Sen. Phil Gramm, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, has rescheduled a series of votes previously set for Wednesday, February 3. The change responds to a request from Democrat members of the committee.

Votes are now scheduled for 9:30 a.m., February 11 on legislation to:

• Create the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1999, which would replace the 1935 Act. The bill, introduced Jan. 27 as S. 313, by Sen. Richard Shelby, is co-sponsored by Sen. Gramm, as well as Sen. Paul Sarbanes, the ranking Democrat on the Banking Committee.
  
  
• Promote greater access to capital and credit with the Financial Regulatory Relief and Economic Efficiency Act of 1999, known informally as the Shelby-Mack bill. The legislation is similar to the bill unanimously approved by the committee in July 1998.

The regulatory relief bill would, among other things, allow banks to pay interest on business checking accounts and allow the Federal Reserve to pay interest on reserve balances.

Gramm said the committee may also vote on the nomination of John D. Hawke Jr. to be Comptroller of the Currency. Hawke has been serving as Comptroller since receiving a recess appointment to the post during the congressional recess late last year.