ABA Banking Journal
No Result
View All Result
  • Topics
    • Ag Banking
    • Commercial Lending
    • Community Banking
    • Compliance and Risk
    • Cybersecurity
    • Economy
    • Human Resources
    • Insurance
    • Legal
    • Mortgage
    • Mutual Funds
    • Payments
    • Policy
    • Retail and Marketing
    • Tax and Accounting
    • Technology
    • Wealth Management
  • Newsbytes
  • Podcasts
  • Magazine
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise
    • Magazine Archive
    • Newsletter Archive
    • Podcast Archive
    • Sponsored Content Archive
SUBSCRIBE
ABA Banking Journal
  • Topics
    • Ag Banking
    • Commercial Lending
    • Community Banking
    • Compliance and Risk
    • Cybersecurity
    • Economy
    • Human Resources
    • Insurance
    • Legal
    • Mortgage
    • Mutual Funds
    • Payments
    • Policy
    • Retail and Marketing
    • Tax and Accounting
    • Technology
    • Wealth Management
  • Newsbytes
  • Podcasts
  • Magazine
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise
    • Magazine Archive
    • Newsletter Archive
    • Podcast Archive
    • Sponsored Content Archive
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
ADVERTISEMENT
Home Ag Banking

Final Highway Bill Includes Modified Fed Dividend Cut

December 1, 2015
Reading Time: 2 mins read

A group of senators and representatives today issued a reconciled version of a long-term highway funding bill that includes a modified but still substantial cut to the dividends paid on the Federal Reserve Bank stock that national banks and other Fed member banks are required to hold. The provision — strongly opposed by ABA — was included in the Senate’s version of the bill but the House voted to strip the provision out last month.

The final legislation, which will now be voted on by both the House and Senate, will apply the cut only to banks with more than $10 billion in assets. Effective Jan. 1, the dividend paid to those banks will drop from 6 percent to the latest high yield on 10-year Treasurys (currently around 2.15 percent, higher than the originally proposed 1.5 percent), but no higher than 6 percent. The $10 billion threshold would be indexed to inflation.

“Rewriting a significant portion of the Federal Reserve’s charter and siphoning off a bank dividend payment to pay for highway infrastructure sets a bad precedent that should give other industries serious cause for concern,” said ABA’s Rob Nichols. “Banks shouldn’t be used like an E-ZPass to pay for highways. Dramatically reducing the dividend rate — without hearings, consultation with committees of jurisdiction, study or analysis of any kind whatsoever — is extremely bad public policy.”

The reconciled legislation also retains a measure from the House version that draws on amounts exceeding $10 billion in the Fed’s capital surplus account. It leaves out an ABA-opposed extension of higher guarantee fees, includes language reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank and repeals a provision in the recent budget bill that would have hindered the private-sector delivery of crop insurance.

While ABA opposed cutting Fed dividends to pay for the highway bill, the final legislation also includes several regulatory relief measures that are part of ABA’s Agenda for America’s Hometown Banks  and that ABA sought to have included in the bill. These provisions would: expand the number of banks eligible for the 18-month exam cycle, equalize the SEC registration and de-registration thresholds for savings and loan holding companies, reduce the burden of unnecessary privacy notice paperwork, expand Trups CDO relief for smaller bank holding companies and establish a process for designating an area as rural for purposes of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau exemptions.

ADVERTISEMENT
Tags: ABA Blueprint for GrowthFarm bankingFed dividendsGuarantee feesPrivacy noticeRegulatory burdenS&LHCsTrade finance
ShareTweetPin

Related Posts

BAFT releases report on best practices, guidance for ISO 20022 migration

ABA offers fixes for small-business lending data collection rule

Commercial Lending
July 18, 2025

In a letter, ABA said it is pleased with the CFPB's proposal to revise its small-business lending data rule and offered several recommendations to reduce the compliance burden for banks.

Retail sales decreased 0.8% in January

ABA DataBank: Retail sales rebounded in June

Economy
July 18, 2025

Despite recent softening and apprehension over price increases, consumer spending was robust over the month.

CFPB claims ‘complex’ pricing drives up cost of financial products

CFPB to keep notification procedures for state enforcement of consumer law

Compliance and Risk
July 18, 2025

The CFPB is reversing course on its earlier decision to eliminate the procedures under which state officials must notify the bureau if those officials plan to enforce the Consumer Financial Protection Act.

Consumer Sentiment declined in April

Consumer sentiment rises in July

Economy
July 18, 2025

The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index increased 1.8% in July compared to the month prior, landing at 61.8, according to preliminary results for the month.

ABA points to role of regulators in discouraging bank engagement in digital assets

ABA, associations urge OCC to postpone crypto firm applications for bank charters

Newsbytes
July 18, 2025

ABA joined four banking and credit union associations in raising concerns about a push by digital asset firms to establish national trust banks, saying there are significant policy and legal questions as to whether the applicants' proposed business...

Housing starts rise in June

Housing starts edge up in June

Economy
July 18, 2025

Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in June increased to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.397 million, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

NEWSBYTES

ABA offers fixes for small-business lending data collection rule

July 18, 2025

ABA DataBank: Retail sales rebounded in June

July 18, 2025

CFPB to keep notification procedures for state enforcement of consumer law

July 18, 2025

SPONSORED CONTENT

Navigating Disruption in Ag Lending – Why Tariffs Are Just the Tip of the Iceberg

Navigating Disruption in Ag Lending – Why Tariffs Are Just the Tip of the Iceberg

July 1, 2025
AI Compliance and Regulation: What Financial Institutions Need to Know

Unlocking Deposit Growth: How Financial Institutions Can Activate Data for Precision Cross-Sell

June 1, 2025
Choosing the Right Account Opening Platform: 10 Key Considerations for Long-Term Success

Choosing the Right Account Opening Platform: 10 Key Considerations for Long-Term Success

April 25, 2025
Outsourcing: Getting to Go/No-Go

Outsourcing: Getting to Go/No-Go

April 5, 2025

PODCASTS

The future of careers in risk and compliance

July 17, 2025

Breaking down the bank-related provisions in the big budget bill

July 10, 2025

Podcast: Inside ABA’s new Treasury Check Verification System API

June 25, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT

American Bankers Association
1333 New Hampshire Ave NW
Washington, DC 20036
1-800-BANKERS (800-226-5377)
www.aba.com
About ABA
Privacy Policy
Contact ABA

ABA Banking Journal
About ABA Banking Journal
Media Kit
Advertising
Subscribe

© 2025 American Bankers Association. All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Topics
    • Ag Banking
    • Commercial Lending
    • Community Banking
    • Compliance and Risk
    • Cybersecurity
    • Economy
    • Human Resources
    • Insurance
    • Legal
    • Mortgage
    • Mutual Funds
    • Payments
    • Policy
    • Retail and Marketing
    • Tax and Accounting
    • Technology
    • Wealth Management
  • Newsbytes
  • Podcasts
  • Magazine
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise
    • Magazine Archive
    • Newsletter Archive
    • Podcast Archive
    • Sponsored Content Archive

© 2025 American Bankers Association. All rights reserved.