A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency of the Department of the Treasury relating to the review of applications under the Bank Merger Act.

This joint resolution nullifies the OCC rule titled "Business Combinations Under the Bank Merger Act," published in the Federal Register on September 25, 2024 (89 Fed. Reg. 78207). That rule had revised procedures governing how the OCC reviews applications for proposed bank mergers — specifically by removing automatic approvals that previously applied under an expedited review procedure and by discontinuing streamlined application forms available to merging institutions.

Acting under the Congressional Review Act (chapter 8 of title 5, U.S. Code), Congress declared the rule to have no force or effect. This restores the pre-2024 OCC merger-review framework. Under the Congressional Review Act, the OCC may not issue a substantially similar rule in the future without new congressional authorization.

Banks and financial institutions seeking to merge or acquire other banks, which now have the prior, less restrictive OCC merger-review framework reinstated — including access to expedited automatic approvals and streamlined application forms the 2024 rule had eliminated. The OCC itself is affected, as it can no longer enforce the nullified rule or issue a substantially similar one.

Banks pursuing mergers regain access to the expedited, automatic-approval pathway the 2024 OCC rule had removed, making it less burdensome and time-consuming to obtain regulatory clearance. Additionally, because the Congressional Review Act bars the OCC from reissuing a substantially similar rule without Congress acting, the nullification has a lasting effect beyond simply pausing the rule.

Because this is a Congressional Review Act disapproval, no agency rulemaking or implementation cycle is required. The rule is void upon enactment of this joint resolution. The OCC is barred by statute from reissuing a rule that is substantially the same as the nullified rule unless Congress authorizes it through subsequent legislation. No reporting requirements, grant cycles, or enforcement mechanisms are created by the resolution itself.