SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Helping Expand Lend-
ing Practices in Rural Communities Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF RURAL AREA. 
(a) APPLICATION.—Not later than 90 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Bureau of Consumer 
Financial Protection shall establish an application process 
under which a person who lives or does business in a State 
may, with respect to an area identified by the person in 
such State that has not been designated by the Bureau 
as a rural area for purposes of a Federal consumer finan-
cial law (as defined under section 1002 of the Consumer 
Financial Protection Act of 2010), apply for such area to 
be so designated. 
(b) EVALUATION CRITERIA.—When evaluating an 
application submitted under subsection (a), the Bureau 
shall take into consideration the following factors: 
(1) Criteria used by the Director of the Bureau 
of the Census for classifying geographical areas as 
rural or urban. 
(2) Criteria used by the Director of the Office 
of Management and Budget to designate counties as 
metropolitan or micropolitan or neither. 
(3) Criteria used by the Secretary of Agri-
culture to determine property eligibility for rural de-
velopment programs.
(4) The Department of Agriculture rural-urban 
commuting area codes. 
(5) A written opinion provided by the State’s 
bank supervisor, as defined under section 3(r) of the 
Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813(r)). 
(6) Population density. 
(c) PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after 
receiving an application submitted under subsection 
(a), the Bureau shall— 
(A) publish such application in the Federal 
Register; and 
(B) make such application available for 
public comment for not fewer than 90 days. 
(2) LIMITATION
ON
ADDITIONAL
APPLICA-
TIONS.—Nothing in this section shall be construed 
to require the Bureau, during the public comment 
period with respect to an application submitted 
under subsection (a), to accept an additional appli-
cation with respect to the area that is the subject of 
the initial application. 
(d) DECISION ON DESIGNATION.—Not later than 90 
days after the end of the public comment period under 
subsection (c)(1) for an application, the Bureau shall—
(1) grant or deny such application, in whole or 
in part; and 
(2) publish such grant or denial in the Federal 
Register, along with an explanation of what factors 
the Bureau relied on in making such determination. 
(e) SUBSEQUENT APPLICATIONS.—A decision by the 
Bureau under subsection (d) to deny an application for 
an area to be designated as a rural area shall not preclude 
the Bureau from accepting a subsequent application sub-
mitted under subsection (a) for such area to be so des-
ignated, so long as such subsequent application is made 
after the end of the 90-day period beginning on the date 
that the Bureau denies the application under subsection 
(d). 
(f) SUNSET.—This section shall cease to have any 
force or effect after the end of the 2-year period beginning 
on the date of the enactment of this Act. 
Passed the House of Representatives April 13, 2015. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 1259 
AN ACT 
To provide for an application process for interested 
parties to apply for an area to be designated as 
a rural area, and for other purposes.