A bill 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.
PL 112-178 (S.3625), enacted 09/28/2012

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 EFFEC-
TIVE 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 per-
sonal 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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126 STAT. 1409 
PUBLIC LAW 112–178—SEPT. 28, 2012 
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 enforce-
ment, 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 enact-
ment 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 disclo-
sure 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 secu-
rity 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 individ-
uals’’ 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. 
(2) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Before January 1, 2013, the 
amendments made by subsection (a) shall not affect the applica-
bility 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 con-
strued 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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