The NCUA will pursue statutory changes to its authority as partof the agency's three-year strategic plan, which was releasedWednesday for public comment.

According to the Strategic Plan 2014 – 2017, the NCUA will askCongress to grant it the authority to regulate, examine, and takeenforcement actions against vendors and CUSOs. The new authority would provide the NCUA parity withother federal financial regulatory agencies, the plan said.

A second legislative priority outlined in the plan is tore-establish the NCUA's emergency borrowing authority of $30billion, which sunset on Dec. 31, 2010, and revise the FederalCredit Union Act to modernize the Central Liquidity Facility. The NCUA will also seek to obtainmore flexibility in setting the normal operating level of theNCUSIF, as well as more flexibility in building retainedearnings.

The plan also includes four strategic goals that will allow theNCUA to better address risk associated with more and differentproducts, diversified holdings, growing real estate concentration,rapid changes in technology, increasing member business loanportfolios and cyber security.

“The credit union system and NCUA face a new financial servicesenvironment mindful of the lessons learned from the recentfinancial crisis,” said NCUA Board Chairman Debbie Matz in a release.

“Credit unions have seen strong growth in assets, loans andmembership, and they are exerting an increasing influence onAmerica's economy,” Matz said. “These changes present us with newrisks and the obligation to keep pace with the industry. NCUA'sdraft 2014–2017 Strategic Plan reflects both awareness of thesechanges and the continued commitment to strong, effective andbalanced regulation to protect the safety and soundness of creditunions without hampering growth and innovation.”

Comments on the draft plan are due by Jan. 17, 2014. Commentscan be emailed to [email protected]or mailed to the NCUA's Alexandria, Va., headquarters.