The U.S. Senate approved a bill Tuesday containing an amendment by Sen. Elizabeth Dole that would foster federal efforts to shield military families from predatory lenders.

The Department of Defense has called predatory lending one of the most serious problems facing troops. Payday lenders offer small, short-term loans at interest rates that can be the equivalent of 500 percent annually or more. For a $100 loan, the typical amount to repay in two weeks is $120.

Consumer advocates have long decried the practice, saying it keeps people locked in poverty. Many borrowers simply roll over the loan until they owe more in interest alone than they first borrowed.

"This is the highest profile we've ever had on this issue in Congress," said Peter Skillern of the Durham-based Community Reinvestment Association of North Carolina. "This amendment will lay the groundwork for Congress to start working on this problem in a serious way."Dole's amendment, which was attached to the Defense Authorization Bill, requires the Pentagon to consult with other federal agencies on the problem. It must report back to Congress within 90 days on how the issue is being addressed.

Her amendment also called for a nonbinding resolution against predatory lending.

Consumer advocates hailed the bill in July when the initial draft included a 36 percent cap on annual interest that payday lenders can charge. But advocates withdrew their support in October when an interim version dropped the cap and included language that they feared would inadvertently gut existing restrictions. The final version didn't include the interest cap -- which Dole's staff said would have been outside her committee's jurisdiction -- but fixed the other problem and the advocates lent it their support again.

The amendment also contained a provision to make mental health counseling more accessible for service members and their families.

After four military wives at Fort Bragg were murdered and three soldiers subsequently committed suicide, the Army commissioned a report that concluded troops need better access to such care.