# 119-hr-4544: American Access to Banking Act

119-hr-4544, American Access to Banking Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-43] (D-CA); status passed_house; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-04).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4544
- As of: 2026-10-04
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-4544
- Congress: 119
- Title: American Access to Banking Act
- Status: passed_house
- Introduced: 2025-07-17
- Sponsor: Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-43] (D-CA)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-04

## Summary

**This bill would make it easier to start new banks and credit unions** by streamlining application and capital-raising rules. It would also create caseworkers, mentorship networks, and state-stakeholder engagement to support rural and minority depository institutions. - Prospective founders and applicants would see simplified de novo application forms, fewer redundant information requests, and an optional designated caseworker who provides a tutorial and a single point of contact during the process. - Capital raisers and investors would get a review of capital-raising requirements in consultation with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including scrutiny of limits affecting non-accredited investors, with agencies reporting results within 1 year and annually for 5 years. - State regulators, community groups, and minority and rural institutions would gain regular consultations, guidance, training, and public plans to promote cooperation and de novo formation, with agency plans due to Congress within 2 years and updated every 5 years. *It reduces the Federal Reserve’s Discretionary Surplus Fund by $24.0 million effective September 1, 2036.*

## Votes

| Date | Chamber | Question | Result | Yea | Nay |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-05-20T00:00:00.000Z | house | On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended | Passed | 405 | 4 |

## Provisions PRIA read

- Easier path to start new banks and credit unions: benefit, medium. If enacted, federal banking regulators would make it easier to start a new bank or credit union. They would simplify forms and, when possible, pull needed data from other agencies. At your request, they would assign a caseworker for tutorials and be your main contact, and provide mentor lists with…
- Small cut to Federal Reserve surplus: mixed, low. If enacted, the bill would lower a set amount in the Federal Reserve Act by $24 million. The change would take effect on September 1, 2036. It would adjust an internal Federal Reserve surplus fund and would not directly change your taxes or benefits.

## Related bills

- 119-hr-6644: 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act
- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-6771: Housing Crisis Response Act of 2025
- 119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act
- 119-hres-1299: Providing for the concurrence by the House in the Senate amendment to H.R. 6644, with amendment.
- 119-hr-7481: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026

## Sources
- [119-hr-4544 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4544)

## Related
- [119-hr-6644: 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6644)
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-6771: Housing Crisis Response Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6771)
- [119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7977)
- [119-hres-1299: Providing for the concurrence by the House in the Senate amendment to H.R. 6644…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hres-1299)
- [119-hr-7481: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7481)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4544 (as of 2026-10-04).