For the first time in years, a congressional stock trading ban has real legislative momentum. The Stop Insider Trading Act — introduced January 12, 2026 — has cleared committee and has bipartisan support from leadership that previous attempts never had. Here's everything you need to know.
What the Bill Actually Does
The Stop Insider Trading Act would prohibit members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from purchasing publicly traded individual stocks while in office. Key provisions:
- Immediate ban on new stock purchases upon enactment
- Members must publicly notify before selling existing holdings (90-day advance notice requirement)
- Full divestment from all covered investments required starting 2027
- Spouses and dependent children banned from trading starting March 2027
- Mutual funds, ETFs, and US Treasury bonds remain permitted
- Applies to the President and Vice President as well
Who Supports It
The bill has unusually broad backing. Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise have both signaled support. The White House has not opposed it. On the Democratic side, Senator Jon Ossoff announced bipartisan progress in the Senate, alongside Senators Gary Peters, Josh Hawley, and Jeff Merkley. Over 80% of Americans — across party lines — support a trading ban according to polling.
What Are the Odds It Passes?
Higher than any previous attempt, but still uncertain. The bill must pass the full House, survive Senate procedure, and get signed. Congress has killed similar bills quietly before. The key variable is whether leadership keeps it on the legislative calendar through the summer of 2026.
What This Means for Trackers Like Ours
Counterintuitively, a ban creates a short-term surge in trackable activity — members get a 90-day window before selling and must notify publicly in advance. That pre-sale notice requirement actually makes the data more actionable than the current 45-day delay. Historical disclosure data also remains permanently valuable for research.
Track current disclosures while they last: Congressional Trades — All Politicians.