Full title | To allow the Secretary of the Treasury to rely on State examinations for certain financial institutions, and for other purposes. |
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Introduced in | 113th United States Congress |
Introduced on | April 3, 2014 |
Sponsored by | Rep. Keith Ellison (D, MN-5) |
Number of co-sponsors | 8 |
Citations | |
Public Law | Pub.L. 113–156 |
Effects and codifications | |
U.S.C. section(s) affected | 31 U.S.C. § 5318, 12 U.S.C. § 1958, 12 U.S.C. § 1829b |
Agencies affected | United States Department of Transportation, United States Department of the Treasury |
Legislative history | |
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The Money Remittances Improvement Act of 2014 (H.R. 4386; Pub.L. 113–156) is a bill that passed in the United States House of Representatives during the 113th United States Congress. The bill would "allow the Treasury secretary to use state examinations for certain financial institutions instead of federal reporting requirements." The bill would make it easier for nonbank financial institutions such as money service businesses to provide remittance payments internationally.
A remittance is a transfer of money by a foreign worker to an individual in his or her home country. Money sent home by migrants competes with international aid as some of the largest financial inflows to developing countries. In 2012, according to the World Bank Report, $401 billion went to developing countries (a new record) with overall global remittances at $514 billion.
Remittances are playing an increasingly large role in the economies of many countries, contributing to economic growth and to the livelihoods of less prosperous people (though generally not the poorest of the poor). According to World Bank estimates, remittances totaled US$414 billion in 2009, of which US$316 billion went to developing countries that involved 192 million migrant workers. For some individual recipient countries, remittances can be as high as a third of their GDP. As remittance receivers often have a higher propensity to own a bank account, remittances promote access to financial services for the sender and recipient, an essential aspect of leveraging remittances to promote economic development. According to some social scientists remittances have social significance that extends well beyond the mere financial dimensions.