Big-city police chiefs line up behind the CLARITY Act

MCCA backs the bill over digital-asset crime provisions

The Major Cities Chiefs Association (@MjrCitiesChiefs) has endorsed the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act, saying in a letter that recent changes to the legislation earned the group's support. The @MjrCitiesChiefs credited new law enforcement provisions designed to help investigators tackle digital-asset crime as the deciding factor in backing the bill.

The MCCA is a professional organization of police executives representing the largest cities in the United States and Canada, making its endorsement a significant signal to senators still weighing the legislation.

The move follows the Fraternal Order of Police (@GLFOP) backing the bill the prior week, continuing a pattern of law enforcement groups lining up behind the legislation after months of mixed signals from the policing community. Earlier in the Senate process, groups including the National Sheriffs' Association and the International Association of Chiefs of Police had raised concerns about gaps that criminals could exploit, adding pressure on negotiators to strengthen the bill's illicit finance provisions.

August recess deadline sharpens the pressure

Supporters are pushing hard for passage before Congress leaves for its August recess. The CLARITY Act has already cleared key hurdles: the Senate Banking Committee advanced the bill 15-9 in May 2026, and the bill was subsequently placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar, making it formally eligible for a full floor vote.

Still, the path is not straightforward. To become law, the bill must still clear a 60-vote Senate floor threshold, be reconciled with the House-passed version, and be signed by the President. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Mark Warner have both indicated that an ethics provision addressing government officials' ties to the crypto industry remains a threshold requirement for their support.

The legislation aims to draw a clear line between SEC and CFTC jurisdiction over digital assets, replacing what supporters describe as regulation by enforcement with a defined statutory framework. Among its law enforcement components, the bill would subject exchanges and intermediaries to Bank Secrecy Act requirements and give the Treasury Department new authority to issue anti-money-laundering guidance and sever foreign crypto firms from the U.S. financial system when warranted.

With the August recess approaching, fresh backing from the MCCA gives bill supporters another argument that the legislation strikes the right balance on public safety.

Sources
CNBC: Clarity Act clears Senate Banking Committee
Latham and Watkins: US Crypto Policy Tracker
The Hill: Clarity Act gives law enforcement tools for DeFi