WASHINGTON – (Bestwire) The U.S. Treasury Department would be tasked with monitoring developments within, and providing Congress with annual reports on, the municipal bond insurance sector, under legislation approved by the House Financial Services Committee. Sponsored by committee Chairman Barney Frank, D-Mass., the Municipal Bond Fairness Act also could dramatically alter demand for bond insurance by demanding credit rating agencies cease the practice of maintaining separate rating scales for municipal and privately issued obligations. Full version available to lexis.com subscribers.