The Clinton Administration is "very strongly opposed" to a bill that would exempt many of the nation's banks from key fair lending laws, the Treasury Secretary, Robert E. Rubin, said today.

With his statement, Mr. Rubin became the second top Administration official in a week to condemn a broad bank deregulation bill moving through the House.

The Attorney General, Janet Reno, said last Thursday that the Financial Institutions Regulatory Relief Act would "turn the clock back on civil rights" by limiting the Justice Department's ability to initiate lending discrimination cases against banks. The bill, written by Representative Doug Bereuter, a Republican from Nebraska, is scheduled for a House Banking Committee vote on Wednesday.

Mr. Rubin addressed Democrats on the committee in a closed-door meeting and told reporters later that he promised "we would do all we could" to support an alternative sponsored by Representative Bruce Vento, Democrat of Minnesota.