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Long title | An Act To prohibit Members of Congress and employees of Congress from using nonpublic information derived from their official positions for personal benefit, and for other purposes |
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Nicknames | Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act of 2012 |
Enacted by | the 112th United States Congress |
Effective | April 4, 2012 |
Citations | |
Public law | 112-105 |
Statutes at Large | 126 Stat. 291 |
Legislative history | |
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Major amendments | |
Amended by S.716 on April 15, 2013[1] |
The Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act of 2012 (Pub. L. 112–105 (text) (PDF), S. 2038, 126 Stat. 291, enacted April 4, 2012) is an Act of Congress designed to combat insider trading. It was signed into law by President Barack Obama on April 4, 2012. The law prohibits the use of non-public information for private profit, including insider trading, by members of Congress and other government employees. It confirms changes to the Commodity Exchange Act, specifies reporting intervals for financial transactions.
Originally written and introduced by Washington Congressman Brian Baird, the STOCK Act gained popularity following a 60 Minutes segment on congressional insider trading in 2011, after which Republican Senator Scott Brown and Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand reintroduced bills to combat the practice. In February 2012, the STOCK Act passed in the Senate by a 96–3 vote; the only no votes were senators Jeff Bingaman, Richard Burr, and Tom Coburn.[2] Later the House of Representatives passed it by a 417–2 vote.[3] The bill was supported heavily by vulnerable incumbents and signed into law by President Obama.[4] According to the current United States Senate Select Committee on Ethics, "A member, officer, or employee of the Senate shall not receive any compensation, nor shall he permit any compensation to accrue to his beneficial interest from any source, the receipt or accrual of which would occur by virtue of influence improperly exerted from his position as a member, officer, or employee."[5]