Fair Access to Banking Act
- Bill Number
- S. 401
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Finance and Financial Sector
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-02-04: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
- Last Updated
- 2025-10-24T11:03:15Z
Official Summary
Fair Access to Banking Act
This bill places restrictions on certain banks, credit unions, and payment card networks if they refuse to do business with a person who complies with the law. Restrictions include prohibiting the use of electronic funds transfer systems and lending programs, termination of an institution's depository insurance, and specified civil penalties.
Banks and other specified financial institutions are allowed to deny financial services to a person only if the denial is justified by a documented failure of that person to meet quantitative, impartial, risk-based standards established in advance by the institution. This justification may not be based upon reputational risks to the institution.
The bill establishes the right for a person to bring a civil action for a violation of this bill.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (45)
Sen. Banks, Jim [R-IN], Sen. Barrasso, John [R-WY], Sen. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN], Sen. Boozman, John [R-AR], Sen. Britt, Katie Boyd [R-AL], Sen. Budd, Ted [R-NC], Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV], Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA], Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX], Sen. Cotton, Tom [R-AR], Sen. Crapo, Mike [R-ID], Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX], Sen. Curtis, John R. [R-UT], Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT], Sen. Ernst, Joni [R-IA], Sen. Fischer, Deb [R-NE], Sen. Graham, Lindsey [R-SC], Sen. Hagerty, Bill [R-TN], Sen. Hoeven, John [R-ND], Sen. Hyde-Smith, Cindy [R-MS], Sen. Johnson, Ron [R-WI], Sen. Justice, James C. [R-WV], Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA], Sen. Lankford, James [R-OK], Sen. Lummis, Cynthia M. [R-WY], Sen. Marshall, Roger [R-KS], Sen. McCormick, David [R-PA], Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS], Sen. Moreno, Bernie [R-OH], Sen. Mullin, Markwayne [R-OK], Sen. Ricketts, Pete [R-NE], Sen. Risch, James E. [R-ID], Sen. Schmitt, Eric [R-MO], Sen. Scott, Rick [R-FL], Sen. Scott, Tim [R-SC], Sen. Sheehy, Tim [R-MT], Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK], Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC], Sen. Tuberville, Tommy [R-AL], Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS], Sen. Moody, Ashley [R-FL], Sen. Husted, Jon [R-OH], Sen. Hawley, Josh [R-MO], Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA], Sen. McConnell, Mitch [R-KY]
Recent Actions
- 2025-02-04: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
- 2025-02-04: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Fair Access to Banking Act — issued 2025-02-04 — PDF (15 pages)