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Bill > HR7000


US HR7000

Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act


summary

Introduced
05/22/2020
In Committee
05/22/2020
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
12/31/2020

Introduced Session

116th Congress

Bill Summary

To amend the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to require certain issuers to disclose to the Securities and Exchange Commission information regarding foreign jurisdictions that prevent the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board from performing inspections under that Act, and for other purposes. This bill requires certain issuers of securities to establish that they are not owned or controlled by a foreign government. Specifically, an issuer must make this certification if the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board is unable to audit specified reports because the issuer has retained a foreign public accounting firm not subject to inspection by the board. Furthermore, if the board is unable to inspect the issuer's public accounting firm for three consecutive years, the issuer's securities are banned from trade on a national exchange or through other methods. Foreign issuers of securities that use such a firm to prepare an audit report must disclose for each non-inspection year the percentage of shares owned by governmental entities where the issuer is incorporated, whether these governmental entities have a controlling financial interest, information related to any board members who are officials of the Chinese Communist Party, and whether the articles of incorporation of the issuer contain any charter of the Chinese Communist Party.

AI Summary

This bill amends the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to require certain issuers of securities to disclose information about foreign jurisdictions that prevent the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) from inspecting their public accounting firms. Specifically, the bill requires these "covered issuers" to certify that they are not owned or controlled by a foreign government, and if the PCAOB is unable to inspect the issuer's accounting firm for three consecutive years, the issuer's securities will be banned from trading on national exchanges or through other regulated methods. Furthermore, foreign issuers that use a non-inspected accounting firm must disclose details about government ownership, control, and Communist Party involvement.

Committee Categories

Business and Industry

Sponsors (3)

Last Action

Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services. (on 05/22/2020)

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