Bill could require online posting of financial data for many federal leaders

If approved, the STOCK Act would require nearly 30,000 federal officials to post their financial disclosure forms.

Thousands of federal officials would be required to publish their financial disclosure information online under a bill that is intended to ban members of Congress from profiting on insider stock trading, Federal Times reports.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) filed a motion March 20 to proceed with the approval of the House version of the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge  (STOCK) Act. The bill, which could be voted on as early as March 22,would require about  28,000 senior government officials and military officers to post their financial information. The affected officials would include presidential appointees, members of the senior executive service and general and flag officers -- all of whom are required to file the Office of Government Ethics Form 278 for financial disclosure.