SenateS. 4636119th Congress

Homeowners’ Escrow Savings Act

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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4636 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4636

 To amend the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 to provide 
                    for interest on escrow balances.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 21, 2026

 Mr. Blumenthal (for himself and Ms. Warren) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland 
                   Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
 To amend the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 to provide 
                    for interest on escrow balances.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Homeowners' Escrow Savings Act''.

SEC. 2. INTEREST ON ESCROW BALANCES.

    The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 (12 U.S.C. 2601 
et seq.) is amended--
            (1) in section 3 (12 U.S.C. 2602)--
                    (A) in paragraph (8), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in paragraph (9), by striking the period at the 
                end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(10) the term `reasonably anticipated' means, with 
        respect to estimated taxes--
                    ``(A) any reassessment of the property value that 
                may be anticipated based on the experience of the 
                servicer or local custom;
                    ``(B) any significant improvements made or to be 
                made to the property;
                    ``(C) any known future changes in the applicable 
                tax rate;
                    ``(D) any exemptions or other adjustments for 
                which--
                            ``(i) the borrower may be eligible; and
                            ``(ii) the borrower has notified the 
                        servicer;
                    ``(E) any other relevant information available to 
                the servicer; and
                    ``(F) any other factor that the Bureau may 
                require.''; and
            (2) in section 10 (12 U.S.C. 2609)--
                    (A) in subsection (c), by adding at the end the 
                following:
            ``(3) Accuracy.--Any statement required under this 
        subsection shall be as accurate as possible, based on 
        information reasonably known or accessible to the servicer.'';
                    (B) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection 
                (e); and
                    (C) by inserting after subsection (c) the 
                following:
    ``(d) Payment of Interest on Funds in Escrow.--
            ``(1) In general.--Any servicer that has established an 
        escrow account in connection with a federally related mortgage 
        loan shall pay interest to the borrower on the funds in the 
        escrow account in accordance with paragraph (2).
            ``(2) Calculation.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The interest described in 
                paragraph (1) shall be determined by multiplying the 
                actual average daily balance for each month, by the 
                quotient obtained by dividing the annual rate described 
                in subparagraph (B) by 12.
                    ``(B) Annual rate.--The annual rate described in 
                this subparagraph shall be not less than the weekly 
                average yield on 1-year United States Treasury 
                securities for such year and rounded to the nearest 
                tenth of a percentage point.
            ``(3) Credit.--Any interest credited under this subsection 
        shall be credited to the escrow account when the servicer 
        issues the statement required by subsection (c)(2).
            ``(4) Effect on state law.--Nothing in this subsection may 
        be construed to preempt or supersede any State law that 
        requires--
                    ``(A) an interest rate higher than the interest 
                rate calculated under this subsection; or
                    ``(B) the payment of interest in a different 
                manner, including by check or as a credit to the loan 
                balance, that is provided by this subsection.''.
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