S. 1582 (119th)Bill Overview

GENIUS Act

Finance and Financial Sector|Accounting and auditingAdministrative law and regulatory procedures
Cosponsors
Support
Unknown
Introduced
May 1, 2025
Discussions
Bill Text
Current stageLaw

Became Public Law No: 119-27.

Introduced
Committee
Floor
President
Law
Congressional Activities
01 · The brief
Plain-English summaryWhat this bill actually does

The GENIUS Act creates a federal regulatory framework for U.S. payment stablecoins. It limits issuance to approved "permitted" issuers, mandates 1:1 identifiable reserves, monthly disclosures, audits, AML/BSA compliance, and narrow permissible activities.

Why people may split

Liberals emphasize consumer protections and privacy limits; conservatives emphasize federal overreach.

Watch point

Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a comprehensive and technically detailed substantive regulatory statute establishing a federal framework for payment stablecoins, with extensive definitions, prescriptive operational requirements, enforcement tools, and interagency coordination mechanisms.

The GENIUS Act creates a federal regulatory framework for U.S. payment stablecoins.

It limits issuance to approved "permitted" issuers, mandates 1:1 identifiable reserves, monthly disclosures, audits, AML/BSA compliance, and narrow permissible activities.

The Act establishes a federal-state certification process, insolvency priorities for stablecoin holders, Treasury authority over foreign issuers (including secondary-trading restrictions), and clarifies that compliant payment stablecoins are not securities or commodities.

Passage45/100

Comprehensive, detailed framework addresses many regulator and industry concerns, improving viability, but heavy complexity, strong stakeholder disputes, and litigation risk reduce likelihood.

CredibilityPartially aligned

Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a comprehensive and technically detailed substantive regulatory statute establishing a federal framework for payment stablecoins, with extensive definitions, prescriptive operational requirements, enforcement tools, and interagency coordination mechanisms. It integrates closely with existing law and anticipates many edge cases and oversight needs.

Contention65/100

Liberals emphasize consumer protections and privacy limits; conservatives emphasize federal overreach.

02 · What it does

Who stands to gain, and who may push back.

Likely benefits vs burdens50% / 50%
States · ConsumersPermitting process

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

Likely helped
  • StatesProvides legal clarity about which entities may issue payment stablecoins in the United States.
  • ConsumersRequires 1:1 liquid reserves and monthly audits, improving consumer protections and redeemability assurances.
  • Potential benefitEstablishes AML, sanctions, and BSA requirements tailored to stablecoin activities to limit illicit finance risks.
Likely burdened
  • Potential burdenCompliance, audit, and capital requirements will increase operational costs for issuers and new entrants.
  • Permitting processLimiting issuance to permitted issuers may concentrate market power with banks and large regulated firms.
  • Potential burdenProhibitions and extraterritorial restrictions on foreign-issued stablecoins may reduce cross-border competition and ma…
03 · Why people split

Why the argument around this bill splits.

Liberals emphasize consumer protections and privacy limits; conservatives emphasize federal overreach.
Progressive75%

Generally favorable toward stronger consumer protections, AML rules, and data-use limits in the bill.

Views monthly reserve transparency, audits, and insolvency-holder priority as protections for ordinary users.

Concerned it may entrench large banks and limit nonbank innovation; would seek safeguards for competition and underserved communities.

Leans supportive
Centrist70%

Views the bill as a pragmatic, technocratic attempt to balance financial stability and innovation.

Appreciates defined standards, reserve rules, and coordination between federal and state regulators.

Wary of implementation complexity, potential regulatory duplication, and small-issuer burdens.

Leans supportive
Conservative30%

Skeptical of expanded federal regulatory authority and prescriptive rules.

Supports AML and national-security provisions, but objects to limiting issuance to approved entities and potential preemption of market choices.

Concerned the Act strengthens federal regulators, increases compliance costs, and may inhibit private-sector innovation and state authority.

Likely resistant
04 · Can it pass?

The path through Congress.

Introduced

Reached or meaningfully advanced

Committee

Reached or meaningfully advanced

Floor

Reached or meaningfully advanced

President

Reached or meaningfully advanced

Law

Reached or meaningfully advanced

Passage likelihood45/100

Comprehensive, detailed framework addresses many regulator and industry concerns, improving viability, but heavy complexity, strong stakeholder disputes, and litigation risk reduce likelihood.

Scope and complexity
86%
Scopesweeping
86%
Complexityhigh
Why this could stall
  • No explicit budgetary/cost estimate included
  • Industry support versus opposition intensity
05 · Recent votes

Recent votes on the bill.

HOUSE · Jul 17, 2025
Final passage✓ Passed

The House passed this bill. It now goes to the other chamber, and eventually to the President for signature.

What is a final passage?

The final vote on whether the bill becomes law (pending the other chamber and the President).

Yes 72% No 28%
Against party line
Showing a quick cross-section of legislators, with followed members first when available.
SENATE · Jun 17, 2025
Final passage✓ Passed

The Senate passed this bill. It now goes to the other chamber, and eventually to the President for signature.

What is a final passage?

The final vote on whether the bill becomes law (pending the other chamber and the President).

Yes 69% No 31%
Showing a quick cross-section of legislators, with followed members first when available.
SENATE · Jun 12, 2025
End debate✓ Passed
60 votes required (3/5 of Senate)

The Senate voted to end debate. The bill can now move toward a final passage vote.

What is a end debate?

Cloture ends a filibuster and limits further debate. Requires 60 votes in the Senate.

Yes 71% No 29%
Against party line
Showing a quick cross-section of legislators, with followed members first when available.
06 · Go deeper

Go deeper than the headline read.

Included on this page

Liberals emphasize consumer protections and privacy limits; conservatives emphasize federal overreach.

Comprehensive, detailed framework addresses many regulator and industry concerns, improving viability, but heavy complexity, strong stakeho…

Unlocked analysis

Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a comprehensive and technically detailed substantive regulatory statute establishing a federal framework for payment stablecoins, with extensive definitions, presc…

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