West STL News

Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO), who chairs the Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets, announced that her Encouraging Public Offerings Act has passed the House of Representatives. This bill is one of eight bipartisan bills from her subcommittee designed to expand investor opportunities and assist Americans in saving for their futures.

Wagner expressed satisfaction with the progress of her bill, stating, “My Encouraging Public Offerings Act gives growing businesses the confidence to enter the public markets and helps them reach new investors, expand operations, and create jobs across the country. This a straightforward and commonsense bill that took months of work on a bipartisan basis to get over the finish line in the House. My bill will modernize our capital markets and support a growing economy in our communities, helping families and Main Street investors save for their retirement.”

She also emphasized her leadership role in advancing this legislative package through her subcommittee to a vote on the House Floor. "I was pleased to lead today’s package of seven Capital Markets bills through my subcommittee and onto the House Floor. Our Capital Markets are the best in the world, and, as Chair of the Capital Markets subcommittee, I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to craft important legislation like this that will advance robust capital formation and pro-growth policies that support Missouri families,” Wagner added.

The Encouraging Public Offerings Act aims to codify Rule 163B under the Securities Act by permitting issuers to communicate with potential investors about their interest in securities offerings either before or after filing a registration statement—a process known as "test-the-waters."