The House Financial Services Committee advanced the 2026 American Reserve Modernization Act, or ARMA, by a 28-21 vote on Sept. 16. Identified as H.R. 8957, the bill would codify the strategic Bitcoin reserve established by President Trump through a March 2025 executive order. It would direct Bitcoin acquired through criminal and civil forfeitures into the Treasury-managed reserve and generally bar its sale, exchange, auction or use as collateral for 20 years. ARMA would require public proof-of-reserve disclosures, cryptographic attestations, independent audits and oversight by the Comptroller General. It also calls for a Treasury and Commerce Department study of budget-neutral ways to acquire more Bitcoin over the next five years, without raising taxes, increasing government borrowing or expanding the federal deficit, but provides no direct funding for purchases. The bill still requires approval by the full House and Senate before being sent to the president. Arkham Intelligence estimates the government holds about 324,527 Bitcoin, worth roughly $24.7 billion based on cited data, although no uniformly reconciled official holdings ledger has been published. Other seized digital assets would generally be placed in a separate Digital Asset Stockpile, while the bill would protect lawful private Bitcoin ownership and self-custody.