The House of Representatives is expected next week to pass a bipartisan package of revisions to the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010 and send it to President Trump for his signature. The House bill (S. 2155), which passed the Senate (67-31) in March, includes significant Roundtable-supported clarifications to the Basel III High Volatility Commercial Real Estate (HVCRE) Rule – a top industry priority that will benefit CRE acquisition, development and construction (ADC) lending and promote economic growth.

The House is expected to vote on S. 2155 – the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act – as early as Tuesday, May 22 – separate financial deregulation legislation championed by House Financial Services Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) is expected to soon follow.

• House is expected to vote on S. 2155 – the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act – as early as Tuesday, May 22 – separate financial deregulation legislation championed by House Financial Services Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) is expected to soon follow. (CNBC, House Expected to Vote on Senate Bill Rolling Back Some Bank Rules Next Week, May 15)
• Certain elements within the Senate-passed bill (including the HVCRE provision) have already passed the House as part of other legislation.  The White House has said President Trump will sign the bill. (Bloomberg, House Set to Vote Next Tuesday on Senate Version of Dodd-Frank Rollback, May 15)  

What it Means for CRE 
 
The HVCRE measure contains important clarifications and reforms to the Basel III High Volatility Commercial Real Estate (HVCRE) Rule, which has created needless confusion and increased borrowing costs in the industry. 

• Under the new measure, commercial borrowers will be able to satisfy the 15% equity requirement through the appreciated value of contributed land/property – versus the cost basis under the current rule. The measure also clarifies that loans made to acquire existing property with rental income and/or do cosmetic upgrades and other improvements don't trigger the HVCRE capital penalty. (Roundtable Weekly, May 4 and May 11)
• The Roundtable and twelve other real estate organizations on March 2, 2018 sent a comment letter detailing the industry’s policy positions and urging inclusion of the HVCRE measure within the broader Dodd-Frank reform package (S. 2155).

HVCRE reform has been a top policy priority of The Real Estate Roundtable and its industry coalition partners, who have submitted numerous policy comment letters to policymakers since 2015. The Roundtable's HVCRE Working Group has also played a key role in advancing these welcome reforms.