The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 was enacted by the United States Congress on July 30, 2002 with the goals of increasing corporate responsibility, providing for enhanced penalties for accounting and auditing improprieties at publicly-traded companies, and protecting investors by improving the accuracy and reliability of corporate disclosures made pursuant to the securities laws. The Act applies specifically to construction employers that have securities registered or are required to file reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.