PUBLIC LAW 112–178—SEPT. 28, 2012 

FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE FORMS INTERNET 

PUBLICATION DATE 


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126 STAT. 1408 PUBLIC LAW 112–178—SEPT. 28, 2012 

Public Law 112–178 

112th Congress 

An Act 

To change the effective date for the internet publication of certain information 

to prevent harm to the national security or endangering the military officers 

and civilian employees to whom the publication requirement applies, and for 

other purposes. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. CHANGED EFFECTIVE DATE FOR FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE 

FORMS OF CERTAIN OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Except with respect to financial disclosure 

forms filed by officers and employees referred to in subsection 

(b), section 8(a)(1) and section 11(a)(1) of the STOCK Act (5 U.S.C. 

App. 105 note) shall take effect on December 8, 2012. 

(b) FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE FORMS NOT SUBJECT TO NEW EFFECTIVE DATE.—Financial disclosure forms filed by the following 

individuals shall not be subject to the effective date under this 

section: 

(1) The President. 

(2) The Vice President. 

(3) Any Member of Congress. 

(4) Any candidate for Congress. 

(5) Any officer occupying a position listed in section 5312 

or section 5313 of title 5, United States Code, having been 

nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate to 

that position. 

SEC. 2. STUDY AND REPORT. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after the date of 

enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Personnel 

Management shall contract with the National Academy of Public 

Administration (referred to in this section as the ‘‘National 

Academy’’) to— 

(1) conduct a study of issues raised by website publication 

of financial disclosure forms as is required under the STOCK 

Act (Public Law 112–105; 126 Stat. 291); and 

(2) issue a report containing findings and recommendations. 

(b) SCOPE OF STUDY.—The study conducted under subsection 

(a)(1) shall— 

(1) examine the nature, scope, and degree of risk, including 

risk of harm to national security, law enforcement, or other 

Federal missions and risk of endangerment, including to personal safety and security, financial security (such as through 

identity theft), and privacy, of officers and employees and their 

family members, that may be posed by website and other 

Contracts. 

Sept. 28, 2012 

[S. 3625] 


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PUBLIC LAW 112–178—SEPT. 28, 2012 126 STAT. 1409 

publication of financial disclosure forms and associated personal 

information; 

(2) examine any harm that may have arisen from the 

current online availability of financial disclosure forms and 

associated personal information of employees of the legislative 

branch, including any harm to national security, law enforcement, or other Federal missions and any endangerment that 

may have occurred, including to personal safety and security, 

financial security (such as through identity theft), and privacy, 

of such legislative branch officers and employees or their family 

members; and 

(3) include any other analysis that the National Academy 

believes is necessary or desirable on the topic of the study. 

(c) REPORT.—Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the National Academy shall submit to Congress 

and the President a report that contains— 

(1) the findings of the study conducted under subsection 

(a)(1); 

(2) recommendations for ways to avoid or mitigate the 

risks identified in the study conducted under subsection (a)(1), 

consistent with the goal of providing appropriate public disclosure of potential conflicts of interest or instances of insider 

trading by Federal officers or employees; and 

(3) any other recommendations that the National Academy 

believes are necessary or desirable. 

SEC. 3. PERIODIC TRANSACTION REPORTS FOR TRANSACTIONS OF 

SPOUSES AND CHILDREN. 

(a) IN GENERAL.— 

(1) DATE REPORTING REQUIREMENT COMMENCES IN HOUSE

OF REPRESENTATIVES AND EXECUTIVE BRANCH.—Section 2 of 

the Act entitled ‘‘An Act to prevent harm to the national security or endangering the military officers and civilian employees 

to whom internet publication of certain information applies, 

and for other purposes’’, approved August 16, 2012 (5 U.S.C. 

App. 103 note), is amended by striking ‘‘September 30, 2012’’ 

and inserting ‘‘January 1, 2013’’. 

(2) EXTENSION TO EXECUTIVE BRANCH.—Section 2 of the 

Act entitled ‘‘An Act to prevent harm to the national security 

or endangering the military officers and civilian employees 

to whom internet publication of certain information applies, 

and for other purposes’’, approved August 16, 2012 (5 U.S.C. 

App. 103 note), is amended by striking ‘‘for reporting individuals’’ and all that follows through ‘‘House of Representatives’’. 

(3) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 2 

of the Act entitled ‘‘An Act to prevent harm to the national 

security or endangering the military officers and civilian 

employees to whom internet publication of certain information 

applies, and for other purposes’’, approved August 16, 2012 

(5 U.S.C. App. 103 note), is amended by striking ‘‘such section 

101’’ and inserting ‘‘section 101 of such Act (5 U.S.C. App. 

101)’’. 

(b) EFFECTIVE DATE; RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.— 

(1) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by subsection 

(a) shall take effect on January 1, 2013. 

5 USC app. 103 

note. 


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126 STAT. 1410 PUBLIC LAW 112–178—SEPT. 28, 2012 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 3625: 

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 158 (2012): 

Sept. 21, considered and passed Senate. 

Sept. 28, considered and passed House. 

Æ 

(2) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Before January 1, 2013, the 

amendments made by subsection (a) shall not affect the applicability of section 2 of the Act entitled ‘‘An Act to prevent harm 

to the national security or endangering the military officers 

and civilian employees to whom internet publication of certain 

information applies, and for other purposes’’, approved August 

16, 2012 (5 U.S.C. App. 103 note), as in effect on the day 

before the effective date under paragraph (1). 

(c) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—Nothing in the amendments made by 

subsection (a) shall be construed as affecting any requirement with 

respect to the House of Representatives or the executive branch 

in effect before January 1, 2013, with respect to the inclusion 

of transaction information for a report under section 103(l) of the 

Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App. 103(l)). 

(d) NO CHANGE TO EXISTING SENATE REQUIREMENTS.—Nothing 

in this section or the amendments made this section shall be construed as affecting the requirement that took effect with respect 

to the Senate on July 3, 2012, which mandates the inclusion of 

transaction information for spouses and dependent children for 

a report under section 103(l) of the Ethics in Government Act 

of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App. 103(l)). 

Approved September 28, 2012. 


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