This is Queen Street Analytics' weekly digest of regulatory developments, legislative discussions and other government-related news for professionals in the financial industry, banking, credit unions, insurance, payment processing, fintech, credit card issuing, asset management, venture capital, private equity, and crypto-currencies. Once a week, we break down the most important updates in this space in under five minutes.

Want to track other GR news in adjacent industries? Don’t miss this week’s updates in ICT & Cybersecurity.

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Dates: 2026-02-02 to 2026-02-08

📋 In This Week's Newsletter

• 🏛️ This Week's Congressional Calendar
• 🇺🇸 Federal Government News
• 📜 Legislative Updates
• 📚 What We're Reading This Week

This Week's Congressional Calendar

• Priced Out of the American Dream: Housing and Borrowing Costs Hearing: House Financial Services Committee will hold a hearing titled 'Priced Out of the American Dream: Understanding the Policies Behind Rising Costs of Housing and Borrowing' on February 10, 2026 at 3:00 PM in Rayburn 2128.
• SEC Oversight Hearing—Chairman Paul Atkins Testifies: House Financial Services Committee will conduct an SEC oversight hearing with Chairman Paul Atkins as witness on February 11, 2026 at 3:00 PM in Rayburn 2128.
• Homeownership and Secondary Mortgage Market Hearing: House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance will hold a hearing on 'Homeownership and the Role of the Secondary Mortgage Market' featuring industry and academic witnesses on February 11, 2026 at 7:00 PM in Rayburn 2128.
• Senate SEC Oversight Meeting: Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee will convene for SEC oversight hearings on February 12, 2026 at 3:00 PM in Dirksen 538.

Federal Government News

President Signs Bankruptcy Administration Improvement Act

On February 6, 2026, S. 3424—the Bankruptcy Administration Improvement Act of 2025—was signed into law. The Act increases Chapter 7 bankruptcy trustee fees and extends Chapter 11 quarterly fees for an additional five years. Temporary bankruptcy judgeships are renewed for another five-year period. These measures are intended to sustain administrative funding for bankruptcy courts and trustees nationwide.

Sources: www.whitehouse.gov

OCC Finalizes Revisions to Annual Stress Test Reporting for Large Institutions

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued a notice finalizing changes to the Company-Run Annual Stress Test Reporting Template for banks with $250 billion or more in consolidated assets, as mandated under Dodd-Frank. The revisions align the OCC’s requirements with the Federal Reserve’s FR Y-14A to reduce reporting inconsistencies and institutional burden. Proposed changes to collect pre-provision net revenue details were not included. The collection applies to four respondents annually and five biennially, with an estimated annual burden of 2,881.67 hours. No comments were received in the prior 60-day notice period.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

NCUA Requests Comment on Credit Union Procedural and Disclosure Requirements

The National Credit Union Administration plans to submit four information collection requests to OMB regarding mergers of federally-insured credit unions, consumer financial privacy disclosures, registration of mortgage loan originators, and reverse mortgage guidance. Cumulative estimated annual burdens are 5,352 hours for mergers, 433,620 hours for privacy disclosures, 86,423 hours for mortgage originator registration, and 160 hours for reverse mortgage guidance. Public comments addressing necessity, accuracy, and burden mitigation are requested by April 3, 2026.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

SEC Approves ICE Clear Credit LLC Risk Management Policy Amendments

The Securities and Exchange Commission approved ICE Clear Credit LLC’s proposed rule changes to its Risk Management Framework, Model Description, and End-of-Day Price Discovery Policies. Liquidity charges for CDS index instruments now apply Level III bid-offer widths to both short and long positions, standardizing treatment across products. ICC governance will include new Board Risk and Nominating Committees, with the revised documents reflecting these structural updates. The SEC determined these changes promote accurate clearance and settlement of derivative contracts and reinforce risk management compliance.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

SEC Extension: Rule 17Ad-10 for Transfer Agent Recordkeeping and Disclosure

The Securities and Exchange Commission submitted a request for extension of Rule 17Ad-10 under the Securities Exchange Act, which mandates registered transfer agents maintain accurate securityholder records, promptly record all transfers, and disclose record inaccuracies. Approximately 319 transfer agents must comply, creating an industry-wide labor burden of 25,520 hours a year, with an estimated internal labor cost of $1,990,560. External costs total $7,866,540, reflecting computer operations and third-party disclosure. The rule provides oversight for securities issuance and ensures regulatory compliance.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

Legislative Updates

Bankruptcy Administration Improvement Act of 2025 (S. 3424)

S. 3424, the Bankruptcy Administration Improvement Act of 2025, was presented to the President and subsequently signed into law. The bill increases trustee fees for Chapter 7 cases and extends temporary bankruptcy judgeships and Chapter 11 quarterly fees for an additional five years.

Sources: www.congress.gov

Main Street Depositor Protection Act (S. 2999)

S. 2999, the Main Street Depositor Protection Act, underwent hearings in the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee. The bill addresses federal deposit insurance provisions targeting local depositors and the management of funds for small banks.

Sources: www.congress.gov

Failing Bank Acquisition Fairness Act (H.R. 6556)

H.R. 6556, the Failing Bank Acquisition Fairness Act, was placed on the Union Calendar, No. 406. The legislation proposes new standards for the acquisition of failing financial institutions and review procedures for federal bank regulators.

Sources: www.congress.gov

Rural Depositories Revitalization Study Act (H.R. 6536)

H.R. 6536, the Rural Depositories Revitalization Study Act, was placed on the Union Calendar, No. 404. This measure calls for a study of rural banking access and revitalization options for rural depositories, reflecting ongoing concern for underserved communities.

Sources: www.congress.gov

Least Cost Exception Act (H.R. 6547)

H.R. 6547, the Least Cost Exception Act, was placed on the Union Calendar, No. 405. The bill sets criteria for determining least-cost resolutions for troubled financial institutions, focusing on minimizing federal insurance fund outlays during bank failures.

Sources: www.congress.gov

What We're Reading This Week

• Opinion | The Finance Industry Is a Grift. Let’s Start Treating It That Way.: A critical perspective on the finance sector’s role in the wider economy.
• India to introduce risk-based deposit insurance premiums for banks from April 1: India moves to risk-based deposit insurance for banks, effective April 2026.
• Saying You Want to Shrink the Fed Is One Thing. Doing It Is Another.: Shrinking the Federal Reserve remains a challenge for policymakers.
• It’s Time to Rethink the Standard Investment Advice. But Not Too Much.: Market risks prompt reconsideration of traditional investment strategies.
• Heard on the Street Tuesday Recap: Code Red: Stock market commentary addresses volatility and trading sentiment.

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