WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today the House of Representatives passed the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act on a bipartisan vote (301-101). This bipartisan bill was introduced by Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO). Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) signed on as an original cosponsor along with Reps. Nydia Velazquez (D-MA), and Steve Stivers (R-OH).

Under the SAFE Banking Act, businesses legally operating under state laws cannot be denied access to the banking system. In recent years, disfavored industries including firearms manufacturers, licensed medical cannabis dispensaries, and certain nonprofit institutions have been concerned about inconsistent access to the banking system. The Obama-era Operation Chokepoint underscored this concern when it bypassed due process to investigate financial institutions’ relationships with firearm companies, pawn shops, and other businesses disfavored or considered to be high-risk.

This is the second time that the measure has passed the House of Representatives as a stand-alone bill. The bill first passed in the 116th Congress in September 2019.

After passage, Rep. Davidson made the following statement:

“Unfortunately, the history of our financial system is littered with instances of bankers, regulators, and the public attempting to deny disfavored groups or disfavored industries access to the banking system. By guaranteeing equal protection, this bill protects the rights of all law-abiding Americans and ensures that the banking system can no longer be weaponized to prevent “those people”—whomever “they” are—from access to our banking system. No government should be able to use the financial system as a back door to block otherwise lawful conduct. Thank you to Reps. Perlmutter, Velazquez, and Stivers for their work on this important bipartisan measure.”