Questions / Congress trading
Congress trading: questions answered
Under the STOCK Act of 2012, a covered transaction must be reported not later than 30 days after the person is notified of it and in no case later than 45 days after the transaction. The House form covers securities owned by a member, a spouse or dependent children above $1,000, and reports amounts as one of ten value categories, not as exact figures.
The articles below explain how to read those reports, how the House and the Senate publish them, and what the reports leave out.
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Can members of Congress trade stocks?
As of the sources read on 9 October 2026, yes: the STOCK Act of 2012, the law in force, does not ban members of Congress from owning or trading individual stocks. It confirms that insider trading law applies to them and requires trades above $1,000 to be reported within 30 days of notice and no later than 45 days after the trade. A bill restricting purchases, H.R. 7008, reached the Senate in July 2026 and had not become law in the sources we could read. OQRO, a tracker of SEC and congressional disclosures, lists the reports as filed.
What do the dollar ranges on a Congress trade report mean?
A periodic transaction report does not give an exact amount. The House form has the member tick one of ten value categories, from $1,001-$15,000 up to over $50,000,000, based on the total purchase or sale price, not on gain or loss. A trade reported in a range could be anywhere inside it.
Are a Congress member's spouse and child trades reported?
Yes. The House periodic transaction report covers purchases, sales and exchanges of securities owned by the member, the member's spouse or dependent children when the amount exceeds $1,000. The labels SP, DC and JT can mark spouse, dependent child or joint ownership, but the instructions say using them is optional.
Why do Congress stock trades take up to 45 days to appear?
A periodic transaction report is due 30 days after the member is notified of a trade and in no case later than 45 days after the trade itself, so a disclosure can appear more than a month after the transaction. Amounts are filed as one of ten fixed bands, never as an exact figure.
How do the House and Senate publish stock trade disclosures?
House reports are filed with the Clerk of the House, electronically or on paper, and posted on the Clerk's website. The STOCK Act requires both chambers to make the forms public on their official websites within 30 days of filing. The Senate runs its own site, which refused automated access when we tried it.
How do you read a Congress periodic transaction report?
A periodic transaction report (PTR) lists each stock purchase, sale, partial sale or exchange above $1,000 by a member of Congress, a spouse or a dependent child, with the asset name, two dates and one of ten amount bands. It gives no share count and no price. In OQRO's records of House and Senate reports disclosed from 12 July to 7 October 2026, the median gap between trade and disclosure was 40 days.
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All questions · As of the sources read on 9 October 2026, yes: the STOCK Act of 2012, the law in force, does not ban members of Congress from owning or trading individual stocks.
This explains public filings in plain words. It is not legal or investment advice. Corrections: contact page.