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S. 1498: Halting Ownership and Non-Ethical Stock Transactions (HONEST) Act

119th Congress · introduced 2025-04-28 · Congress · Latest: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 294.

federal

What does this mean?

Official title

Halting Ownership and Non-Ethical Stock Transactions (HONEST) Act

Plain summary

Halting Ownership and Non-Ethical Stock Transactions (HONEST) Act This bill generally prohibits the President, Vice President, and Members of Congress (and their spouses and dependents) from owning, acquiring, or selling certain investments, including individual stocks and digital assets. Violations are subject to specified civil penalties. Under the bill, covered officials and their spouses and dependents may not purchase or sell individual stocks, digital assets, or related financial instruments that are not diversified investment funds, Treasury securities, or certain other holdings. The bill also prohibits covered officials, their spouses, or their dependents from maintaining a qualified blind trust. The bill requires covered officials to divest from prohibited investments they, their spouse, or their dependent owns or controls. The bill establishes processes for divestment from qualified blind trusts and disposition of certain inherited investments. Violations are subject to specified civil penalties. Covered officials, their spouses, and their dependents are prohibited from controlling or purchasing prohibited investments until 90 days after the covered official ceases to serve in office. Each applicable supervising ethics office must make related information (e.g., certain notices of divestiture; descriptions of assets held in trusts; and federal loans, grants, or related benefits that the official received) available online in a searchable format. Further, the bill imposes penalties on Members of and candidates for Congress and congressional employees for failing to comply with existing financial disclosure requirements.

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Halting Ownership and Non-Ethical Stock Transactions (HONEST) Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate)

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Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Hawley, Josh [R-MO] · 5 cosponsors

Money: CBO cost estimate: S. 1498, Halting Ownership and Non-Ethical Stock Transactions Act (HONEST) Act (2025-11-19) No linked contracts or vendors yet.

Words on this page, explained (2)
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Securities
Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong119-s1498 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong119 · updated 2026-11-03 by psicol fed-bills