[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 19 (Monday, January 29, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H647-H650]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   CLARIFYING ACCEPTANCE OF DONATED MORTGAGE APPRAISALS BY NONPROFIT 
                             ORGANIZATIONS

  Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2255), to clarify that nonprofit organizations may accept 
donated mortgage appraisals, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2255

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

               TITLE I--HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES MADE EASIER

     SEC. 101. EXEMPTION FROM TRUTH IN LENDING ACT.

       Section 129E(i) of the Truth in Lending Act (15 U.S.C. 
     1639e(i)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(4) Rule of construction related to appraisal 
     donations.--For purposes of paragraph (1), if a fee appraiser 
     voluntarily donates appraisal services to an organization 
     described in section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code 
     of 1986, such voluntary donation shall be deemed customary 
     and reasonable.''.

      TITLE II--EXPANDING ACCESS TO CAPITAL FOR RURAL JOB CREATORS

     SEC. 201. ACCESS TO CAPITAL FOR RURAL-AREA SMALL BUSINESSES.

       Section 4 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 
     78d) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (j)(4)(C), by striking ``and women-owned 
     small businesses'' and inserting ``, women-owned, and rural-
     area small businesses''; and
       (2) in subsection (j)(6)(B)(iii), by striking ``and women-
     owned small businesses'' and inserting ``, women-owned, and 
     rural-area small businesses''.

                         TITLE III--SENIOR SAFE

     SEC. 301. IMMUNITY.

       (a) Definitions.--In this title--
       (1) the term ``Bank Secrecy Act officer'' means an 
     individual responsible for ensuring compliance with the 
     requirements mandated by subchapter II of chapter 53 of title 
     31, United States Code (commonly known as the ``Bank Secrecy 
     Act'');
       (2) the term ``broker-dealer'' means a broker and a dealer, 
     as those terms are defined in section 3(a) of the Securities 
     Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78c(a));
       (3) the term ``covered agency'' means--
       (A) a State financial regulatory agency, including a State 
     securities or law enforcement authority and a State insurance 
     regulator;
       (B) each of the entities represented in the membership of 
     the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council 
     established under section 1004 of the Federal Financial 
     Institutions Examination Council Act of 1978 (12 U.S.C. 
     3303);
       (C) the Securities and Exchange Commission;
       (D) a securities association registered under section 15A 
     of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78o-3);
       (E) a law enforcement agency; and
       (F) a State or local agency responsible for administering 
     adult protective service laws;
       (4) the term ``covered financial institution'' means--
       (A) a credit union;
       (B) a depository institution;
       (C) an investment adviser;
       (D) a broker-dealer;
       (E) an insurance company;
       (F) an insurance agency; and
       (G) a transfer agent;
       (5) the term ``credit union'' has the meaning given the 
     term in section 2 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and 
     Consumer Protection Act (12 U.S.C. 5301);
       (6) the term ``depository institution'' has the meaning 
     given the term in section 3(c) of the Federal Deposit 
     Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813(c));
       (7) the term ``exploitation'' means the fraudulent or 
     otherwise illegal, unauthorized, or improper act or process 
     of an individual, including a caregiver or a fiduciary, 
     that--
       (A) uses the resources of a senior citizen for monetary or 
     personal benefit, profit, or gain; or
       (B) results in depriving a senior citizen of rightful 
     access to or use of benefits, resources, belongings, or 
     assets;
       (8) the term ``insurance agency'' means any business entity 
     that sells, solicits, or negotiates insurance coverage;
       (9) the term ``insurance company'' has the meaning given 
     the term in section 2(a) of the Investment Company Act of 
     1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-2(a));
       (10) the term ``insurance producer'' means an individual 
     who is required under State law to be licensed in order to 
     sell, solicit, or negotiate insurance coverage;
       (11) the term ``investment adviser'' has the meaning given 
     the term in section 202(a) of the Investment Advisers Act of 
     1940 (15 U.S.C. 80b-2(a));
       (12) the term ``investment adviser representative'' means 
     an individual who--
       (A) is employed by or associated with an investment 
     adviser; and
       (B) does not perform solely clerical or ministerial acts;
       (13) the term ``registered representative'' means an 
     individual who represents a broker-dealer in effecting or 
     attempting to effect a purchase or sale of securities;
       (14) the term ``senior citizen'' means an individual who is 
     not younger than 65 years of age;
       (15) the term ``State'' means each of the several States, 
     the District of Columbia, and any territory or possession of 
     the United States;
       (16) the term ``State insurance regulator'' has the meaning 
     given the term in section 315 of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act 
     (15 U.S.C. 6735);

[[Page H648]]

       (17) the term ``State securities or law enforcement 
     authority'' has the meaning given the term in section 
     24(f)(4) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 
     78x(f)(4)); and
       (18) the term ``transfer agent'' has the meaning given the 
     term in section 3(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
     (15 U.S.C. 78c(a)).
       (b) Immunity From Suit.--
       (1) Immunity for individuals.--An individual who has 
     received the training described in section 302 shall not be 
     liable, including in any civil or administrative proceeding, 
     for disclosing the suspected exploitation of a senior citizen 
     to a covered agency if the individual, at the time of the 
     disclosure--
       (A) served as a supervisor or compliance officer (including 
     as a Bank Secrecy Act officer) for, or, in the case of a 
     registered representative, investment adviser representative, 
     or insurance producer, was affiliated or associated with, a 
     covered financial institution; and
       (B) made the disclosure--
       (i) in good faith; and
       (ii) with reasonable care.
       (2) Immunity for covered financial institutions.--A covered 
     financial institution shall not be liable, including in any 
     civil or administrative proceeding, for a disclosure made by 
     an individual described in paragraph (1) if--
       (A) the individual was employed by, or, in the case of a 
     registered representative, insurance producer, or investment 
     adviser representative, affiliated or associated with, the 
     covered financial institution at the time of the disclosure; 
     and
       (B) before the time of the disclosure, each individual 
     described in section 302(a) received the training described 
     in section 302.
       (3) Rule of construction.--Nothing in paragraph (1) or (2) 
     shall be construed to limit the liability of an individual or 
     a covered financial institution in a civil action for any 
     act, omission, or fraud that is not a disclosure described in 
     paragraph (1).

     SEC. 302. TRAINING.

       (a) In General.--A covered financial institution or a third 
     party selected by a covered financial institution may provide 
     the training described in subsection (b)(1) to each officer 
     or employee of, or registered representative, insurance 
     producer, or investment adviser representative affiliated or 
     associated with, the covered financial institution who--
       (1) is described in section 301(b)(1)(A);
       (2) may come into contact with a senior citizen as a 
     regular part of the professional duties of the individual; or
       (3) may review or approve the financial documents, records, 
     or transactions of a senior citizen in connection with 
     providing financial services to a senior citizen.
       (b) Content.--
       (1) In general.--The content of the training that a covered 
     financial institution or a third party selected by the 
     covered financial institution may provide under subsection 
     (a) shall--
       (A) be maintained by the covered financial institution and 
     made available to a covered agency with examination authority 
     over the covered financial institution, upon request, except 
     that a covered financial institution shall not be required to 
     maintain or make available such content with respect to any 
     individual who is no longer employed by or affiliated or 
     associated with the covered financial institution;
       (B) instruct any individual attending the training on how 
     to identify and report the suspected exploitation of a senior 
     citizen internally and, as appropriate, to government 
     officials or law enforcement authorities, including common 
     signs that indicate the financial exploitation of a senior 
     citizen;
       (C) discuss the need to protect the privacy and respect the 
     integrity of each individual customer of the covered 
     financial institution; and
       (D) be appropriate to the job responsibilities of the 
     individual attending the training.
       (2) Timing.--The training under subsection (a) shall be 
     provided--
       (A) as soon as reasonably practicable; and
       (B) with respect to an individual who begins employment 
     with or becomes affiliated or associated with a covered 
     financial institution after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, not later than 1 year after the individual becomes 
     employed by or affiliated or associated with the covered 
     financial institution in a position described in paragraph 
     (1), (2), or (3) of subsection (a).
       (3) Records.--A covered financial institution shall--
       (A) maintain a record of each individual who--
       (i) is employed by or affiliated or associated with the 
     covered financial institution in a position described in 
     paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of subsection (a); and
       (ii) has completed the training under subsection (a), 
     regardless of whether the training was--

       (I) provided by the covered financial institution or a 
     third party selected by the covered financial institution;
       (II) completed before the individual was employed by or 
     affiliated or associated with the covered financial 
     institution; and
       (III) completed before, on, or after the date of enactment 
     of this Act; and

       (B) upon request, provide a record described in 
     subparagraph (A) to a covered agency with examination 
     authority over the covered financial institution.

     SEC. 303. RELATIONSHIP TO STATE LAW.

       Nothing in this title shall be construed to preempt or 
     limit any provision of State law, except only to the extent 
     that section 301 provides a greater level of protection 
     against liability to an individual described in section 
     301(b)(1) or to a covered financial institution described in 
     section 301(b)(2) than is provided under State law.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Colorado (Mr. Tipton) and the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Colorado.


                             General Leave

  Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on this bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Colorado?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to be able to speak on 
behalf of these important bills today.
  While low-income applicants and homebuilders seek to provide 
affordable, decent housing opportunities to qualifying individuals and 
families, these nonprofits rely on the generosity of others in their 
communities to accomplish their mission. These groups also heavily rely 
on meticulous budgets, and a change in the input costs can have serious 
implications for a project's success as well as the number of families 
a group can serve.
  The Dodd-Frank Act increased requirements for real estate appraisers 
and transferred rulemaking authority for residential mortgage 
appraisals to the CFPB. Under Dodd-Frank, professionals who furnish 
appraisal services for a fee are able to receive a payment that is 
``customary and reasonable'' for the market area where the appraisal 
services were performed. However, the CFPB has not defined find the 
terms ``customary'' and ``reasonable,'' which has left nonprofit 
housing organizations with the serious concern that they violate the 
law when the work of appraisers is donated.
  If nonprofit housing organizations are required to start paying for 
appraisal services, which could cost over $1,000 per appraisal, the 
Dodd-Frank statute could unintentionally limit the number of families 
in need that these nonprofit organizations can serve.
  Mr. Trott's legislation, the Housing Opportunities Made Easier Act, 
would remedy this uncertainty by amending the Truth in Lending Act to 
allow mortgage appraisal services to be donated by fee appraisers to an 
organization that is eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable 
contributions.
  This simple fix will ensure that housing nonprofit organizations can 
continue to provide their incredibly important services for as many in-
need families in our communities as possible, and I commend Mr. Trott 
for this legislation.
  I would also like to voice my support for H.R. 4281, the Expanding 
Access to Capital for Rural Job Creators Act.
  As a former small-business owner in a rural part of Colorado, I know 
firsthand how important access to capital is for the success of a small 
business. The majority of capital for small businesses is concentrated 
in urban areas, and access to capital for rural small businesses can be 
difficult to come by.
  H.R. 4281 would require the SEC's Advocate for Small Business Capital 
Formation to identify any unique challenges that rural-area small 
businesses have in securing access to capital and require the Small 
Business Advocate to provide updates on its findings in its annual 
report.
  Small businesses are the lifeblood of communities across our country, 
providing jobs and services to those they serve, and this legislation 
will help hardworking small businesses in rural communities to continue 
to create jobs and grow their businesses.
  I would also like to give my support to Representative Sinema's and 
Representative Poliquin's bill, the Senior Safe Act, here today. H.R. 
3758 takes important steps to safeguard our senior citizens from fraud 
and abuse by encouraging covered financial institutions to train 
supervisors, compliance officers, or legal advisers on how to spot and 
report predatory activity against senior citizens.
  This legislation also protects banks, credit unions, investment 
advisers and

[[Page H649]]

broker-dealers and their employees from civil or administrative 
liability when reporting fraudulent activity related to senior citizens 
if an employee is properly trained and reports such activity ``in good 
faith'' and ``with reasonable care.''
  This group of bills will make important and impactful changes for our 
communities, and I am pleased to see them considered here on the floor 
today.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Arizona (Ms. Sinema).
  Ms. SINEMA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2255, a package of 
three commonsense solutions, each passed unanimously by the House 
Financial Services Committee. I thank Congressman Trott of Michigan for 
his leadership in moving this package forward.
  One of these solutions is H.R. 3758, the Senior Safe Act, legislation 
we introduced to protect seniors from financial fraud and abuse.
  Mr. Speaker, one in five American seniors will be a target of 
financial abuse, and seniors lose an estimated $2.9 billion to 
exploitation. The financial institutions that serve America's seniors 
are in a unique position to detect and identify the suspicious patterns 
of activity that often accompany financial abuse.
  Unfortunately, these institutions do not have the legal flexibility 
to report suspicious behavior to law enforcement. Because of this, 
financial abuse of our seniors may go unreported and unpunished. That 
is why we introduced the Senior Safe Act.
  Our bill helps individuals and financial institutions safely 
communicate instances of financial fraud involving seniors to the 
appropriate law enforcement authority. It creates incentives for firms 
to train their employees to identify and stop financial fraud of 
seniors. It shields advisers and firms that responsibly disclose 
instances of fraud from legal liability. Importantly, it accomplishes 
all of this while providing reasonable legal safeguards to ensure 
consumers and their data are protected.
  Mr. Speaker, it may seem like years, but it was just 4 months ago 
that the then-CEO of Equifax came before Congress to testify about the 
data breach that exposed the personal information of over 145 million 
Americans.

                              {time}  1815

  Those who mishandle our private data and breach the public trust must 
be held accountable. We must also ensure that we do all we can to 
minimize the damage caused by cyber attacks and financial fraud.
  As a result of the Equifax data breach, millions of American seniors 
are now more vulnerable to financial abuse. It is all but certain that 
we will see increased attempts of financial fraud and identity theft. 
The Senior Safe Act is an important and responsible step to protecting 
those at risk by ensuring that financial institutions can identify 
fraud, report it, and stop abuse of the elderly.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Hensarling, Ranking Member Waters, and 
Congressman Poliquin from Maine for working with me on this bipartisan 
solution to protect seniors from financial fraud and abuse. We are 
proud to work across the aisle to get things done, and we will continue 
working to protect seniors and get results for Arizona.
  Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Trott), a member of the Financial Services 
Committee and the sponsor of this legislation.
  Mr. TROTT. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Colorado for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2255, the Housing 
Opportunities Made Easier, or the HOME Act.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from New Jersey (Mr. Gottheimer), 
for being the lead Democrat on this bill. I appreciate his bipartisan 
leadership and his efforts to bring this bill to the floor for a vote.
  I also thank my colleague in the Senate, Senator Portman, for his 
leadership on this issue. It has been a pleasure working with him to 
ensure Habitat for Humanity and other nonprofits are able to continue 
their important mission.
  Finally, I thank Chairman Hensarling for his support in the Financial 
Services Committee.
  During my first term in Congress, I, along with my entire district 
office, had the opportunity to join Habitat for Humanity on one of 
their builds in Oakland County, Michigan. It was great fun helping them 
build a Michigan family's home, but I think we often forget that 
Habitat for Humanity and other nonprofit housing organizations do so 
much more than just build a home.
  These nonprofits actually offer families who live in their homes, no- 
or low-interest homes, making the dream of homeownership affordable for 
so many. The home, of course, needs to be appraised before a loan may 
be approved. Many times, professional appraisers volunteer their 
services so that the nonprofit does not have to incur additional 
expense.
  Early last year, I met with Habitat for Humanity leaders from 
Michigan and I heard about their struggle to ensure that homes remain 
affordable under the regulations promulgated by Dodd-Frank. Under the 
new law, all fee appraisers must be paid a customary and reasonable fee 
for their work.
  So where does this leave Habitat for Humanity and other nonprofits?
  This means they may no longer accept donated appraisals, forcing them 
to divert money from their core homebuilding activities.
  In fact, Habitat for Humanity told me that these complex rules have 
tripled the cost of originating loans. This is particularly a problem 
in rural areas where, under Dodd-Frank, appraisers are also required to 
be compensated for mileage expenses. Some chapters have informed us 
they may need to stop or limit their work altogether, denying a 
valuable service to many communities.
  My bill, the HOME Act, which passed out of committee with a unanimous 
bipartisan vote of 55-0, would exempt Habitat for Humanity and other 
nonprofits from this burdensome rule, allowing them to accept donated 
appraisals, which, in turn, will lower the cost for homes for Michigan 
families.
  We in Congress should stand by their side, not in their way. This 
bill gets Washington out of the way by providing that a donated 
appraisal may be considered ``customary and reasonable'' when 
benefiting charities. All other consumer protections in the Truth in 
Lending Act remain in place. It is a simple, targeted fix that does 
nothing to harm the underlying law or Dodd-Frank.
  When I came to Congress, I knew that I would be fighting for small 
businesses who are often ignored or hurt by Washington, but I never 
thought we would need to defend charitable organizations. I am glad 
that Congress is using some common sense to solve this obvious 
unintended consequence.
  There is no need for debate or dissent on this bill. We cannot let 
Dodd-Frank undermine these fine organizations from their mission of 
providing homes to our neighbors in need.
  Again, I thank all of the members of the Financial Services Committee 
for their unanimous bipartisan support. I urge all of my colleagues to 
support the work of worthy housing charities by voting ``yes'' on H.R. 
2255.
  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Nevada (Mr. Kihuen).
  Mr. KIHUEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak about the Expanding Access to Capital 
for Rural Job Creators Act.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and ranking member for their 
leadership in including this important and bipartisan piece of 
legislation in the package the House is considering today.
  Nevadans and all Americans deserve the opportunity to have a good job 
that will help them provide for their families. Unfortunately, rural 
communities across the country have been hit particularly hard by 
shifts in population as people move to bigger cities in search of 
employment opportunities.
  The changing demographics have made it harder for small businesses in 
these areas to get started and to survive. Far too many Nevadans, 
especially in our rural areas, have been left out and left behind from 
the economic growth we have seen in other areas of the country.

  I am proud to sponsor the Expanding Access to Capital for Rural Job 
Creators Act, which will help expand economic opportunities for 
entrepreneurs

[[Page H650]]

and small businesses in Nevada's rural areas. This bill will help 
identify and examine the unique challenges that these businesses face 
when trying to secure access to capital.
  By supporting job creators in our rural communities, we can create a 
path to good-paying jobs for all Nevadans and help make sure that they 
have the tools to work towards a better life for themselves and their 
families.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this 
piece of legislation.
  Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Maine (Mr. Poliquin), a member of the Financial Services 
Committee.
  Mr. POLIQUIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Tipton for managing the floor 
today on this important bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the Financial Services 
Committee, Mr. Hensarling, for moving this very important bill, H.R. 
2255, through the committee and on to the House floor.
  Mr. Speaker, I congratulate and thank Mr. Trott, a terrific 
representative from the State of Michigan, for all of his work on this 
bill to help families and charitable organizations throughout our 
country.
  Mr. Speaker, the great State of Maine that I represent, the rural 
part of our State, has the oldest average age in the country. We love 
our seniors. I know not only in Maine, but across the country, they are 
very special parts of our society. My parents are 89 and 87. I am very 
involved in their lives, especially in their healthcare.
  I worry, Mr. Speaker, about our seniors. I worry about their 
healthcare. I worry about their safety. And one more thing I worry 
about, Mr. Speaker, is about them becoming victims of financial scams.
  Now, this happens throughout our country, and has increasingly so, 
such that, today, almost $3 billion is the result of scamming our 
seniors every single year. I will tell you, these con men, Mr. Speaker, 
become very creative.
  In particular, one type of scam that I have learned about just 
absolutely hits me home. A grandmother receives an email from, 
supposedly, a granddaughter, and this granddaughter is stuck overseas 
in a country where she has been traveling. She is emailing her 
grandmother, saying: ``Gram, I need money. I am in trouble. Can you 
please wire $10,000 to this bank account in this country so I can get 
home? And, by the way, please don't tell mom and dad.''
  Mr. Speaker, can you imagine the confusion and the heartache that 
grandparents would have receiving this sort of email?
  Well, the good news, Mr. Speaker, is that the Senior Safe Act, which 
I authored here in the House, along with Ms. Sinema, is embedded in Mr. 
Trott's bill, H.R. 2255. This bill, the Senior Safe Act--now part of 
Mr. Trott's bill--will help stop financial scams of seniors before they 
happen.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the 
gentleman from Maine.
  Mr. POLIQUIN. It is a commonsense bill, Mr. Speaker, such that if a 
bank teller speaks to one of his or her customers they have known for 
maybe decades, and the senior says, ``I would like to close my account 
and wire the proceeds overseas,'' this bank teller can stop, pause, 
call the authorities, and say, ``We might have a problem here, Mr. 
Smith, so let's get back to you on that,'' and the teller can do this 
without retribution from our privacy laws.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask everybody, Republicans and Democrats, men and 
women, to please support H.R. 2255, which the Senior Safe Act is 
embedded in.
  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2255, the HOME Act introduced by Mr. 
Trott and Mr. Himes amends the Truth in Lending Act to allow fee 
appraisers to voluntarily donate their appraisals to non-profit groups 
without violating the requirement that lenders and their agents 
compensate fee appraisers at a rate that is customary and reasonable.
  Historically, appraisal services relating to no- or low-interest 
mortgage loans that were provided by non-profit organizations or to 
families often had to be donated by professional appraisers in the 
community and considered permissible charitable donations for tax 
purposes.
  However, such non-profit organizations like Habitat for Humanity, 
have raised concerns this provision reduced the number of families it 
could serve because the voluntary donation of appraisal services could 
now be interpreted as a violation of the TILA's ``customary and 
reasonable'' fee requirement.
  While the CFPB--under the direction of former-Director Richard 
Cordray--has already provided non-profit organizations like Habitat 
with informal guidance suggesting that the ``customary and reasonable'' 
provision does not apply to donated appraisals because the appraiser is 
no longer a ``fee appraiser'' in this circumstance, these organizations 
have continued to raise concerns and are seeking further clarity.
  Specifically, non-profit organizations continue to raise concerns 
that they remain vulnerable to enforcement actions because this 
guidance appears to be inconsistent with the common industry usage of 
the term ``fee appraiser''; they also contend that it remains unclear 
whether or not other agencies would align with the CFPB's 
interpretation.
  Thus, this bill provides the non-profits with the certainty they are 
seeking, and builds upon the great work already done by former Director 
Cordray by clarifying appraisers can voluntarily donate their appraisal 
services without violating TILA's ``customary and reasonable'' fee 
provision.
  The HOME Act passed our Committee earlier this month with broad 
bipartisan support, and I was proud to support it.
  Also included in H.R. 2255, are two other pieces of legislation that 
passed our Committee with strong bipartisan support.
  First, the Senior Safe Act, introduced by Ms. Sinema, which provides 
employees at financial institutions with immunity when voluntarily 
disclosing the possible financial abuse of elders to state and federal 
regulators, law enforcement, and adult protective services agencies.
  And second is H.R. 4281, introduced by Mr. Kihuen which would enhance 
capital opportunities for our nation's rural small businesses by 
requiring the SEC's Office of the Small Businesses Advocate to develop 
policies and recommend steps Congress can take to drive private 
investment to our nation's rural small businesses.
  As Ranking Member of the House Small Business Committee, I have a 
strong understanding of the capital challenges our nation's rural small 
businesses face and I am proud to cosponsor Mr. Kihuen's legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, the inclusion of both Ms. Sinema's and Mr. Kihuen's 
legislation only enhances what was already a strong bipartisan measure.
  Therefore, I recommend a ``Yes'' vote.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Tipton) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 2255, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________