The Home Monetary Providers Committee superior laws to place a federal Bitcoin reserve into statute on Sept. 16, approving a framework that might require a 20-year holding interval and annual independently audited reporting.
The panel voted 28–21 to report H.R. 8957 favorably, shifting the American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026 past its introduction stage. The measure nonetheless requires additional legislative motion earlier than its proposed custody and holding guidelines can develop into legislation.
The legislative effort builds on an present executive-policy framework. President Donald Trump’s March 6, 2025 order directed the institution of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and separate digital asset stockpile, restricted disposal topic to authorized exceptions, and instructed Treasury and Commerce to develop budget-neutral acquisition methods.
Sponsored by Rep. Nicholas Begich of Alaska, ARMA would set up a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a separate Digital Asset Stockpile inside the Treasury Division. Its speedy focus is how Washington holds and accounts for belongings it owns. Further Bitcoin acquisition is addressed via a research.
The committee adopted Rep. Bryan Steil’s substitute by voice vote and rejected an modification from Rep. Maxine Waters, 21–28, in response to the markup file. The choice follows the vote mycryptopot previewed on Sept. 15.
A 20-year maintain and audited Treasury custody
The adopted substitute would carry qualifying federal Bitcoin into the reserve and place different qualifying digital belongings within the separate stockpile. Property legally required for different functions are excluded, so the proposal doesn’t deal with each asset held or seized by an company as accessible reserve property.
That distinction issues to the size of the coverage. Custody of a digital asset and eligibility to retain it within the reserve are completely different questions. The invoice’s framework applies to qualifying government-owned holdings fairly than establishing a reserve steadiness from the whole lot an company controls.
Part 5 would require Bitcoin deposited within the reserve to stay there for not less than 20 years from enactment, no matter the way it was acquired. Throughout that minimal interval, the textual content prohibits promoting, swapping, auctioning, encumbering or in any other case disposing of the Bitcoin.
The clock is tied to enactment, fairly than the date of every deposit. The committee vote subsequently doesn’t begin the holding interval.
The substitute additionally requires Treasury to submit a research inside one 12 months of enactment addressing attainable circumstances for early gross sales and legislative suggestions for exceptions. That provision asks for suggestions; it doesn’t itself grant permission to disregard the holding requirement.
Collectively, these provisions would make retention an outlined obligation whereas leaving any proposed early-sale exceptions for a separate legislative resolution.
In ready remarks for the markup, committee Chairman French Hill described the invoice as bringing digital belongings held throughout federal companies underneath Treasury custody and constant oversight.
The proposed reporting system would make that custody topic to recurring checks. Part 6 would require public cryptographic proof of reserves, an annual report protecting holdings, transactions and management of personal keys, and verification by an impartial third-party auditor. The Comptroller Common would usually oversee the reserve, studies and audits.
The operational deadlines use separate triggers. Businesses would offer Treasury with a whole accounting of their Bitcoin and different digital belongings inside 60 days of enactment, then yearly. Qualifying holdings would switch into the reserve or stockpile inside 30 days after these buildings are established.
These necessities tackle each the stock and its administration: figuring out what companies management, figuring out what qualifies, consolidating custody and checking the ensuing studies.
Shopping for extra Bitcoin stays a research
Part 9 would give Treasury and Commerce 180 days from enactment to review the dangers, prices and potential advantages of buying further Bitcoin, together with whether or not acquisitions may very well be price range impartial. That may be a research requirement, not a longtime buy program.
ARMA would give the reserve a statutory framework, with specified holding and oversight obligations. Its subsequent legislative take a look at is whether or not Congress will enact these obligations, whereas the acquisition research would go away the fee and feasibility of increasing the holdings to additional examination.
