This bill changes how bank mergers are evaluated, especially for smaller banks, by reducing regulatory scrutiny.
Bank Competition Modernization Act This bill allows financial regulators to approve certain bank mergers without considering if the merger is noncompetitive or monopolistic. Currently, regulators are prohibited from approving a bank acquisition, merger, or consolidation that would result in a monopoly, that would be in furtherance of a conspiracy or attempt to create a monopoly, the approval of which would substantially lessen competition, or that would otherwise restrain trade. The bill prohibits regulators from considering these factors for mergers that would result in an entity with less than $10 billion in assets. This threshold must be adjusted annually to reflect increases in the U.S. nominal gross domestic product.