Sponsor
Andy Kim
Senator · D-NJ
Senator · D-NJ
The bill sharply tightens ethics, transparency, and foreign‑influence rules—reducing conflicts of interest and increasing public trust—at the cost of restricting officials' outside income and post‑service careers, creating financial and compliance burdens and some due‑process concerns.
Taxpayers and the general public will face fewer conflicts of interest because covered officials must divest specified investments, outside earned income is capped, and former Members are barred from lobbying, strengthening ethical independence and public trust in government.
Taxpayers and federal-ethics overseers will gain transparency because ethics offices must publish the names, offices, and occupations of individuals found in violation, improving accountability.
The public will have reduced risk of foreign-directed influence because the bill tightens the definition of foreign entities (including FARA 'foreign principals'), making restrictions on foreign-influenced lobbying clearer.
Former Members, current Members, and covered staff will face substantially reduced post‑public‑service job options because the lifetime ban on lobbying and bans on certain paid board roles shrink career and compensation opportunities.
Covered officials will sometimes be forced to sell non‑exempt assets within 90 days, risking realized losses and unfavorable tax consequences for those individuals and their families.
Members and covered employees may lose significant lawful outside income because outside earned income is capped (15% of prior income), reducing household incomes for some public servants.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Limits outside earned income and ownership of broad financial interests for covered officials, bans for‑profit board service, and imposes a lifetime lobbying ban plus stricter foreign‑entity post‑employment rules for former Members.
Official title: Prohibit Federal officials from owning covered investments, and for other purposes.
Introduced September 17, 2025 by Andy Kim · Last progress September 17, 2025
Prohibits many forms of outside earned income and broad categories of private financial interests for covered federal officials, tightens post‑employment lobbying and foreign‑entity restrictions for former Members of Congress, and defines which investments and persons are covered. It also bans for‑profit officer or board service for covered officials while allowing limited unpaid nonprofit service and preserves narrow exceptions (e.g., certain medical practice and teaching). The bill revises criminal post‑employment rules to impose a lifetime lobbying ban for former Senators and Representatives and strengthens limits on dealings with foreign principals after leaving office, with some timing provisions phased in for departures on or after the end of the 120th Congress or January 4, 2027.