The Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act (the STOCK Act) became law on April 4, 2012 (Public Law 112-105). It affirms that members of Congress and their staff are not exempt from the insider trading laws, and it requires them to report their securities trades publicly.

Under the Act, a member must file a periodic transaction report (PTR) for a purchase, sale or exchange of a stock, bond or other security worth more than $1,000. The report is due within 30 days of the member being notified of the trade, and in any case no later than 45 days after the trade.

Each report gives the asset, the type of transaction, the trade date and the value as a range (for example $1,001 - $15,000), not an exact amount. House reports are published by the Clerk of the House; Senate reports by the Senate's electronic financial disclosure site.

In VolaIntel's dataset (as of Oct 28, 2026), the median gap between a House member's trade and its filing is 21 days; 77 trades of 1115 were filed more than 45 days after the trade. See disclosure delays by member and the latest Congress trades.

Sources

• GovInfo, Public Law 112-105 (STOCK Act), full text (PDF)
• U.S. Office of Government Ethics, LA-12-04: Periodic Transaction Reports
• House Committee on Ethics, STOCK Act guidance (PDF)

Questions

How long does Congress have to report a stock trade?

Within 30 days of being notified of the trade and no later than 45 days after it, under the STOCK Act.

Do members of Congress report exact amounts?

No. Trades are reported in value ranges, such as $1,001 - $15,000 or $15,001 - $50,000.

VolaIntel reports public filings. It is not investment advice. Amounts for congressional trades are the value ranges members report.