119th Congress Finance and Financial Sector
S. 780: SAFE Lending Act of 2025
Introduced
- Introduced (completed)
- Passed Senate (not reached)
- Passed House (not reached)
- To the President (not reached)
- Became law (not reached)
Summary
This bill creates additional consumer protections applicable to certain credit and banking transactions, including matters concerning remotely created checks, electronic fund transfers, registration of small-dollar lenders, overdraft fees, and the collection of personal information.
Under the bill, remotely created checks may only be issued by a person specifically designated in writing by a consumer. The consumer must provide the designation to the consumer's depository institution. (A remotely created check is a check not issued by the bank and not signed by the account owner.)
A voluntary agreement to repay a small-dollar consumer credit transaction by an electronic fund transfer is subject to certain protections, including the right of the consumer to stop payment.
Read the full summary
Small-dollar consumer credit providers must register with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Any small-dollar consumer credit transaction is subject to the laws of the state in which the consumer resides.
The bill also prohibits overdraft fees on prepaid accounts.
Written by the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.
Roll calls
No roll call votes have been held on this bill.
Amendments
No amendments were offered to this bill.
Cosponsors
- Tammy Baldwin D-WIOriginal
- Richard Blumenthal D-CTOriginal
- Cory Booker D-NJOriginal
- Richard Durbin D-ILOriginal
- Edward Markey D-MAOriginal
- Bernard Sanders I-VTOriginal
- Tina Smith D-MNOriginal
- Chris Van Hollen D-MDOriginal
- Ron Wyden D-OROriginal
- Martin Heinrich D-NM
- Ben Luján D-NM
Who scored on this bill
- 1Jeff Merkley SponsorDrew cross-party cosponsors, introduced2 events+6
See all scorers and every scoring event
Introductions and cosponsorships count toward weekly caps and show no points.
Other bills by Jeff Merkley
- S. 1874: Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2026
- S. 4259: Blue Skies for Taiwan Act of 2026
- S.J.Res. 196: Disapproval of Department of Education rule: Reimagining and Improving Student Education-Federal Student Loan Program Final Regulations
- S.J.Res. 156: Disapproval of Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to the withdrawal of the rule rule: Truth in Lending (Regulation Z); Consumer Credit Offered to Borrowers in Advance of Expected Receipt of Compensation for Work
- S. 1092: WIPPES Act
- S. 2110: REUSE Act of 2025
History
- Introduced in the Senate by Jeff Merkley.
Show the full action history (2 actions)
- Introduced in Senate
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.