Inventory Act of 2026

Summary#

The Inventory Act of 2026 would require federal agencies to find, secure, and audit cryptocurrency and other digital assets they collect or seize. The Attorney General, working with the Departments of Homeland Security and Treasury and the Director of National Intelligence, must issue a binding directive within 180 days telling agencies to scan electronically stored information for private key material, secure discovered assets, and conduct annual audits. The Attorney General, with NIST, must publish technical standards for discovery tools, secure extraction and storage of key material, chain of custody, and logging. The bill also requires training for law enforcement and forensic staff, an interagency working group, inspector general audits, and periodic GAO reviews. It adds language to allow asset forfeiture funds to pay for digital forensic tools needed to carry out the law.

What it means for you#

• If a federal agency seizes or otherwise acquires your electronic device or electronically stored information, the agency would be required to scan that data for cryptocurrency private keys and related wallet material.
• Federal agencies that handle seized digital evidence must secure discovered digital assets quickly, keep logs of access, and take part in annual audits.
• The bill sets technical standards and training so agency staff use approved tools and follow evidence-handling rules.

Expenses#

• The bill amends existing asset forfeiture provisions to permit payments from those forfeiture funds for acquiring digital forensic tools to implement the Act.
• No publicly available information on total costs, budget estimates, or additional appropriations is provided in the bill text.

Proponents' View#

No publicly available information.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.