The U.S. House Financial Services Committee is scheduled to mark up H.R. 8957, the American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026, on Sept. 16. The bill would formally create a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a separate Digital Asset Stockpile within the Treasury for crypto held by the federal government.

If advanced, the measure would set rules for how government-controlled Bitcoin and other digital assets are managed, reported, and potentially expanded over time. It also includes provisions on state participation and restates private ownership and self-custody rights for digital assets.

Reserve structure and holding rules

Under the proposal, Bitcoin placed into the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve would generally have to remain there for at least 20 years. The legislation pairs that long holding period with regular transparency requirements, including quarterly proof-of-reserve reporting.

The bill treats Bitcoin separately from other government-held crypto assets by establishing a distinct reserve for BTC and a separate Digital Asset Stockpile for other digital asset holdings under Treasury management.

Reporting, audits, and transfers

H.R. 8957 would require ongoing public attestations of holdings, along with audits and independent review of the reserve structure. These provisions are designed to create a recurring disclosure process around federal digital asset holdings if the measure becomes law.

The legislation also lays out a process for moving digital assets held by federal agencies into the new reserve system once it is operational. That transfer framework would apply after the reserve and stockpile are established.

Study on acquiring more Bitcoin

Beyond custody and reporting, the bill calls for the Treasury and Commerce departments to study how the government could acquire additional Bitcoin over a five-year period without increasing the national debt. The study is framed as budget-neutral rather than as a direct purchase mandate.

According to the proposal, the review would examine possible approaches including asset reallocation, surpluses, or forfeitures. The bill does not itself state that those methods will be used, but requires the departments to evaluate them.

State option and next step

The measure would also allow U.S. states to voluntarily place Bitcoin into segregated federal accounts within the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. In parallel, it reaffirms private ownership rights to hold and self-custody digital assets.

The next confirmed step is the Sept. 16 committee markup in the House Financial Services Committee, where lawmakers are set to review and consider the bill’s provisions before any further movement in the legislative process.

Source: crypto.news