CECL Consumer Impact and Study Bill of 2019

To require the Securities and Exchange Commission and certain Federal agencies to carry out a study relating to accounting standards, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the CECL Consumer Impact and Study Bill of 2019 2. Definitions In this Act— (1) the term appropriate committees of Congress (A) the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate; and (B) the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives; (2) the term CECL Accounting Standards Update 2016–13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326) Accounting Standards Update 2018–19, Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (3) the term Commission (4) the term Federal financial regulators (A) the Secretary of the Treasury; (B) the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; (C) the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection; (D) the Comptroller of the Currency; (E) the Commodity Futures Trading Commission; (F) the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; (G) the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency; and (H) the National Credit Union Administration; and (5) the term small business concern 15 U.S.C. 632(a) 3. Study and report (a) In general The Commission and the Federal financial regulators, in consultation with the Financial Accounting Standards Board, shall conduct a quantitative study of— (1) the potential impact that the implementation of CECL may have on the availability of credit, with a particular focus on the impact on that availability— (A) for consumers and small business concerns; and (B) with respect to the credit products on which consumers and small business concerns rely during periods of economic expansion and during recessions; (2) whether implementing CECL could— (A) accelerate the depletion of regulatory capital that is available for lending purposes during a recession; (B) have a greater impact on regulatory capital, or extend the period in which regulatory capital is reduced, during a recession; or (C) pose any other systemic risks to the economy of the United States; (3) the potentially disproportionate impact that the implementation of CECL may have on financial institutions, taking into account— (A) the various sizes and levels of complexity of those financial institutions; and (B) the different amounts of resources that are available to those financial institutions; (4) the potential impact that the implementation of CECL may have on the decisions made by investors; and (5) the potential competitive impact that the implementation of CECL may have on institutions in the United States as a result of differing international accounting standards used to measure credit loss. (b) Report Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission and the Federal financial regulators shall submit to the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the appropriate committees of Congress a report— (1) regarding the results of the study conducted under subsection (a); and (2) that shall include— (A) the identification of any negative impacts resulting from the implementation of CECL; and (B) recommendations for changes to CECL to eliminate or mitigate the negative impacts described in subparagraph (A). 4. Cost-benefit study of CECL impact on non-financial institutions, insurers, and Government-sponsored enterprises (a) Study The Commission and the Federal financial regulators, in consultation with the Financial Accounting Standards Board, shall carry out a study on the potential costs and benefits of the impact of CECL on non-financial institutions, the insurance industry (including reinsurance), and Government-sponsored enterprises. (b) Report Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission and the Federal financial regulators shall submit to the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the appropriate committees of Congress a report containing all findings and determinations made in carrying out the study required under subsection (a). 5. Delay in implementation of CECL During the period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act and ending on the date that is 1 year after the date on which the Commission and the Federal financial regulators submit the report required under section 3(b), neither the Commission nor any of the Federal financial regulators may require a person to comply with CECL.

Summary: CECL Consumer Impact and Study Bill of 2019 This bill directs the Securities and Exchange Commission and federal financial regulators to report on the implementation of the Current Expected Credit Losses (CECL) accounting standard and its impact on credit availability, capital requirements, financial institutions, and nonfinancial institutions. Required compliance with the CECL standard is delayed until one year after submission of this report.