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S. 871 114th Congress Senate

HELP Rural Communities Act of 2015

Official title: A bill to provide for an application process for interested parties to apply for an area to be designated as a rural area, and for other purposes.

Introduced: March 26, 2015 Introduced by: Mitch McConnell Republican · Kentucky See on congress.gov
Finance and Financial Sector Administrative law and regulatory proceduresAdministrative remediesBanking and financial institutions regulationConsumer Financial Protection Bureau
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
Consumer creditFinancial services and investmentsHousing finance and home ownershipRural conditions and development
This bill died when the 114th Congress ended
It never became law before the 114th Congress (2015–2016) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 26, 2015
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2048-2049)
Mar 26, 2015
Introduced in Senate
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 Latest action March 26, 2015

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2048-2049)

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Helping Expand Lending Practices in Rural Communities Act of 2015 or the HELP Rural Communities Act of 2015

Directs the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to establish an application process under which a person who lives or does business in a state may apply to have an area in the state identified as a rural area if it has not yet been so designated by the CFPB for purposes of federal consumer financial law.

Prescribes criteria for the CFPB to consider when evaluating the application.

States that if, at any time before submission of an application, the area subject to review has been designated as nonrural by certain federal agencies, the CFPB is not required to consider that designation in its evaluation.

Requires the CFPB to: (1) grant or deny the application within 90 days after the public comment period ends; and (2) publish the grant or denial in the Federal Register, including an explanation of the factors upon which the CFPB relied in making its determination.

Sunsets this Act two years after its enactment.

Amends The Truth in Lending Act with respect to CFPB authority to treat a balloon loan as "a qualified mortgage" to mean a balloon loan extended by any creditor operating in rural or underserved areas even if it does not operate predominantly in them. Exempts such a creditor from the requirements for escrow or impound accounts governing certain consumer credit transactions secured by a first lien on the consumer's principal dwelling.

 Related & companion bills 5
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 871: HELP Rural Communities Act of 2015. 114th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/114-S-871/
MLA
"S. 871: HELP Rural Communities Act of 2015." 114th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/114-S-871/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 871, 114th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/114-S-871/.
Markdown link
[S. 871: HELP Rural Communities Act of 2015](https://openamerica.io/bill/114-S-871/)
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