H.R. 8957

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8957 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8957

To establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and other programs to ensure 
the transparent management of Bitcoin holdings of the Federal 
Government, to offset costs utilizing certain resources of the Federal 
Reserve System, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 21, 2026

Mr. Begich (for himself, Mr. Golden of Maine, Mr. Van Epps, Mr. Owens, 
Mr. Carey, Mr. Carter of Georgia, Mr. Moore of Alabama, Mr. Harrigan, 
Mr. Rulli, Mrs. Miller-Meeks, Mr. Hamadeh of Arizona, Mr. Lawler, Mr. 
Haridopolos, Mr. Collins, Mr. Taylor, Mr. Moore of West Virginia, Mr. 
Moore of North Carolina, Mr. Evans of Colorado, Mr. Cline, Mr. 
McDowell, Mr. Ogles, and Mr. Fong) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and other programs to ensure 
the transparent management of Bitcoin holdings of the Federal 
Government, to offset costs utilizing certain resources of the Federal 
Reserve System, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``American Reserve Modernization Act 
of 2026''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:
(1) The global financial landscape is rapidly evolving, 
with digital assets playing an increasingly significant role in 
the world economy.
(2) Bitcoin has demonstrated resilience, widespread 
adoption, and served as a medium of exchange and a store of 
value for more than a decade.
(3) Just as gold reserves have historically served as a 
cornerstone of national financial security, Bitcoin represents 
a digital-age asset capable of enhancing the financial 
leadership and security of the United States in the 21st 
century global economy.
(4) Bitcoin, as a decentralized and finitely scarce digital 
asset, offers unique properties that could complement existing 
national reserves, potentially strengthening the position of 
the United States dollar in the global financial system.
(5) Diversification of the national assets of the United 
States to include Bitcoin could enhance financial resilience 
and position the United States at the forefront of global 
financial innovation.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:
(1) Airdrop.--The term ``airdrop'' means a distribution of 
digital assets to holders of Bitcoin in a broad, equitable, and 
non-discretionary manner.
(2) Digital asset.--The term ``digital asset'' means any 
digital representation of value that is recorded on a 
cryptographically secured distributed ledger.
(3) Fork.--The term ``fork'' means a change to the 
consensus mechanism of a distributed ledger that creates a 
separate ledger, resulting in a new digital asset that shares a 
common transaction history with Bitcoin up to the point of 
divergence.
(4) Qualifying bitcoin.--The term ``qualifying Bitcoin'' 
means Bitcoin that was finally forfeited as part of criminal or 
civil asset forfeiture proceedings or in satisfaction of any 
civil money penalty imposed by any executive department or 
agency and that is not needed to satisfy requirements under 
section 9705 of title 31, United States Code.
(5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
of the Treasury.

SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF STRATEGIC BITCOIN RESERVE AND DIGITAL ASSET 
STOCKPILE.

(a) Establishment.--
(1) Strategic bitcoin reserve.--The Secretary shall, not 
later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
establish a secure Bitcoin storage facility within the 
Department of Treasury for the United States, to be known as 
the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, for the safekeeping of 
qualifying Bitcoin holdings.
(2) Digital asset stockpile.--The Secretary shall, not 
later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
establish and administer a separate structure within the 
Department of the Treasury, to be known as the Digital Asset 
Stockpile, for the custody, management, and disposition of non-
Bitcoin digital assets held by the Federal Government.
(b) Oversight.--The Secretary shall be responsible for the ongoing 
monitoring and auditing of the holdings of the Strategic Bitcoin 
Reserve and the Digital Asset Stockpile.
(c) Security Measures.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall implement physical 
security and cybersecurity measures, using commercially 
reasonable and technologically appropriate standards, to 
protect the qualifying Bitcoin and non-Bitcoin digital assets 
in Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and the Digital Asset Stockpile.
(2) Consultation.--The Secretary shall consult and 
collaborate with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of 
Homeland Security, and industry experts to ensure the highest 
level of physical security and cybersecurity for the Strategic 
Bitcoin Reserve and the Digital Asset Stockpile.
(d) Management of Assets.--
(1) All qualifying Bitcoin acquired by the Federal 
Government shall be deposited in the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
(2) All other digital assets acquired by the Federal 
Government shall be deposited in the Digital Asset Stockpile.
(3) The Secretary shall have discretion to manage the 
Digital Asset Stockpile, including through sale, exchange, or 
conversion of non-Bitcoin assets, provided that--
(A) proceeds from such disposition shall be used 
exclusively to increase the holdings of the Strategic 
Bitcoin Reserve, or otherwise reduce the national debt; 
and
(B) all transactions shall be conducted in a 
transparent and accountable manner consistent with 
Section 6 (Proof of Reserve System).
(e) Retention of Forks and Airdrops.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall ensure that, with 
respect to assets controlled by the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve 
and the Digital Asset Stockpile, all digital assets resulting 
from forks or airdrops to blockchain addresses under the 
Government's control are accounted for and reasonably stored in 
the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve or Digital Asset Stockpile, as 
applicable.
(2) Prohibition on immediate sale.--No digital asset stored 
in the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve or Digital Asset Stockpile 
that is the result of a fork or airdrop may be sold or 
otherwise disposed of during the 5-year period beginning on the 
date of the fork or airdrop, unless explicitly authorized by 
law.
(3) Evaluation and disposition after the holding period.--
(A) Market capitalization assessment.--Upon the 
expiration of the 5-year holding period described in 
paragraph (2), the Secretary shall conduct an 
assessment to determine which digital asset resulting 
from a fork has the highest publicly traded market 
capitalization.
(B) Retention of dominant asset.--The Secretary 
shall retain the digital asset with the highest 
publicly traded market capitalization that resulted 
from the fork.
(C) Disposition of non-dominant assets.--The 
Secretary may sell, auction, or otherwise dispose of 
any digital assets resulting from the fork other than 
the asset identified pursuant to subparagraph (B), with 
the proceeds from such disposition to be deposited in 
the general fund of the Treasury.
(D) Exception for novel utility.--If the Secretary, 
in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce and 
industry experts, determines that a non-dominant forked 
asset possesses novel technological utility or 
strategic value to the United States distinct from the 
dominant asset, the Secretary may recommend to Congress 
the retention of such asset, notwithstanding 
subparagraph (C).
(f) Regulatory Authority.--
(1) In general.--To ensure the effective implementation and 
administration of this Act, the Secretary is authorized to 
issue regulations, promulgate rules, and adopt internal 
procedures consistent with the purposes and provisions of this 
Act. Such regulations may include, but are not limited to, 
rules governing custody protocols, interagency coordination, 
digital asset accounting standards, and public reporting 
requirements.
(2) Sales of qualifying bitcoin.--
(A) In general.--If the Secretary makes a 
determination under subsection (a) or subsection (b) 
that it is in the interest of the United States to sell 
qualifying Bitcoin held in the Reserve, the Secretary 
may only sell such qualifying Bitcoin if--
(i) the Secretary issues a rule that 
establishes a process through which the United 
States shall sell such qualifying Bitcoin; and
(ii) the Secretary sells the qualifying 
Bitcoin in accordance with such rule.
(B) Priorities.--The Secretary shall prioritize 
transparency and the minimization of market disruption 
when establishing any process through which the United 
States will sell qualifying Bitcoin held in the 
Reserve.
(C) Required disclosures.--Any process established 
by rule under subparagraph (A) through which the United 
States shall sell qualifying Bitcoin held in the 
Reserve shall include a public disclosure of--
(i) the sale schedule for such qualifying 
Bitcoin;
(ii) the quantity of qualifying Bitcoin to 
be sold; and
(iii) any additional information the 
Secretary determines appropriate to publicly 
disclose.

SEC. 5. RESERVE ASSET HOLDING REQUIREMENTS.

(a) Minimum Holding Period.--To ensure the long-term stability and 
security of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, the Secretary shall hold all 
Bitcoin acquired by the United States and deposited in the Strategic 
Bitcoin Reserve, regardless of acquisition method, for not less than 20 
years from the date of enactment of this act; after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall hold all Bitcoin acquired by 
the United States and deposited in the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, 
regardless of acquisition method, for not less than 20 years from the 
date of deposit in the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
(b) Retention of Bitcoin.--During the minimum holding period under 
subsection (a), no Bitcoin held in the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve may be 
sold, swapped, auctioned, encumbered, or otherwise disposed of for any 
purpose.
(c) Recommendations After Holding Period.--
(1) In general.--On the date that is 2 years before the end 
of the minimum holding period under subsection (a), the 
Secretary shall submit to Congress recommendations on whether 
to continue to voluntarily hold or to allow for the gradual and 
controlled release of a portion of the holdings of the 
Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
(2) Recommendation.--Upon the expiration of the minimum 
holding period, the Secretary may recommend selling up to 10 
percent of the assets of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve during 
any 2-year period.
(3) Considerations.--When making the recommendation under 
paragraph (2), the Secretary shall consider--
(A) the potential impact on the national deficit of 
selling qualifying Bitcoin held in the Reserve;
(B) the long-term viability of Bitcoin as a 
strategic investment of the United States;
(C) the potential effects on the Bitcoin market and 
other digital asset markets of selling qualifying 
Bitcoin held in the Reserve;
(D) how the level of diversification of the assets 
held by the United States could be impacted by selling 
qualifying Bitcoin held in the Reserve; and
(E) how the financial position and resilience of 
the United States could be impacted by selling 
qualifying Bitcoin held in the Reserve.
(d) Study To Sell Before Minimum Holding Period.--Not later than 1 
year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Congress a study which describes--
(1) appropriate conditions in which to sell qualifying 
Bitcoin before the minimum holding period described in 
subsection (a); and
(2) any exceptions that the Secretary finds appropriate to 
the minimum holding period described in subsection (a), 
including for national security and financial stability 
purposes.

SEC. 6. PROOF OF RESERVE SYSTEM.

To ensure transparency and accountability in the management of the 
Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, the Secretary shall establish an ongoing 
Proof of Reserve system of public cryptographic attestation under 
which--
(1) the Secretary shall--
(A) publish quarterly reports on the Strategic 
Bitcoin Reserve that include detailed information on 
the total holdings, transactions, and demonstrated 
control of private keys relating to the Strategic 
Bitcoin Reserve, including a public cryptographic 
attestation;
(B) make the quarterly reports available to the 
public on an official website of the Department of 
Treasury; and
(C) select an independent, third-party auditor with 
expertise in cryptographic attestations to verify the 
accuracy and integrity of the quarterly reports; and
(2) the Comptroller General of the United States shall, to 
ensure compliance with this Act, conduct regular oversight of--
(A) the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve;
(B) the quarterly reports under paragraph (1)(A); 
and
(C) the audits under paragraph (1)(C).

SEC. 7. CONSOLIDATION OF GOVERNMENT BITCOIN AND DIGITAL ASSET HOLDINGS.

(a) Temporary Custody and Inventory.--
(1) Within 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the head of each Federal agency shall provide to the Secretary 
a complete accounting of all Bitcoin and any other digital 
assets held, seized, or otherwise under the control of such 
agency.
(2) Until the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset 
Stockpile have been fully established and certified operational 
pursuant to section 4(a), each Federal agency shall retain 
custody of its Bitcoin holdings in accordance with existing 
law, including any physical or cybersecurity protections, 
subject to the prohibition in subsection (b).
(b) Prohibition on Sale or Encumbrance.--No Bitcoin under the 
control of any Federal agency may be sold, swapped, auctioned, 
encumbered, or otherwise disposed of during the interim period 
preceding the operational certification of the Strategic Bitcoin 
Reserve, except--
(1) for purposes of national security; or
(2) as required by a court of competent jurisdiction or to 
return assets to identifiable victims of crime.
(c) Transfer to Strategic Bitcoin Reserve or Digital Asset 
Stockpile.--
(1) Upon certification by the Secretary that the Strategic 
Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile is fully 
operational and capable of secure custody, all Bitcoin and 
other digital asset holdings of any Federal agency shall be 
transferred to the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve or Digital Asset 
Stockpile, as applicable, within 30 days.
(2) Transfers under this subsection shall be executed under 
secure custody procedures established by the Secretary to 
ensure the integrity, traceability, and full auditability of 
all Bitcoin and other digital assets transferred.

SEC. 8. VOLUNTARY STATE PARTICIPATION AND SEGREGATED ACCOUNTS.

(a) Voluntary State Participation.--The Secretary shall establish a 
program that allows a State to voluntarily participate in storing the 
Bitcoin holdings of the State in the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve in a 
segregated account.
(b) Participation Requirements.--A State choosing to participate in 
the program established under subsection (a) shall sign a contractual 
agreement outlining the terms and conditions of participation, which 
shall include--
(1) the responsibilities of both the State and the 
Strategic Bitcoin Reserve in managing and securing the Bitcoin 
holdings of the State in the segregated account of the State;
(2) a requirement that the State, in coordination with the 
Secretary, develop and implement appropriate security protocols 
and access controls to ensure the integrity and confidentiality 
of the segregated account of the State; and
(3) retention of title, and all attendant legal interests, 
by the State in the Bitcoin held in the segregated account, 
including title to any digital asset that is the result of a 
fork or airdrop relating to such Bitcoin.
(c) Withdraw or Transfer.--Each State participating in the program 
established under subsection (a) shall have the right to withdraw or 
transfer the contents of the segregated account of the State within the 
Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, subject to the terms and conditions in the 
signed contractual agreement under subsection (b) and any applicable 
Federal regulations.
(d) Limitation of Liability.--Any agreement entered into under 
subsection (b) shall include an explicit acknowledgment by the State 
that digital asset custody carries inherent risks that cannot be 
eliminated completely, and that the State assumes all risks associated 
with the voluntary placement of its digital assets in the Strategic 
Bitcoin Reserve.

SEC. 9. STUDY ON BUDGET NEUTRAL STRATEGIES FOR BITCOIN ACQUISITION.

(a) Study.--The Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of 
Commerce shall jointly study, within 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the risks, costs, and potential benefits of the 
acquisition of additional bitcoin over the next 5 years, to be held 
within the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, and whether it is possible for 
such acquisition to be performed in a budget neutral manner that does 
not, in practice, increase the national debt nominally or economically.
(b) Objectives.--The study under subsection (a) shall--
(1) evaluate whether there are lawful, budget-neutral 
mechanisms, by which the United States may acquire Bitcoin;
(2) identify and evaluate the full cost of acquisitions, 
nominally and economically, of bitcoins through mechanisms 
including--
(A) conversion of non-Bitcoin digital assets held 
in the Digital Asset Stockpile;
(B) structured acquisition funded by discretionary 
surplus remittances from Federal Reserve Banks or 
revaluation of gold certificates held by the Federal 
Reserve Banks;
(C) receipt of Bitcoin through civil or criminal 
forfeiture proceedings, penalties, or settlements;
(D) tax payments, tariff revenues, voluntary 
contributions, bequests, or gifts made to the United 
States; or
(E) cooperative programs with States, private 
entities, or international partners for Bitcoin 
acquisition or custody; and
(3) identify whether any such acquisitions could be budget-
neutral, meaning they do not require new appropriations or 
impose net costs on United States taxpayers or the Federal 
Government and its agencies or increase the national debt 
nominally or economically.
(c) Reporting and Transparency.--The Secretary of the Treasury and 
the Secretary of Commerce shall submit to the Committees on Banking, 
Housing, and Urban Affairs and Finance of the Senate and the Committees 
on Financial Services and Ways and Means of the House of 
Representatives--
(1) an initial study within 180 days after enactment; and
(2) annual updates thereafter detailing new findings.
Each annual report shall include a detailed accounting of projected 
bitcoin acquisitions' full costs and benefits to United States 
taxpayers and the Federal Government and its agencies and to the 
national debt nominally and economically.
(d) Limitation.--Nothing in this section shall be construed to 
authorize any borrowing, new taxation, or deficit spending for the 
purpose of acquiring Bitcoin.

SEC. 10. PROTECTION OF PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS.

(a) Rules of Construction.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed 
to--
(1) authorize the Federal Government to seize, confiscate, 
or otherwise impair any property right in the lawfully acquired 
Bitcoin holdings of any person;
(2) infringe upon the rights of individuals, businesses, or 
organizations to purchase, hold, transfer, or dispose of 
Bitcoin in accordance with the law; or
(3) otherwise affect the functions of the director of the 
Office of the Management and Budget relating to budgetary, 
administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) Affirmation of Rights.--This Act affirms and protects the 
rights of persons to maintain full lawful control over the Bitcoin and 
other digital assets of those individuals, recognizing that the ability 
to maintain self-custody of private keys is fundamental to the 
principles of financial sovereignty, privacy, and personal liberty in 
the digital age.

SEC. 11. MODIFICATION OF EXCHANGE STABILIZATION FUND.

Section 5302(c) of title 31, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``, including a detailed 
accounting of any Bitcoin transactions and holdings'' after 
``all projected liabilities''; and
(2) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``, including a specific 
accounting of any Bitcoin acquired, sold, or held by the fund 
during year preceding the report'' after ``on the operation of 
the fund''.
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