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119-hr-5953119th CongressWALLET

Protect Military and Federal Employees from Unfair Bank Fees Act

Sponsored By: Representative Jacobs, Sara [D-CA-51]

Introduced

Summary

Would protect furloughed federal employees and military personnel from bank and credit‑card fees during government funding gaps. It would bar financial institutions from charging insufficient‑funds fees on debit transactions and stop card issuers from charging late‑payment fees for payments due during a covered period.

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  • Workers and service members: Civilian federal employees and members of the Armed Forces and uniformed services who are furloughed or working without pay during a funding lapse would be protected from overdraft and insufficient‑funds fees and from credit‑card late fees for payments due in that period.
  • Banks and card issuers: Financial institutions and card issuers would be prohibited from imposing those fees during covered periods. The bill relies on definitions in the Electronic Fund Transfer Act and the Consumer Credit Protection Act to specify which accounts and cards are covered.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

No bank or card fees for furloughed workers

If enacted, this bill would ban certain bank and credit-card fees during a federal funding gap. You could not be charged overdraft or NSF fees for debits that occur during a covered period. Your credit card issuer could not charge late-payment fees for payments due during that covered period. "Covered period" means any time one or more federal agencies have no appropriations. The rule would apply to furloughed or excepted federal civilian and uniformed-service employees working without pay. This would take effect upon enactment.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Jacobs, Sara [D-CA-51]

CA • D

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Elfreth, Sarah [D-MD-3]

    MD • D

    Sponsored 11/7/2025

  • Rep. Walkinshaw, James R. [D-VA-11]

    VA • D

    Sponsored 11/7/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
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