H.R. 5106: Restore Trust in Congress Act
Sponsor
Chip Roy
Republican · TX-21
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Sep 3, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
AOC and Chip Roy want to ban Congress stock trading
Why it matters
130 House members from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Lauren Boebert have signed on to ban Members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from owning or trading individual stocks. Break the rules and you'd owe a 10% fee on the prohibited investment plus surrender any profits from improper trades.
H.R. 5106, the Restore Trust in Congress Act, takes a hard line on congressional investing. It would bar Members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from directly or indirectly owning or trading covered investments — individual stocks, commodities, futures, and most derivatives. The aim is to cut off the most obvious ways lawmakers and their families could profit from inside information or political influence.
The ban isn't blanket. Lawmakers could still hold widely diversified mutual funds, U.S. Treasuries, state and municipal bonds, certain small-business interests, and narrow real-estate holding entities tied to a personal residence. The design steers Members away from betting on specific companies while leaving room for hands-off saving and investing.
Deadlines force a cleanup. Current covered individuals would have 180 days after enactment to divest prohibited holdings. New Members or newly covered family members would get 90 days. If a covered person ends up with a prohibited investment through inheritance, marriage, or divorce, they'd have 90 days to sell. Ethics offices could grant extensions when assets are tough to liquidate — illiquid stakes, vesting schedules, or contractual lockups.
Enforcement is where the bill bites. Violators could be ordered to pay a fee equal to 10% of the prohibited investment's value and surrender any profits from improper trades. House Members couldn't use their official allowance or campaign contributions to pay those penalties. The bill also plugs covered individuals into the federal certificate of divestiture program, which can defer some tax hits when officials are forced to sell assets to comply with conflict rules.
The political read: a sponsor list this far across the spectrum is rare. Chip Roy (R-TX) leads the bill, with cosponsors running from Pramila Jayapal, Ilhan Omar, and Jamie Raskin on the left to Lauren Boebert, Tim Burchett, and Anna Paulina Luna on the right. The toughest fights aren't over the principle — they're over how broad the family-member exceptions and trust carveouts should be.
H.R. 5106 Bill Summary
What H.R. 5106 actually does.
Stocks, futures, and derivatives become off-limits
Members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children could not directly or indirectly own or trade individual stocks, commodities, futures, or most derivatives.
Mutual funds, Treasuries, and bonds stay legal
The bill still allows widely diversified mutual funds and similar funds, U.S. Treasury securities, state and municipal bonds, certain small-business interests, and narrow real-estate holding entities tied to a lawmaker's home.
Six months to clean up an existing portfolio
People covered when the bill becomes law would have 180 days to sell prohibited investments. People who become covered later — new Members or newly covered family members — would have 90 days.
Inheritance, marriage, and divorce start a 90-day clock
If a covered person receives a prohibited investment through inheritance, marriage, or divorce instead of buying it, they would have 90 days to divest.
10% penalty plus profit forfeiture
Violators could be required to pay a fee equal to 10% of the prohibited investment's value and hand over profits from improper transactions. House Members could not pay penalties from their Members' Representational Allowance or from campaign contributions.
Narrow exception for finance-industry spouses
A spouse or dependent child could still trade covered investments as part of their primary occupation, so long as the asset itself is not owned by the Member of Congress.
Who benefits from H.R. 5106?
Voters who don't trust Congress with stock tips
A clear, statutory ban replaces the current patchwork of disclosure rules. The premise: lawmakers vote on bills that move markets, so their families shouldn't be trading the stocks those bills affect.
Ethics watchdogs and good-government groups
A bright-line rule with a defined penalty is easier to enforce — and easier to point to in oversight fights — than the current honor-system disclosures under the STOCK Act.
Members already in diversified funds
Lawmakers who already park their money in mutual funds and Treasuries would face less suspicion and have an easier time demonstrating they aren't trading on inside information.
Federal certificate of divestiture program
The bill ties forced sales to the existing CDP, which can defer capital-gains taxes when officials must sell assets to comply with conflict-of-interest rules.
Who is affected by H.R. 5106?
Members of Congress
All 535 Members would have 180 days after enactment to liquidate banned investments and would face new restrictions on what they can hold while serving.
Spouses and dependent children of Members
Their personal investing would also be restricted, with a narrow exception for trading done as part of a primary occupation in finance.
Congressional ethics offices
House and Senate ethics offices would have to write guidance, review extension requests, manage trust exemptions, and enforce penalties on Members of their own chamber.
Brokers, financial advisers, and trust managers
Wealth managers serving congressional households would need to restructure portfolios, unwind prohibited positions, and document compliance for ethics review.
What Congress Is Saying
H.R. 5106 has come up 31 times in the Congressional Record so far.
Mr. Speaker, today, I am announcing that I will be coauthoring H.R. 5106, the Restore Trust in Congress Act, which is designed to end insider trading by Members of Congress. Specifically, this bill prohibits all Members of Congress, along with spouses, dependent children, and trustees from owning, buying, or selling individual stocks, securities, commodities, or futures. Upon enactment, covered individuals are prohibited from purchasing covered assets and must divest from all covered assets at fair market value within 180 days for current Members and 90 days for incoming Members.
H.R. 5106 also appeared in 29 routine cosponsor filings.
HR5106 Legislative Journey
House: Committee Action
Sep 3, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
About the Sponsor
Chip Roy
Republican, Texas's 21st congressional district · 7 years in Congress
Committees: Rules, the Judiciary, the Budget
View full profile →
Cosponsors (130)
This bill has 130 cosponsors: 99 Democrats, 31 Republicans, reflecting bipartisan support. Cosponsors represent 37 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, and 34 more.
Seth Magaziner
Democrat · RI
Tim Burchett
Republican · TN
Pramila Jayapal
Democrat · WA
Brian Fitzpatrick
Republican · PA
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Democrat · NY
Anna Paulina Luna
Republican · FL
Raja Krishnamoorthi
Democrat · IL
Scott Perry
Republican · PA
Dave Min
Democrat · CA
Zachary Nunn
Republican · IA
Joe Neguse
Democrat · CO
Michael Cloud
Republican · TX
Cosponsor Coverage Map
Committee Sponsors
Committee on House Administration
2 of 12 committee members cosponsored
8 Republicans across this committee haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
H.R. 5106 Quick Facts
- Committee
- House Administration
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Congress
- Introduced
- Sep 3, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
Sep 3, 2025
Official Sources
Official bill text, action history, and the running cosponsor list for the Restore Trust in Congress Act.
Committee of jurisdiction where H.R. 5106 was referred on September 3, 2025 — the chokepoint for any markup or hearing.
The federal ethics chapter the bill amends — adds a new Subchapter IV on covered investments, ownership, and penalties.
Current honor-system disclosure regime under the STOCK Act that H.R. 5106 would replace with a bright-line ownership ban.
Existing STOCK Act and Ethics in Government Act rules for Members, spouses, and dependent children that the bill builds on.
The official office account the bill explicitly bars House Members from using to pay 10% violation fees or profit forfeitures.
The federal program covered Members would be plugged into when forced to sell — defers capital-gains tax on conflict-driven divestitures.
Regulations governing how a Certificate of Divestiture is requested and granted — the procedural backbone for forced sales under H.R. 5106.
H.R. 5106 Common Questions
What is the penalty for violating the congressional stock trading ban?
Under H.R. 5106, a violator could owe a fee equal to 10% of the prohibited investment's value and would have to surrender any profits from improper trades to the U.S. Treasury. House Members can't pay those penalties from their official allowance or campaign funds.
Can Members of Congress still own individual stocks under H.R. 5106?
No. H.R. 5106 would bar Members from directly or indirectly owning or trading individual stocks, commodities, futures, and most derivatives. They could still hold widely diversified mutual funds, U.S. Treasuries, and state and municipal bonds.
Does the stock trading ban apply to spouses and dependent children?
Yes. H.R. 5106 covers Members of Congress, their spouses, and their dependent children, plus certain trusts holding investments for them. Family members face the same divestment deadlines as the lawmaker.
How long would Members have to sell prohibited stocks if H.R. 5106 passes?
Sitting Members would have 180 days after enactment to divest banned holdings. New Members or newly covered family members — through marriage, for example — would have 90 days from the date they become covered.
What investments would still be allowed under H.R. 5106?
Allowed holdings include widely diversified public mutual funds, U.S. Treasury securities, state and municipal bonds, certain small-business interests, and narrow real-estate holding entities tied to a lawmaker's personal residence.
Can a lawmaker keep stock they inherit under the Restore Trust in Congress Act?
Not for long. If a covered person receives a prohibited investment through inheritance, marriage, or divorce instead of buying it, H.R. 5106 gives them 90 days to divest. Ethics offices may grant extensions for assets that are illiquid or contractually locked up.
Can a blind trust get around the congressional stock trading ban?
Generally no. Under H.R. 5106, qualified blind trusts still must divest covered investments by the standard deadlines. The bill carves out narrow exemptions for certain family trusts but does not let blind trusts hold otherwise prohibited stocks.
Can a spouse who works in finance still trade stocks if their partner serves in Congress?
Yes, in a limited case. H.R. 5106 lets a spouse or dependent child trade covered investments as part of their primary occupation, but only if the asset is not owned by the Member of Congress.
Based on H.R. 5106 bill text
H.R. 5106 Bill Text
“To amend chapter 131 of title 5 to prohibit Members of Congress and their spouses and dependents from owning or trading stocks, and for other purposes.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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