Comptroller Jonathan V. Gould testified to the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs on the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s priorities, signalling a shift toward risk-based, law-rooted supervision and a supervisory focus on alleged debanking. The agenda also includes interagency work to repropose the Basel III capital rule, potential changes to the Community Reinvestment Act framework, BSA/AML modernization, and support for bank charter applications and use of technologies such as AI. On debanking, the OCC is implementing President Trump’s Executive Order on Guaranteeing Fair Banking for All Americans by reviewing the activities of the largest national banks and investigating complaints of alleged debanking, and it has proposed a rule to remove reputation risk from supervision. The supervision strategy emphasises examiner judgment over checklists, prioritises issues that materially affect safety and soundness, and includes codifying reforms to the Matters Requiring Attention process, clarifying enforcement standards, and applying supervisory tools proportionately and predictably. Gould also linked these priorities to a view that post-2008 regulation discouraged prudent risk-taking and contributed to consolidation, citing that the number of community banks with less than USD 1 billion in total assets has been cut in half. The OCC expects feedback on its proposal to implement the GENIUS Act approach to payment stablecoins and will continue its interagency process to repropose Basel III while evaluating opportunities for CRA improvements and targeted burden relief for community institutions.
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency 2026-02-26
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency outlines risk-based supervision and anti-debanking priorities in Senate testimony
Comptroller Jonathan V. Gould outlined the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's priorities to the U.S. Senate, focusing on risk-based supervision and addressing alleged debanking. The agenda includes reproposing the Basel III capital rule, potential Community Reinvestment Act changes, BSA/AML modernization, and supporting bank charter applications and AI technology use. The OCC is reviewing large banks' activities under President Trump's Executive Order on Fair Banking and has proposed removing reputation risk from supervision.