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The Treasury Department is working with Congress and banks “as needed” ahead of determining whether lawyers, accountants and other “gatekeeper professions” should fall under anti-money laundering requirements, a U.S. official said, but no proposal is imminent.

The official, who spoke at a press briefing in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, timed her remarks with the release of the federal government’s 2024 National Illicit Finance Strategy, which lists “four priorities and 15 supporting actions” for shaping efforts at disrupting money laundering, terrorist financing, proliferation financing and other crimes.

“We continue to work with Congress on additional authorities,” the official told reporters on background. “As we assess the risks, we will keep them apprised.”

Federal officials pledged in the previous national strategy in May 2022 to assess the extent to which attorneys facilitate “a range of illicit finance activities,” such as moving illegal proceeds and forming shell companies for clients.

Legislation that would have required lawyers and accountants to vet their clients for anti-money laundering purposes and flag potentially illicit transactions passed the House of Representatives two months later, but stalled in the Senate.

Thursday’s strategy reiterates the federal government’s long-term goal of making a national database of beneficial ownership details accessible to a broad range of law enforcement agencies.

Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network plans to open the database this summer to federal agencies “that already have memoranda of understanding” in place, then expand access to additional agencies, including at the state, local and tribal level, in fall. Financial institutions are in line for access by summer of next year, according to FinCEN.

“There’s a lot of trainings and other requirements, given the security around this information,” the official said.