H.R. 6955 · Where this bill is now
In the Senate
Passed the House Jul 21, 2026. Received Jul 22, 2026; no Senate vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryReduces banking regulations for smaller institutions
This bill loosens several banking rules that apply to smaller banks and new banks. It gives new banks more time to build up their required financial reserves, lowers certain reserve requirements for rural banks, and raises the asset thresholds that trigger various regulatory requirements and fees. The bill also tells financial regulators to tailor their oversight to each bank's size and risk level, and it makes it easier for banks to merge by removing some competitive review requirements.
How it affects you
If you bank at a smaller or community bank, this bill could mean your bank faces less regulatory burden and potentially lower costs, which might affect fees and services. The changes mainly impact the banks and financial companies themselves rather than direct changes to what customers experience, though banks may pass savings along. Community banks and small financial institutions are the ones directly affected by these reduced regulations.
Read the official summary (Reported to House, Apr 20, 2026)
Main Street Capital Access Act or the Main Street Act
This bill lessens and otherwise modifies banking regulations, including those regarding institution formation, supervision by federal financial regulators, and bank merger requirements.
Under the bill, new banks have a three-year phase-in period to meet certain capital requirements. The bill also reduces the leverage ratio for certain rural community banks.
Financial regulators must (1) tailor regulatory actions to limit burdens on financial institutions and must consider the institutions' risk profiles and business models, and (2) review their regulations more frequently and expand the scope of these reviews.
The bill eases requirements regarding bank mergers, for example, by allowing financial regulators to approve certain bank mergers without considering if the merger is noncompetitive or monopolistic.
The bill increases the dollar asset thresholds for various fees, reporting requirements, and other regulatory requirements so that more financial companies and banks are exempt from these requirements. For example, the bill increases the total asset threshold above which financial holding companies need Federal Reserve Board approval to acquire a company, thereby allowing for more acquisitions without board approval. The bill also raises certain asset thresholds so as to allow additional small bank holding companies to operate with higher debt levels and additional small banks to qualify for a longer examination cycle.
The bill also provides flexibilities regarding the use of reciprocal deposits, the resolution of failed banks, and other regulated activities.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
2nd SessionH. R. 6955
AN ACT
Main Street Capital Access Act
Sponsor: Rep. J. French Hill (R-AR-2) · Introduced Jan 7, 2026 · Finance and Financial Sector · 4 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Jul 22, 2026: “Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.”
How Congress voted
Official roll callsHouse · On Passage · Jul 21, 2026
Passage Passed 270–155
| Party | Yes | No | Present | Didn’t vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 56 | 154 | 1 | 1 |
| Independents | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republicans | 213 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
57 members voted against most of their party: 56 Democrats voted Yes and 1 Republicans voted No.
Congress votes on whole bills and amendments, not on single sections.
Numbers that changed
Dollar amounts, dates and percentages, taken word for word from the text- Sec. 103 · Time period · Introduced → Committee versionBank Failure Prevention90 days→120 days…application submitted under this section not later than 120 days after the date on which the application was…
- Sec. 103 · Time period · Introduced → Committee versionBank Failure Prevention90 days→120 days…application submitted under this subsection not later than 120 days after the date on which the application was…
- Sec. 103 · Time period · Introduced → Committee versionBank Failure Prevention90 days→120 days…application submitted under this subsection not later than 120 days after the date on which the application was…
- Sec. 202 · Amount · Introduced → Committee versionSmall Bank Holding Company Relief$25,000,000,000→$6,000,000,000…the consolidated asset threshold under that appendix to $6,000,000,000 for any bank holding company or savings and…
- Sec. 203 · Percent · Introduced → Committee versionCommunity Bank Leverage Improvement and Flexibility for Transparency8 percent→9 percent…less than 6 percent and not more than 9 percent. (2) Rulemaking deadline Not later than the…
- Sec. 302 · Time period · Introduced → Committee versionFair Audits and Inspections for Regulators’ Exams60 days→30 days…file a written notice with the Board within 30 days after receiving the final report of examination that…
- Sec. 403 · Time period · Introduced → Committee versionRegulatory Efficiency, Verification, Itemization, and Enhanced Workflow7 years→8 years…once every 10 years and inserting once every 8 years; (4) in subsection (b)— (A) by redesignating…
- Sec. 403 · Time period · Introduced → Committee versionRegulatory Efficiency, Verification, Itemization, and Enhanced Workflow7 years→8 years…once every 10 years and inserting once every 8 years; (6) in subsection (e)— (A) in paragraph…
| Section | Where | Before | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sec. 103Time period | Bank Failure Prevention…application submitted under this section not later than 120 days after the date on which the application was…Introduced → Committee version | 90 days | 120 days |
| Sec. 103Time period | Bank Failure Prevention…application submitted under this subsection not later than 120 days after the date on which the application was…Introduced → Committee version | 90 days | 120 days |
| Sec. 103Time period | Bank Failure Prevention…application submitted under this subsection not later than 120 days after the date on which the application was…Introduced → Committee version | 90 days | 120 days |
| Sec. 202Amount | Small Bank Holding Company Relief…the consolidated asset threshold under that appendix to $6,000,000,000 for any bank holding company or savings and…Introduced → Committee version | $25,000,000,000 | $6,000,000,000 |
| Sec. 203Percent | Community Bank Leverage Improvement and Flexibility for Transparency…less than 6 percent and not more than 9 percent. (2) Rulemaking deadline Not later than the…Introduced → Committee version | 8 percent | 9 percent |
| Sec. 302Time period | Fair Audits and Inspections for Regulators’ Exams…file a written notice with the Board within 30 days after receiving the final report of examination that…Introduced → Committee version | 60 days | 30 days |
| Sec. 403Time period | Regulatory Efficiency, Verification, Itemization, and Enhanced Workflow…once every 10 years and inserting once every 8 years; (4) in subsection (b)— (A) by redesignating…Introduced → Committee version | 7 years | 8 years |
| Sec. 403Time period | Regulatory Efficiency, Verification, Itemization, and Enhanced Workflow…once every 10 years and inserting once every 8 years; (6) in subsection (e)— (A) in paragraph…Introduced → Committee version | 7 years | 8 years |
Listed only when one value replaced another and the surrounding words stayed the same. Open a section to read the full wording.
Sections
Opens on the most recent version where something changedSections · 1
Title I — New Bank Formation and Local Community Access · 3
Title VI — Promoting Bank Competition and Merger Clarity · 3
Title II — Tailoring Bank Regulation · 1
Title III — Fair and Transparent Bank Supervision · 4
Title IV — Regulatory Accountability and Transparency · 2
Title V — Strengthening Local Bank Funding · 2
Title VIII — Facilitating Innovation and Bank Partnerships · 1
Title VII — Strengthening Transparency and Involvement in Bank Resolutions · 1
2 more sections may have moved or been renamed, but the match wasn’t strong enough to confirm. They are not counted above.