Interstate Banking: Benefits and Risks of Removing Regulatory Restrictions

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the proposed changes in interstate banking and branching laws, focusing on the: (1) impact of interstate banking on the banking industry; (2) implications of removing interstate banking and branching laws on the safety and soundness of the banking industry, the Bank Insurance Fund, and the economy; and (3) risks associated with removing interstate banking and branching laws and ways to minimize such risks.