TLDR
- The National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) has moved from opposition to a neutral stance on the CLARITY Act
- The NSA previously warned the bill would shield crypto mixers from anti-money laundering rules
- The Senate is scheduled to hold a cloture vote on the bill on September 15
- Key issues remain unresolved, including an ethics provision Democrats want before backing the bill
- The House will hold final votes after the Senate returns, making passage before November unlikely
The National Sheriffs’ Association has dropped its opposition to the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, shifting to a neutral position just weeks before the US Senate is set to vote on the crypto market structure bill.
National Sheriffs’ Association Drops Opposition to CLARITY Act Ahead of Senate Vote
According to Semafor, the National Sheriffs’ Association is changing its position on the CLARITY Act from opposition to neutral after months of warning that the bill could make it harder to… pic.twitter.com/WS5fwUzwCU
— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) September 4, 2026
In a letter sent Thursday to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, NSA President Troy Wellman and Executive Director Justin Smith said they would “step back and allow the legislative process to proceed.”
The group cited the complexity of the legislation and the ongoing work by Congress, the administration, and other stakeholders as reasons for the change.
The NSA had been one of the loudest law enforcement voices against the bill. In May, it warned that a section of the CLARITY Act would give crypto mixers, tumblers, and DeFi platforms a blanket exemption from anti-money laundering rules.
The association said at the time that bad actors could use software and AI to move digital assets without accountability, launder money, finance terrorism, and evade sanctions.
What Changed
In June, the White House invited law enforcement groups that had raised concerns to meet and discuss their objections. The goal was to address worries about how the legislation handles illegal finance.
The Blockchain Association’s CEO Summer Mersinger had also pushed back on the NSA’s stance, arguing in a July opinion piece that the CLARITY Act was “the most important consumer protection effort in years.”
With the NSA stepping aside, one of the bill’s most vocal critics is no longer actively opposing it ahead of the September vote.
What Still Stands in the Way
The CLARITY Act passed the US House of Representatives in July 2025. It has faced a tough road in the Senate since then.
Both the Senate agriculture and banking committees passed their own versions of the bill in 2026. But several issues remain open, including concerns around stablecoin rewards, tokenized equities, and potential conflicts of interest tied to President Trump and his family.
Democrats are also pushing for a key ethics provision before they agree to support the bill.
Senate Majority Leader Thune filed a motion to hold a cloture vote on September 15, when senators return from their August recess.
The House has announced it will hold its final votes before the midterm election shortly after the Senate returns. That timeline makes it nearly impossible for the bill to become law before November.
In August, Trump appeared alongside the heads of the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to push for the bill’s passage. Both agency chairs have said they would act on crypto regulation if Congress fails to pass the legislation.
