ORLANDO, Fla.—The National Association of Credit Union Service Organizations (NACUSO) has significantly expanded its advocacy efforts in Washington over the past two years, focusing on legislative and regulatory changes aimed at increasing flexibility for credit unions and their service organizations, a top advisor to the group said.
Speaking at NACUSO’s Reimagine 2026 conference, Brian Lauer, a partner at Pennsylvania-based Messick Lauer & Smith and general counsel to NACUSO, said the organization has shifted “on the offensive” in its outreach to policymakers during the past 18 to 24 months.
“We have been on Capitol Hill three or four times for full-day sessions, meeting with members of Congress and Senate offices, talking about what’s important to NACUSO,” Lauer said.
At the top of NACUSO’s agenda is a proposed amendment to the Federal Credit Union Act that would raise the current 1% cap on how much a credit union can invest in credit union service organizations, or CUSOs.
‘A Good Idea’
“On both sides of the aisle, there is agreement that raising that limit is a good idea,” Lauer said. “Now we’re doing the heavy lifting to try to get something introduced in Congress.”
Lauer said NACUSO is working to secure a congressional sponsor and has already developed draft legislative language. He added that the advocacy effort has also highlighted a broader challenge: limited awareness among lawmakers.
“Everybody we meet with has barely an idea what a credit union is, let alone what a CUSO is,” Lauer said, noting that meetings have become an opportunity to educate policymakers on how CUSOs support credit unions and their members.
Lauer encouraged industry participants to join those efforts by sharing their own stories with lawmakers.
Working With NCUA
In addition to its work on Capitol Hill, NACUSO is also engaging with the National Credit Union Administration on regulatory issues affecting CUSOs. Lauer said discussions with the agency’s leadership include how CUSO reviews should be conducted and what information regulators should request.
Another priority involves revisiting restrictions on board compensation tied to CUSOs. Lauer said NACUSO is advocating for changes that would allow credit union executives serving on CUSO boards to receive stipends in certain cases, particularly for larger or more complex organizations.
“In some instances, that conflict-of-interest policy doesn’t really apply,” Lauer said. “Executives are compensated for serving on boards outside the credit union space. We think they should be able to be compensated for the time they spend on CUSO boards as well.”
