The United States Senate approved legislation on March 12, 2026 that includes a provision banning the Federal Reserve from issuing a retail central bank digital currency until the end of 2030. The measure was embedded within the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, designated H.R. 6644, and passed with an overwhelming 89-10 bipartisan vote.
The CBDC prohibition was added to the broader housing reform bill, which primarily addresses institutional investor activity in the single-family housing market. The digital currency provision was appended to the legislation during the Senate process, a legislative strategy that attached the CBDC ban to a bill with strong bipartisan support on its primary housing provisions.
The ban is temporary, expiring at the end of 2030. This time-limited approach has already generated friction within the House of Representatives, where some conservative Republican members are pushing for a permanent prohibition rather than the Senate's sunset clause. The distinction between a temporary moratorium and a permanent ban represents one of several points of contention that may complicate the bill's passage through the House.
Additional uncertainty surrounds presidential action on the bill. President Donald Trump has publicly stated he will not sign any legislation until Congress passes a voter identification law, creating a potential procedural obstacle regardless of the bill's merits or the CBDC provision it carries.
The vote represents the most significant congressional action on central bank digital currencies to date. While the Federal Reserve has not announced plans to issue a CBDC, the institution has been conducting research and publishing discussion papers on the topic. The 89-10 margin reflects broad bipartisan consensus against a government-issued digital dollar, at least in the near term, setting the United States apart from dozens of other jurisdictions that are actively piloting or deploying retail CBDC systems.