STOCK Act 2.0

This bill aims to strengthen ethics and transparency for top federal officials. It says certain senior officials must report payments they receive from the federal government, improves how financial disclosures are filed and shared for Members of Congress and senior staff, and bans stock trading for certain senior officials.

It also sets clear rules to prevent conflicts of interest. Covered officials cannot own or trade certain financial investments, place “short” bets against any security, or sit on the board of any for‑profit company. If they already hold these investments, they must sell them within 120 days, and the trading ban continues for 120 days after they leave the job. Violations bring fines of at least 10% of the value involved. These rules also apply to assets held in trusts, even blind trusts.

• Who is affected

  • Members of Congress, congressional staff, very senior employees, and certain other senior officials.

• What changes

  • No owning or trading covered financial interests; no short selling or similar bets against a security.
  • No serving as an officer or board member of any for‑profit company.
  • Must sell existing covered investments within 120 days of taking the job or when the bill becomes law; inherited assets must be sold within 120 days, with possible extensions up to 150 days total (each no longer than 45 days).
  • Must file a written certificate of compliance with the ethics office; the office must post extension requests and decisions online within 30 days.
  • Fines of at least 10% for breaking these rules; applies even to assets in trusts, including blind trusts.

• When

  • 120-day deadline to sell existing holdings after becoming covered or after the bill becomes law; 120-day cooling‑off period after leaving the job; 30-day timelines for posting extension requests and decisions.