Bills · HR 1599
IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS
House BillHR 1599SecuritiesGovernment ethics and transparency, public corruption
Dismantling Investments in Violation of Ethical Standards through Trusts Act
INTRO FEB 26· LAST ACTION FEB 26
READING
7MIN
COSPONSORS
4BIPARTISAN
READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL
NO VOTES YET · BE THE FIRST
- Introduced only
LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS
STEP 2 / 8Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed House
Passed Senate
Conference
To President
Became Law
WHAT THE BILL DOES
AI-writtenThis bill matters because it addresses concerns about potential conflicts of interest and insider trading by high-ranking government officials. Voters care about ensuring that public servants make decisions based on the public's best interest, not on what might personally benefit their investment portfolios. If this bill becomes law, it would aim to increase public trust in government by creating stricter ethical boundaries around financial dealings for senior officials and their families.
Without this bill, senior federal employees and their families would continue to be allowed to actively trade individual stocks and commodities, raising questions about whether their investment activities could be influenced by their access to sensitive government information or their policy decisions. By limiting these investments, the bill seeks to reduce the appearance, and actual risk, of officials profiting from their positions, thereby strengthening ethics in government and potentially reducing corruption.
KEY PROVISIONS
5AI-extractedPROVISION 01
Prohibits senior federal employees, their spouses, and dependent children from holding, buying, or selling individual stocks, security futures, or commodities.
This directly restricts a broad range of personal investments to prevent conflicts of interest and insider trading.
PROVISION 02
Allows for exceptions if these assets are placed in a "qualified blind trust" where the employee has no control over investment decisions, or during a 180-day grace period for divestiture.
This provides a mechanism for compliance while still allowing for some forms of investment management.
PROVISION 03
Requires senior federal employees to annually certify compliance with these rules, and both the certifications and any assessed penalties are made public.
Public disclosure aims to increase transparency and accountability, allowing the public to see if rules are being followed and enforced.
PROVISION 04
Imposes penalties for violations, including disgorging any profits to the Treasury, disallowing tax deductions for losses, and civil fines of at least $1,000 or 10% of the instrument's value.
These penalties provide strong incentives for compliance and aim to remove financial benefits from unethical behavior.
PROVISION 05
Excludes diversified mutual funds, diversified exchange-traded funds, and U.S. Treasury bills/notes/bonds from the prohibition.
This ensures employees can still invest in broadly diversified, less conflict-prone instruments.
SPONSORSHIP
1 + 4
R· Texas
YRS IN OFFICE
8
BILLS LED
29
COSPONSOR BREAKDOWNBIPARTISAN · 50%
DEM 1 REP 3 IND 0
ACTION TIMELINE
2 EVENTSFEB 26
Introduced in House
FEB 26
Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
BILL INFO
TypeHouse Bill
NumberHR 1599
Congress119th
StatusIn Committee
IntroducedFeb 26, 2025
Last actionFeb 26, 2025
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IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS · OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM COMMITTEE · INTRODUCED FEB 26, 2025
House BillHR 1599SecuritiesGovernment ethics and transparency, public corruption
Dismantling Investments in Violation of Ethical Standards through Trusts Act
INTRODUCED FEB 26, 2025· LAST ACTION FEB 26, 2025
PASSAGE CHANCES
—%
READING
7 min
COSPONSORS
4
COMPLEXITY
Moderate
