# Summary
The SAFE Banking Act of 2026 creates federal legal protections for banks and financial institutions that provide services to marijuana and hemp businesses operating legally under state law. Banks would be prohibited from losing deposit insurance, facing penalties from federal regulators, or being discouraged from serving state-sanctioned marijuana businesses and their service providers. The bill also allows banks to accept marijuana business income as legitimate for mortgage qualification purposes and requires federal banking regulators to develop uniform guidance for these relationships within 180 days of enactment. Additionally, the legislation extends similar protections to hemp-related businesses and mandates annual reports to Congress on diversity and inclusion in the marijuana and hemp business sectors, along with a Government Accountability Office study due within two years examining barriers to entry and access to financial services for minority-owned, veteran-owned, women-owned, and small businesses in these industries. The bill does not require any financial institution to provide services to marijuana or hemp businesses and preserves law enforcement's authority to investigate illegal activity.