H.R. 7942 – DEATH BETS Act

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 1, 2026 at 7:42 AM UTC

The DEATH BETS Act would change the Commodity Exchange Act to bar exchanges and clearinghouses from offering or clearing any contracts that are tied to war, terrorism, assassination, or an individual’s death. It aims to stop financial products that profit from violent or tragic events. The rule would apply to all registered entities that list or clear such contracts, affecting traders and firms that might otherwise create these markets.

Key Provisions

Adds a new subsection that prohibits any registered exchange or clearinghouse from listing or clearing contracts—such as futures, swaps, or other agreements—based on commodities that reference terrorism, war, assassination, or an individual’s death.
Gives the Commodity Futures Trading Commission authority to determine which contracts fall under this prohibition.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions

HouseCommittee Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development.

Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development Subcommittee

April 3, 2026

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

March 16, 2026

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

Agriculture Committee

March 16, 2026

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development.

Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development Subcommittee

April 3, 2026

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

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Introduced in HouseIssued March 16, 2026

I

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 7942

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 16, 2026

Mr. Levin introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

A BILL

To amend the Commodity Exchange Act to prohibit the listing of contracts relating to war, death, and similar activities.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Discouraging Exploitative Assassination, Tragedy, and Harm Betting in Event Trading Systems Act or the DEATH BETS Act.

2.

Prohibition on listing of contracts relating to war, death, and similar activities

Section 5c of the Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. 7a–2) is amended by inserting after subsection (c) the following:

(d)

Prohibition on listing of contracts relating to war, death, and similar activities

A registered entity shall not list for trading or accept for clearing on or through the registered entity any of the following:

(1)

An agreement, contract, transaction, or swap based on an excluded commodity (as defined in section 1a(19)(iv)) that involves, relates to, or references terrorism, assassination, war, or any similar activity, as determined by the Commission.

(2)

An agreement, contract, transaction, or swap based on an excluded commodity (as defined in section 1a(19)(iv)) that involves, relates to, or references an individual’s death or could otherwise be construed as correlating closely to an individual’s death.

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