Multiple federal agencies, including the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), have rescinded the “Interagency Statement on Special Purpose Credit Programs Under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and Regulation B,” effective August 25, 2026.
This action clarifies that creditors must not discriminate against borrowers based on prohibited characteristics and should no longer rely on the 2022 interagency statement or related guidance. The original statement, which encouraged programs to meet specific credit needs, referenced an earlier version of Regulation B, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act’s implementing regulation, which has since been amended.
The rescission, announced by the OCC, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, National Credit Union Administration, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Justice, and Federal Housing Finance Agency, also includes OCC Bulletin 2022-3. This change may be particularly relevant for community banks operating special purpose credit programs.