DENVER — The NCUA will introduce a new regulatory relief packageat its Sept. 20 board meeting, Chairman Debbie Matz told stateregulators during her general session audience Wednesday at the2012 NASCUS Summit.

The package will include a proposal to increase the asset sizethreshold of $10 million that defines small credit unions. The move would exempt more credit unionsfrom recent rules on interest rate risk and liquidity risk, Matzsaid, as well as qualify more for assistance from the agency'sOffice of Small Credit Union Initiatives.

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The proposed rule would be open to comment before beingfinalized.

The NCUA Board will also propose expanding rural fields ofmembership that would allow credit unions that serve rural areas inlarge states to expand more easily, Matz said.

Another proposal that will be on the board agenda would allowcredit unions to invest in the Treasury's Inflation-Protected Securities, or TIPS.

Finally, the board will be collecting comments on ways theNCUA can make programs that offer payday loan alternatives more attractive. Currently, Matzsaid, about 400 credit unions offer payday loan alternativesthrough the NCUA's program.

“I know these programs are expensive, but I know from working ata credit union that serves the military, it's an important servicefor some credit unions to provide,” she said.

Matz said the NCUA will be evaluating various components ofcredit union payday lending, such as the “balancing act” ofcharging a high enough fee to cover risk while protectingconsumers.

“We would really like to know how we can make it a betterprogram,” she said.

The NCUA's General Counsel Office will also issue letters thatwill define two member business lending issues. First, willbe legal guidance on how credit unions can qualify for MBL restructuring blanket waivers, which would eliminate theneed for personal guarantees from borrowers.

The letter would define which loans would qualify for theblanket waiver under which circumstances, said Steve Bosack, Matz'schief policy adviser.

The General Counsel's office will also release a letter thatwill expand the numbers of vehicles required to qualify as abusiness fleet, Matz said.

“We're trying to make it a higher definition so more businessescan get credit union loans under this definition,” Matz said.