H.J. Res. 173 (119th)Bill Overview

Disapprove CFPB Consumer Financial Protection Circular 2023-02: Reopening Depos…

CRA Disapprovaldomestic policy
Cosponsors
Support
Democratic
Introduced
May 4, 2026
Discussions
Bill Text
Current stageCommittee

Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.

Introduced
Committee
Floor
President
Law
Congressional Activities
01 · The brief
CRA DisapprovalWhat this resolution actually does

This resolution uses the Congressional Review Act to cancel a recent agency action. It declares that a rule submitted by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection to withdraw an earlier consumer circular has no force or effect. If Congress approves the joint resolution and the President signs it (or Congress overrides a veto), the withdrawal is nullified and the original circular remains in effect. After disapproval, the agency is barred from issuing a substantially similar rule without new law from Congress.

Rule targeted

The rule submitted by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection that would withdraw "Consumer Financial Protection Circular 2023-02: Reopening Deposit Accounts That Consumers Previously Closed" (90 Fed. Reg. 20084 (May 12, 2025)).

Issuing agency

Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (CFPB)

Passage rules

Under the Congressional Review Act, Senate consideration is expedited and the measure is not subject to a filibuster, so it can pass with a simple majority; a presidential signature (or a congressional veto override) is required for the disapproval to take effect.

This joint resolution, filed under the Congressional Review Act, would disapprove a Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (CFPB) rule that withdrew ‘Consumer Financial Protection Circular 2023–02: Reopening Deposit Accounts That Consumers Previously Closed.’ If enacted, the resolution would nullify the CFPB’s withdrawal and prevent that withdrawal from taking effect, leaving the original Circular in place.

The bill text does not amend the Circular’s substance; it only seeks to block the agency’s action that rescinded it.

Passage45/100

Narrow, non‑fiscal regulatory roll‑back increases viability, but partisan/regulatory alignment and procedural timing create significant uncertainty.

CredibilityAligned

Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a narrowly scoped Congressional Review Act disapproval that is clear in purpose and explicit in mechanism, but it omits fiscal and oversight details which are not uncommon for this vehicle and are absent from the text.

Contention72/100

Progressives emphasize consumer access and inclusion benefits

02 · What it does

Who stands to gain, and who may push back.

Likely benefits vs burdens50% / 50%
Consumers · Federal agenciesLikely burdened

These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.

Likely helped
  • ConsumersPreserves CFPB guidance requiring consideration of reopening consumer-closed deposit accounts, supporting account acces…
  • Federal agenciesMaintains a federal standard aimed at reducing barriers to consumers regaining access to their funds.
  • ConsumersCould benefit financially vulnerable consumers by simplifying procedures to restore previously closed accounts.
Likely burdened
  • Potential burdenImposes compliance and operational requirements on banks to adhere to account-reopening guidance.
  • Potential burdenMay increase fraud or risk exposure when institutions are constrained in refusing to reopen accounts.
  • Potential burdenCould raise costs for financial institutions, which might be passed to customers through fees.
03 · Why people split

Why the argument around this bill splits.

Progressives emphasize consumer access and inclusion benefits
Progressive90%

Likely supportive: sees the resolution as protecting consumer access to banking and preventing financial exclusion.

Views congressional disapproval as restoring a consumer-protection guidance the CFPB issued about account reopenings.

Leans supportive
Centrist60%

Mildly supportive but cautious: values the consumer-protection intent while worrying about process and costs.

Prefers clearer rulemaking, cost analysis, and narrowly tailored fixes rather than blunt CRA disapproval.

Split reaction
Conservative15%

Likely opposed: views the resolution as preventing regulatory relief and preserving intrusive agency guidance.

Prefers agency discretion and less federal micromanagement of banks' account decisions.

Likely resistant
04 · Can it pass?

The path through Congress.

Introduced

Reached or meaningfully advanced

Committee

Reached or meaningfully advanced

Floor

Still ahead

President

Still ahead

Law

Still ahead

Passage likelihood45/100

Narrow, non‑fiscal regulatory roll‑back increases viability, but partisan/regulatory alignment and procedural timing create significant uncertainty.

Scope and complexity
24%
Scopenarrow
24%
Complexitylow
Why this could stall
  • Whether resolution meets CRA filing/timing window
  • Committee and floor scheduling priority
05 · Recent votes

Recent votes on the bill.

No vote history yet

The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.

06 · Go deeper

Go deeper than the headline read.

Included on this page

Progressives emphasize consumer access and inclusion benefits

Narrow, non‑fiscal regulatory roll‑back increases viability, but partisan/regulatory alignment and procedural timing create significant unc…

Unlocked analysis

Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a narrowly scoped Congressional Review Act disapproval that is clear in purpose and explicit in mechanism, but it omits fiscal and oversight details which are not…

Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.

Perspective breakdownsPassage barriersLegislative design reviewStakeholder impact map
Open full analysis