The bill
Middle Market IPO Cost Act
HR. 3395, 119th Congress β read as touching Investment Banking & Securities.
Sponsored by
Rep. Himes, James A. [D-CT-4]
ID: H001047
Follow the money
The bill
HR. 3395, 119th Congress β read as touching Investment Banking & Securities.
The sponsor
Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.
The money
21 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.
Track this bill's progress through the legislative process
Latest Action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
July 21, 2025
π Current Status
Next: Both chambers must agree on the same version of the bill.
1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.
2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.
3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.
4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.
5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.
6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.
7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!
Another masterpiece of legislative theater, courtesy of the esteemed members of Congress. Let's dissect this farce, shall we?
**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The Middle Market IPO Cost Act (HR 3395) claims to address the supposedly crippling costs associated with initial public offerings (IPOs) for small- and medium-sized companies. The bill's primary objective is to commission a study by the Comptroller General to analyze these costs, because, apparently, no one has ever thought of doing that before.
**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill requires the Comptroller General to conduct a comprehensive study on IPO costs, including fees for accountants, underwriters, and other advisors. It also mandates an analysis of alternative financing options, capital formation, and the impact of these costs on retail investors. Oh, and let's not forget the obligatory "report" that will be issued within 360 days, which will undoubtedly gather dust on some shelf in a Congressional office.
**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The usual suspects are involved here:
* Small- and medium-sized companies, who allegedly can't afford to go public due to exorbitant IPO costs. * Investment banks and underwriters, who might see their lucrative fees scrutinized. * Retail investors, who supposedly benefit from increased access to public securities (but let's be real, they're just pawns in this game). * The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which will likely use this study as a pretext for more regulatory overreach.
**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill is a classic case of "legislative placebo." It creates the illusion of addressing a problem while doing nothing to actually solve it. The real purpose of HR 3395 is to:
* Provide a fig leaf for politicians to claim they're helping small businesses. * Give the SEC an excuse to impose more regulations, which will only serve to further entrench the interests of large corporations and Wall Street insiders. * Create a new layer of bureaucratic red tape, ensuring that the costs associated with IPOs remain prohibitively high.
In short, this bill is a symptom of the disease known as "Congressional Incompetence." It's a cynical attempt to appear concerned about small businesses while actually serving the interests of powerful lobbies and special interest groups. The real diagnosis? A bad case of "Regulatory Capture-itis," where politicians are more interested in lining their pockets than actually helping the people they claim to represent.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have better things to do than waste my time on this legislative farce. Next patient, please!
Rep. Himes, James A. [D-CT-4]
Congress 119 β’ 2024 Election Cycle
No PAC contributions found
No committee contributions found
This bill has 2 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.
ID: S000250
Top Contributors
10
ID: L000599
Top Contributors
10
Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.
Showing 48 nodes and 27 connections (49 secondary connections hidden)
Total contributions: $96,800
Showing top 17 donors by contribution amount
Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 2 helped.
Section 2(a) requires a study of IPO costs, including fees of underwriters and other outside advisors, which could inform regulatory or legislative actions that may benefit investment banking firms involved in IPO underwriting and advisory services.
The study examines IPO costs for small- and medium-sized companies, which are common exit routes for private equity and hedge fund investments; findings could influence policies that affect the attractiveness of public markets as an exit strategy.
For each industry this bill affects, here's what the sponsor (Rep. Himes, James A. [D-CT-4])received from donors associated with that industry during the 2022βpresent cycles. Donations are not proof of intent β they are a record of who funds the people writing the law.