WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

HR 8643

To prohibit covered financial institutions from collecting, maintaining, and disclosing information relating to the citizenship status and immigration status of consumers, and for other purposes.

119th Congress Introduced by Ritchie Torres

The bill would bar covered financial institutions from collecting, maintaining, or disclosing a consumer’s citizenship or immigration status.

Introduced in House
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HR 8643

Summary: HR 8643 (119th Congress) – Prohibition on Collecting, Maintaining, and Disclosing Citizenship and Immigration Status by Covered Financial Institutions

Overview

  • Bill title: To prohibit covered financial institutions from collecting, maintaining, and disclosing information relating to the citizenship status and immigration status of consumers, and for other purposes.
  • Introduced: April 30, 2026
  • Status: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services (as of the latest action)
  • Sponsor: Co-sponsor Rep. Ritchie Torres

Purpose and Intent

The bill aims to prevent covered financial institutions from:
- Collecting information about a consumer’s citizenship status or immigration status.
- Maintaining records of such information.
- Disclosing citizenship or immigration status data to third parties (including other institutions or affiliates).

The underlying goal is to safeguard individuals’ privacy and reduce potential misuse or discrimination stemming from the collection and dissemination of sensitive immigration-related information by financial entities.

Key Provisions (High-Level)

While the exact statutory text is not provided here, the bill’s described scope suggests several core provisions:
- Prohibition on collection: Financial institutions would be barred from requesting or obtaining citizenship or immigration status details from consumers, except where explicitly required by other law.
- Prohibition on maintenance: Institutions would be prohibited from storing or maintaining records that identify a consumer’s citizenship or immigration status.
- Prohibition on disclosure: Institutions would be restricted from sharing citizenship or immigration status information with affiliates, other financial entities, or third parties, unless an exception applies.
- Definitions: The bill would define terms such as “covered financial institution,” “consumer,” and what constitutes “citizenship status” and “immigration status.”
- Compliance and penalties: The bill would likely prescribe enforcement mechanisms, potential penalties, and timelines for institutions to come into conformity with the prohibitions.

Who Would Be Affected

  • Covered financial institutions: Banks, credit unions, and other entities that provide financial services and have consumer relationships would be subject to the prohibitions.
  • Consumers: Individuals who hold accounts or engage in financial services would be protected from the collection or exposure of sensitive immigration-related data.
  • Affiliates and third parties: Entities working with covered institutions could be impacted due to restrictions on sharing such information.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Current status: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services (as of 2026-04-30). No floor vote or enacted status indicated yet.
  • Next steps in process: Committee review, potential markups, and consideration for full House debate. If advanced, it could move to the Senate (or undergo further legislative steps) for passage or amendment.
  • Effective date and compliance timeline: Any implementation timeline (e.g., effective date, grace period) would be specified in the bill text; the summary here does not provide those details.

Potential Impacts and Considerations

  • Privacy protection: Strengthens consumer privacy by limiting sensitive data collection and retention related to immigration status.
  • Risk considerations for institutions: May require changes to customer identity verification practices and data management systems; potential impacts on compliance programs with respect to other laws that require citizenship or immigration status information (where applicable).
  • Broader policy context: Aligns with broader privacy and civil rights concerns regarding data collection by financial entities.

If you’d like, I can tailor this summary to a specific audience (e.g., policymakers, constituents, or industry professionals) or compare it to existing privacy or anti-discrimination statutes for context.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.