US House to Vote on Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Bill Next Week
The US House Financial Services Committee will mark up the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve bill on September 16. The committee's schedule includes H.R. 8957, the American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026, which was introduced by Reps. Nicholas Begich and Jared Golden from Alaska in May. The bill aims to create a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve within 180 days of its enactment, where federal-approved Bitcoin can be stored.
The reserve would be separate from the Digital Asset Stockpile, which would handle non-Bitcoin digital assets. Agencies under the control and management of various federal agencies would have to transfer their digital assets to Treasury within 30 days of the reserve's operationalization.
The bill also proposes a 20-year minimum holding period for Bitcoin deposited into the reserve, during which the assets cannot be sold or disposed of. In addition, Treasury would be required to make public quarterly Proof of Reserve reports, verified by an independent auditor and monitored by the Comptroller General.
The bill's markup follows a statement from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in June, who said that the Trump administration is still working on its Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. Bessent described the initiative as 'new technology' and emphasized the need for a measured approach to developing the framework.