The House Rules Committee could integrate the anti-CBDC bill into the final version of the crypto market reform package.
The U.S. House of Representatives may have identified a more direct legislative path to prevent the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC), by using a crypto market structure bill already passed in July.
During a House Rules Committee hearing held on September 15, a preliminary agenda revealed a proposal to incorporate the text of the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act—also passed by the House in July—into the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act.
This approach would add the CBDC ban to the final version of the existing crypto market structure bill before sending it to the Senate for review.
Previous legislative attempts
House Republicans had already considered a similar move ahead of the July vote on the GENIUS Act, the bill to regulate stablecoins. Some lawmakers wanted the stablecoin package to explicitly include a CBDC ban before the vote, delaying approval until after the August recess. All three bills were eventually passed with some bipartisan support.
Uncertainty over bicameral strategy
It remains uncertain whether the House bill, which combines market structure and a CBDC ban, could influence the legislation proposed in the Senate. Senate Republicans on the Banking Committee have stated that their version of the market structure bill is based on the CLARITY Act, but constitutes separate legislation under a different name: the Responsible Financial Innovation Act.
Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis, one of the leading advocates for the market structure bill, said that the Banking Committee plans to advance the legislation by the end of September, with President Donald Trump potentially signing it into law by 2026.
Despite Republicans maintaining control of both the House and Senate, their slim majority in each chamber may require some Democratic support to pass the legislation, including the proposed market structure bill. Proposals from both parties have included measures to update regulatory requirements and provide clarity for the digital asset industry.
