What Happens If a Politician Breaks the STOCK Act?
Read the House and Senate late-filing rules and distinguish filing gaps from findings of insider trading or willful reporting violations.
Late-report penalties differ by chamber. House guidance describes a minimum $200 fee for a late periodic transaction report with escalation for repeat cases. Senate guidance describes a $200 penalty for a required report filed more than 30 days late. Other reporting violations can carry different consequences.
Start with the reporting deadline
Covered transactions generally use the earlier of 30 days after awareness or 45 days after the transaction. A transaction-to-filing gap measures only the dates available in the record; it does not supply the awareness date.
Read the chamber's fee rules
The House and Senate publish their own guidance. House fees can escalate for later violations. Both describe waivers for extraordinary circumstances. Do not treat one headline fee as the maximum consequence for every kind of conduct.
Separate late reporting from other allegations
Knowingly failing to file, falsifying information and trading on material nonpublic information are different issues with different legal requirements. A tracker should not infer them from a date gap alone.
Review amendments and missing coverage
An amendment can appear long after the initial report. Confirm whether it repeats an earlier transaction or adds a new one. Documents that cannot be parsed and activity never reported are outside a measured dataset.
Inspect our measurement limits
The Q3 House filing-gap study links original documents and downloadable rows. It measures observed filing gaps, not enforcement findings or the exact first-publication time. Use those limits when quoting its results.
FAQ
What is the late-filing fee?
Read the relevant chamber's guidance: House rules describe a minimum $200 PTR fee and escalation; Senate rules describe $200 when a required report is more than 30 days late.
Does a gap above 45 days prove insider trading?
No. Insider trading is a separate allegation. Prior reports, amendments and source errors also need review.
Can a fee be waived?
Both chambers describe waivers for extraordinary circumstances; see their guidance.
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