In the spring of 1995, the American Bankers Association and the Independent Bankers Association of America issued a proposal entitled The Rural Economic Development Partnership to persuade Congress to create legislation that would create a new funding source for commercial banks that serve rural Americans. The proposal envisions new roles for the current players in the rural credit delivery system: 1. Farm Credit Banks will become limited purpose, wholesale lenders for commercial banks and Farm Credit System (FCS) associations and will retain no retail lending ability. 2. FCS associations will remain limited purpose lenders unless they choose to exist the System in the manner stipulated by current law. 3. Commercial bank members will remain autonomous institutions, regulated by their current regulators, and will not be subject to regulation by the Farm Credit Administration.