A new House bill aims to lock in President Donald Trump’s August executive order directing the Labor Department to open retirement plans to alternative assets — including bitcoin.
The Retirement Investment Choice Act, expected to be introduced Tuesday by Rep. Troy Downing (R-Mont.), would give Executive Order 14330 “the force and effect of law.”
The one-page bill cements Trump’s directive that Americans saving for retirement should be allowed access to crypto and other alternative assets if plan providers deem them appropriate.
“Alternative investments hold the transformative potential to supercharge the financial security of countless Americans saving for retirement,” Downing said in a statement reported by Politico. “I applaud President Trump for his leadership to democratize finance and am proud to be leading the effort in Congress to codify his EO.”
If enacted, it would permanently authorize 401(k) providers to include crypto-exposed products alongside traditional funds. This could unlock billions of dollars in new flows to Bitcoin and other digital assets.
Trump’s bitcoin-related executive order
The executive order, signed in August, directed the Labor Department (DOL) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to expand access to “alternative assets” such as private equity, commodities, insurance products — and crypto.
It gave the DOL 180 days to propose rules. That deadline falls in early February, though the recent government shutdown and staffing cuts at the Employee Benefit Security Administration could delay progress.
Senate Republicans urged the DOL in August to move quickly, calling for a “regulatory safe harbor” to protect plan sponsors that offer such investments. “Doing so will maximize the order’s effectiveness,” they wrote, “and ensure industry has the certainty needed to deliver on behalf of American retirees.”
Industry groups largely welcomed the shift. “Professional retirement plan fiduciaries — not the federal government — are in the best position to assess what is in the financial best interest of participants,” said Brian Graff, CEO of the American Retirement Association.
Still, the bill’s fate remains uncertain. Democrats are unlikely to support legislation seen as expanding crypto access in retirement accounts. And no Senate version has been introduced.
Even so, for a party increasingly embracing Bitcoin as a symbol of financial sovereignty, Downing’s proposal signals intent. Some lawmakers clearly want Bitcoin to be part of America’s retirement future.
Back in March, President Trump signed an Executive Order creating a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile to centralize government-held crypto. The Reserve, including the $14 billion in seized bitcoin at the time, would be held as a store of value and not sold.
Source: https://bitcoinmagazine.com/legal/new-gop-bill-wants-to-solidify-trumps-bitcoin-friendly-401k-order
