Risk-Based Capital Study Act of 2015

To require the National Credit Union Administration to conduct a study of the appropriate capital requirements for credit unions, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Risk-Based Capital Study Act of 2015 2. NCUA Study (a) In general The National Credit Union Administration shall conduct a study of the appropriate capital requirements for Federal credit unions and State credit unions (as such terms are defined, respectively, under section 101 of the Federal Credit Union Act ( 12 U.S.C. 1752 credit unions (b) Issues To be studied The study required under subsection (a) shall include— (1) an analysis of whether or not the National Credit Union Administration has the clear legal authority to prescribe separate risk-based capital thresholds for both adequately capitalized well capitalized (2) a discussion of the differences between credit unions and other types of depository institutions and reasons why they should have similar or different risk-weights for their capital requirements; (3) a discussion of the rationale behind the risk-weights assigned in the proposed rule of the National Credit Union Administration titled Risk-Based Capital (4) an analysis of the impact the proposed rule described in paragraph (3) would have on excess capital above the minimum level for a credit union to be well capitalized capital cushion (c) Voluntary participation Any credit union may voluntarily provide information for the study required under subsection (a) upon the request of the National Credit Union Administration, but may not be required to provide such information. (d) Report to Congress Not later than 270 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the National Credit Union Administration shall issue a report to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives containing— (1) all findings and determinations made in carrying out the study required under subsection (a); and (2) any legislative recommendations of the National Credit Union Administration to improve the capital system for credit unions or establish a risk-based capital system for credit unions. 3. Delay of rulemaking Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the National Credit Union Administration may not issue or implement any final rule or regulation with respect to risk-based capital for credit unions, including the proposed rule described under section 2(b)(3), before the end of the 120-day period beginning on the date the National Credit Union Administration issues the report required under section 2(d). December 12, 2016 Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

Summary: Risk-Based Capital Study Act of 2015 (Sec. 2) This bill directs the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) to study the appropriate capital requirements for federal credit unions and state credit unions, including: whether the NCUA has the clear legal authority to prescribe separate risk-based capital thresholds for both "adequately capitalized" and "well capitalized" credit unions; a discussion of the differences between credit unions and other types of depository institutions and reasons why they should have similar or different risk-weights for their capital requirements; a discussion of the rationale behind the risk-weights assigned in the proposed NCUA rule "Risk-Based Capital"; and an analysis of the impact the proposed rule would have upon excess capital above the minimum level for a credit union to be "well capitalized" (a credit union's "capital cushion"), including the potential impact upon credit union lending and credit union examinations. A credit union may not be required to provide information regarding the capital standards sought in the NCUA study, but may provide it voluntarily. (Sec. 3) The NCUA may not issue or implement any final rule or regulation governing risk-based capital (including the proposed rule) earlier than 120 days after it reports to Congress on the study.