Page 11 - Flipbook for non-members

Government Relations Legacy

The Colorado Bankers Association has a national reputation as an aggressive and effective
lobbying force at both the state and federal levels. We are forceful in advancing banking’s
national agenda, and we essentially have a 100% track record in Colorado for over 40 years.

At the federal level, CBA is prominent among state bankers associations for leading the fight for
banking’s agenda. CBA often is a ring-leader at the national level in aggressive advocacy, and
several times has single-handedly championed key Congressional changes.
 CBA recently provided leadership to national regulatory relief efforts, including: chaired ABA
ABA/Alliance Regulatory Relief Task Force, was a driving force in conceiving and writing the
TAILOR act and securing its prime sponsor, giving special advocacy for a QM/ATR
exception for portfolio loans, providing vocal opposition to increased capital requirements
(Hoenig proposal), and fighting for changes in Basel III.
 In 2009-10, CBA’s work became the national model on three aspects of the Dodd/Frank
Act: public education program, regulatory issues survey, and DFA analysis (budgeting and
planning considerations).
 CBA also has been recognized particularly for organizing and leading nationally the successful
1999 Y2K amendment, and the 1992-93 regulatory burden relief campaign (banking media
called CBA the catalyst and strategist of this successful nationwide effort).
 CBA created the Regulatory Feedback Initiative (launched nationwide by CBA in 2011; now
has 3,000 bank reviews of recent exams).
 When the Farm Credit System sought expanded lending flexibility in their Horizons Project,
CBA’s research and the resulting brochure that highlighted existing unauthorized commercial
lending helped stop the expansion.

In Colorado, the reputation for state level government relations reflects the nearly 100% success
rate, and stems from both successful defensive work as well as instigating and successfully
advocating innovative bipartisan pro-bank legislation on dozens of topics, including:
1) Proactively worked to block numerous negative bills regarding foreclosures, credit unions,
ATMs…
2) Established reimbursement of banks/borrowers re cleanup of contaminated properties,
3) Preempted local regulation of banking,
4) Created and maintained extremely beneficial state tax treatment,
5) Precluded liability for banks sharing information re employee fraud,
6) Created real estate appraisal exemptions (several bills exempting banks from restrictions),
7) Defined debtors' fraudulent transfers (automatic reversal of fraudulent transfers),
8) Established central filing of liens,
9) Lender liability (four bills exempting banks from liability, including commitments to lend only
in writing, no liability re contaminated property and no implied terms),
10) Blocked access to compliance documents by attorneys suing the bank,
11) Required notice to banks of customer’s delinquency in tax payments,
12) Exempted liability re search warrants and subpoenas,
13) Conceived and enacted Colorado Fraud Investigators unit within the CBI,
14) Prohibited bank impersonation,