In the halls of Congress, you’ll always find folks who want lawmakers to do something for them. But Nacha’s Capitol Hill Day is different.

“We never really ask, in any meeting, the member of Congress to do anything on our behalf. It’s really more educating them on all things payments and things that are important to them,” said Bill Sullivan, Nacha’s Associate Managing Director, Government and Industry Relations.

Sullivan knows a thing or two about that, having organized several Nacha Hill Days, the most recent of which was June 13. He was joined by representatives of financial institutions and Payments Associations.

Speaking on Nacha’s Payments SmartCast podcast, Sullivan said that at every Hill Day, the contingent makes the point that Nacha is a strong advocate for the ACH Network, and that Nacha and its members are “an excellent resource” for any changes occurring in the payments industry.

Among those participating in 2024’s event was Rich Leary, President and CEO of PaymentsFirst, the Atlanta, Georgia-based Payments Association. PaymentsFirst represents 650 financial institutions, including many community banks and credit unions, and Nacha Hill Day affords an opportunity “to make sure that the voices of my constituents are heard,” said Leary, who is also a member of the Nacha Board of Directors.

Leary told the podcast “a huge topic” this year was the potential of expanding the operating days of the National Settlement Service to include weekends and holidays, adding he was very pleased to find that congressional staffers were “incredibly well-educated” on the issue. Sullivan said that knowledge was due in no small part to Nacha’s ongoing efforts, explaining to Hill staff over the years how the limited NSS hours are “a barrier to the ACH Network.”

Both Leary and Sullivan encouraged those interested in participating in future Nacha Hill Days to become involved in Nacha’s Government Relations Advisory Group (GRAG). Leary called GRAG “a fantastic way to get involved in understanding what’s happening as we’re driving the Network forward and payments forward in general.”

Much more was discussed, and you can download the complete podcast here.