Middle Market IPO Cost Act

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Bill ID: 119/hr/3395
Last Updated: July 17, 2026

Sponsored by

Rep. Himes, James A. [D-CT-4]

ID: H001047

Follow the money

The bill

Middle Market IPO Cost Act

HR. 3395, 119th Congress β€” read as touching Investment Banking & Securities.

The sponsor

Rep. Himes, James A. [D-CT-4]

Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.

The money

$69,300 raised

21 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.

Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law

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

Introduced

Committee Review

Floor Action

Passed House

Senate Review

πŸ“ Current Status

Next: Both chambers must agree on the same version of the bill.

πŸŽ‰

Passed Congress

πŸ–ŠοΈ

Presidential Action

βš–οΈ

Became Law

πŸ“š How does a bill become a law?

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!

Bill Summary

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!

Generated using Llama 3.1 70B (Dr. Haus personality)

πŸ’° Campaign Finance Network

Rep. Himes, James A. [D-CT-4]

Congress 119 β€’ 2024 Election Cycle

Total Contributions
$69,300
17 donors
PACs
$0
Organizations
$3,300
Committees
$0
Individuals
$66,000

No PAC contributions found

1
MASHANTUCKET PEQUOT TRIBAL NATION
1 transaction
$3,300

No committee contributions found

1
ARMSTRONG, BRIAN
2 transactions
$6,600
2
COLEMAN, TIMOTHY
2 transactions
$6,600
3
PETERSON, MICHAEL A
2 transactions
$6,600
4
PRIOR, JOHN J JR
2 transactions
$6,600
5
DONOFRIO, ANITA M
1 transaction
$3,300
6
EVANS, ROBERT
1 transaction
$3,300
7
EVANS, SUSAN
1 transaction
$3,300
8
MANDEL, STEVE F JR.
1 transaction
$3,300
9
MANDEL, SUE Z.
1 transaction
$3,300
10
MILWE, ELIZABETH
1 transaction
$3,300
11
ROBINSON, WILL
1 transaction
$3,300
12
SMITH, KRISTIN
1 transaction
$3,300
13
SOBEL, JONATHAN
1 transaction
$3,300
14
WALKER, KENT
1 transaction
$3,300
15
BEWKES, JEFF
1 transaction
$3,300
16
GRACIAS, ANTONIO
1 transaction
$3,300

Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance

This bill has 2 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.

Rep. Sessions, Pete [R-TX-17]

ID: S000250

Top Contributors

10

1
POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS
OrganizationATMORE, AL
$5,000
May 16, 2024
2
POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS
OrganizationATMORE, AL
$5,000
Sep 12, 2023
3
POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS
OrganizationATMORE, AL
$3,300
Jun 17, 2024
4
POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS
OrganizationATMORE, AL
$3,300
May 24, 2023
5
ALABAMA-COUSHATTA TRIBE
OrganizationLIVINGSTON, TX
$1,000
Sep 30, 2024
6
HOWARD, RONALD VANCE
BANKERS LIFE β€’ MANAGEMENT
IndividualHUNTSVILLE, TX
$5,000
Mar 13, 2023
7
HOWARD, KAREN
ELEMENTS MASSAGE β€’ MANAGEMENT
IndividualHUNTSVILLE, TX
$5,000
Mar 13, 2023
8
SINGH, PRITPAL
BETA SOFT SYSTEMS β€’ MANAGEMENT
IndividualFREMONT, CA
$5,000
Jun 23, 2023
9
KAUR, MANJIT
SINGH SEMICONDUCTORS & SYSTEMS β€’ MANAGEMENT
IndividualFREMONT, CA
$5,000
Jun 23, 2023
10
BEHRINGER, TODD
THE BEHRINGER GROUP, LLC β€’ CONSTRUCTION
IndividualWOODWAY, TX
$3,400
Sep 1, 2023

Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17]

ID: L000599

Top Contributors

10

1
MURTAGH, COSSU, VENDITTI & CASTRO-BLANCO, LLP
OrganizationWHITE PLAINS, NY
$1,000
Feb 24, 2024
2
BATMASIAN, JAMES
INVESTMENTS LIMITED β€’ OWNER
IndividualBOCA RATON, FL
$6,600
Sep 27, 2023
3
BATMASIAN, JAMES
IndividualBOCA RATON, FL
$6,600
Sep 29, 2023
4
AUSTIN, ROBERT
UNAKA CO., INC. β€’ BUSINESSMAN
IndividualDALLAS, TX
$6,600
Jul 18, 2024
5
SILVERMAN, JEFFREY
RETIRED β€’ RETIRED
IndividualSURFSIDE, FL
$6,534
Feb 15, 2024
6
SILVERMAN, JEFFREY
IndividualSURFSIDE, FL
$6,534
Feb 22, 2024
7
SCALA, MARY ELLEN
RETIRED β€’ RETIRED
IndividualPORT CHESTER, NY
$5,300
Aug 27, 2023
8
DEUTSCH, SHMULEY
SELF β€’ PRESIDENT
IndividualSPRING VALLEY, NY
$3,900
Jun 24, 2024
9
DEUTSCH, SHMULEY
IndividualSPRING VALLEY, NY
$3,900
Jun 25, 2024
10
PERLMUTTER, RAFUEL
GOLDEN TASTE β€’ CEO
IndividualSPRING VALLEY, NY
$3,400
Jun 24, 2024

Donor Network - Rep. Himes, James A. [D-CT-4]

PACs
Organizations
Individuals
Politicians

Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.

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Showing 48 nodes and 27 connections (49 secondary connections hidden)

Total contributions: $96,800

Top Donors - Rep. Himes, James A. [D-CT-4]

Showing top 17 donors by contribution amount

1 Org16 Individuals

Industry Impact

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.

Who funds the sponsor on these industries

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 2022–present cycles. Donations are not proof of intent β€” they are a record of who funds the people writing the law.

Industries this bill HELPS