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Congress·In Committee·S. 1471

Climate Change Financial Risk Act of 2025

Congress Proposes Climate Stress Tests for Big Banks to Prevent Financial Crashes

Legislative Progress

Senate
House
President
Law

Key Points

  • This bill requires the Federal Reserve to run 'stress tests' on the nation's biggest banks to see if they can survive financial shocks caused by climate change. This includes physical risks like floods and wildfires, as well as 'transition risks' like the world moving away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy.
  • A new group of scientists and economists would create three different scenarios for the future, ranging from mild warming to more extreme temperature rises. Experts would use these scenarios to predict how much money banks might lose if the climate or the economy changes quickly over the next several decades.
  • Banks with more than $250 billion in assets would have to take these tests every two years. While there are no penalties for the first few rounds, banks would eventually have to create 'resolution plans' to show they have enough cash on hand to handle these specific climate-related risks.
  • If the Federal Reserve rejects a bank's climate plan, that bank could be blocked from paying out dividends to its shareholders or buying back its own stock. This rule is meant to ensure that banks keep enough money in their vaults to stay stable and keep the economy running during a climate-related crisis.
  • Smaller banks with at least $10 billion in assets would not face the full tests but would participate in surveys. These surveys help the government understand how prepared the broader banking system is for climate-related disasters or shifts in the energy market without putting too much paperwork on smaller local institutions.
Economy FinanceEnergy Environment

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Life & Work

Small business owners who rely on bank lending could eventually see changes in how banks evaluate loans, especially for businesses in areas or industries exposed to climate risks. Banks that must account for climate risk in their capital planning might tighten lending to businesses in flood-prone areas, fossil fuel sectors, or other climate-vulnerable industries, while businesses in clean energy could benefit from more favorable treatment.

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Activities

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Apr 10, 2025Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

Apr 10, 2025

Introduced in Senate

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

Votes

No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.

News

No related news coverage found for this legislation yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Climate Change Financial Risk Act of 2025

Bill NumberS 1471
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(7)
D: 7

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.