WASHINGTON — Stronger registration and licensing requirements for lenders is among the highlights of a housing bill unveiled Tuesday by Republican members of the House Committee on Financial Services.

The measure would also expand disclosure requirements, increase support for consumer counseling on housing matters, and expand a program that helps subprime borrowers transition into FHA loans. However, the GOP proposal did not include a federal insurance fund for refinanced mortgages.

"We need to help people who are suffering, while taking the necessary steps to assure this crisis doesn't recur. Some of the other legislative proposals would require taxpayers to subsidize the costs resulting from bad decisions made by some lenders, investors and borrowers. That's unfair," said Representative Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.), the ranking Republican on the panel.