H.R. 6556, the Failing Bank Acquisition Fairness Act, passed the House on July 14, 2026.
H.R. 6556 — Failing Bank Acquisition Fairness Act
What it does
This bill modifies federal banking law to make it easier for large banks to acquire failing banks by relaxing concentration limits (rules that prevent any one bank from getting too big). Normally, banks cannot merge if it would violate deposit or liability caps, but this bill allows regulators to waive those caps when a bank is failing—if they determine it's necessary to prevent economic disruption and no smaller, non-concentrated bidder exists. The bill also requires regulators to report to Congress and the public when they grant such waivers, and prevents the FDIC from counting non-compliant bids as cheaper alternatives.
Quorum's transparency scan gave Failing Bank Acquisition Fairness Act a high transparency warning.
What happens next
H.R. 6556 passed the House. It now moves to the other chamber.
Who is behind it
Filed by Stephen Lynch. Cosponsored by Josh Gottheimer.