What this bill does
The Candidate Investment Transparency and Ethics Act of 2026 (CITE Act of 2026) requires individuals running for federal office, as well as their spouses and dependent children, to either sell off specific private market investments or transfer them into an independent blind trust.
Who it affects
* **Federal Candidates:** Individuals running for President, Vice President, U.S. Senate, or U.S. House of Representatives.
* **Family Members:** Spouses and dependent children of these candidates.
* **Ethics Oversight Agencies:**
* The House Committee on Ethics (oversight for House candidates).
* The Senate Select Committee on Ethics (oversight for Senate candidates).
* The Office of Government Ethics (OGE) (oversight for Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates).
What would change
* **Divestment or Blind Trust Requirement:** Within 90 days of formally filing for office, candidates and their covered family members **must** either completely sell off restricted investments or place them into a qualified blind trust.
* **Strict Blind Trust Rules:** If a blind trust is used, it **must** be managed by an independent trustee who is not a relative, business partner, or political associate. Candidates and family members are prohibited from managing, knowing about, or communicating regarding trust assets, except as strictly required by law or for tax reporting.
* **Mandatory Certification:** Candidates **must** file a written statement with their designated ethics office within 90 days confirming that they hold no restricted investments or that all such assets have been transferred into a qualified trust.
* **Spousal and Dependent Compliance:** Candidates **must** make a good-faith effort to ensure their spouses and dependent children follow these requirements.
* *Note on Unclear Details:* The provided legislative summary ends mid-sentence regarding spousal compliance ("If..."), leaving any specific exceptions or penalties for a family member's non-compliance unstated.
Money or funding
The provided summary does not include details regarding government spending, appropriations, fees, taxes, or specific monetary penalties.
Important exceptions or limits
* **Restricted Assets:** The rule applies specifically to publicly traded securities, including common or preferred stocks, corporate bonds, stock options, warrants, convertible securities, and non-exempt exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
* **Allowed Assets (Exceptions):** Candidates and their families **are permitted** to keep or invest in:
* Widely diversified mutual funds.
* Broad market index funds or ETFs (such as those following the S&P 500 or Dow Jones).
* Diversified sector or thematic ETFs.
* U.S. Treasury securities, federal obligations, and state or local government bonds.
* Certificates of deposit (CDs), money market funds, and cash equivalents.
* Defined benefit pension plans that the individual does not directly manage.
Plain-English bottom line
This bill requires federal political candidates and their immediate family members to sell their individual company stocks and corporate bonds or hand over control of those investments to an independent blind trust within 90 days of entering a federal race, though they may still hold broad index funds, government bonds, and cash.
