ETA CEO to address House fintech hearing

On Tues., Jan. 13, 2026, Jodie Kelley, CEO of the Electronic Transactions Association, and several subject matter experts are scheduled to appear at a hearing organized by the Digital Assets, Financial Technology, and Artificial Intelligence subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services.

The hearing will open with Kelley's overview of the financial services ecosystem, according to ETA representatives, who cited the following expert witnesses set to address BNPL, risk management, and other trending regulatory matters:

• Kevin Lefton, Global General Counsel, Stream
• Ram Palaniappan, founder and Chief Executive Officer, EarnIn
• Todd Zywicki, Law Professor, George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School

Pending legislation

In a Jan. 8, 2026, memorandum, members of the Committee on Financial Services stated the hearing will examine how trending fintech products fit into the U.S. financial system and regulatory framework, highlighting "how FinTech partnerships can expand the products and services offered by smaller financial institutions, while also evaluating legal and regulatory considerations, as well as exploring benefits of FinTech products and services to consumers."

Committee members additionally noted that expert perspectives shared at the hearing will help shape decisions in Capitol Hill, including the following drafts of bills moving through the house:

• The Earned Wage Access Consumer Protection Act: This discussion draft provides a clear federal framework for Earned Wage Access (EWA) service providers. It clarifies that earned wages provided to consumers through EWA products are not considered credit, and any fees, tips or donations paid by a consumer to an EWA provider are not considered finance charges.

• The Fostering the Use of Technology to Uphold Regulatory Effectiveness in Supervision (FUTURES) Act: This discussion draft requires prudential regulators to individually assess their internal supervisory technologies, as well as their ability to upgrade these technologies, as necessary. The discussion draft requires agencies to then coordinate and submit a single report to Congress detailing their systems, procurement practices, technology workforce, data collection and sharing processes, challenges in sharing and collecting data, and plans for future upgrades to their supervisory technology.

• The Financial Services Innovation Act of 2026: This discussion draft requires federal regulators to create Financial Services Innovation Offices (FSIOs) within their agencies to foster innovation in financial services. Once established, companies may apply for an enforceable compliance agreement with the respective FSIOs that, if accepted, will allow them to provide an innovative product or service under an alternative compliance plan.

• The Model Risk Management Modernization Act: This discussion draft directs federal financial regulators to clarify how existing model risk management guidance applies to activities that make substantial use of artificial intelligence and, where appropriate, to issue or update guidance accordingly.

Scott Talbott, executive vice president of the ETA, said, "The ETA is honored to be included in this hearing and will continue to advocate on behalf of our industry, member companies and our nation's small business owners."

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