Sen. Zack Duckworth says two unanimous bills expand options for property buyers and strengthen bank fraud protections

ST. PAUL — State Sen. Zack Duckworth discussed two bills he authored that he said will expand routes to property investment and help banks detect fraud earlier.

Duckworth said Senate File 4168 provides additional financing flexibility for people buying investment properties — for example, allowing certain fees to be rolled into payments over time so a purchaser who struggles with a down payment has more options. He emphasized the bill applies only to investment properties and that protections for primary‑residence mortgages remain intact.

He also described Senate File 4652, which he said lets a bank contact a secondary designee if the account owner cannot be reached and the bank suspects fraud; Duckworth and his testifier described this as an early‑detection, common‑sense measure.

Both bills, Duckworth said on the program, moved quickly through committee and passed unanimously in both the Senate and the House. He credited bipartisan relationships and membership in the Civility Caucus for shepherding the bills.

What’s next: Duckworth said the measures are intended to be tools for consumers and institutions; he framed the bills as protective rather than permissive of predatory behavior.