119th CONGRESS 1st Session |
To require the Inspector General of each Federal prudential regulator to carry out a review every 3 years of the regulator’s handling of insured depository institution merger applications, and for other purposes.
December 9, 2025
Mr. Williams of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services
To require the Inspector General of each Federal prudential regulator to carry out a review every 3 years of the regulator’s handling of insured depository institution merger applications, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
This Act may be cited as the “Merger Process Review Act”.
SEC. 2. Inspector general review of the handling of insured depository institution merger applications.
(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 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; and
(3) include specific recommendations to improve the 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 Congress containing all findings and determinations made in carrying out the review.
(c) Agency response.—In response to each report issued to Congress under subsection (a), the appropriate Federal depository institution regulatory agency shall submit to Congress 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 Board.
(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).