NCUA Advances Deregulation Efforts with Ninth Round Proposal

Posted by Erin Hall on April 7, 2026

The NCUA’s ongoing Deregulation Project continues to move forward, with the agency announcing its ninth round of proposed regulatory changes—another step in its broader effort to modernize rules and reduce unnecessary burden on credit unions.

Like prior rounds, the proposal reflects a consistent theme: remove outdated or overly prescriptive requirements while maintaining safety and soundness expectations.

This round focuses on a single proposal to eliminate unduly burdensome requirements in the Code of Federal Regulations related to chartering and field of membership eligibility.

Chartering and Field of Membership – 12 CFR 701, Appendix B

• Proposed Change: The proposed rule would remove the automatic disqualification of associational groups that require the purchase of a product or service as a condition of membership. Instead, eligibility will not be automatically denied solely for this reason and more holistic evaluation would be allowed.
• Impact on credit unions: The proposed amendments would alleviate burden and provide regulatory relief to single associational groups and multiple common bond federal credit unions of all sizes in seeking to include associations that may have some customer-client component.

Background: NCUA Deregulation Project

In 2025, the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) launched the Deregulation Project, a broad effort to review and revise its regulations. The initial focus is on removing or updating rules that are outdated, duplicative of statute, intended as guidance rather than requirements, or unnecessarily burdensome.

Overall, the Deregulation Project signals a move toward less prescriptive, more flexible rulemaking. If finalized, these changes will offer meaningful regulatory relief for all credit unions by eliminating exam expectations that do not contribute to safety and soundness.

How We Are Engaging

GoWest is prioritizing advocacy that makes the NCUA’s regulatory framework more transparent, predictable, and aligned with statute.

These initial deregulatory steps show progress, and we will continue building on them in 2026.

Find more information and details on the proposed deregulations here.

Posted in Advocacy on the Move, Regulatory Advocacy.