WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD-TV) — Agricultural and rural lenders are backing proposed revisions to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s small-business lending data rule, saying a narrower scope could help preserve access to credit in farm-dependent communities. The American Bankers Association, joined by 52 state bankers’ associations, supports scaling back data-collection requirements under Section 1071 of the Dodd-Frank Act, citing concerns about compliance costs and operational strain on community lenders.
The CFPB finalized its original Section 1071 rule in 2023, requiring financial institutions to report detailed data on small-business lending to support fair-lending oversight. That rule prompted lawsuits from banking groups, including the ABA and the Texas Bankers Association, arguing that expanded data mandates exceeded congressional intent and risked discouraging lending by smaller institutions.
Under the revised proposal, the CFPB would limit reporting to core lending products and raise thresholds for covered lenders. Banking groups also support moving the compliance date to January 1, 2028, while seeking added flexibility in determining loan-volume thresholds.
Farm and rural lenders have long warned that broad reporting rules could slow operating, equipment, and land loans by diverting staff time and resources.
Farm-Level Takeaway: A narrower Section 1071 rule could reduce regulatory pressure on ag lenders while keeping credit available in rural communities.
Tony St. James, RFD-TV Markets Specialist
Payment totals alone do not show financial stress — production costs and net losses complete the picture.
January 26, 2026 02:30 PM
·
Year-round E15 remains on the table, but procedural caution and competing regional interests pushed action into a slower, negotiated path.
January 26, 2026 01:33 PM
·
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and Public Lands Council published a joint press release regarding the advancement of legislation to delist the Mexican Gray Wolf from the Endangered Species Act.
January 23, 2026 05:05 PM
USDA Rural Development Director for Kentucky, Travis Burton, joined us to discuss the Princeton facility (formerly Porter Road Meats), now backed by the USDA, and its role in expanding domestic meat processing capacity.
January 23, 2026 03:39 PM
·
Farm CPA Paul Neiffer joined us to break down the recent Fifth Circuit Court decision overturning a prior Tax Court decision on self-employment tax for limited partners, the ruling’s impact on farmers, and potential next steps in Congress.
January 23, 2026 02:00 PM
·
Jack Hubbard, with the Center for the Environment and Welfare, shares context and perspective on the controversial letter about Prop 12 circulating in Washington and how a review shows it misled the public.
January 22, 2026 06:25 PM
·
