The congressional legislation that regulates certain corporate financial activities and improves the accuracy of financial statements. Among other things, the act prohibits personal company loans to directors and officers, requires certification of financial statements by a firm's chief executive officer and chief financial officer, protects employee whistleblowers, increases criminal penalties for securities law violations, requires disclosure of off-balance-sheet financing, and calls for improvement in the accuracy of pro forma financial statements. The act was passed in 2002 in response to widely publicized corporate accounting scandals.