United States 119th Congress Status: In Committee Bipartisan · 11 D · 1 I cosponsors

S 780 — SAFE Lending Act of 2025

Last action — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced February 27, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the Senate.

Prognosis

Advancing 42% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 12 sponsors

    1 primary, 11 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (11 D · 1 I) — cross-party backing.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Summary

Stopping Abuse and Fraud in Electronic Lending Act of 2025 or the SAFE Lending Act of 2025This 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.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.

Bill Text

How this bill changes current law

9 changes Share ↗

Compared against current U.S. Code AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill introduces new regulations regarding remotely created checks and small-dollar consumer credit transactions, enhancing consumer protections and registration requirements.

  • 15 U.S.C. 1693c

    (d) Limitations on Remotely Created Checks.--

    This addition establishes regulations for remotely created checks, defining them and setting issuance restrictions.

  • 15 U.S.C. 1693c

    No payment order, including a remotely created check, may be issued by any person in response to the exercise of, or attempt to exercise, any right by a consumer under-- (i) any Federal consumer financial law; or (ii) any other provision of any law or regulation within the jurisdiction of the Bureau.

    This provision prevents the issuance of payment orders in retaliation against consumers exercising their rights under financial laws.

  • 15 U.S.C. 1693k

    No person may— → (a) In General.-- No person may—

    This change categorizes existing prohibitions on conditions for extending credit to consumers under a new general structure.

  • 15 U.S.C. 1693k

    preauthorized electronic fund transfers → an electronic fund transfer

    This change broadens the scope from preauthorized to any electronic fund transfers in terms of prohibiting credit conditions.

  • 15 U.S.C. 1693k

    (b) Treatment for Electronic Fund Transfers in Credit Extensions.--If a consumer voluntarily agrees to repay an extension of a small-dollar consumer credit transaction, the electronic fund transfer shall be treated as a preauthorized electronic fund transfer subject to the protections of this title.

    This addition ensures that electronic fund transfers for small-dollar credit repayments have specific protections under existing law.

  • 15 U.S.C. 1601

    SEC. 110. REGISTRATION REQUIREMENT FOR SMALL-DOLLAR LENDERS.

    New registration requirements are imposed on lenders offering small-dollar loans, enhancing oversight.

  • 15 U.S.C. 1666j

    (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, any small-dollar consumer credit transaction...shall comply with the laws of the State in which the consumer...resides with respect to annual percentage rates, interest, fees, charges...

    This clause mandates small-dollar loans to comply with state regulations on lending terms.

  • 15 U.S.C. 1693l-1

    (d) Additional Fees Prohibited.-- with respect to the use of a prepaid account by a consumer...

    This provision prevents charging overdraft fees on prepaid accounts, enhancing consumer protections.

  • 15 U.S.C. 1693l-1

    any transaction for an amount that exceeds the account balance of the prepaid account may be declined...

    This stipulation ensures that overdrafts on prepaid accounts are not allowed, enhancing consumer financial control.

Action History

  1. Introduced in Senate

  2. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 11 co-sponsors · 535 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (11)

Not signed on (535)

535 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 535 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

public-safety finance
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does S 780 do?
Stopping Abuse and Fraud in Electronic Lending Act of 2025 or the SAFE Lending Act of 2025This 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.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.
Who sponsors S 780?
S 780 is sponsored by Merkley, Jeff (Democratic), Sanders, Bernard (Independent), Wyden, Ron (Democratic), Van Hollen, Chris (Democratic), Durbin, Richard J. (Democratic), Blumenthal, Richard (Democratic), Smith, Tina (Democratic), Markey, Edward J. (Democratic), Booker, Cory A. (Democratic), Baldwin, Tammy (Democratic), Heinrich, Martin (Democratic), and Luján, Ben Ray (Democratic).
What is the current status of S 780?
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced February 27, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track S 780?
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