H.R. 3394 explained · 119th Congress · Pending in Congress
Fair Investment Opportunities for Professional Experts Act
Cosponsors: 3 (1 D, 2 R) · per Congress.gov, 2026-10-11
Introduced: 2025-05-14
Latest action (2025-06-24): Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
What H.R. 3394 does, in plain terms
Fair Investment Opportunities for Professional Experts Act This bill expands the eligibility criteria for an accredited investor for purposes of participating in private offerings of securities to include an individual determined by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to have qualifying professional knowledge through educational or professional experience. (Certain unregistered securities may only be offered to accredited investors.) The bill also provides statutory authority for certain existing criteria for an accredited investor, including licensure or registration in good standing as a broker or investment adviser, specified annual salary, and specified net worth. Further, the SEC is directed to revise the definition of accredited investor in Regulation D (which exempts certain offerings from SEC registration requirements) to conform to changes in this bill.
Official summary by the Congressional Research Service, via Congress.gov.
Constitution Index
“VFA Constitution grade”
Constitutionally sound
Graded 2026-10-10
SI-generated grade · five published checks · not individually reviewed by a person · methodology
This bill is constitutional. It operates within Congress's enumerated power to regulate securities and interstate commerce, does not infringe any Bill of Rights protections, respects individual sovereignty by expanding voluntary investment opportunities, passes all decentralization tests, and does not violate due process or takings protections.
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✓ Passes · Enumerated powers
Congress has authority under Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 (Commerce Clause) to regulate securities offerings and the terms under which individuals may participate in private securities markets. The Securities Act of 1933 and subsequent securities laws are well-established exercises of this power. Expanding the definition of accredited investor is a permissible adjustment within this regulatory f… -
✓ Passes · Bill of Rights
The bill does not restrict speech, religion, assembly, press, petition, arms, quartering, search and seizure, self-incrimination, due process, fair trial, jury, cruel and unusual punishment, or any other right protected by the first ten amendments. It merely expands eligibility for an existing investment category and does not compel any action or belief. -
✓ Passes · Individual sovereignty
The bill expands, rather than restricts, what individuals may do with their own property and labor. It allows more people to voluntarily choose to invest in private securities based on their professional knowledge. No one is forced to invest or to disclose information against their will. The government's justification—protecting less sophisticated investors from risk—is a legitimate and longstandi… -
✓ Passes · Decentralization
The bill passes all four decentralization questions. (1) Individuals and families can handle their own investment decisions without government involvement, but the bill merely adjusts eligibility for a federal exemption, not a mandate. (2) Local communities could regulate securities, but interstate securities markets inherently require uniform federal rules to prevent a patchwork of state laws. (3… -
✓ Passes · Due process and takings
The bill does not deprive anyone of life, liberty, or property without due process. It does not impose penalties, seize property, or create new enforcement mechanisms. It merely expands eligibility for an existing exemption. There is no taking of private property for public use without just compensation. The SEC rulemaking required by the bill would follow standard administrative procedures, which…
Sources: Congress.gov: HR 3394 summary
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