ALEXANDRIA, Va.-NCUA Board Member JoAnn Johnson has created a task force to decide whether the federal agency can go beyond parity with state laws in its member business lending rule review. NCUA's General Counsel staff has already been reviewing the regulation as part of its three-year cycle and has found three areas where the agency could be more flexible: principle guarantees, unsecured member business lending, and equity requirements for construction and development loans. The task force will be meeting monthly to determine ways to provide credit unions greater flexibility in NCUA's member business lending reg. According to Johnson's Executive Assistant Julie Starnes, who is on the task force, the group hopes to have a proposal out by February. While task force members are strictly internal-including General Counsel Bob Fenner, Director of Examination and Insurance Dave Marquis, Director of Strategic Program Support and Planning Ed Dupcak, Staff Attorney Christy Loizos, Supervision Program Officer Linda Groth, Region I Director of Special Actions Mike Wheeler, and Region V Capital Market Specialist Gayle Peterson-the agency is consulting with CUNA, NAFCU, and the state supervisors. Seven states currently have different member business lending regulations than NCUA. States may seek NCUA board approval of business lending regulations that do not impose a greater risk to safety and soundness.