US House Financial Services Committee Approves Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Bill Mandating 20-Year Minimum Holding Period

A bill requiring the U.S. government to hold its Bitcoin holdings as a strategic reserve asset for at least 20 years has passed the House Financial Services Committee.

Cointelegraph reported on September 16 that the committee approved the American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026, or H.R. 8957, by a 28-21 vote.

The bill would codify the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve that President Donald Trump pursued through an executive order. Bitcoin obtained by the federal government through criminal and civil forfeitures would be placed in a Treasury Department-managed Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. Other digital assets would be managed separately in a Digital Asset Stockpile.

In particular, the measure would require Bitcoin placed in the strategic reserve to be held for at least 20 years. The U.S. government is estimated to hold about 324,527 BTC, worth roughly $24.7 billion as of the time of writing.

Rep. Nicholas Begich, who introduced the bill, said the federal government cannot leave its Bitcoin holdings in a fragmented and inconsistent custody system. Such an arrangement creates unacceptable cybersecurity risks and makes it difficult for the federal government to fully understand what it actually holds.

The bill also includes measures to improve transparency around the government's digital-asset holdings. It would require all federal agencies to fully report the digital assets they hold or manage, while mandating quarterly Proof of Reserve reports and third-party audits.

It also calls for a study of budget-neutral acquisition methods that could expand the size of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. In addition, it includes a provision allowing U.S. states to custody their Bitcoin holdings at the Federal Reserve.

The measure would also codify individual rights to Bitcoin ownership and self-custody. It defines control over private keys as a basic principle of financial sovereignty, privacy and individual liberty in the digital age.

Approval by the House Financial Services Committee marks a step forward in the legislative process. The bill still must pass the full House and the Senate, and be signed by the president, before it can become law.