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Protect Military and Federal Employees from Unfair Bank Fees Act
To prohibit card issuers and financial institutions from imposing certain fees on covered persons during any period during which appropriations are not in effect for the operations of one or more Federal agencies, and for other purposes.
Summary
The bill prohibits financial institutions from charging insufficient funds fees and credit card issuers from charging late payment fees to federal employees, military members, and civil service workers during government shutdowns when appropriations lapse. The prohibition applies to covered persons who are furloughed or working without pay during such periods. The bill prevents financial penalties on federal workers and military personnel who cannot make timely payments when they are not receiving paychecks.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
- Rep. Jacobs, Sara [D-CA-51] (D-CA)
2 cosponsors
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to Sara Jacobs’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Sara Jacobs → · Outside spending →
Actions (2)
- Nov 7, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services. · house
- Nov 7, 2025 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Text versions (1)
Bills are re-published as they move (Introduced → Reported → Engrossed → Enrolled …). Each stage below is a separate text; pick two to see what changed. Data from Congress.gov.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 7, 2025
Ms. Jacobs (for herself, Ms. Elfreth, and Mr. Walkinshaw) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services
A BILL
To prohibit card issuers and financial institutions from imposing certain fees on covered persons during any period during which appropriations are not in effect for the operations of one or more Federal agencies, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Protect Military and Federal Employees from Unfair Bank Fees Act”.
SEC. 2. FEES.
(a) In General.—A financial institution may not impose any fee on any account held by a covered person during a covered period that relates to insufficient funds in such consumer’s account to pay or reject a debit.
(b) Credit Card Fees.—A card issuer who has issued a credit card to a covered person may not impose any fee or charge on such covered person for the failure of such person to make a payment by the due date of such payment if such payment was due during a covered period.
(c) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) Account.—The term “account” has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Electronic Fund Transfer Act.
(2) Card issuer.—The term “card issuer” has the meaning given the term in section 103 of the Consumer Credit Protection Act.
(3) Credit card.—The term “credit card” has the meaning given the term in section 103 of the Consumer Credit Protection Act, and includes any purchase card issued to a covered person by the Federal Government for official use.
(4) Covered period.—The term “covered period” means any period during which appropriations are not in effect for the operations of one or more Federal agencies.
(5) Covered person.—The term “covered person” means an individual employed in the civil service, the Armed Forces, or the uniformed services, as such terms are defined in section 2101 of title 5, United States Code, who was furloughed or excepted from furlough and working without pay during a covered period.
(6) Financial institution.—The term “financial institution” has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Electronic Fund Transfer Act. <all>
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