The Shareholder Political Transparency Act of 2025 aims to increase transparency regarding corporate political spending by amending the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Congress finds that shareholders currently lack sufficient information and influence over how corporate funds are used for political activities, emphasizing the public's right to know how companies spend money to influence elections and policy.

The bill mandates that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) establish new reporting rules within 180 days of enactment. Under these rules, public companies with registered equity securities must submit quarterly reports to both the SEC and their shareholders. These reports will detail all "expenditures for political activities," which include independent expenditures, electioneering communications, and certain payments to trade associations or 501(c) organizations that engage in political spending.

Each quarterly report must specify the description, date, and amount of each political expenditure, along with the candidate's name and party affiliation if applicable, or the recipient organization. The SEC is required to make these reports publicly available on its website in a searchable, sortable, and downloadable format.

Furthermore, the bill requires issuers to include in their annual reports to shareholders a summary of political expenditures exceeding $10,000 from the preceding year. It also mandates the disclosure of the specific nature and total amount of political expenditures the issuer intends to make in the forthcoming fiscal year, to the extent such information is known.

To ensure compliance and oversight, the SEC will conduct annual assessments of issuer adherence to these new requirements and report its findings to Congress. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) will also periodically evaluate the effectiveness of the SEC's oversight of these disclosure rules.