Community Banks Call for Curbs on ‘Fair Lending Overreach,’ Seek Elimination of Disparate Impact from Fair Lending Laws
February 2, 2017
The Independent Community Bankers of America is urging the Trump administration to push for the elimination of disparate impact from federal fair lending laws to curb “fair lending overreach” and unwarranted enforcement actions against community banks. The ICBA is seeking an amendment to federal fair lending laws to bar certain disparate-impact causes of action. The amendment would clarify that disparate impact without a finding of an intent to discriminate is not a fair lending violation. “This would ensure that community banks that uniformly apply sound and neutral lending standards are not subjected to unnecessary regulatory enforcement actions or frivolous and abusive lawsuits,” said Lilly Thomas, ICBA senior vice president and senior regulatory counsel. Thomas said...