A Republican bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Securities Enforcement Clarity Act of 2025, also known as the SEC Act of 2025, changes how violations are counted for penalties. It amends the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Investment Company Act of 1940, and the Investment Advisors Act of 1940. Under this bill, multiple acts of noncompliance are treated as a single violation if they come from a common cause, the same mistake or omission, or a continuing failure to comply.
Yes· 3 of 7
- Scored +5
Would business owners be better off under this?
Directly reduces potential financial liabilities for businesses facing securities regulatory actions.
- Scored +3
Does this make it easier to run a small business?
Reduces the financial burden of regulatory penalties for smaller firms by consolidating multiple noncompliance acts into single violations.
- Scored +2
Would high-income households be better off under this?
Likely to benefit those who manage investment funds or companies subject to securities laws.
The opposite
- Scored -4
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?
May reduce accountability for financial entities by lowering the total penalties imposed for multiple acts of wrongdoing.
- Scored -2
Does this give the federal government more power?
Limits the ability of federal regulators (SEC) to impose multiple penalties for related violations.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- Reduced Penalties for Specific Noncompliance: By treating separate acts as a single violation when they share a common cause, the same misstatement, or are part of a continuing failure, the total number of penalties imposed could be lower. This applies to the Securities Act of 1933 (Section 2(a)), Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Section 2(b)), Investment Company Act of 1940 (Section 2(c)), and Investment Advisors Act of 1940 (Section 2(d)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Lower Accountability for Multiple Acts: Because separate acts of noncompliance can now be counted as a single violation if they result from a common cause, the same omission, or a continuing failure, officials or entities may face fewer penalties for multiple instances of wrongdoing. This change is applied across the Securities Act of 1933 (Section 2(a)), Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Section 2(b)), Investment Company Act of 1940 (Section 2(c)), and Investment Advisors Act of 1940 (Section 2(d)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would business owners be better off under this? — Directly reduces potential financial liabilities for businesses facing securities regulatory actions. Would billionaires be better off under this? — Benefits individuals operating in the high-finance and investment sector by reducing penalty risks. Would high-income households be better off under this? — Likely to benefit those who manage investment funds or companies subject to securities laws. Would people with substantial wealth be better off under this? — Benefits individuals operating in the high-finance and investment sector by reducing penalty risks. Would the very wealthiest people be better off under this? — Benefits individuals operating in the high-finance and investment sector by reducing penalty risks.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — Reduces the financial burden of regulatory penalties for smaller firms by consolidating multiple noncompliance acts into single violations. Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — May reduce accountability for financial entities by lowering the total penalties imposed for multiple acts of wrongdoing.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts? — Provides greater clarity and fairness in how penalties are calculated to avoid excessive fines for single-cause errors. Does this give the federal government more power? — Limits the ability of federal regulators (SEC) to impose multiple penalties for related violations.
- 1/7/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.