Last month the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee passed the “Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act,” or “STOCK Act,” and the House Financial Services Committee held hearings on similar legislation.  The primary purpose of this Act is to close a loophole in the law that may allow Members of Congress to legally trade securities based upon nonpublic “political intelligence.”  However, hedge fund managers should watch this legislation closely as it could have significant, perhaps unintended, implications.  Depending on what provisions (if any) are ultimately enacted, the legislation could alter the way fund managers conduct basic regulatory due diligence in connection with investments.  The legislation could weaken a key provision of Regulation FD, which confirms the “mosaic theory” defense to federal insider trading charges, and impact the way fund managers use employees, expert networks, lobbyists and political intelligence firms to research federal legislative and political activities in connection with their investments.  In fact, the legislation could fundamentally alter the way that fund managers interact with federal employees, including Members of Congress.  In a guest article, Scott E. Gluck, Of Counsel at Venable LLP, discusses: the background of the STOCK Act; relevant insider trading law; specific provisions of the STOCK Act relevant to hedge fund managers; and seven distinct issues for hedge fund managers to monitor, including the potential impact of the STOCK Act on the “mosaic theory” defense to insider trading charges.