YourVoice.Now Summary
Transparency & AccountabilityCivil LibertiesTargeted & Unrelated ProvisionsYou'd need a photo ID to vote — in the same bill that bars Members of Congress from buying stocks.
Transparency & Accountability
Members of Congress could not buy stock in any public company while in office. The ban reaches their spouses and dependent children, though a spouse could still trade as part of their job or take stock as pay.
A Member would file notice at least 7 days, and no more than 14 days, before any covered sale. The notice lists the planned date, what is being sold, and how many shares, and it goes on a public website.
The fee is $2,000 or 10% of the sale, whichever is larger. On top of that, the Member owes any profit earned since taking office, and stock bought in violation must be sold.
Members would have to cover the fee out of their own pocket. Office expense accounts and campaign donations could not be used to pay it.
A Member who leaves office still owing a fee could be sent to the Justice Department. The same penalties that apply to false financial reports would then apply here.
States would have to tell people about the photo ID rule when they sign up to vote. Online sign-up systems would have to show the notice before the form is done.
The Attorney General could sue a state to make it follow the new ID rule. That power already covers other parts of the same voting law.
The ban covers stock in public companies. It also covers side bets on that stock, like options. Mutual funds, small business stakes, and trusts the Member cannot control stay open.
Civil Liberties
Some people do not get photographed for religious reasons. They could sign a sworn note from the state instead. It stands in for ID when a provisional ballot is checked.
Members of the armed forces voting away from home would not have to send ID with a mail ballot. The same goes for their spouses and children. Voters who vote another way because their polling place is hard to reach are also left out.
State and local buildings, including libraries, courts, and police stations, would have to let people copy an ID at no charge. The bill asks states to do this where it is practical.
Poll workers could not hand out a regular ballot without a photo ID you can hold. A photo on a phone would not do. The rule would cover every state 90 days after the bill became law.
A voter without ID could still fill out a provisional ballot. It would not be counted unless the voter came back in three days. An ID works, or a sworn note about a religious objection to photos.
Mail voters would have to send a copy of a photo ID with the ballot. Two other paths work. Send the last four digits of your Social Security number with a sworn note, or have a notary sign.
Targeted & Unrelated Provisions
The voter ID rules are Section 3 of the bill. The title and stated purpose of the bill are about stock trading in Congress. Section 3 changes a federal voting law and has no tie to Section 2.
More about this bill
You would need a physical photo ID to get a regular ballot at your polling place. Without one, you could still fill out a provisional ballot. It would count only if you brought ID to election officials within three days. Voting by mail would take an extra step. You would send a copy of a photo ID with the ballot. Two other options work. One is the last four digits of your Social Security number plus a sworn statement. The other is a notary's signature. A driver's license, state ID card, passport, military or veterans card, or Tribal ID would count. A student or work ID would not, and neither would a photo on your phone. Service members voting away from home skip the mail ID step, as do some voters with disabilities. States would have to let people copy an ID for free at libraries, courts, and police stations. These rules would start 90 days after the bill became law. The bill is named for its other half. It would bar Members of Congress from buying stock in public companies. The ban would reach a Member's spouse and dependent children as well. Mutual funds and small business stakes would stay allowed. So would trusts the Member cannot control and no close relative runs. Before selling such a stock, a Member would file public notice 7 to 14 days ahead. Breaking the rules would cost at least $2,000, plus any profit made while in office. Members could not pay that from campaign money or office accounts. A Member who quit before paying could be sent to the Justice Department. That half would start 180 days after the bill became law.
Congressional Summary
Stop Insider Trading ActThis bill generally prohibits Members of Congress and their spouses and dependent children from purchasing stocks and requires public notice before these individuals may sell stocks.Specifically, Members of Congress and the spouses and dependent children of Members of Congress may not purchase covered investments. Between 7 and 14 days before a Member or a covered spouse or dependent sells a covered investment, the relevant Member must file public notice of the intent to sell with the Clerk of the House of Representatives or the Secretary of the Senate, as appropriate. The Clerk or Secretary must publish this notice online. If the individual decides not to sell the covered investment, the notice must be withdrawn.Under the bill, a covered investment is a security issued by a publicly traded company or a comparable economic interest. Some investments are exempt, including interest in a widely held investment fund and certain investments held in a trust.Violations of these provisions are subject to a fee and, in the case of a purchase, a requirement to sell the covered investment. The fee must equal (1) the greater of $2,000 or 10% of the transaction value, and (2) any net gain realized from the transaction during a specified period. The fee may not be paid using campaign donations or Members’ official allowances.Certain transactions by covered spouses and dependents are exempt, including transactions made on behalf of another person or made as part of compensation from the individual’s employer.
Legislative Subjects
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Reported to House
- Action Date
- 2026-02-03
- Date Added
- 2026-07-18
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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