WASHINGTON — Efforts to alleviate the troubled mortgage market and head off future problems with the subprime market are keeping the congressional schedule full these days.

The Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act of 2007 (H.R. 3915) was slated for a full House vote last Thursday after press time. The bill would create a national licensing standard for non-federally regulated lenders and a registry of depository financial institutions that perform mortgage lending. It would also prohibit prepayment penalties and the financing of points and fees, which can be abused. The Federal Credit Union Act prohibits credit unions from charging prepayment penalties.

The Rules Committee is expected to set limits on amendments. CUNA Vice President of Legislative Affairs Ryan Donovan said Congressman Paul Kanjorski's (D-Pa.) Escrow, Appraisal and Mortgage Servicing Improvement Act (H.R. 3837), which has sometimes been paired with H.R. 3915, could be offered as an amendment. The bill would establish national appraisal independence standards with tough penalties, improve federal oversight of state appraisal regulators, and strengthen appraiser licensing and education standards. It would also enhance borrower protections.