SB 923, the Harriet Tubman Tribute Act of 2025, would require the Secretary of the Treasury to redesign the face of the $20 Federal Reserve note so that it includes a likeness of Harriet Tubman. The bill directs that all $20 notes printed after December 31, 2030, must bear Tubman’s image, making the change mandatory rather than discretionary.
The bill also allows the Treasury Secretary to delay the implementation date by up to two years, but only if the Secretary makes a formal determination, after consulting the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the Federal Reserve Board, and the U.S. Secret Service, that issuing the redesigned notes on time would create an unacceptable counterfeiting risk or otherwise threaten the safe, secure, and speedy functioning of the U.S. economy. The measure amends the Federal Reserve Act to create this requirement.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would amend federal banking and currency law by changing the statutory requirements for the design of $20 Federal Reserve notes. It would affect the Treasury Department, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the Federal Reserve, and the Secret Service by setting a legal deadline for redesign and by requiring interagency consultation before any delay. The practical effect would be to phase in a new $20 bill design featuring Harriet Tubman, with potential implications for currency production, anti-counterfeiting planning, and public circulation.
Sentiment
The available record shows limited formal debate, with no committee transcript excerpts or recorded votes provided. Based on the bill text and title, the measure appears to be framed positively as a tribute to Harriet Tubman and a symbolic change to U.S. currency. The absence of recorded opposition or amendments in the provided materials suggests no clear documented controversy in the available context, though the bill’s implementation timeline and security-related delay provision indicate attention to operational concerns.
Contention
The main potential point of contention is not the tribute itself, but the logistics of redesigning currency and the risk of counterfeiting or disruption to the currency system. The bill explicitly anticipates that Treasury, the Federal Reserve, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and the Secret Service may need to assess whether the change can be made safely by the deadline. Any disagreement would likely center on timing, security, costs, and the administrative burden of replacing the existing $20 note design rather than on the statutory authority to honor Harriet Tubman.
Asks Joint Committee on Library of Congress to approve replacing NJ statues of Richard Stockton and Philip Kearny in National Statuary Hall Collection with statues of Harriet Tubman and Alice Paul.