion.

Small bank deals may skip the Justice Department's competition report

First, regulators normally ask the Justice Department to weigh in on competition. That step could be skipped when the merged bank stays under $10 billion.

More banks exempt over time — $10 billion cutoff rises with growth

The $10 billion line would not stay fixed. Regulators would raise it in years the nation's total output grows, so more mergers qualify over time.

More about this bill

Most people would notice nothing new at their own bank if this became law. It changes how federal regulators judge bank mergers, not what your bank charges you. Today, before a merger is approved, regulators must ask whether the deal would create a monopoly or sharply cut competition. This bill would take that question off the table for any merger that leaves the bank holding less than $10 billion in assets. That line covers most of the country's banks. Today about 4,100 of roughly 4,250 insured banks and savings institutions sit under it. The same change applies to bank holding companies and savings-and-loan parent companies. Regulators would still weigh the bank's finances and what the community needs. The $10 billion cutoff would also rise in years the nation's total output grows, so it would cover more banks over time. Any effect on your own choice of banks would depend on which mergers actually happen.

Congressional Summary

This bill allows financial regulators to approve certain bank mergers without considering if the merger is noncompetitive or monopolistic.Currently, regulators are prohibited from approving a bank acquisition, merger, or consolidation that would result in a monopoly, that would be in furtherance of a conspiracy or attempt to create a monopoly, the approval of which would substantially lessen competition, or that would otherwise restrain trade.The bill prohibits regulators from considering these factors for mergers that would result in an entity with less than $10 billion in assets. This threshold must be adjusted annually to reflect increases in the U.S. nominal gross domestic product.

Legislative Subjects

Bank accounts, deposits, capitalBanking and financial institutions regulationBusiness recordsCompetition and antitrustCorporate finance and managementPerformance measurement

Details

Congress
119th
Chamber
House
Status
summarized
Action
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 317.
Action Date
2025-11-04
Date Added
2026-04-06
Source
Congress.gov →

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