AB 2751: Securities: qualification: exemptions.
- Session Year: 2015-2016
- House: Assembly
- Latest Version Date: 2016-04-25
Existing law, the Corporate Securities Law of 1968, requires the offer and sale of securities in the state to be qualified with the Commissioner of Business Oversight, unless exempt. That law exempts specific securities or transactions from qualification, including, among others, any security other than evidences of indebtedness of an issuer organized exclusively for specified non profit nonprofit purposes or as a chamber of commerce or trade or professional association.
This bill would also exempt from qualification any security that is evidence of indebtedness of an issuer organized exclusively for specified non profit nonprofit purposes or as a chamber of commerce or trade or professional association.
This bill would exempt from qualification the offer or sale of any security in three additional transactions that meet specified requirements that include, among others: that the aggregate amount of securities sold to all investors in a 12-month period does not exceed $500,000; that the aggregate amount of securities of an issuer that is a specified agricultural enterprise that are used for specified purposes sold to all investors in a 12-month period does not exceed $2,000,000, and a specified amount of the proceeds are used for agricultural purposes, as provided; that the aggregate mount amount of securities of an issuer that is a cooperative corporation, nonprofit or mutual benefit corporation, or an entity controlled by tenants in multitenant housing that are sold to all investors in a 12-month period does not exceed $2,000,000; $2,000,000, and a specified amount of the proceeds are used to purchase solar photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, or other necessary equipment or labor. labor, as provided. The bill would change references throughout these provisions from husband and wife to spouses, generally.
Existing law, the Corporate Securities Law of 1968, requires the offer and sale of securities in the state to be qualified with the Commissioner of Business Oversight, unless exempt. That law exempts specific securities or transactions from qualification, including, among others, any security other than evidences of indebtedness of an issuer organized exclusively for specified non profit purposes or as a chamber of commerce or trade or professional association.
This bill would also exempt from qualification any security that is evidence of indebtedness of an issuer organized exclusively for specified non profit purposes or as a chamber of commerce or trade or professional association.
This bill would exempt from qualification the offer or sale of any security in three additional transactions that meet specified requirements that include, among others: that the aggregate amount of securities sold to all investors in a 12-month period does not exceed $500,000; that the aggregate amount of securities of an issuer that is a specified agricultural enterprise that are used for specified purposes sold to all investors in a 12-month period does not exceed $2,000,000; that the aggregate mount of securities of an issuer that is a cooperative corporation, nonprofit or mutual benefit corporation, or an entity controlled by tenants in multitenant housing that are sold to all investors in a 12-month period does not exceed $2,000,000; to purchase solar photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, or other necessary equipment or labor. The bill would change references throughout these provisions from husband and wife to spouses, generally.
The following securities are exempted from Sections 25110, 25120, and 25130:
(a)Any security (including a revenue obligation) issued or guaranteed by the United States, any state, any city, county, city and county, public district, public authority, public corporation, public entity, or political subdivision of a state or any agency or corporate or other instrumentality of any one or more of the foregoing; or any certificate of deposit for any of the foregoing.
(b)Any security issued or guaranteed by Canada, any Canadian province, any political subdivision or municipality of that province, or by any other foreign government with which the United States currently maintains diplomatic relations, if the security is recognized as a valid obligation by the issuer or guarantor; or any certificate of deposit for any of the foregoing.
(c)Any security issued or guaranteed by and representing an interest in or a direct obligation of a national bank or a bank or trust company incorporated under the laws of this state, and any security issued by a bank to one or more other banks and representing an interest in an asset of the issuing bank.
(d)Any security issued or guaranteed by a federal savings association or federal savings bank or federal land bank or joint land bank or national farm loan association or by any savings association, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 5102 of the Financial Code, which is subject to the supervision and regulation of the Commissioner of Business Oversight of this state.
(e)Any security (other than an interest in all or portions of a parcel or parcels of real property which are subdivided land or a subdivision or in a real estate development), the issuance of which is subject to authorization by the Insurance Commissioner, the Public Utilities Commission, or the Real Estate Commissioner of this state.
(f)Any security consisting of any interest in all or portions of a parcel or parcels of real property that are subdivided lands or a subdivision or in a real estate development; provided that the exemption in this subdivision shall not be applicable to: (1) any investment contract sold or offered for sale with, or as part of, that interest, or (2) any person engaged in the business of selling, distributing, or supplying water for irrigation purposes or domestic use that is not a public utility except that the exemption is applicable to any security of a mutual water company (other than an investment contract as described in paragraph (1)) offered or sold in connection with subdivided lands pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 14310) of Part 7 of Division 3 of Title 1.
(g)Any mutual capital certificates or savings accounts, as defined in the Savings Association Law, issued by a savings association, as defined by subdivision (a) of Section 5102 of the Financial Code, and holding a license or certificate of authority then in force from the Commissioner of Business Oversight of this state.
(h)Any security issued or guaranteed by any federal credit union, or by any credit union organized and supervised, or regulated, under the Credit Union Law.
(i)Any security issued or guaranteed by any railroad, other common carrier, public utility, or public utility holding company which is (1) subject to the jurisdiction of the Interstate Commerce Commission or its successor or (2) a holding company registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or a subsidiary of that company within the meaning of that act or (3) regulated in respect of the issuance or guarantee of the security by a governmental authority of the United States, of any state, of Canada or of any Canadian province; and the security is subject to registration with or authorization of issuance by that authority.
(j)Any security of an issuer (1) organized exclusively for educational, benevolent, fraternal, religious, charitable, social, or reformatory purposes and not for pecuniary profit, if no part of the net earnings of the issuer inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual, or (2) organized as a chamber of commerce or trade or professional association. The fact that amounts received from memberships or dues or both will or may be used to construct or otherwise acquire facilities for use by members of the nonprofit organization does not disqualify the organization for this exemption. This exemption does not apply to the securities of any nonprofit organization if any promoter thereof expects or intends to make a profit directly or indirectly from any business or activity associated with the organization or operation of that nonprofit organization or from remuneration received from that nonprofit organization.
(k)Any agreement, commonly known as a life income contract, of an issuer (1) organized exclusively for educational, benevolent, fraternal, religious, charitable, social, or reformatory purposes and not for pecuniary profit and (2) which the commissioner designates by rule or order, with a donor in consideration of a donation of property to that issuer and providing for the payment to the donor or persons designated by him or her of income or specified periodic payments from the donated property or other property for the life of the donor or those other persons.
(l)Any note, draft, bill of exchange, or bankers acceptance which is freely transferable and of prime quality, arises out of a current transaction or the proceeds of which have been or are to be used for current transactions, and which evidences an obligation to pay cash within nine months of the date of issuance, exclusive of days of grace, or any renewal of that paper which is likewise limited, or any guarantee of that paper or of that renewal, provided that the paper is not offered to the public in amounts of less than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) in the aggregate to any one purchaser. In addition, the commissioner may, by rule or order, exempt any issuer of any notes, drafts, bills of exchange exchange, or bankers acceptances from qualification of those securities when the commissioner finds that the qualification is not necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors.
(m)Any security issued by any corporation organized and existing under the provisions of Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 54001) of Division 20 of the Food and Agricultural Code.
(n)Any beneficial interest in an employees pension, profit-sharing, stock bonus, or similar benefit plan which meets the requirements for qualification under Section 401 of the federal Internal Revenue Code or any statute amendatory thereof or supplementary thereto. A determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service stating that an employees pension, profit-sharing, stock bonus, or similar benefit plan meets those requirements shall be conclusive evidence that the plan is an employees pension, profit-sharing, stock bonus, or similar benefit plan within the meaning of the first sentence of this subdivision until the date the determination letter is revoked in writing by the Internal Revenue Service, regardless of whether or not the revocation is retroactive.
(o)Any security listed or approved for listing upon notice of issuance on a national securities exchange, if the exchange has been certified by rule or order of the commissioner and any warrant or right to purchase or subscribe to the security. The exemption afforded by this subdivision does not apply to securities listed or approved for listing upon notice of issuance on a national securities exchange, in a rollup transaction unless the rollup transaction is an eligible rollup transaction as defined in Section 25014.7.
That certification of any exchange shall be made by the commissioner upon the written request of the exchange if the commissioner finds that the exchange, in acting on applications for listing of common stock, substantially applies the minimum standards set forth in either subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1), and, in considering suspension or removal from listing, substantially applies each of the criteria set forth in paragraph (2).
(1)Listing standards:
(A)(i)Shareholders equity of at least four million dollars ($4,000,000).
(ii)Pretax income of at least seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($750,000) in the issuers last fiscal year or in two of its last three fiscal years.
(iii)Minimum public distribution of 500,000 shares (exclusive of the holdings of officers, directors, controlling shareholders, and other concentrated or family holdings), together with a minimum of 800 public holders or minimum public distribution of 1,000,000 shares together with a minimum of 400 public holders. The exchange may also consider the listing of a companys securities if the company has a minimum of 500,000 shares publicly held, a minimum of 400 shareholders and daily trading volume in the issue has been approximately 2,000 shares or more for the six months preceding the date of application. In evaluating the suitability of an issue for listing under this trading provision, the exchange shall review the nature and frequency of that activity and any other factors as it may determine to be relevant in ascertaining whether the issue is suitable for trading. A security that trades infrequently shall not be considered for listing under this paragraph even though average daily volume amounts to 2,000 shares per day or more.
Companies whose securities are concentrated in a limited geographical area, or whose securities are largely held in block by institutional investors, normally may not be considered eligible for listing unless the public distribution appreciably exceeds 500,000 shares.
(iv)Minimum price of three dollars ($3) per share for a reasonable period of time prior to the filing of a listing application; provided, however, in certain instances an exchange may favorably consider listing an issue selling for less than three dollars ($3) per share after considering all pertinent factors, including market conditions in general, whether historically the issue has sold above three dollars ($3) per share, the applicants capitalization, and the number of outstanding and publicly held shares of the issue.
(v)An aggregate market value for publicly held shares of at least three million dollars ($3,000,000).
(B)(i)Shareholders equity of at least four million dollars ($4,000,000).
(ii)Minimum public distribution set forth in clause (iii) of subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1).
(iii)Operating history of at least three years.
(iv)An aggregate market value for publicly held shares of at least fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000).
(2)Criteria for consideration of suspension or removal from listing:
(A)If a company that (A) has shareholders equity of less than one million dollars ($1,000,000) has sustained net losses in each of its two most recent fiscal years, or (B) has net tangible assets of less than three million dollars ($3,000,000) and has sustained net losses in three of its four most recent fiscal years.
(B)If the number of shares publicly held (excluding the holdings of officers, directors, controlling shareholders shareholders, and other concentrated or family holdings) is less than 150,000.
(C)If the total number of shareholders is less than 400 or if the number of shareholders of lots of 100 shares or more is less than 300.
(D)If the aggregate market value of shares publicly held is less than seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($750,000).
(E)If shares of common stock sell at a price of less than three dollars ($3) per share for a substantial period of time and the issuer shall fail to effectuate a reverse stock split of the shares within a reasonable period of time after being requested by the exchange to take that action.
A national securities exchange, certified by rule or order of the commissioner under this subdivision, shall file annual reports when requested to do so by the commissioner. The annual reports shall contain, by issuer: the variances granted to an exchanges listing standards, including variances from corporate governance and voting rights standards, for any security of that issuer; the reasons for the variances; a discussion of the review procedure instituted by the exchange to determine the effect of the variances on investors and whether the variances should be continued; and any other information that the commissioner deems relevant. The purpose of these reports is to assist the commissioner in determining whether the quantitative and qualitative requirements of this subdivision are substantially being met by the exchange in general or with regard to any particular security.
The commissioner after appropriate notice and opportunity for hearing in accordance with the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act, Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, may, in his or her discretion, by rule or order, decertify any exchange previously certified that ceases substantially to apply the minimum standards or criteria as set forth in paragraphs (1) and (2).
A rule or order of certification shall conclusively establish that any security listed or approved for listing upon notice of issuance on any exchange named in a rule or order of certification, and any warrant or right to purchase or subscribe to that security, is exempt under this subdivision until the adoption by the commissioner of any rule or order decertifying the exchange.
(p)A promissory note secured by a lien on real property, which is neither one of a series of notes of equal priority secured by interests in the same real property nor a note in which beneficial interests are sold to more than one person or entity.
(q)Any unincorporated interindemnity or reciprocal or interinsurance contract, that qualifies under the provisions of Section 1280.7 of the Insurance Code, between members of a cooperative corporation, organized and operating under Part 2 (commencing with Section 12200) of Division 3 of Title 1, and whose members consist only of physicians and surgeons licensed in California, which contracts indemnify solely in respect to medical malpractice claims against the members, and which do not collect in advance of loss any moneys other than contributions by each member to a collective reserve trust fund or for necessary expenses of administration.
(1)Whenever it appears to the commissioner that any person has engaged or is about to engage in any act or practice constituting a violation of any provision of Section 1280.7 of the Insurance Code, the commissioner may, in the commissioners discretion, bring an action in the name of the people of the State of California in the superior court to enjoin the acts or practices or to enforce compliance with Section 1280.7 of the Insurance Code. Upon a proper showing a permanent or preliminary injunction, a restraining order, or a writ of mandate shall be granted and a receiver or conservator may be appointed for the defendant or the defendants assets.
(2)The commissioner may, in the commissioners discretion, (A) make public or private investigations within or outside of this state as the commissioner deems necessary to determine whether any person has violated or is about to violate any provision of Section 1280.7 of the Insurance Code or to aid in the enforcement of Section 1280.7, and (B) publish information concerning the violation of Section 1280.7.
(3)For the purpose of any investigation or proceeding under this section, the commissioner or any officer designated by the commissioner may administer oaths and affirmations, subpoena witnesses, compel their attendance, take evidence, and require the production of any books, papers, correspondence, memoranda, agreements, or other documents or records which the commissioner deems relevant or material to the inquiry.
(4)In case of contumacy by, or refusal to obey a subpoena issued to, any person, the superior court, upon application by the commissioner, may issue to the person an order requiring the person to appear before the commissioner, or the officer designated by the commissioner, to produce documentary evidence, if so ordered, or to give evidence touching the matter under investigation or in question. Failure to obey the order of the court may be punished by the court as a contempt.
(5)No person is excused from attending or testifying or from producing any document or record before the commissioner or in obedience to the subpoena of the commissioner or any officer designated by the commissioner, or in any proceeding instituted by the commissioner, on the ground that the testimony or evidence (documentary or otherwise), required of the person may tend to incriminate the person or subject the person to a penalty or forfeiture, but no individual may be prosecuted or subjected to any penalty or forfeiture for or on account of any transaction, matter, or thing concerning which the person is compelled, after validly claiming the privilege against self-incrimination, to testify or produce evidence (documentary or otherwise), except that the individual testifying is not exempt from prosecution and punishment for perjury or contempt committed in testifying.
(6)The cost of any review, examination, audit, or investigation made by the commissioner under Section 1280.7 of the Insurance Code shall be paid to the commissioner by the person subject to the review, examination, audit, or investigation, and the commissioner may maintain an action for the recovery of these costs in any court of competent jurisdiction. In determining the cost, the commissioner may use the actual amount of the salary or other compensation paid to the persons making the review, examination, audit, or investigation plus the actual amount of expenses including overhead reasonably incurred in the performance of the work.
The recoverable cost of each review, examination, audit, or investigation made by the commissioner under Section 1280.7 of the Insurance Code shall not exceed twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000), except that costs exceeding twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) shall be recoverable if the costs are necessary to prevent a violation of any provision of Section 1280.7 of the Insurance Code.
(r)Any shares or memberships issued by any corporation organized and existing pursuant to the provisions of Part 2 (commencing with Section 12200) of Division 3 of Title 1, provided the aggregate investment of any shareholder or member in shares or memberships sold pursuant to this subdivision does not exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000). This exemption does not apply to the shares or memberships of that corporation if any promoter thereof expects or intends to make a profit directly or indirectly from any business or activity associated with the corporation or the operation of the corporation or from remuneration, other than reasonable salary, received from the corporation. This exemption does not apply to nonvoting shares or memberships of that corporation issued to any person who does not possess, and who will not acquire in connection with the issuance of nonvoting shares or memberships, voting power (Section 12253) in the corporation. This exemption also does not apply to shares or memberships issued by a nonprofit cooperative corporation organized to facilitate the creation of an unincorporated interindemnity arrangement that provides indemnification for medical malpractice to its physician and surgeon members as set forth in subdivision (q).
(s)Any security consisting of or representing an interest in a pool of mortgage loans that meets each of the following requirements:
(1)The pool consists of whole mortgage loans or participation interests in those loans, which loans were originated or acquired in the ordinary course of business by a national bank or federal savings association or federal savings bank having its principal office in this state, by a bank incorporated under the laws of this state or by a savings association as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 5102 of the Financial Code and which is subject to the supervision and regulation of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions, and each of which at the time of transfer to the pool is an authorized investment for the originating or acquiring institution.
(2)The pool of mortgage loans is held in trust by a trustee which is a financial institution specified in paragraph (1) as trustee or otherwise.
(3)The loans are serviced by a financial institution specified in paragraph (1).
(4)The security is not offered in amounts of less than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) in the aggregate to any one purchaser.
(5)The security is offered pursuant to a registration under the Securities Act of 1933, or pursuant to an exemption under Regulation A under that act, or in the opinion of counsel for the issuer, is offered pursuant to an exemption under Section 4(2) of that act.
(t)(1)Any security issued or guaranteed by and representing an interest in or a direct obligation of an industrial loan company incorporated under the laws of the state and authorized by the Commissioner of Financial Institutions to engage in industrial loan business.
(2)Any investment certificate in or issued by any industrial loan company that is organized under the laws of a state of the United States other than this state, that is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and that maintains a branch office in this state.
SEC. 2.Section 25102 of the Corporations Code is amended to read:25102.The following transactions are exempted from the provisions of Section 25110:
(a)Any offer (but not a sale) not involving any public offering and the execution and delivery of any agreement for the sale of securities pursuant to the offer if (1) the agreement contains substantially the following provision: The sale of the securities that are the subject of this agreement has not been qualified with the Commissioner of Corporations of the State of California and the issuance of the securities or the payment or receipt of any part of the consideration therefor prior to the qualification is unlawful, unless the sale of securities is exempt from the qualification by Section 25100, 25102, or 25105 of the California Corporations Code. The rights of all parties to this agreement are expressly conditioned upon the qualification being obtained, unless the sale is so exempt; and (2) no part of the purchase price is paid or received and none of the securities are issued until the sale of the securities is qualified under this law unless the sale of securities is exempt from the qualification by this section, Section 25100, or 25105.
(b)Any offer (but not a sale) of a security for which a registration statement has been filed under the Securities Act of 1933 but has not yet become effective, or for which an offering statement under Regulation A has been filed but has not yet been qualified, if no stop order or refusal order is in effect and no public proceeding or examination looking towards an order is pending under Section 8 of the act and no order under Section 25140 or subdivision (a) of Section 25143 is in effect under this law.
(c)Any offer (but not a sale) and the execution and delivery of any agreement for the sale of securities pursuant to the offer as may be permitted by the commissioner upon application. Any negotiating permit under this subdivision shall be conditioned to the effect that none of the securities may be issued and none of the consideration therefor may be received or accepted until the sale of the securities is qualified under this law.
(d)Any transaction or agreement between the issuer and an underwriter or among underwriters if the sale of the securities is qualified, or exempt from qualification, at the time of distribution thereof in this state, if any.
(e)Any offer or sale of any evidence of indebtedness, whether secured or unsecured, and any guarantee thereof, in a transaction not involving any public offering.
(f)Any offer or sale of any security in a transaction (other than an offer or sale to a pension or profit-sharing trust of the issuer) that meets each of the following criteria:
(1)Sales of the security are not made to more than 35 persons, including persons not in this state.
(2)All purchasers either have a preexisting personal or business relationship with the offer or any of its partners, officers, directors or controlling persons, or managers (as appointed or elected by the members) if the offeror is a limited liability company, or by reason of their business or financial experience or the business or financial experience of their professional advisers who are unaffiliated with and who are not compensated by the issuer or any affiliate or selling agent of the issuer, directly or indirectly, could be reasonably assumed to have the capacity to protect their own interests in connection with the transaction.
(3)Each purchaser represents that the purchaser is purchasing for the purchasers own account (or a trust account if the purchaser is a trustee) and not with a view to or for sale in connection with any distribution of the security.
(4)The offer and sale of the security is not accomplished by the publication of any advertisement. The number of purchasers referred to above is exclusive of any described in subdivision (i), any officer, director, or affiliate of the issuer, or manager (as appointed or elected by the members) if the issuer is a limited liability company, and any other purchaser who the commissioner designates by rule. For purposes of this section, spouses (together with any custodian or trustee acting for the account of their minor children) are counted as one person and a partnership, corporation, or other organization that was not specifically formed for the purpose of purchasing the security offered in reliance upon this exemption, is counted as one person. The commissioner shall by rule require the issuer to file a notice of transactions under this subdivision.
The failure to file the notice or the failure to file the notice within the time specified by the rule of the commissioner shall not affect the availability of the exemption. Any issuer that fails to file the notice as provided by rule of the commissioner shall, within 15 business days after discovery of the failure to file the notice or after demand by the commissioner, whichever occurs first, file the notice and pay to the commissioner a fee equal to the fee payable had the transaction been qualified under Section 25110. Neither the filing of the notice nor the failure by the commissioner to comment thereon precludes the commissioner from taking any action that the commissioner deems necessary or appropriate under this division with respect to the offer and sale of the securities.
(g)Any offer or sale of conditional sale agreements, equipment trust certificates, or certificates of interest or participation therein or partial assignments thereof, covering the purchase of railroad rolling stock or equipment or the purchase of motor vehicles, aircraft, or parts thereof, in a transaction not involving any public offering.
(h)Any offer or sale of voting common stock by a corporation incorporated in any state if, immediately after the proposed sale and issuance, there will be only one class of stock of the corporation outstanding that is owned beneficially by no more than 35 persons, provided all of the following requirements have been met:
(1)The offer and sale of the stock is not accompanied by the publication of any advertisement, and no selling expenses have been given, paid, or incurred in connection therewith.
(2)The consideration to be received by the issuer for the stock to be issued consists of any of the following:
(A)Only assets (which may include cash) of an existing business enterprise transferred to the issuer upon its initial organization, of which all of the persons who are to receive the stock to be issued pursuant to this exemption were owners during, and the enterprise was operated for, a period of not less than one year immediately preceding the proposed issuance, and the ownership of the enterprise immediately prior to the proposed issuance was in the same proportions as the shares of stock are to be issued.
(B)Only cash or cancellation of indebtedness for money borrowed, or both, upon the initial organization of the issuer, provided all of the stock is issued for the same price per share.
(C)Only cash, provided the sale is approved in writing by each of the existing shareholders and the purchaser or purchasers are existing shareholders.
(D)In a case where after the proposed issuance there will be only one owner of the stock of the issuer, only any legal consideration.
(3)No promotional consideration has been given, paid, or incurred in connection with the issuance. Promotional consideration means any consideration paid directly or indirectly to a person who, acting alone or in conjunction with one or more other persons, takes the initiative in founding and organizing the business or enterprise of an issuer for services rendered in connection with the founding or organizing.
(4)A notice in a form prescribed by rule of the commissioner, signed by an active member of the State Bar of California, is filed with or mailed for filing to the commissioner not later than 10 business days after receipt of consideration for the securities by the issuer. That notice shall contain an opinion of the member of the State Bar of California that the exemption provided by this subdivision is available for the offer and sale of the securities. The failure to file the notice as required by this subdivision and the rules of the commissioner shall not affect the availability of this exemption. An issuer who fails to file the notice within the time specified by this subdivision shall, within 15 business days after discovery of the failure to file the notice or after demand by the commissioner, whichever occurs first, file the notice and pay to the commissioner a fee equal to the fee payable had the transaction been qualified under Section 25110. The notice, except when filed on behalf of a California corporation, shall be accompanied by an irrevocable consent, in the form that the commissioner by rule prescribes, appointing the commissioner or his or her successor in office to be the issuers attorney to receive service of any lawful process in any noncriminal suit, action, or proceeding against it or its successor that arises under this law or any rule or order hereunder after the consent has been filed, with the same force and validity as if served personally on the issuer. An issuer on whose behalf a consent has been filed in connection with a previous qualification or exemption from qualification under this law (or application for a permit under any prior law if the application or notice under this law states that the consent is still effective) need not file another. Service may be made by leaving a copy of the process in the office of the commissioner, but it is not effective unless (A) the plaintiff, who may be the commissioner in a suit, action, or proceeding instituted by him or her, forthwith sends notice of the service and a copy of the process by registered or certified mail to the defendant or respondent at its last address on file with the commissioner, and (B) the plaintiffs affidavit of compliance with this section is filed in the case on or before the return day of the process, if any, or within the further time as the court allows.
(5)Each purchaser represents that the purchaser is purchasing for the purchasers own account, or a trust account if the purchaser is a trustee, and not with a view to or for sale in connection with any distribution of the stock.
For the purposes of this subdivision, all securities held by spouses, whether or not jointly, shall be considered to be owned by one person, and all securities held by a corporation that has issued stock pursuant to this exemption shall be considered to be held by the shareholders to whom it has issued the stock.
All stock issued by a corporation pursuant to this subdivision as it existed prior to the effective date of the amendments to this section made during the 1996 portion of the 199596 Regular Session that required the issuer to have stamped or printed prominently on the face of the stock certificate a legend in a form prescribed by rule of the commissioner restricting transfer of the stock in a manner provided for by that rule shall not be subject to the transfer restriction legend requirement and, by operation of law, the corporation is authorized to remove that transfer restriction legend from the certificates of those shares of stock issued by the corporation pursuant to this subdivision as it existed prior to the effective date of the amendments to this section made during the 1996 portion of the 199596 Regular Session.
(i)Any offer or sale (1) to a bank, savings and loan association, trust company, insurance company, investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, pension or profit-sharing trust (other than a pension or profit-sharing trust of the issuer, a self-employed individual retirement plan, or individual retirement account), or other institutional investor or governmental agency or instrumentality that the commissioner may designate by rule, whether the purchaser is acting for itself or as trustee, or (2) to any corporation with outstanding securities registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or any wholly owned subsidiary of the corporation that after the offer and sale will own directly or indirectly 100 percent of the outstanding capital stock of the issuer, provided the purchaser represents that it is purchasing for its own account (or for the trust account) for investment and not with a view to or for sale in connection with any distribution of the security.
(j)Any offer or sale of any certificate of interest or participation in an oil or gas title or lease (including subsurface gas storage and payments out of production) if either of the following apply:
(1)All of the purchasers meet one of the following requirements:
(A)Are and have been during the preceding two years engaged primarily in the business of drilling for, producing, or refining oil or gas (or whose corporate predecessor, in the case of a corporation, has been so engaged).
(B)Are persons described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (i).
(C)Have been found by the commissioner upon written application to be substantially engaged in the business of drilling for, producing, or refining oil or gas so as not to require the protection provided by this law (which finding shall be effective until rescinded).
(2)The security is concurrently hypothecated to a bank in the ordinary course of business to secure a loan made by the bank, provided that each purchaser represents that it is purchasing for its own account for investment and not with a view to or for sale in connection with any distribution of the security.
(k)Any offer or sale of any security under, or pursuant to, a plan of reorganization under Chapter 11 of the federal bankruptcy law that has been confirmed or is subject to confirmation by the decree or order of a court of competent jurisdiction.
(l)Any offer or sale of an option, warrant, put, call, or straddle, and any guarantee of any of these securities, by a person who is not the issuer of the security subject to the right, if the transaction, had it involved an offer or sale of the security subject to the right by the person, would not have violated Section 25110 or 25130.
(m)Any offer or sale of a stock to a pension, profit-sharing, stock bonus, or employee stock ownership plan, provided that (1) the plan meets the requirements for qualification under Section 401 of the Internal Revenue Code, and (2) the employees are not required or permitted individually to make any contributions to the plan. The exemption provided by this subdivision shall not be affected by whether the stock is contributed to the plan, purchased from the issuer with contributions by the issuer or an affiliate of the issuer, or purchased from the issuer with funds borrowed from the issuer, an affiliate of the issuer, or any other lender.
(n)Any offer or sale of any security in a transaction, other than an offer or sale of a security in a rollup transaction, that meets all of the following criteria:
(1)The issuer is (A) a California corporation or foreign corporation that, at the time of the filing of the notice required under this subdivision, is subject to Section 2115, or (B) any other form of business entity, including without limitation a partnership or trust organized under the laws of this state. The exemption provided by this subdivision is not available to a blind pool issuer, as that term is defined by the commissioner, or to an investment company subject to the Investment Company Act of 1940.
(2)Sales of securities are made only to qualified purchasers or other persons the issuer reasonably believes, after reasonable inquiry, to be qualified purchasers. A corporation, partnership, or other organization specifically formed for the purpose of acquiring the securities offered by the issuer in reliance upon this exemption may be a qualified purchaser if each of the equity owners of the corporation, partnership, or other organization is a qualified purchaser. Qualified purchasers include the following:
(A)A person designated in Section 260.102.13 of Title 10 of the California Code of Regulations.
(B)A person designated in subdivision (i) or any rule of the commissioner adopted thereunder.
(C)A pension or profit-sharing trust of the issuer, a self-employed individual retirement plan, or an individual retirement account, if the investment decisions made on behalf of the trust, plan, or account are made solely by persons who are qualified purchasers.
(D)An organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, corporation, Massachusetts or similar business trust, or partnership, each with total assets in excess of five million dollars ($5,000,000) according to its most recent audited financial statements.
(E)With respect to the offer and sale of one class of voting common stock of an issuer or of preferred stock of an issuer entitling the holder thereof to at least the same voting rights as the issuers one class of voting common stock, provided that the issuer has only one-class voting common stock outstanding upon consummation of the offer and sale, a natural person who, either individually or jointly with the persons spouse, (i) has a minimum net worth of two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) and had, during the immediately preceding tax year, gross income in excess of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) and reasonably expects gross income in excess of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) during the current tax year or (ii) has a minimum net worth of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000). Net worth shall be determined exclusive of home, home furnishings, and automobiles. Other assets included in the computation of net worth may be valued at fair market value.
Each natural person specified above, by reason of his or her business or financial experience, or the business or financial experience of his or her professional adviser, who is unaffiliated with and who is not compensated, directly or indirectly, by the issuer or any affiliate or selling agent of the issuer, can be reasonably assumed to have the capacity to protect his or her interests in connection with the transaction. The amount of the investment of each natural person shall not exceed 10 percent of the net worth, as determined by this subparagraph, of that natural person.
(F)Any other purchaser designated as qualified by rule of the commissioner.
(3)Each purchaser represents that the purchaser is purchasing for the purchasers own account (or trust account, if the purchaser is a trustee) and not with a view to or for sale in connection with a distribution of the security.
(4)Each natural person purchaser, including a corporation, partnership, or other organization specifically formed by natural persons for the purpose of acquiring the securities offered by the issuer, receives, at least five business days before securities are sold to, or a commitment to purchase is accepted from, the purchaser, a written offering disclosure statement that shall meet the disclosure requirements of Regulation D (17 C.F.R. 230.501 et seq.), and any other information as may be prescribed by rule of the commissioner, provided that the issuer shall not be obligated pursuant to this paragraph to provide this disclosure statement to a natural person qualified under Section 260.102.13 of Title 10 of the California Code of Regulations. The offer or sale of securities pursuant to a disclosure statement required by this paragraph that is in violation of Section 25401, or that fails to meet the disclosure requirements of Regulation D (17 C.F.R. 230.501 et seq.), shall not render unavailable to the issuer the claim of an exemption from Section 25110 afforded by this subdivision. This paragraph does not impose, directly or indirectly, any additional disclosure obligation with respect to any other exemption from qualification available under any other provision of this section.
(5)(A)A general announcement of proposed offering may be published by written document only, provided that the general announcement of proposed offering sets forth the following required information:
(i)The name of the issuer of the securities.
(ii)The full title of the security to be issued.
(iii)The anticipated suitability standards for prospective purchasers.
(iv)A statement that (I) no money or other consideration is being solicited or will be accepted, (II) an indication of interest made by a prospective purchaser involves no obligation or commitment of any kind, and, if the issuer is required by paragraph (4) to deliver a disclosure statement to prospective purchasers, (III) no sales will be made or commitment to purchase accepted until five business days after delivery of a disclosure statement and subscription information to the prospective purchaser in accordance with the requirements of this subdivision.
(v)Any other information required by rule of the commissioner.
(vi)The following legend: For more complete information about (Name of Issuer) and (Full Title of Security), send for additional information from (Name and Address) by sending this coupon or calling (Telephone Number).
(B)The general announcement of proposed offering referred to in subparagraph (A) may also set forth the following information:
(i)A brief description of the business of the issuer.
(ii)The geographic location of the issuer and its business.
(iii)The price of the security to be issued, or, if the price is not known, the method of its determination or the probable price range as specified by the issuer, and the aggregate offering price.
(C)The general announcement of proposed offering shall contain only the information that is set forth in this paragraph.
(D)Dissemination of the general announcement of proposed offering to persons who are not qualified purchasers, without more, shall not disqualify the issuer from claiming the exemption under this subdivision.
(6)No telephone solicitation shall be permitted until the issuer has determined that the prospective purchaser to be solicited is a qualified purchaser.
(7)The issuer files a notice of transaction under this subdivision both (A) concurrent with the publication of a general announcement of proposed offering or at the time of the initial offer of the securities, whichever occurs first, accompanied by a filing fee, and (B) within 10 business days following the close or abandonment of the offering, but in no case more than 210 days from the date of filing the first notice. The first notice of transaction under subparagraph (A) shall contain an undertaking, in a form acceptable to the commissioner, to deliver any disclosure statement required by paragraph (4) to be delivered to prospective purchasers, and any supplement thereto, to the commissioner within 10 days of the commissioners request for the information. The exemption from qualification afforded by this subdivision is unavailable if an issuer fails to file the first notice required under subparagraph (A) or to pay the filing fee. The commissioner has the authority to assess an administrative penalty of up to one thousand dollars ($1,000) against an issuer that fails to deliver the disclosure statement required to be delivered to the commissioner upon the commissioners request within the time period set forth above. Neither the filing of the disclosure statement nor the failure by the commissioner to comment thereon precludes the commissioner from taking any action deemed necessary or appropriate under this division with respect to the offer and sale of the securities.
(o)An offer or sale of any security issued by a corporation or limited liability company pursuant to a purchase plan or agreement, or issued pursuant to an option plan or agreement, where the security at the time of issuance or grant is exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, pursuant to Rule 701 adopted pursuant to that act (17 C.F.R. 230.701), the provisions of which are hereby incorporated by reference into this section, provided that (1) the terms of any purchase plan or agreement shall comply with Sections 260.140.42, 260.140.45, and 260.140.46 of Title 10 of the California Code of Regulations, (2) the terms of any option plan or agreement shall comply with Sections 260.140.41, 260.140.45, and 260.140.46 of Title 10 of the California Code of Regulations, and (3) the issuer files a notice of transaction in accordance with rules adopted by the commissioner no later than 30 days after the initial issuance of any security under that plan, accompanied by a filing fee as prescribed by subdivision (y) of Section 25608. The failure to file the notice of transaction within the time specified in this subdivision shall not affect the availability of this exemption. An issuer that fails to file the notice shall, within 15 business days after discovery of the failure to file the notice or after demand by the commissioner, whichever occurs first, file the notice and pay the commissioner a fee equal to the maximum aggregate fee payable had the transaction been qualified under Section 25110.
Offers and sales exempt pursuant to this subdivision shall be deemed to be part of a single, discrete offering and are not subject to integration with any other offering or sale, whether qualified under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 25110), or otherwise exempt, or not subject to qualification.
(p)An offer or sale of nonredeemable securities to accredited investors (Section 28031) by a person licensed under the Capital Access Company Law (Division 3 (commencing with Section 28000) of Title 4), provided that all purchasers either (1) have a preexisting personal or business relationship with the offeror or any of its partners, officers, directors, controlling persons, or managers (as appointed or elected by the members), or (2) by reason of their business or financial experience or the business or financial experience of their professional advisers who are unaffiliated with and who are not compensated by the issuer or any affiliate or selling agent of the issuer, directly or indirectly, could be reasonably assumed to have the capacity to protect their own interests in connection with the transaction. All nonredeemable securities shall be evidenced by certificates that shall have stamped or printed prominently on their face a legend in a form to be prescribed by rule or order of the commissioner restricting transfer of the securities in the manner as the rule or order provides. The exemption under this subdivision shall not be available for any offering that is exempt or asserted to be exempt pursuant to Section 3(a)(11) of the Securities Act of 1933 (15 U.S.C. Sec. 77c(a)(11)) or Rule 147 (17 C.F.R. 230.147) thereunder or otherwise is conducted by means of any form of general solicitation or general advertising.
(q)Any offer or sale of any viatical or life settlement contract or fractionalized or pooled interest therein in a transaction that meets all of the following criteria:
(1)Sales of securities described in this subdivision are made only to qualified purchasers or other persons the issuer reasonably believes, after reasonable inquiry, to be qualified purchasers. A corporation, partnership, or other organization specifically formed for the purpose of acquiring the securities offered by the issuer in reliance upon this exemption may be a qualified purchaser only if each of the equity owners of the corporation, partnership, or other organization is a qualified purchaser. Qualified purchasers include the following:
(A)A person designated in Section 260.102.13 of Title 10 of the California Code of Regulations.
(B)A person designated in subdivision (i) or any rule of the commissioner adopted thereunder.
(C)A pension or profit-sharing trust of the issuer, a self-employed individual retirement plan, or an individual retirement account, if the investment decisions made on behalf of the trust, plan, or account are made solely by persons who are qualified purchasers.
(D)An organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, corporation, Massachusetts or similar business trust, or partnership, each with total assets in excess of five million dollars ($5,000,000) according to its most recent audited financial statements.
(E)A natural person who, either individually or jointly with the persons spouse, (i) has a minimum net worth of one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) and had, during the immediately preceding tax year, gross income in excess of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) and reasonably expects gross income in excess of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) during the current tax year or (ii) has a minimum net worth of two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000). Net worth shall be determined exclusive of home, home furnishings, and automobiles. Other assets included in the computation of net worth may be valued at fair market value.
Each natural person specified above, by reason of his or her business or financial experience, or the business or financial experience of his or her professional adviser, who is unaffiliated with and who is not compensated, directly or indirectly, by the issuer or any affiliate or selling agent of the issuer, can be reasonably assumed to have the capacity to protect his or her interests in connection with the transaction.
The amount of the investment of each natural person shall not exceed 10 percent of the net worth, as determined by this subdivision, of that natural person.
(F)Any other purchaser designated as qualified by rule of the commissioner.
(2)Each purchaser represents that the purchaser is purchasing for the purchasers own account (or trust account, if the purchaser is a trustee) and not with a view to or for sale in connection with a distribution of the security.
(3)Each natural person purchaser, including a corporation, partnership, or other organization specifically formed by natural persons for the purpose of acquiring the securities offered by the issuer, receives, at least five business days before securities described in this subdivision are sold to, or a commitment to purchase is accepted from, the purchaser, the following information in writing:
(A)The name, principal business and mailing address, and telephone number of the issuer.
(B)The suitability standards for prospective purchasers as set forth in paragraph (1) of this subdivision.
(C)A description of the issuers type of business organization and the state in which the issuer is organized or incorporated.
(D)A brief description of the business of the issuer.
(E)If the issuer retains ownership or becomes the beneficiary of the insurance policy, an audit report of an independent certified public accountant together with a balance sheet and related statements of income, retained earnings, and cashflows that reflect the issuers financial position, the results of the issuers operations, and the issuers cashflows as of a date within 15 months before the date of the initial issuance of the securities described in this subdivision. The financial statements listed in this subparagraph shall be prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles. If the date of the audit report is more than 120 days before the date of the initial issuance of the securities described in this subdivision, the issuer shall provide unaudited interim financial statements.
(F)The names of all directors, officers, partners, members, or trustees of the issuer.
(G)A description of any order, judgment, or decree that is final as to the issuing entity of any state, federal, or foreign country governmental agency or administrator, or of any state, federal, or foreign country court of competent jurisdiction (i) revoking, suspending, denying, or censuring for cause any license, permit, or other authority of the issuer or of any director, officer, partner, member, trustee, or person owning or controlling, directly or indirectly, 10 percent or more of the outstanding interest or equity securities of the issuer, to engage in the securities, commodities, franchise, insurance, real estate, or lending business or in the offer or sale of securities, commodities, franchises, insurance, real estate, or loans, (ii) permanently restraining, enjoining, barring, suspending, or censuring any such person from engaging in or continuing any conduct, practice, or employment in connection with the offer or sale of securities, commodities, franchises, insurance, real estate, or loans, (iii) convicting any such person of, or pleading nolo contendere by any such person to, any felony or misdemeanor involving a security, commodity, franchise, insurance, real estate, or loan, or any aspect of the securities, commodities, franchise, insurance, real estate, or lending business, or involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, embezzlement, fraudulent conversion, or misappropriation of property, or (iv) holding any such person liable in a civil action involving breach of a fiduciary duty, fraud, deceit, embezzlement, fraudulent conversion, or misappropriation of property. This subparagraph does not apply to any order, judgment, or decree that has been vacated, overturned, or is more than 10 years old.
(H)Notice of the purchasers right to rescind or cancel the investment and receive a refund pursuant to Section 25508.5.
(I)The name, address, and telephone number of the issuing insurance company, and the name, address, and telephone number of the state or foreign country regulator of the insurance company.
(J)The total face value of the insurance policy and the percentage of the insurance policy the purchaser will own.
(K)The insurance policy number, issue date, and type.
(L)If a group insurance policy, the name, address, and telephone number of the group, and, if applicable, the material terms and conditions of converting the policy to an individual policy, including the amount of increased premiums.
(M)If a term insurance policy, the term and the name, address, and telephone number of the person who will be responsible for renewing the policy if necessary.
(N)That the insurance policy is beyond the state statute for contestability and the reason therefor.
(O)The insurance policy premiums and terms of premium payments.
(P)The amount of the purchasers moneys that will be set aside to pay premiums.
(Q)The name, address, and telephone number of the person who will be the insurance policy owner and the person who will be responsible for paying premiums.
(R)The date on which the purchaser will be required to pay premiums and the amount of the premium, if known.
(S)A statement to the effect that any projected rate of return to the purchaser from the purchase of a viatical or life settlement contract or a fractionalized or pooled interest therein is based on an estimated life expectancy for the person insured under the life insurance policy; that the return on the purchase may vary substantially from the expected rate of return based upon the actual life expectancy of the insured that may be less than, equal to, or may greatly exceed the estimated life expectancy; and that the rate of return would be higher if the actual life expectancy were less than, and lower if the actual life expectancy were greater than than, the estimated life expectancy of the insured at the time the viatical or life settlement contract was closed.
(T)A statement that the purchaser should consult with his or her tax adviser regarding the tax consequences of the purchase of the viatical or life settlement contract or fractionalized or pooled interest therein and, if the purchaser is using retirement funds or accounts for that purchase, whether or not any adverse tax consequences might result from the use of those funds for the purchase of that investment.
(U)Any other information as may be prescribed by rule of the commissioner.
(r)Any offer or sale of any security, that meets each of the following criteria:
(1)The aggregate amount of securities sold to all purchasers by the issuer pursuant to this subdivision within any 12-month period does not exceed five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000).
(2)The aggregate amount of securities sold to any purchaser by the issuer under this subdivision, including any amount sold during the 12-month period preceding the date of the transaction, does not exceed the following:
(A)One thousand dollars ($1,000), or a greater amount as the commissioner may provide by rule or order, if the investor is not an accredited investor, as defined in Section 230.501 of Title 17 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(B)Five percent of the investors net worth, if the investor is an accredited investor, as defined in Section 230.501 of Title 17 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(3)Each purchaser represents that the purchaser is purchasing for the purchasers own account, or a trust account if the purchaser is a trustee, and not with a view to or for sale in connection with any distribution of the security.
(4)For purposes of this subdivision, spouses, together with any custodian or trustee acting for the account of their minor children, are counted as one person, and a partnership, corporation, or other organization that was not specifically formed for the purpose of purchasing the security offered in reliance upon this exemption, is counted as one person.
(5)The commissioner shall by rule require the issuer to file a notice of transaction under this subdivision. The issuer shall file the notice of transactions and attach all documents required in paragraph (7).
(6)The exemption from qualification afforded by this subdivision is unavailable if an issuer fails to file the notice within a time period specified by the commissioner by rule. Neither the filing of the notice nor the failure by the commissioner to comment thereon precludes the commissioner from taking any action that the commissioner deems necessary or appropriate under this division with respect to the offer and sale of the securities.
(7)The issuer provides to purchasers, and makes available to potential purchasers the following:
(A)A cover sheet or heading containing all of the following statements, in bold typeface no smaller than 12-point type:
(i)Investment in a small business is often risky. You should not invest any funds in this offering unless you can afford to lose your entire investment.
(ii)Potential purchasers should review information about the enterprise and offering, and consider the terms and risks of this offering before investing. After reviewing the financial information, description of the business, activities, risk factors, and development time line, potential purchasers should consider whether success of the enterprise is realistic.
(iii)No government regulator is recommending these securities. No government regulator has verified that this document is accurate or determined that it is adequate. No government regulator has recommended or given approval to, any person, security, or transaction associated with this offering.
(B)The issuers street address, telephone number, person to contact with respect to the offering, type of securities offered, financial terms of the offering, the minimum amount the issuer is seeking to raise, a description of the business of the issuer, a description of how the issuer plans to carry out its activities, a budget for the use of proceeds of the offering, a list of the factors that the issuer considers to be the most significant risks to an investor, and a description in chronological order of the steps management intends to take to achieve, maintain, or improve profitability during the 36 months following receipt of the offering proceeds.
(C)The income tax returns filed by the issuer for the most recent completed year, if any.
(D)The financial statements of the issuer for the most recent completed fiscal year, if the business has existed for one year or longer, and the current fiscal year to date, prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and certified by the principal executive officer of the issuer to be true and complete in all material respects.
(E)A written statement of information about any material legal proceedings involving the issuer or its officers and directors.
(8)This exemption cannot be used to raise funds for an enterprise dependent upon the creation of a product or technology for which no fully functional prototype has been made in advance of the public offering of securities. Securities offerings made to raise funds to produce a newly invented product must have a fully functional prototype. The prototype must be demonstrated in person to any potential investor upon request, or, to satisfy many requests for demonstration, the issuer may schedule several demonstrations throughout the offering and announce the dates and times in advance to prospective purchasers along with the materials described in paragraph (7).
(9)Issuers using this exemption may advertise the offering to California investors only, unless the offering complies with the securities laws of other jurisdictions. Issuers must take steps to ensure that any public advertising indicates that the offering is directed at California residents, or that any solicitations made to nonresidents of California comply with applicable laws of other individual states and the United States.
(10)The exemption from qualification afforded by this subdivision is unavailable if an issuer or any officer, director, partner, partial owner of 20 percent or more of the issuer, or person in a managerial role of the issuer has been disqualified from using any securities registration exemption under Section 230.506(d)(1) of Title 17 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(s)
(r)Any offer or sale of any security in a transaction that meets each of the following criteria:
(1)At least 75 percent of the amount raised through the offering will be reserved or allocated to any of the following for agricultural purposes: purchase of fee title to real property, lease of 30 years or more of real property, purchase of an easement on real property, construction of real property, or improvement to real property.
(2)The issuer is an agricultural enterprise that is majority-controlled by one or more individuals who will actively farm the agricultural land to be purchased, leased, or improved and who plan to be actively engaged in the agricultural enterprise, the issuer is a nonprofit public benefit corporation, or the issuer is majority-controlled by a nonprofit public benefit corporation.
(3)The aggregate amount of securities sold to all purchasers by the issuer pursuant to this subdivision within any 12-month period does not exceed two million dollars ($2,000,000).
(4)(A)The aggregate amount of the issuers securities held by any purchaser pursuant to this subdivision does not exceed one of the following:
(i)Two thousand dollars ($2,000).
(ii)Five thousand dollars ($5,000), if the purchaser signs and provides to the issuer a statement verifying that the purchaser has a minimum annual gross income of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) or a minimum net worth of two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000).
(iii)No more than 5 percent of that investors net worth if the purchaser is an accredited investor, as defined in Section 230.501 of Title 17 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(iv)A greater amount from any purchaser as the commissioner may provide by rule or order.
(B)For purposes of this paragraph, net worth shall be determined exclusive of home, home furnishings, and automobiles. Other assets included in the computation of net worth may be valued at fair market value.
(5)The issuer sets aside in a separate third-party escrow account all funds raised as part of the offering, to be held in escrow until the issuer has entered into a contract to purchase a property, easement, or equipment, or to lease land in accordance with paragraph (1). If the issuer does not enter into such a contract within two years of the effective date of the offering, the issuer shall return all funds to the purchasers. This required use of an escrow account shall not apply to purchases of farmland equipment or easements where the good faith estimated cost of the equipment or easement does not exceed one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) and where the total amount of the funds the issuer raises in any 12-month period does not exceed one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000).
(6)Each purchaser represents that the purchaser is purchasing for the purchasers own account, or a trust account if the purchaser is a trustee, and not with a view to or for sale in connection with any distribution of the security.
(7)For purposes of this subdivision, spouses, together with any custodian or trustee acting for the account of their minor children, are counted as one person, and a partnership, corporation, or other organization that was not specifically formed for the purpose of purchasing the security offered in reliance upon this exemption, is counted as one person.
(8)The commissioner shall by rule require the issuer to file a notice of transaction under this subdivision. The issuer shall file the notice of transaction and attach all documents required in paragraph (10).
(9)The exemption from qualification afforded by this subdivision is unavailable if an issuer fails to file the notice within a time period specified by the commissioner by rule. Neither the filing of the notice nor the failure by the commissioner to comment thereon precludes the commissioner from taking any action that the commissioner deems necessary or appropriate under this division with respect to the offer and sale of the securities.
(10)The issuer provides to purchasers, and makes available to potential purchasers, the following:
(A)A cover sheet or heading containing all of the following statements, in bold typeface no smaller than 12-point type:
(i)Investment in a small business is often risky. You should not invest any funds in this offering unless you can afford to lose your entire investment.
(ii)Potential purchasers should review information about the enterprise and offering, and consider the terms and risks of this offering before investing. After reviewing the financial information, description of the business, activities, risk factors, and development time line, potential purchasers should consider whether success of the enterprise is realistic.
(iii)No government regulator is recommending these securities. No government regulator has verified that this document is accurate or determined that it is adequate. No government regulator has recommended or given approval to any person, security, or transaction associated with this offering.
(iv)Unless the issuer is exempt from the escrow account requirement pursuant to paragraph (5) the company described in this disclosure form is seeking to raise at least [insert minimum amount sought by issuer]. Investors funds will be placed into a third-party escrow account until that minimum amount is raised. If [insert name of issuer] does not raise [insert minimum amount sought] by [insert date that is no greater than one year following the start of the offering], your investment will be returned to you within 30 days following that date. It is your responsibility to notify the issuer if your address changes to ensure you receive any refund due to you. Notification regarding a change in address may be made by either of the following methods: [insert at least two methods by which the issuer may be contacted regarding a change in address].
(B)The issuers street address, telephone number, person to contact with respect to offering, type of securities offered, financial terms of the offering, the maximum amount the issuer is seeking to raise, a description of the business of the issuer, a description of how the issuer plans to carry out its activities, a budget for the use of proceeds of the offering, a list of the factors that the issuer considers to be the most significant risks to an investor, and a description of the steps management intends to take to achieve, maintain, or improve profitability during the 36 months following receipt of the offering proceeds.
(C)If the intended use of the proceeds of the offering is to purchase real property, and if the particular property to be purchased has been identified, a description and address of the property to be purchased, an appraisal of the property completed within the last year by a California licensed or certified appraiser, and a description of all improvements to be made on the property in order to make it viable for agricultural use.
(D)If the intended use of the proceeds of the offering is to purchase real property, and if the property to be purchased has not been identified, a description of the size, location, estimated costs, and characteristics of the property that the issuer is seeking.
(E)The income tax returns filed by the issuer for the most recent completed year, if any.
(F)The financial statements of the issuer for the most recent completed fiscal year, if any, and the current fiscal year to date, prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and certified by the principal executive officer of the issuer to be true and complete in all material respects.
(G)A written statement of information about any material legal proceedings involving the company or its officers and directors.
(11)Issuers using this exemption may advertise the offering to California investors only, unless the offering complies with the securities laws of other jurisdictions. Issuers must take steps to ensure that any public advertising indicates that the offering is directed at California residents, or that any solicitations made to nonresidents of California comply with applicable laws of other individual states and the United States.
(12)The exemption from qualification afforded by this subdivision is unavailable if an issuer or any officer, director, partner, partial owner of 20 percent or more of the issuer, or person in a managerial role of the issuer has been disqualified from using any securities registration exemption under Section 230.506(d)(1) of Title 17 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(t)
(s)Any offer or sale of any security in a transaction that meets each of the following criteria:
(1)At least 75 percent of amounts raised through the offering will be reserved or allocated to the purchase of solar photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, equipment necessary for the generation, storage, and transmission of energy generated by the solar panels or wind turbines, or any labor necessary to install solar panels, wind turbines, or any of the equipment necessary for the generation, storage, and transmission of energy generated by solar panels or wind turbines.
(2)The issuer meets any of the following qualifications:
(A)The issuer is a cooperative corporation or a nonprofit mutual benefit corporation with one or more of the following purposes:
(i)Developing or operating facilities that produce solar or wind energy for its members.
(ii)Selling or leasing solar photovoltaic panels or wind turbines to its members or installing solar photovoltaic panels or wind turbines for its members.
(iii)Allocating net metering credits among its members.
(B)The issuer is a nonprofit public benefit corporation that is exempt from federal income taxation as an organization described in Section 501(c)(3) or Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and the issuer is purchasing solar panels or wind turbines primarily to meet the energy needs of the corporation.
(C)The issuer is a cooperative corporation that is operated on a cooperative basis in accordance with Subchapter T of the Internal Revenue Code and the issuer is purchasing solar panels or wind turbines primarily to meet the energy needs of the corporation.
(D)The issuer is a California nonprofit public benefit corporation, mutual benefit corporation, or cooperative with the purpose of developing and operating one or more facilities to generate electricity within a single county and intended for customers within that county, or within a similarly limited geographic area approved by the commissioner.
(E)The issuer is an entity owned or entirely controlled by tenants in multitenant housing, and the issuer has entered into a contract with the owner of the property to install solar panels on the property on which the multitenant housing is located.
(3)The aggregate amount of securities sold to all purchasers by the issuer pursuant to this subdivision within any 12-month period does not exceed two million dollars ($2,000,000).
(4)(A)The aggregate amount of the issuers securities held by any purchaser pursuant to this subdivision does not exceed one of the following:
(i)Two thousand dollars ($2,000).
(ii)Five thousand dollars ($5,000), if the purchaser signs and provides to the issuer a statement verifying that the purchaser has a minimum annual gross income of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) or a minimum net worth of two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000).
(iii)No more than 5 percent of that investors net worth if the purchaser is an accredited investor, as defined in Section 230.501 of Title 17 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(iv)A greater amount from any purchaser as the commissioner may provide by rule or order.
(B)For purposes of this paragraph, net worth shall be determined exclusive of home, home furnishings, and automobiles. Other assets included in the computation of net worth may be valued at fair market value.
(5)Each purchaser represents that the purchaser is purchasing for the purchasers own account, or a trust account if the purchaser is a trustee, and not with a view to or for sale in connection with any distribution of the security.
(6)For purposes of this section, spouses, together with any custodian or trustee acting for the account of their minor children, are counted as one person, and a partnership, corporation, or other organization that was not specifically formed for the purpose of purchasing the security offered in reliance upon this exemption, is counted as one person.
(7)The commissioner shall by rule require the issuer to file a notice of transactions under this subdivision. The issuer shall file the notice of transaction and attach all documents required in paragraph (9).
(8)The exemption from qualification afforded by this subdivision is unavailable if an issuer fails to file the notice within a time period specified by the commissioner by rule. Neither the filing of the notice nor the failure by the commissioner to comment thereon precludes the commissioner from taking any action that the commissioner deems necessary or appropriate under this division with respect to the offer and sale of the securities.
(9)The issuer provides to purchasers, and makes available to potential purchasers purchasers, the following:
(A)A cover sheet or heading containing all of the following statements, in bold typeface no smaller than 12-point type:
(i)Investment in a small business is often risky. You should not invest any funds in this offering unless you can afford to lose your entire investment.
(ii)Potential purchasers should review information about the enterprise and offering, and consider the terms and risks of this offering before investing. After reviewing the financial information, description of the business, activities, risk factors, and development time line, potential purchasers should consider whether success of the enterprise is realistic.
(iii)No government regulator is recommending these securities. No government regulator has verified that this document is accurate or determined that it is adequate. No government regulator has recommended or given approval to any person, security, or transaction associated with this offering.
(iv)The company described in this disclosure form is seeking to raise at least [insert minimum amount sought by issuer]. Investors funds will be placed into a third-party escrow account until that minimum amount is raised. If [insert name of issuer] does not raise [insert minimum amount sought] by [insert date that is no greater than one year following the start of the offering], your investment will be returned to you within 30 days following that date. It is your responsibility to notify the issuer if your address changes, to ensure you receive any refund due to you. Notification regarding a change in address may be made by either of the following methods: [insert at least two methods by which the issuer may be contacted regarding a change in address].
(B)The issuers street address, telephone number, person to contact with respect to offering, the minimum amount the issuer is seeking to raise, type of securities offered, financial terms of the offering, a description of the business of the issuer, a description of how the issuer plans to carry out its activities, a budget for the use of proceeds of the offering, a list of the factors that the issuer considers to be the most significant risks to an investor, and a description in chronological order of the steps management intends to take to achieve, maintain, or improve profitability during the 36 months following receipt of the offering proceeds.
(C)The income tax returns filed by the issuer for the most recently completed year, if any.
(D)The financial statements of the issuer for the most recent completed fiscal year, if the enterprise has existed for one year or longer, and the current fiscal year to date, prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and certified by the principal executive officer of the issuer to be true and complete in all material respects.
(E)A written statement of information about any material legal proceedings involving the issuer or its officers and directors.
(10)The issuer sets aside in a separate third-party escrow account all funds raised as part of the offering, to be held in escrow until the time that the minimum offering amount is reached. If the minimum offering amount is not reached within one year following the effective date of the offering, the issuer shall return all funds to investors.
(11)This exemption cannot be used to raise funds for an enterprise dependent upon the creation of a product or technology for which no fully functional prototype has been made in advance of the public offering of securities. Securities offerings made to produce a newly invented product must have a fully functional prototype. The prototype must be demonstrated in person to any potential investor upon request, or, to satisfy many requests for demonstration, the issuer may schedule several demonstrations throughout the offering and announce the dates and times in advance to prospective purchasers along with the materials.
(12)Issuers using this exemption may advertise the offering to California investors only, unless the offering complies with the securities laws of other jurisdictions. Issuers must take steps to ensure that any public advertising indicates that the offering is directed at California residents, or that any solicitations made to nonresidents of California comply with applicable laws of other individual states and the United States.
(13)The exemption from qualification afforded by this subdivision is unavailable if an issuer or any officer, director, partner, partial owner of 20 percent or more of the issuer, or person in a managerial role of the issuer has been disqualified from using any securities registration exemption under Section 230.506(d)(1) of Title 17 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
The following securities are exempted from Sections 25110, 25120, and 25130:
(a)Any security (including a revenue obligation) issued or guaranteed by the United States, any state, any city, county, city and county, public district, public authority, public corporation, public entity, or political subdivision of a state or any agency or corporate or other instrumentality of any one or more of the foregoing; or any certificate of deposit for any of the foregoing.
(b)Any security issued or guaranteed by Canada, any Canadian province, any political subdivision or municipality of that province, or by any other foreign government with which the United States currently maintains diplomatic relations, if the security is recognized as a valid obligation by the issuer or guarantor; or any certificate of deposit for any of the foregoing.
(c)Any security issued or guaranteed by and representing an interest in or a direct obligation of a national bank or a bank or trust company incorporated under the laws of this state, and any security issued by a bank to one or more other banks and representing an interest in an asset of the issuing bank.
(d)Any security issued or guaranteed by a federal savings association or federal savings bank or federal land bank or joint land bank or national farm loan association or by any savings association, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 5102 of the Financial Code, which is subject to the supervision and regulation of the Commissioner of Business Oversight of this state.
(e)Any security (other than an interest in all or portions of a parcel or parcels of real property which are subdivided land or a subdivision or in a real estate development), the issuance of which is subject to authorization by the Insurance Commissioner, the Public Utilities Commission, or the Real Estate Commissioner of this state.
(f)Any security consisting of any interest in all or portions of a parcel or parcels of real property that are subdivided lands or a subdivision or in a real estate development; provided that the exemption in this subdivision shall not be applicable to: (1) any investment contract sold or offered for sale with, or as part of, that interest, or (2) any person engaged in the business of selling, distributing, or supplying water for irrigation purposes or domestic use that is not a public utility except that the exemption is applicable to any security of a mutual water company (other than an investment contract as described in paragraph (1)) offered or sold in connection with subdivided lands pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 14310) of Part 7 of Division 3 of Title 1.
(g)Any mutual capital certificates or savings accounts, as defined in the Savings Association Law, issued by a savings association, as defined by subdivision (a) of Section 5102 of the Financial Code, and holding a license or certificate of authority then in force from the Commissioner of Business Oversight of this state.
(h)Any security issued or guaranteed by any federal credit union, or by any credit union organized and supervised, or regulated, under the Credit Union Law.
(i)Any security issued or guaranteed by any railroad, other common carrier, public utility, or public utility holding company which is (1) subject to the jurisdiction of the Interstate Commerce Commission or its successor or (2) a holding company registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or a subsidiary of that company within the meaning of that act or (3) regulated in respect of the issuance or guarantee of the security by a governmental authority of the United States, of any state, of Canada or of any Canadian province; and the security is subject to registration with or authorization of issuance by that authority.
(j)Any security (except evidences of indebtedness, whether interest bearing or not) of an issuer (1) organized exclusively for educational, benevolent, fraternal, religious, charitable, social, or reformatory purposes and not for pecuniary profit, if no part of the net earnings of the issuer inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual, or (2) organized as a chamber of commerce or trade or professional association. The fact that amounts received from memberships or dues or both will or may be used to construct or otherwise acquire facilities for use by members of the nonprofit organization does not disqualify the organization for this exemption. This exemption does not apply to the securities of any nonprofit organization if any promoter thereof expects or intends to make a profit directly or indirectly from any business or activity associated with the organization or operation of that nonprofit organization or from remuneration received from that nonprofit organization.
(k)Any agreement, commonly known as a life income contract, of an issuer (1) organized exclusively for educational, benevolent, fraternal, religious, charitable, social, or reformatory purposes and not for pecuniary profit and (2) which the commissioner designates by rule or order, with a donor in consideration of a donation of property to that issuer and providing for the payment to the donor or persons designated by him or her of income or specified periodic payments from the donated property or other property for the life of the donor or those other persons.
(l)Any note, draft, bill of exchange, or bankers acceptance which is freely transferable and of prime quality, arises out of a current transaction or the proceeds of which have been or are to be used for current transactions, and which evidences an obligation to pay cash within nine months of the date of issuance, exclusive of days of grace, or any renewal of that paper which is likewise limited, or any guarantee of that paper or of that renewal, provided that the paper is not offered to the public in amounts of less than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) in the aggregate to any one purchaser. In addition, the commissioner may, by rule or order, exempt any issuer of any notes, drafts, bills of exchange or bankers acceptances from qualification of those securities when the commissioner finds that the qualification is not necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors.
(m)Any security issued by any corporation organized and existing under the provisions of Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 54001) of Division 20 of the Food and Agricultural Code.
(n)Any beneficial interest in an employees pension, profit-sharing, stock bonus, or similar benefit plan which meets the requirements for qualification under Section 401 of the federal Internal Revenue Code or any statute amendatory thereof or supplementary thereto. A determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service stating that an employees pension, profit-sharing, stock bonus, or similar benefit plan meets those requirements shall be conclusive evidence that the plan is an employees pension, profit-sharing, stock bonus, or similar benefit plan within the meaning of the first sentence of this subdivision until the date the determination letter is revoked in writing by the Internal Revenue Service, regardless of whether or not the revocation is retroactive.
(o)Any security listed or approved for listing upon notice of issuance on a national securities exchange, if the exchange has been certified by rule or order of the commissioner and any warrant or right to purchase or subscribe to the security. The exemption afforded by this subdivision does not apply to securities listed or approved for listing upon notice of issuance on a national securities exchange, in a rollup transaction unless the rollup transaction is an eligible rollup transaction as defined in Section 25014.7.
That certification of any exchange shall be made by the commissioner upon the written request of the exchange if the commissioner finds that the exchange, in acting on applications for listing of common stock, substantially applies the minimum standards set forth in either subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1), and, in considering suspension or removal from listing, substantially applies each of the criteria set forth in paragraph (2).
(1)Listing standards:
(A)(i)Shareholders equity of at least four million dollars ($4,000,000).
(ii)Pretax income of at least seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($750,000) in the issuers last fiscal year or in two of its last three fiscal years.
(iii)Minimum public distribution of 500,000 shares (exclusive of the holdings of officers, directors, controlling shareholders, and other concentrated or family holdings), together with a minimum of 800 public holders or minimum public distribution of 1,000,000 shares together with a minimum of 400 public holders. The exchange may also consider the listing of a companys securities if the company has a minimum of 500,000 shares publicly held, a minimum of 400 shareholders and daily trading volume in the issue has been approximately 2,000 shares or more for the six months preceding the date of application. In evaluating the suitability of an issue for listing under this trading provision, the exchange shall review the nature and frequency of that activity and any other factors as it may determine to be relevant in ascertaining whether the issue is suitable for trading. A security that trades infrequently shall not be considered for listing under this paragraph even though average daily volume amounts to 2,000 shares per day or more.
Companies whose securities are concentrated in a limited geographical area, or whose securities are largely held in block by institutional investors, normally may not be considered eligible for listing unless the public distribution appreciably exceeds 500,000 shares.
(iv)Minimum price of three dollars ($3) per share for a reasonable period of time prior to the filing of a listing application; provided, however, in certain instances an exchange may favorably consider listing an issue selling for less than three dollars ($3) per share after considering all pertinent factors, including market conditions in general, whether historically the issue has sold above three dollars ($3) per share, the applicants capitalization, and the number of outstanding and publicly held shares of the issue.
(v)An aggregate market value for publicly held shares of at least three million dollars ($3,000,000).
(B)(i)Shareholders equity of at least four million dollars ($4,000,000).
(ii)Minimum public distribution set forth in clause (iii) of subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1).
(iii)Operating history of at least three years.
(iv)An aggregate market value for publicly held shares of at least fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000).
(2)Criteria for consideration of suspension or removal from listing:
(A)If a company that (A) has shareholders equity of less than one million dollars ($1,000,000) has sustained net losses in each of its two most recent fiscal years, or (B) has net tangible assets of less than three million dollars ($3,000,000) and has sustained net losses in three of its four most recent fiscal years.
(B)If the number of shares publicly held (excluding the holdings of officers, directors, controlling shareholders, shareholders and other concentrated or family holdings) is less than 150,000.
(C)If the total number of shareholders is less than 400 or if the number of shareholders of lots of 100 shares or more is less than 300.
(D)If the aggregate market value of shares publicly held is less than seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($750,000).
(E)If shares of common stock sell at a price of less than three dollars ($3) per share for a substantial period of time and the issuer shall fail to effectuate a reverse stock split of the shares within a reasonable period of time after being requested by the exchange to take that action.
A national securities exchange, certified by rule or order of the commissioner under this subdivision, shall file annual reports when requested to do so by the commissioner. The annual reports shall contain, by issuer: the variances granted to an exchanges listing standards, including variances from corporate governance and voting rights standards, for any security of that issuer; the reasons for the variances; a discussion of the review procedure instituted by the exchange to determine the effect of the variances on investors and whether the variances should be continued; and any other information that the commissioner deems relevant. The purpose of these reports is to assist the commissioner in determining whether the quantitative and qualitative requirements of this subdivision are substantially being met by the exchange in general or with regard to any particular security.
The commissioner after appropriate notice and opportunity for hearing in accordance with the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act, Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, may, in his or her discretion, by rule or order, decertify any exchange previously certified that ceases substantially to apply the minimum standards or criteria as set forth in paragraphs (1) and (2).
A rule or order of certification shall conclusively establish that any security listed or approved for listing upon notice of issuance on any exchange named in a rule or order of certification, and any warrant or right to purchase or subscribe to that security, is exempt under this subdivision until the adoption by the commissioner of any rule or order decertifying the exchange.
(p)A promissory note secured by a lien on real property, which is neither one of a series of notes of equal priority secured by interests in the same real property nor a note in which beneficial interests are sold to more than one person or entity.
(q)Any unincorporated interindemnity or reciprocal or interinsurance contract, that qualifies under the provisions of Section 1280.7 of the Insurance Code, between members of a cooperative corporation, organized and operating under Part 2 (commencing with Section 12200) of Division 3 of Title 1, and whose members consist only of physicians and surgeons licensed in California, which contracts indemnify solely in respect to medical malpractice claims against the members, and which do not collect in advance of loss any moneys other than contributions by each member to a collective reserve trust fund or for necessary expenses of administration.
(1)Whenever it appears to the commissioner that any person has engaged or is about to engage in any act or practice constituting a violation of any provision of Section 1280.7 of the Insurance Code, the commissioner may, in the commissioners discretion, bring an action in the name of the people of the State of California in the superior court to enjoin the acts or practices or to enforce compliance with Section 1280.7 of the Insurance Code. Upon a proper showing a permanent or preliminary injunction, a restraining order, or a writ of mandate shall be granted and a receiver or conservator may be appointed for the defendant or the defendants assets.
(2)The commissioner may, in the commissioners discretion, (A) make public or private investigations within or outside of this state as the commissioner deems necessary to determine whether any person has violated or is about to violate any provision of Section 1280.7 of the Insurance Code or to aid in the enforcement of Section 1280.7, and (B) publish information concerning the violation of Section 1280.7.
(3)For the purpose of any investigation or proceeding under this section, the commissioner or any officer designated by the commissioner may administer oaths and affirmations, subpoena witnesses, compel their attendance, take evidence, and require the production of any books, papers, correspondence, memoranda, agreements, or other documents or records which the commissioner deems relevant or material to the inquiry.
(4)In case of contumacy by, or refusal to obey a subpoena issued to, any person, the superior court, upon application by the commissioner, may issue to the person an order requiring the person to appear before the commissioner, or the officer designated by the commissioner, to produce documentary evidence, if so ordered, or to give evidence touching the matter under investigation or in question. Failure to obey the order of the court may be punished by the court as a contempt.
(5)No person is excused from attending or testifying or from producing any document or record before the commissioner or in obedience to the subpoena of the commissioner or any officer designated by the commissioner, or in any proceeding instituted by the commissioner, on the ground that the testimony or evidence (documentary or otherwise), required of the person may tend to incriminate the person or subject the person to a penalty or forfeiture, but no individual may be prosecuted or subjected to any penalty or forfeiture for or on account of any transaction, matter, or thing concerning which the person is compelled, after validly claiming the privilege against self-incrimination, to testify or produce evidence (documentary or otherwise), except that the individual testifying is not exempt from prosecution and punishment for perjury or contempt committed in testifying.
(6)The cost of any review, examination, audit, or investigation made by the commissioner under Section 1280.7 of the Insurance Code shall be paid to the commissioner by the person subject to the review, examination, audit, or investigation, and the commissioner may maintain an action for the recovery of these costs in any court of competent jurisdiction. In determining the cost, the commissioner may use the actual amount of the salary or other compensation paid to the persons making the review, examination, audit, or investigation plus the actual amount of expenses including overhead reasonably incurred in the performance of the work.
The recoverable cost of each review, examination, audit, or investigation made by the commissioner under Section 1280.7 of the Insurance Code shall not exceed twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000), except that costs exceeding twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) shall be recoverable if the costs are necessary to prevent a violation of any provision of Section 1280.7 of the Insurance Code.
(r)Any shares or memberships issued by any corporation organized and existing pursuant to the provisions of Part 2 (commencing with Section 12200) of Division 3 of Title 1, provided the aggregate investment of any shareholder or member in shares or memberships sold pursuant to this subdivision does not exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000). This exemption does not apply to the shares or memberships of that corporation if any promoter thereof expects or intends to make a profit directly or indirectly from any business or activity associated with the corporation or the operation of the corporation or from remuneration, other than reasonable salary, received from the corporation. This exemption does not apply to nonvoting shares or memberships of that corporation issued to any person who does not possess, and who will not acquire in connection with the issuance of nonvoting shares or memberships, voting power (Section 12253) in the corporation. This exemption also does not apply to shares or memberships issued by a nonprofit cooperative corporation organized to facilitate the creation of an unincorporated interindemnity arrangement that provides indemnification for medical malpractice to its physician and surgeon members as set forth in subdivision (q).
(s)Any security consisting of or representing an interest in a pool of mortgage loans that meets each of the following requirements:
(1)The pool consists of whole mortgage loans or participation interests in those loans, which loans were originated or acquired in the ordinary course of business by a national bank or federal savings association or federal savings bank having its principal office in this state, by a bank incorporated under the laws of this state or by a savings association as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 5102 of the Financial Code and which is subject to the supervision and regulation of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions, and each of which at the time of transfer to the pool is an authorized investment for the originating or acquiring institution.
(2)The pool of mortgage loans is held in trust by a trustee which is a financial institution specified in paragraph (1) as trustee or otherwise.
(3)The loans are serviced by a financial institution specified in paragraph (1).
(4)The security is not offered in amounts of less than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) in the aggregate to any one purchaser.
(5)The security is offered pursuant to a registration under the Securities Act of 1933, or pursuant to an exemption under Regulation A under that act, or in the opinion of counsel for the issuer, is offered pursuant to an exemption under Section 4(2) of that act.
(t)(1)Any security issued or guaranteed by and representing an interest in or a direct obligation of an industrial loan company incorporated under the laws of the state and authorized by the Commissioner of Financial Institutions to engage in industrial loan business.
(2)Any investment certificate in or issued by any industrial loan company that is organized under the laws of a state of the United States other than this state, that is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and that maintains a branch office in this state.
SEC. 2.Section 25102 of the Corporations Code is amended to read:25102.The following transactions are exempted from the provisions of Section 25110:
(a)Any offer (but not a sale) not involving any public offering and the execution and delivery of any agreement for the sale of securities pursuant to the offer if (1) the agreement contains substantially the following provision: The sale of the securities that are the subject of this agreement has not been qualified with the Commissioner of Corporations of the State of California and the issuance of the securities or the payment or receipt of any part of the consideration therefor prior to the qualification is unlawful, unless the sale of securities is exempt from the qualification by Section 25100, 25102, or 25105 of the California Corporations Code. The rights of all parties to this agreement are expressly conditioned upon the qualification being obtained, unless the sale is so exempt; and (2) no part of the purchase price is paid or received and none of the securities are issued until the sale of the securities is qualified under this law unless the sale of securities is exempt from the qualification by this section, Section 25100, or 25105.
(b)Any offer (but not a sale) of a security for which a registration statement has been filed under the Securities Act of 1933 but has not yet become effective, or for which an offering statement under Regulation A has been filed but has not yet been qualified, if no stop order or refusal order is in effect and no public proceeding or examination looking towards an order is pending under Section 8 of the act and no order under Section 25140 or subdivision (a) of Section 25143 is in effect under this law.
(c)Any offer (but not a sale) and the execution and delivery of any agreement for the sale of securities pursuant to the offer as may be permitted by the commissioner upon application. Any negotiating permit under this subdivision shall be conditioned to the effect that none of the securities may be issued and none of the consideration therefor may be received or accepted until the sale of the securities is qualified under this law.
(d)Any transaction or agreement between the issuer and an underwriter or among underwriters if the sale of the securities is qualified, or exempt from qualification, at the time of distribution thereof in this state, if any.
(e)Any offer or sale of any evidence of indebtedness, whether secured or unsecured, and any guarantee thereof, in a transaction not involving any public offering.
(f)Any offer or sale of any security in a transaction (other than an offer or sale to a pension or profit-sharing trust of the issuer) that meets each of the following criteria:
(1)Sales of the security are not made to more than 35 persons, including persons not in this state.
(2)All purchasers either have a preexisting personal or business relationship with the offer or any of its partners, officers, directors or controlling persons, or managers (as appointed or elected by the members) if the offeror is a limited liability company, or by reason of their business or financial experience or the business or financial experience of their professional advisers who are unaffiliated with and who are not compensated by the issuer or any affiliate or selling agent of the issuer, directly or indirectly, could be reasonably assumed to have the capacity to protect their own interests in connection with the transaction.
(3)Each purchaser represents that the purchaser is purchasing for the purchasers own account (or a trust account if the purchaser is a trustee) and not with a view to or for sale in connection with any distribution of the security.
(4)The offer and sale of the security is not accomplished by the publication of any advertisement. The number of purchasers referred to above is exclusive of any described in subdivision (i), any officer, director, or affiliate of the issuer, or manager (as appointed or elected by the members) if the issuer is a limited liability company, and any other purchaser who the commissioner designates by rule. For purposes of this section, a husband and wife spouses (together with any custodian or trustee acting for the account of their minor children) are counted as one person and a partnership, corporation, or other organization that was not specifically formed for the purpose of purchasing the security offered in reliance upon this exemption, is counted as one person. The commissioner shall by rule require the issuer to file a notice of transactions under this subdivision.
The failure to file the notice or the failure to file the notice within the time specified by the rule of the commissioner shall not affect the availability of the exemption. Any issuer that fails to file the notice as provided by rule of the commissioner shall, within 15 business days after discovery of the failure to file the notice or after demand by the commissioner, whichever occurs first, file the notice and pay to the commissioner a fee equal to the fee payable had the transaction been qualified under Section 25110. Neither the filing of the notice nor the failure by the commissioner to comment thereon precludes the commissioner from taking any action that the commissioner deems necessary or appropriate under this division with respect to the offer and sale of the securities.
(g)Any offer or sale of conditional sale agreements, equipment trust certificates, or certificates of interest or participation therein or partial assignments thereof, covering the purchase of railroad rolling stock or equipment or the purchase of motor vehicles, aircraft, or parts thereof, in a transaction not involving any public offering.
(h)Any offer or sale of voting common stock by a corporation incorporated in any state if, immediately after the proposed sale and issuance, there will be only one class of stock of the corporation outstanding that is owned beneficially by no more than 35 persons, provided all of the following requirements have been met:
(1)The offer and sale of the stock is not accompanied by the publication of any advertisement, and no selling expenses have been given, paid, or incurred in connection therewith.
(2)The consideration to be received by the issuer for the stock to be issued consists of any of the following:
(A)Only assets (which may include cash) of an existing business enterprise transferred to the issuer upon its initial organization, of which all of the persons who are to receive the stock to be issued pursuant to this exemption were owners during, and the enterprise was operated for, a period of not less than one year immediately preceding the proposed issuance, and the ownership of the enterprise immediately prior to the proposed issuance was in the same proportions as the shares of stock are to be issued.
(B)Only cash or cancellation of indebtedness for money borrowed, or both, upon the initial organization of the issuer, provided all of the stock is issued for the same price per share.
(C)Only cash, provided the sale is approved in writing by each of the existing shareholders and the purchaser or purchasers are existing shareholders.
(D)In a case where after the proposed issuance there will be only one owner of the stock of the issuer, only any legal consideration.
(3)No promotional consideration has been given, paid, or incurred in connection with the issuance. Promotional consideration means any consideration paid directly or indirectly to a person who, acting alone or in conjunction with one or more other persons, takes the initiative in founding and organizing the business or enterprise of an issuer for services rendered in connection with the founding or organizing.
(4)A notice in a form prescribed by rule of the commissioner, signed by an active member of the State Bar of California, is filed with or mailed for filing to the commissioner not later than 10 business days after receipt of consideration for the securities by the issuer. That notice shall contain an opinion of the member of the State Bar of California that the exemption provided by this subdivision is available for the offer and sale of the securities. The failure to file the notice as required by this subdivision and the rules of the commissioner shall not affect the availability of this exemption. An issuer who fails to file the notice within the time specified by this subdivision shall, within 15 business days after discovery of the failure to file the notice or after demand by the commissioner, whichever occurs first, file the notice and pay to the commissioner a fee equal to the fee payable had the transaction been qualified under Section 25110. The notice, except when filed on behalf of a California corporation, shall be accompanied by an irrevocable consent, in the form that the commissioner by rule prescribes, appointing the commissioner or his or her successor in office to be the issuers attorney to receive service of any lawful process in any noncriminal suit, action, or proceeding against it or its successor that arises under this law or any rule or order hereunder after the consent has been filed, with the same force and validity as if served personally on the issuer. An issuer on whose behalf a consent has been filed in connection with a previous qualification or exemption from qualification under this law (or application for a permit under any prior law if the application or notice under this law states that the consent is still effective) need not file another. Service may be made by leaving a copy of the process in the office of the commissioner, but it is not effective unless (A) the plaintiff, who may be the commissioner in a suit, action, or proceeding instituted by him or her, forthwith sends notice of the service and a copy of the process by registered or certified mail to the defendant or respondent at its last address on file with the commissioner, and (B) the plaintiffs affidavit of compliance with this section is filed in the case on or before the return day of the process, if any, or within the further time as the court allows.
(5)Each purchaser represents that the purchaser is purchasing for the purchasers own account, or a trust account if the purchaser is a trustee, and not with a view to or for sale in connection with any distribution of the stock.
For the purposes of this subdivision, all securities held by a husband and wife, spouses, whether or not jointly, shall be considered to be owned by one person, and all securities held by a corporation that has issued stock pursuant to this exemption shall be considered to be held by the shareholders to whom it has issued the stock.
All stock issued by a corporation pursuant to this subdivision as it existed prior to the effective date of the amendments to this section made during the 1996 portion of the 199596 Regular Session that required the issuer to have stamped or printed prominently on the face of the stock certificate a legend in a form prescribed by rule of the commissioner restricting transfer of the stock in a manner provided for by that rule shall not be subject to the transfer restriction legend requirement and, by operation of law, the corporation is authorized to remove that transfer restriction legend from the certificates of those shares of stock issued by the corporation pursuant to this subdivision as it existed prior to the effective date of the amendments to this section made during the 1996 portion of the 199596 Regular Session.
(i)Any offer or sale (1) to a bank, savings and loan association, trust company, insurance company, investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, pension or profit-sharing trust (other than a pension or profit-sharing trust of the issuer, a self-employed individual retirement plan, or individual retirement account), or other institutional investor or governmental agency or instrumentality that the commissioner may designate by rule, whether the purchaser is acting for itself or as trustee, or (2) to any corporation with outstanding securities registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or any wholly owned subsidiary of the corporation that after the offer and sale will own directly or indirectly 100 percent of the outstanding capital stock of the issuer, provided the purchaser represents that it is purchasing for its own account (or for the trust account) for investment and not with a view to or for sale in connection with any distribution of the security.
(j)Any offer or sale of any certificate of interest or participation in an oil or gas title or lease (including subsurface gas storage and payments out of production) if either of the following apply:
(1)All of the purchasers meet one of the following requirements:
(A)Are and have been during the preceding two years engaged primarily in the business of drilling for, producing, or refining oil or gas (or whose corporate predecessor, in the case of a corporation, has been so engaged).
(B)Are persons described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (i).
(C)Have been found by the commissioner upon written application to be substantially engaged in the business of drilling for, producing, or refining oil or gas so as not to require the protection provided by this law (which finding shall be effective until rescinded).
(2)The security is concurrently hypothecated to a bank in the ordinary course of business to secure a loan made by the bank, provided that each purchaser represents that it is purchasing for its own account for investment and not with a view to or for sale in connection with any distribution of the security.
(k)Any offer or sale of any security under, or pursuant to, a plan of reorganization under Chapter 11 of the federal bankruptcy law that has been confirmed or is subject to confirmation by the decree or order of a court of competent jurisdiction.
(l)Any offer or sale of an option, warrant, put, call, or straddle, and any guarantee of any of these securities, by a person who is not the issuer of the security subject to the right, if the transaction, had it involved an offer or sale of the security subject to the right by the person, would not have violated Section 25110 or 25130.
(m)Any offer or sale of a stock to a pension, profit-sharing, stock bonus, or employee stock ownership plan, provided that (1) the plan meets the requirements for qualification under Section 401 of the Internal Revenue Code, and (2) the employees are not required or permitted individually to make any contributions to the plan. The exemption provided by this subdivision shall not be affected by whether the stock is contributed to the plan, purchased from the issuer with contributions by the issuer or an affiliate of the issuer, or purchased from the issuer with funds borrowed from the issuer, an affiliate of the issuer, or any other lender.
(n)Any offer or sale of any security in a transaction, other than an offer or sale of a security in a rollup transaction, that meets all of the following criteria:
(1)The issuer is (A) a California corporation or foreign corporation that, at the time of the filing of the notice required under this subdivision, is subject to Section 2115, or (B) any other form of business entity, including without limitation a partnership or trust organized under the laws of this state. The exemption provided by this subdivision is not available to a blind pool issuer, as that term is defined by the commissioner, or to an investment company subject to the Investment Company Act of 1940.
(2)Sales of securities are made only to qualified purchasers or other persons the issuer reasonably believes, after reasonable inquiry, to be qualified purchasers. A corporation, partnership, or other organization specifically formed for the purpose of acquiring the securities offered by the issuer in reliance upon this exemption may be a qualified purchaser if each of the equity owners of the corporation, partnership, or other organization is a qualified purchaser. Qualified purchasers include the following:
(A)A person designated in Section 260.102.13 of Title 10 of the California Code of Regulations.
(B)A person designated in subdivision (i) or any rule of the commissioner adopted thereunder.
(C)A pension or profit-sharing trust of the issuer, a self-employed individual retirement plan, or an individual retirement account, if the investment decisions made on behalf of the trust, plan, or account are made solely by persons who are qualified purchasers.
(D)An organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, corporation, Massachusetts or similar business trust, or partnership, each with total assets in excess of five million dollars ($5,000,000) according to its most recent audited financial statements.
(E)With respect to the offer and sale of one class of voting common stock of an issuer or of preferred stock of an issuer entitling the holder thereof to at least the same voting rights as the issuers one class of voting common stock, provided that the issuer has only one-class voting common stock outstanding upon consummation of the offer and sale, a natural person who, either individually or jointly with the persons spouse, (i) has a minimum net worth of two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) and had, during the immediately preceding tax year, gross income in excess of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) and reasonably expects gross income in excess of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) during the current tax year or (ii) has a minimum net worth of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000). Net worth shall be determined exclusive of home, home furnishings, and automobiles. Other assets included in the computation of net worth may be valued at fair market value.
Each natural person specified above, by reason of his or her business or financial experience, or the business or financial experience of his or her professional adviser, who is unaffiliated with and who is not compensated, directly or indirectly, by the issuer or any affiliate or selling agent of the issuer, can be reasonably assumed to have the capacity to protect his or her interests in connection with the transaction. The amount of the investment of each natural person shall not exceed 10 percent of the net worth, as determined by this subparagraph, of that natural person.
(F)Any other purchaser designated as qualified by rule of the commissioner.
(3)Each purchaser represents that the purchaser is purchasing for the purchasers own account (or trust account, if the purchaser is a trustee) and not with a view to or for sale in connection with a distribution of the security.
(4)Each natural person purchaser, including a corporation, partnership, or other organization specifically formed by natural persons for the purpose of acquiring the securities offered by the issuer, receives, at least five business days before securities are sold to, or a commitment to purchase is accepted from, the purchaser, a written offering disclosure statement that shall meet the disclosure requirements of Regulation D (17 C.F.R. 230.501 et seq.), and any other information as may be prescribed by rule of the commissioner, provided that the issuer shall not be obligated pursuant to this paragraph to provide this disclosure statement to a natural person qualified under Section 260.102.13 of Title 10 of the California Code of Regulations. The offer or sale of securities pursuant to a disclosure statement required by this paragraph that is in violation of Section 25401, or that fails to meet the disclosure requirements of Regulation D (17 C.F.R. 230.501 et seq.), shall not render unavailable to the issuer the claim of an exemption from Section 25110 afforded by this subdivision. This paragraph does not impose, directly or indirectly, any additional disclosure obligation with respect to any other exemption from qualification available under any other provision of this section.
(5)(A)A general announcement of proposed offering may be published by written document only, provided that the general announcement of proposed offering sets forth the following required information:
(i)The name of the issuer of the securities.
(ii)The full title of the security to be issued.
(iii)The anticipated suitability standards for prospective purchasers.
(iv)A statement that (I) no money or other consideration is being solicited or will be accepted, (II) an indication of interest made by a prospective purchaser involves no obligation or commitment of any kind, and, if the issuer is required by paragraph (4) to deliver a disclosure statement to prospective purchasers, (III) no sales will be made or commitment to purchase accepted until five business days after delivery of a disclosure statement and subscription information to the prospective purchaser in accordance with the requirements of this subdivision.
(v)Any other information required by rule of the commissioner.
(vi)The following legend: For more complete information about (Name of Issuer) and (Full Title of Security), send for additional information from (Name and Address) by sending this coupon or calling (Telephone Number).
(B)The general announcement of proposed offering referred to in subparagraph (A) may also set forth the following information:
(i)A brief description of the business of the issuer.
(ii)The geographic location of the issuer and its business.
(iii)The price of the security to be issued, or, if the price is not known, the method of its determination or the probable price range as specified by the issuer, and the aggregate offering price.
(C)The general announcement of proposed offering shall contain only the information that is set forth in this paragraph.
(D)Dissemination of the general announcement of proposed offering to persons who are not qualified purchasers, without more, shall not disqualify the issuer from claiming the exemption under this subdivision.
(6)No telephone solicitation shall be permitted until the issuer has determined that the prospective purchaser to be solicited is a qualified purchaser.
(7)The issuer files a notice of transaction under this subdivision both (A) concurrent with the publication of a general announcement of proposed offering or at the time of the initial offer of the securities, whichever occurs first, accompanied by a filing fee, and (B) within 10 business days following the close or abandonment of the offering, but in no case more than 210 days from the date of filing the first notice. The first notice of transaction under subparagraph (A) shall contain an undertaking, in a form acceptable to the commissioner, to deliver any disclosure statement required by paragraph (4) to be delivered to prospective purchasers, and any supplement thereto, to the commissioner within 10 days of the commissioners request for the information. The exemption from qualification afforded by this subdivision is unavailable if an issuer fails to file the first notice required under subparagraph (A) or to pay the filing fee. The commissioner has the authority to assess an administrative penalty of up to one thousand dollars ($1,000) against an issuer that fails to deliver the disclosure statement required to be delivered to the commissioner upon the commissioners request within the time period set forth above. Neither the filing of the disclosure statement nor the failure by the commissioner to comment thereon precludes the commissioner from taking any action deemed necessary or appropriate under this division with respect to the offer and sale of the securities.
(o)An offer or sale of any security issued by a corporation or limited liability company pursuant to a purchase plan or agreement, or issued pursuant to an option plan or agreement, where the security at the time of issuance or grant is exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, pursuant to Rule 701 adopted pursuant to that act (17 C.F.R. 230.701), the provisions of which are hereby incorporated by reference into this section, provided that (1) the terms of any purchase plan or agreement shall comply with Sections 260.140.42, 260.140.45, and 260.140.46 of Title 10 of the California Code of Regulations, (2) the terms of any option plan or agreement shall comply with Sections 260.140.41, 260.140.45, and 260.140.46 of Title 10 of the California Code of Regulations, and (3) the issuer files a notice of transaction in accordance with rules adopted by the commissioner no later than 30 days after the initial issuance of any security under that plan, accompanied by a filing fee as prescribed by subdivision (y) of Section 25608. The failure to file the notice of transaction within the time specified in this subdivision shall not affect the availability of this exemption. An issuer that fails to file the notice shall, within 15 business days after discovery of the failure to file the notice or after demand by the commissioner, whichever occurs first, file the notice and pay the commissioner a fee equal to the maximum aggregate fee payable had the transaction been qualified under Section 25110.
Offers and sales exempt pursuant to this subdivision shall be deemed to be part of a single, discrete offering and are not subject to integration with any other offering or sale, whether qualified under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 25110), or otherwise exempt, or not subject to qualification.
(p)An offer or sale of nonredeemable securities to accredited investors (Section 28031) by a person licensed under the Capital Access Company Law (Division 3 (commencing with Section 28000) of Title 4), provided that all purchasers either (1) have a preexisting personal or business relationship with the offeror or any of its partners, officers, directors, controlling persons, or managers (as appointed or elected by the members), or (2) by reason of their business or financial experience or the business or financial experience of their professional advisers who are unaffiliated with and who are not compensated by the issuer or any affiliate or selling agent of the issuer, directly or indirectly, could be reasonably assumed to have the capacity to protect their own interests in connection with the transaction. All nonredeemable securities shall be evidenced by certificates that shall have stamped or printed prominently on their face a legend in a form to be prescribed by rule or order of the commissioner restricting transfer of the securities in the manner as the rule or order provides. The exemption under this subdivision shall not be available for any offering that is exempt or asserted to be exempt pursuant to Section 3(a)(11) of the Securities Act of 1933 (15 U.S.C. Sec. 77c(a)(11)) or Rule 147 (17 C.F.R. 230.147) thereunder or otherwise is conducted by means of any form of general solicitation or general advertising.
(q)Any offer or sale of any viatical or life settlement contract or fractionalized or pooled interest therein in a transaction that meets all of the following criteria:
(1)Sales of securities described in this subdivision are made only to qualified purchasers or other persons the issuer reasonably believes, after reasonable inquiry, to be qualified purchasers. A corporation, partnership, or other organization specifically formed for the purpose of acquiring the securities offered by the issuer in reliance upon this exemption may be a qualified purchaser only if each of the equity owners of the corporation, partnership, or other organization is a qualified purchaser. Qualified purchasers include the following:
(A)A person designated in Section 260.102.13 of Title 10 of the California Code of Regulations.
(B)A person designated in subdivision (i) or any rule of the commissioner adopted thereunder.
(C)A pension or profit-sharing trust of the issuer, a self-employed individual retirement plan, or an individual retirement account, if the investment decisions made on behalf of the trust, plan, or account are made solely by persons who are qualified purchasers.
(D)An organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, corporation, Massachusetts or similar business trust, or partnership, each with total assets in excess of five million dollars ($5,000,000) according to its most recent audited financial statements.
(E)A natural person who, either individually or jointly with the persons spouse, (i) has a minimum net worth of one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) and had, during the immediately preceding tax year, gross income in excess of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) and reasonably expects gross income in excess of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) during the current tax year or (ii) has a minimum net worth of two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000). Net worth shall be determined exclusive of home, home furnishings, and automobiles. Other assets included in the computation of net worth may be valued at fair market value.
Each natural person specified above, by reason of his or her business or financial experience, or the business or financial experience of his or her professional adviser, who is unaffiliated with and who is not compensated, directly or indirectly, by the issuer or any affiliate or selling agent of the issuer, can be reasonably assumed to have the capacity to protect his or her interests in connection with the transaction.
The amount of the investment of each natural person shall not exceed 10 percent of the net worth, as determined by this subdivision, of that natural person.
(F)Any other purchaser designated as qualified by rule of the commissioner.
(2)Each purchaser represents that the purchaser is purchasing for the purchasers own account (or trust account, if the purchaser is a trustee) and not with a view to or for sale in connection with a distribution of the security.
(3)Each natural person purchaser, including a corporation, partnership, or other organization specifically formed by natural persons for the purpose of acquiring the securities offered by the issuer, receives, at least five business days before securities described in this subdivision are sold to, or a commitment to purchase is accepted from, the purchaser, the following information in writing:
(A)The name, principal business and mailing address, and telephone number of the issuer.
(B)The suitability standards for prospective purchasers as set forth in paragraph (1) of this subdivision.
(C)A description of the issuers type of business organization and the state in which the issuer is organized or incorporated.
(D)A brief description of the business of the issuer.
(E)If the issuer retains ownership or becomes the beneficiary of the insurance policy, an audit report of an independent certified public accountant together with a balance sheet and related statements of income, retained earnings, and cashflows that reflect the issuers financial position, the results of the issuers operations, and the issuers cashflows as of a date within 15 months before the date of the initial issuance of the securities described in this subdivision. The financial statements listed in this subparagraph shall be prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles. If the date of the audit report is more than 120 days before the date of the initial issuance of the securities described in this subdivision, the issuer shall provide unaudited interim financial statements.
(F)The names of all directors, officers, partners, members, or trustees of the issuer.
(G)A description of any order, judgment, or decree that is final as to the issuing entity of any state, federal, or foreign country governmental agency or administrator, or of any state, federal, or foreign country court of competent jurisdiction (i) revoking, suspending, denying, or censuring for cause any license, permit, or other authority of the issuer or of any director, officer, partner, member, trustee, or person owning or controlling, directly or indirectly, 10 percent or more of the outstanding interest or equity securities of the issuer, to engage in the securities, commodities, franchise, insurance, real estate, or lending business or in the offer or sale of securities, commodities, franchises, insurance, real estate, or loans, (ii) permanently restraining, enjoining, barring, suspending, or censuring any such person from engaging in or continuing any conduct, practice, or employment in connection with the offer or sale of securities, commodities, franchises, insurance, real estate, or loans, (iii) convicting any such person of, or pleading nolo contendere by any such person to, any felony or misdemeanor involving a security, commodity, franchise, insurance, real estate, or loan, or any aspect of the securities, commodities, franchise, insurance, real estate, or lending business, or involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, embezzlement, fraudulent conversion, or misappropriation of property, or (iv) holding any such person liable in a civil action involving breach of a fiduciary duty, fraud, deceit, embezzlement, fraudulent conversion, or misappropriation of property. This subparagraph does not apply to any order, judgment, or decree that has been vacated, overturned, or is more than 10 years old.
(H)Notice of the purchasers right to rescind or cancel the investment and receive a refund pursuant to Section 25508.5.
(I)The name, address, and telephone number of the issuing insurance company, and the name, address, and telephone number of the state or foreign country regulator of the insurance company.
(J)The total face value of the insurance policy and the percentage of the insurance policy the purchaser will own.
(K)The insurance policy number, issue date, and type.
(L)If a group insurance policy, the name, address, and telephone number of the group, and, if applicable, the material terms and conditions of converting the policy to an individual policy, including the amount of increased premiums.
(M)If a term insurance policy, the term and the name, address, and telephone number of the person who will be responsible for renewing the policy if necessary.
(N)That the insurance policy is beyond the state statute for contestability and the reason therefor.
(O)The insurance policy premiums and terms of premium payments.
(P)The amount of the purchasers moneys that will be set aside to pay premiums.
(Q)The name, address, and telephone number of the person who will be the insurance policy owner and the person who will be responsible for paying premiums.
(R)The date on which the purchaser will be required to pay premiums and the amount of the premium, if known.
(S)A statement to the effect that any projected rate of return to the purchaser from the purchase of a viatical or life settlement contract or a fractionalized or pooled interest therein is based on an estimated life expectancy for the person insured under the life insurance policy; that the return on the purchase may vary substantially from the expected rate of return based upon the actual life expectancy of the insured that may be less than, equal to, or may greatly exceed the estimated life expectancy; and that the rate of return would be higher if the actual life expectancy were less than, and lower if the actual life expectancy were greater than the estimated life expectancy of the insured at the time the viatical or life settlement contract was closed.
(T)A statement that the purchaser should consult with his or her tax adviser regarding the tax consequences of the purchase of the viatical or life settlement contract or fractionalized or pooled interest therein and, if the purchaser is using retirement funds or accounts for that purchase, whether or not any adverse tax consequences might result from the use of those funds for the purchase of that investment.
(U)Any other information as may be prescribed by rule of the commissioner.
(r)Any offer or sale of any security, that meets each of the following criteria:
(1)The aggregate amount of securities sold to all purchasers by the issuer pursuant to this subdivision within any 12-month period does not exceed five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000).
(2)The aggregate amount of securities sold to any purchaser by the issuer under this subdivision, including any amount sold during the 12-month period preceding the date of the transaction, does not exceed the following:
(A)One thousand dollars ($1,000), or a greater amount as the commissioner may provide by rule or order, if the investor is not an accredited investor, as defined in Section 230.501 of Title 17 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(B)Five percent of the investors net worth, if the investor is an accredited investor, as defined in Section 230.501 of Title 17 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(3)Each purchaser represents that the purchaser is purchasing for the purchasers own account, or a trust account if the purchaser is a trustee, and not with a view to or for sale in connection with any distribution of the security.
(4)For purposes of this subdivision, spouses, together with any custodian or trustee acting for the account of their minor children, are counted as one person, and a partnership, corporation, or other organization that was not specifically formed for the purpose of purchasing the security offered in reliance upon this exemption, is counted as one person.
(5)The commissioner shall by rule require the issuer to file a notice of transaction under this subdivision. The issuer shall file the notice of transactions and attach all documents required in paragraph (7).
(6)The exemption from qualification afforded by this subdivision is unavailable if an issuer fails to file the notice within a time period specified by the commissioner by rule. Neither the filing of the notice nor the failure by the commissioner to comment thereon precludes the commissioner from taking any action that the commissioner deems necessary or appropriate under this division with respect to the offer and sale of the securities.
(7)The issuer provides to purchasers, and makes available to potential purchasers the following:
(A)A cover sheet or heading containing all of the following statements, in bold typeface no smaller than 12-point type:
(i)Investment in a small business is often risky. You should not invest any funds in this offering unless you can afford to lose your entire investment.
(ii)Potential purchasers should review information about the enterprise and offering, and consider the terms and risks of this offering before investing. After reviewing the financial information, description of the business, activities, risk factors, and development time line, potential purchasers should consider whether success of the enterprise is realistic.
(iii)No government regulator is recommending these securities. No government regulator has verified that this document is accurate or determined that it is adequate. No government regulator has recommended or given approval to, any person, security, or transaction associated with this offering.
(B)The issuers street address, telephone number, person to contact with respect to the offering, type of securities offered, financial terms of the offering, the minimum amount the issuer is seeking to raise, a description of the business of the issuer, a description of how the issuer plans to carry out its activities, a budget for the use of proceeds of the offering, a list of the factors that the issuer considers to be the most significant risks to an investor, and a description in chronological order of the steps management intends to take to achieve, maintain, or improve profitability during the 36 months following receipt of the offering proceeds.
(C)The income tax returns filed by the issuer for the most recent completed year, if any.
(D)The financial statements of the issuer for the most recent completed fiscal year, if the business has existed for one year or longer, and the current fiscal year to date, prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and certified by the principal executive officer of the issuer to be true and complete in all material respects.
(E)A written statement of information about any material legal proceedings involving the issuer or its officers and directors.
(8)This exemption cannot be used to raise funds for an enterprise dependent upon the creation of a product or technology for which no fully functional prototype has been made in advance of the public offering of securities. Securities offerings made to raise funds to produce a newly invented product must have a fully functional prototype. The prototype must be demonstrated in person to any potential investor upon request, or, to satisfy many requests for demonstration, the issuer may schedule several demonstrations throughout the offering and announce the dates and times in advance to prospective purchasers along with the materials described in paragraph (7).
(9)Issuers using this exemption may advertise the offering to California investors only, unless the offering complies with the securities laws of other jurisdictions. Issuers must take steps to ensure that any public advertising indicates that the offering is directed at California residents, or that any solicitations made to nonresidents of California comply with applicable laws of other individual states and the United States.
(10)The exemption from qualification afforded by this subdivision is unavailable if an issuer or any officer, director, partner, partial owner of 20 percent or more of the issuer, or person in a managerial role of the issuer has been disqualified from using any securities registration exemption under Section 230.506(d)(1) of Title 17 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(s)Any offer or sale of any security in a transaction that meets each of the following criteria:
(1)At least 75 percent of the amount raised through the offering will be reserved or allocated to any of the following for agricultural purposes: purchase of fee title to real property, lease of 30 years or more of real property, purchase of an easement on real property, construction of real property, or improvement to real property.
(2)The issuer is an agricultural enterprise that is majority-controlled by one or more individuals who will actively farm the agricultural land to be purchased, leased, or improved and who plan to be actively engaged in the agricultural enterprise, the issuer is a nonprofit public benefit corporation, or the issuer is majority-controlled by a nonprofit public benefit corporation.
(3)The aggregate amount of securities sold to all purchasers by the issuer pursuant to this subdivision within any 12-month period does not exceed two million dollars ($2,000,000).
(4)(A)The aggregate amount of the issuers securities held by any purchaser pursuant to this subdivision does not exceed one of the following:
(i)Two thousand dollars ($2,000).
(ii)Five thousand dollars ($5,000), if the purchaser signs and provides to the issuer a statement verifying that the purchaser has a minimum annual gross income of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) or a minimum net worth of two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000).
(iii)No more than 5 percent of that investors net worth if the purchaser is an accredited investor, as defined in Section 230.501 of Title 17 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(iv)A greater amount from any purchaser as the commissioner may provide by rule or order.
(B)For purposes of this paragraph, net worth shall be determined exclusive of home, home furnishings, and automobiles. Other assets included in the computation of net worth may be valued at fair market value.
(5)The issuer sets aside in a separate third-party escrow account all funds raised as part of the offering, to be held in escrow until the issuer has entered into a contract to purchase a property, easement, or equipment, or to lease land in accordance with paragraph (1). If the issuer does not enter into such a contract within two years of the effective date of the offering, the issuer shall return all funds to the purchasers. This required use of an escrow account shall not apply to purchases of farmland equipment or easements where the good faith estimated cost of the equipment or easement does not exceed one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) and where the total amount of the funds the issuer raises in any 12-month period does not exceed one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000).
(6)Each purchaser represents that the purchaser is purchasing for the purchasers own account, or a trust account if the purchaser is a trustee, and not with a view to or for sale in connection with any distribution of the security.
(7)For purposes of this subdivision, spouses, together with any custodian or trustee acting for the account of their minor children, are counted as one person, and a partnership, corporation, or other organization that was not specifically formed for the purpose of purchasing the security offered in reliance upon this exemption, is counted as one person.
(8)The commissioner shall by rule require the issuer to file a notice of transaction under this subdivision. The issuer shall file the notice of transaction and attach all documents required in paragraph (10).
(9)The exemption from qualification afforded by this subdivision is unavailable if an issuer fails to file the notice within a time period specified by the commissioner by rule. Neither the filing of the notice nor the failure by the commissioner to comment thereon precludes the commissioner from taking any action that the commissioner deems necessary or appropriate under this division with respect to the offer and sale of the securities.
(10)The issuer provides to purchasers, and makes available to potential purchasers, the following:
(A)A cover sheet or heading containing all of the following statements, in bold typeface no smaller than 12-point type:
(i)Investment in a small business is often risky. You should not invest any funds in this offering unless you can afford to lose your entire investment.
(ii)Potential purchasers should review information about the enterprise and offering, and consider the terms and risks of this offering before investing. After reviewing the financial information, description of the business, activities, risk factors, and development time line, potential purchasers should consider whether success of the enterprise is realistic.
(iii)No government regulator is recommending these securities. No government regulator has verified that this document is accurate or determined that it is adequate. No government regulator has recommended or given approval to any person, security, or transaction associated with this offering.
(iv)Unless the issuer is exempt from the escrow account requirement pursuant to paragraph (5) the company described in this disclosure form is seeking to raise at least [insert minimum amount sought by issuer]. Investors funds will be placed into a third-party escrow account until that minimum amount is raised. If [insert name of issuer] does not raise [insert minimum amount sought] by [insert date that is no greater than one year following the start of the offering], your investment will be returned to you within 30 days following that date. It is your responsibility to notify the issuer if your address changes to ensure you receive any refund due to you. Notification regarding a change in address may be made by either of the following methods: [insert at least two methods by which the issuer may be contacted regarding a change in address].
(B)The issuers street address, telephone number, person to contact with respect to offering, type of securities offered, financial terms of the offering, the maximum amount the issuer is seeking to raise, a description of the business of the issuer, a description of how the issuer plans to carry out its activities, a budget for the use of proceeds of the offering, a list of the factors that the issuer considers to be the most significant risks to an investor, and a description of the steps management intends to take to achieve, maintain, or improve profitability during the 36 months following receipt of the offering proceeds.
(C)If the intended use of the proceeds of the offering is to purchase real property, and if the particular property to be purchased has been identified, a description and address of the property to be purchased, an appraisal of the property completed within the last year by a California licensed or certified appraiser, and a description of all improvements to be made on the property in order to make it viable for agricultural use.
(D)If the intended use of the proceeds of the offering is to purchase real property, and if the property to be purchased has not been identified, a description of the size, location, estimated costs, and characteristics of the property that the issuer is seeking.
(E)The income tax returns filed by the issuer for the most recent completed year, if any.
(F)The financial statements of the issuer for the most recent completed fiscal year, if any, and the current fiscal year to date, prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and certified by the principal executive officer of the issuer to be true and complete in all material respects.
(G)A written statement of information about any material legal proceedings involving the company or its officers and directors.
(11)Issuers using this exemption may advertise the offering to California investors only, unless the offering complies with the securities laws of other jurisdictions. Issuers must take steps to ensure that any public advertising indicates that the offering is directed at California residents, or that any solicitations made to nonresidents of California comply with applicable laws of other individual states and the United States.
(12)The exemption from qualification afforded by this subdivision is unavailable if an issuer or any officer, director, partner, partial owner of 20 percent or more of the issuer, or person in a managerial role of the issuer has been disqualified from using any securities registration exemption under Section 230.506(d)(1) of Title 17 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(t)Any offer or sale of any security in a transaction that meets each of the following criteria:
(1)At least 75 percent of amounts raised through the offering will be reserved or allocated to the purchase of solar photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, equipment necessary for the generation, storage, and transmission of energy generated by the solar panels or wind turbines, or any labor necessary to install solar panels, wind turbines, or any of the equipment necessary for the generation, storage, and transmission of energy generated by solar panels or wind turbines.
(2)The issuer meets any of the following qualifications:
(A)The issuer is a cooperative corporation or a nonprofit mutual benefit corporation with one or more of the following purposes:
(i)Developing or operating facilities that produce solar or wind energy for its members.
(ii)Selling or leasing solar photovoltaic panels or wind turbines to its members or installing solar photovoltaic panels or wind turbines for its members.
(iii)Allocating net metering credits among its members.
(B)The issuer is a nonprofit public benefit corporation that is exempt from federal income taxation as an organization described in Section 501(c)(3) or Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and the issuer is purchasing solar panels or wind turbines primarily to meet the energy needs of the corporation.
(C)The issuer is a cooperative corporation that is operated on a cooperative basis in accordance with Subchapter T of the Internal Revenue Code and the issuer is purchasing solar panels or wind turbines primarily to meet the energy needs of the corporation.
(D)The issuer is a California nonprofit public benefit corporation, mutual benefit corporation, or cooperative with the purpose of developing and operating one or more facilities to generate electricity within a single county and intended for customers within that county, or within a similarly limited geographic area approved by the commissioner.
(E)The issuer is an entity owned or entirely controlled by tenants in multitenant housing, and the issuer has entered into a contract with the owner of the property to install solar panels on the property on which the multitenant housing is located.
(3)The aggregate amount of securities sold to all purchasers by the issuer pursuant to this subdivision within any 12-month period does not exceed two million dollars ($2,000,000).
(4)(A)The aggregate amount of the issuers securities held by any purchaser pursuant to this subdivision does not exceed one of the following:
(i)Two thousand dollars ($2,000).
(ii)Five thousand dollars ($5,000), if the purchaser signs and provides to the issuer a statement verifying that the purchaser has a minimum annual gross income of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) or a minimum net worth of two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000).
(iii)No more than 5 percent of that investors net worth if the purchaser is an accredited investor, as defined in Section 230.501 of Title 17 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(iv)A greater amount from any purchaser as the commissioner may provide by rule or order.
(B)For purposes of this paragraph, net worth shall be determined exclusive of home, home furnishings, and automobiles. Other assets included in the computation of net worth may be valued at fair market value.
(5)Each purchaser represents that the purchaser is purchasing for the purchasers own account, or a trust account if the purchaser is a trustee, and not with a view to or for sale in connection with any distribution of the security.
(6)For purposes of this section, spouses, together with any custodian or trustee acting for the account of their minor children, are counted as one person, and a partnership, corporation, or other organization that was not specifically formed for the purpose of purchasing the security offered in reliance upon this exemption, is counted as one person.
(7)The commissioner shall by rule require the issuer to file a notice of transactions under this subdivision. The issuer shall file the notice of transaction and attach all documents required in paragraph (9).
(8)The exemption from qualification afforded by this subdivision is unavailable if an issuer fails to file the notice within a time period specified by the commissioner by rule. Neither the filing of the notice nor the failure by the commissioner to comment thereon precludes the commissioner from taking any action that the commissioner deems necessary or appropriate under this division with respect to the offer and sale of the securities.
(9)The issuer provides to purchasers, and makes available to potential purchasers the following:
(A)A cover sheet or heading containing all of the following statements, in bold typeface no smaller than 12-point type:
(i)Investment in a small business is often risky. You should not invest any funds in this offering unless you can afford to lose your entire investment.
(ii)Potential purchasers should review information about the enterprise and offering, and consider the terms and risks of this offering before investing. After reviewing the financial information, description of the business, activities, risk factors, and development time line, potential purchasers should consider whether success of the enterprise is realistic.
(iii)No government regulator is recommending these securities. No government regulator has verified that this document is accurate or determined that it is adequate. No government regulator has recommended or given approval to any person, security, or transaction associated with this offering.
(iv)The company described in this disclosure form is seeking to raise at least [insert minimum amount sought by issuer]. Investors funds will be placed into a third-party escrow account until that minimum amount is raised. If [insert name of issuer] does not raise [insert minimum amount sought] by [insert date that is no greater than one year following the start of the offering], your investment will be returned to you within 30 days following that date. It is your responsibility to notify the issuer if your address changes, to ensure you receive any refund due to you. Notification regarding a change in address may be made by either of the following methods: [insert at least two methods by which the issuer may be contacted regarding a change in address].
(B)The issuers street address, telephone number, person to contact with respect to offering, the minimum amount the issuer is seeking to raise, type of securities offered, financial terms of the offering, a description of the business of the issuer, a description of how the issuer plans to carry out its activities, a budget for the use of proceeds of the offering, a list of the factors that the issuer considers to be the most significant risks to an investor, and a description in chronological order of the steps management intends to take to achieve, maintain, or improve profitability during the 36 months following receipt of the offering proceeds.
(C)The income tax returns filed by the issuer for the most recently completed year, if any.
(D)The financial statements of the issuer for the most recent completed fiscal year, if the enterprise has existed for one year or longer, and the current fiscal year to date, prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and certified by the principal executive officer of the issuer to be true and complete in all material respects.
(E)A written statement of information about any material legal proceedings involving the issuer or its officers and directors.
(10)The issuer sets aside in a separate third-party escrow account all funds raised as part of the offering, to be held in escrow until the time that the minimum offering amount is reached. If the minimum offering amount is not reached within one year following the effective date of the offering, the issuer shall return all funds to investors.
(11)This exemption cannot be used to raise funds for an enterprise dependent upon the creation of a product or technology for which no fully functional prototype has been made in advance of the public offering of securities. Securities offerings made to produce a newly invented product must have a fully functional prototype. The prototype must be demonstrated in person to any potential investor upon request, or, to satisfy many requests for demonstration, the issuer may schedule several demonstrations throughout the offering and announce the dates and times in advance to prospective purchasers along with the materials.
(12)Issuers using this exemption may advertise the offering to California investors only, unless the offering complies with the securities laws of other jurisdictions. Issuers must take steps to ensure that any public advertising indicates that the offering is directed at California residents, or that any solicitations made to nonresidents of California comply with applicable laws of other individual states and the United States.
(13)The exemption from qualification afforded by this subdivision is unavailable if an issuer or any officer, director, partner, partial owner of 20 percent or more of the issuer, or person in a managerial role of the issuer has been disqualified from using any securities registration exemption under Section 230.506(d)(1) of Title 17 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
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Date
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Status
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|---|---|
| Feb 19, 2016 | Introduced. To print. |
| Feb 21, 2016 | From printer. May be heard in committee March 22. |
| Feb 22, 2016 | Read first time. |
| Mar 10, 2016 | Referred to Com. on B. & F. |
| Mar 28, 2016 | In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author. |
| Apr 4, 2016 | In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author. |
| Apr 21, 2016 | From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (April 18). |
| Apr 25, 2016 | Read second time and amended. |
| Apr 26, 2016 | Re-referred to Com. on APPR. |
| May 11, 2016 | In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file. |
| May 27, 2016 | In committee: Held under submission. |
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Date
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Description
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Location
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Votes
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 18, 2016 | Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] | Assembly 1st Extraordinary Session on Finance |
Passed |
This list shows positions taken on this bill by organizations on the date displayed, which is linked to the original source.
Positions by individuals are not included.
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Organization
|
Position
|
Date
|
|---|---|---|
| California Farmlink | ** Support | May 11, 2016 |
| Cutting Edge Capital | ** Support | May 11, 2016 |
| Food Access Coalition | ** Support | May 11, 2016 |
| Greenhorns | ** Support | May 11, 2016 |
| Humboldt Food Policy Council | ** Support | May 11, 2016 |
| Local Clean Energy Alliance | ** Support | May 11, 2016 |
| New Hope Farms | ** Support | May 11, 2016 |
| Peak Agency | ** Support | May 11, 2016 |
| Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association | ** Against | May 11, 2016 |
| Roots of Change | ** Support | May 11, 2016 |
| Slow Money South Bay | ** Support | May 11, 2016 |
| Sustainable Economies Law Center | * Support | May 11, 2016 |
| The Farmers Guild | ** Support | May 11, 2016 |
Date of Hearing: May 11, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Lorena Gonzalez, Chair
ABPCA Bill Id:AB 2751
Author:(Brown) – As Amended Ver:April 25, 2016
Policy Committee: | Banking and Finance | Vote: | 11 - 0 |
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| ||
|
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: No Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill authorizes two securities permitting exemptions under California’s Corporate Securities Law of 1968. In summary, this bill:
- Exempts certain agricultural entities from securities permitting requirements if certain conditions are met, including:
- The amount of securities in total, as well as the amount invested by individual investors, are within an established cap;
- The amount raised by the issuer is allocated for certain agricultural purposes;
- The issuer meets the requirements for a qualified agricultural entity (such as a farm enterprise or an agricultural land trust); and,
- The issuer submits the required documentation to the Department of Business Oversight (DBO).
- Exempts certain renewable energy projects from securities permitting requirements if certain conditions are met, including:
- The amount of securities in total, as well as the amount invested by individual investors, are within an established cap;
- The amount raised is allocated for the purposes of purchasing solar panels or wind turbines or the equipment necessary for storage and transmission of renewable energy;
- The issuer meets the requirements for a qualified agricultural entity (such as a nonprofits, cooperatives, or groups of tenants); and,
- The issuer submits the required documentation to the Department of Business Oversight (DBO).
- Expands an existing exemption for nonprofit organizations to include debt securities in addition to equity securities.
FISCAL EFFECT:
Ongoing costs for DBO in the range of $500,000 annually for program administration, including the hiring of additional enforcement staff (Special Fund).
COMMENTS:
- Purpose. According to the sponsor, the Sustainable Economies Law Center, this bill will help investors put money into their local, community-based enterprises. California’s securities law makes it very expensive and time-consuming for a small enterprise to obtain the funding it needs, and this bill will create modest exemptions for small-scale farms and community-owned renewable energy enterprises.
- Background. Under existing law, one way to qualify a securities offering is through permitting, a process in which applicants apply to DBO for a permit that is good for one year. Critics say this process is costly and time-consuming, though DBO currently offers exemptions to the permitting requirement. The most widely-used exemptions are issuances of securities to friends and family or employees and consultants
- Related Legislation. AB 2178 (Chiu) creates a new qualification by permit under California's Corporate Securities Law of 1968 to allow equity-crowdfunding. The bill is currently pending in this committee.
Analysis Prepared by: Luke Reidenbach / APPR. / (916) 319-2081
Date of Hearing: April 18, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON BANKING AND FINANCE
Matthew Dababneh, Chair
ABPCA Bill Id:AB 2751 (
Author:Brown) – As Introduced Ver:February 19, 2016
SUBJECT: Securities: qualification: exemptions
SUMMARY: Authorizes three new securities permitting exemptions under California's Corporate Securities Law of 1968. Specifically, this bill:
- Exempts from state securities permitting laws all of the following:
- Any offer or sale of any security that meets each of the following criteria:
- The aggregate amount of securities sold to all purchasers by the issuer within any 12-month period does not exceed $500,000.
- Sales to non-accredited investors are capped at $1,000 in the aggregate during a 12-month period, or a greater amount determined by the Commissioner of the Department of Business Oversight (DBO).
- Sales to accredited investors are capped at 5% of the investor's net worth in the aggregate during a 12 month-period.
- Issuers may advertise the offering to California investors only, unless the offering complies with the securities laws of other jurisdictions. Issuers must take steps to ensure that any public advertising indicates that the offering is directed at California residents, or that any solicitations made to nonresidents of California comply with applicable laws of other individual states and the United States.
- Specifies that this exemption is unavailable if the issuer fails to file the notice within a time period determined by the Commissioner.
- The issuer provides to DBO and purchasers and makes available to potential purchasers, all of the following:
- A cover sheet containing all of the following statements, in bold typeface no smaller than 12-point type: “Investment in a small business is often risky. You should not invest any funds in this offering unless you can afford to lose your entire investment.
Potential purchasers should review information about the enterprise and offering, and consider the terms and risks of this offering before investing. After reviewing the financial information, description of the business, activities, risk factors, and development timeline, potential purchasers should consider whether success of the enterprise is realistic.
No government regulator is recommending these securities. No government regulator has verified that this document is accurate or determined that it is adequate. No government regulator has recommended or given approval to, any person, security, or transaction associated with this offering.” - The issuer’s street address; telephone number; person to contact with respect to the offering; type of securities offered; financial terms of the offering; the minimum amount the issuer is seeking to raise; a description of the business of the issuer and how the issuer plans to carry out its activities; a budget for the use of proceeds of the offering; a list of the factors the issuer considers to be the most significant risks to an investor; and a description, in chronological order, or the steps management intends to take to achieve, maintain, or improve profitability during the 36 months following receipt of the offering proceeds.
- Income tax returns filed by the issuer for the most recent completed year, if any.
- Specified financial statements of the issuer, prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and certified by the principal executive officer of the issuer to be true and complete in all material respects.
- A written statement of information about any material legal proceedings involving the company or its officers and directors.
- A cover sheet containing all of the following statements, in bold typeface no smaller than 12-point type: “Investment in a small business is often risky. You should not invest any funds in this offering unless you can afford to lose your entire investment.
- Issuers may not utilize the exemption to raise funds for an enterprise dependent on the creation of a product or technology for which no fully functional prototype has been made in advance of the public offering of securities. Any fully functional prototype must be demonstrated in person to any potential investor upon request, as specified.
- Provides a "bad actor" disqualification.
- Any offer or sale of any security in a transaction that meets each of the following criteria:
- The aggregate amount of securities sold to all purchasers by the issuer within any 12-month period does not exceed $2 million.
- At least 75 percent of amounts raised through the offering will be reserved or allocated to any of the following for agricultural purposes: purchase of fee title to real property, lease of 30 years or more of real property, purchase of an easement on real property, construction of real property, or improvement to real property.
- The issuer is an agricultural enterprise that is majority-controlled by one or more individuals who will actively farm the agricultural land to be purchased, leased, or improved and who plan to be actively engaged in the agricultural enterprise, the issuer is a nonprofit public benefit corporation, or the issuer is majority-controlled by a nonprofit public benefit corporation.
- Sales to non-accredited investors are capped at either $2,000 or $5,000, depending on whether the purchaser signs a statement verifying that they have a minimum annual gross income of $100,000 or a minimum net worth of $200,000, exclusive of home, home furnishings, and automobiles. Sales to accredited investors are capped at 5% of the investor's net worth. The Commissioner of DBO is allowed to authorize greater purchase amounts for non-accredited investors by rule or order.
- Issuers may advertise the offering to California investors only, unless the offering complies with the securities laws of other jurisdictions. Issuers must take steps to ensure that any public advertising indicates that the offering is directed at California residents, or that any solicitations made to nonresidents of California comply with applicable laws of other individual states and the United States.
- Requires the issuer to set aside in a separate third-party escrow account all funds raised as part of the offering, to be held in escrow until the issuer has entered into a contract to purchase a property, easement, or equipment, or to lease land. If the issuer does not enter into such a contract within 2 years of the effective date of the offering, the issuer shall return all funds to the purchasers. Only applies to the purchase of farmland equipment or easements where the cost does not exceed $100,000.
- The issuer provides to DBO and purchasers and makes available to potential purchasers, all of the following:
- A cover sheet containing all of the following statements, in bold typeface no smaller than 12-point type: “Investment in a small business is often risky. You should not invest any funds in this offering unless you can afford to lose your entire investment.
Potential purchasers should review information about the enterprise and offering, and consider the terms and risks of this offering before investing. After reviewing the financial information, description of the business, activities, risk factors, and development time line, potential purchasers should consider whether success of the enterprise is realistic.
No government regulator is recommending these securities. No government regulator has verified that this document is accurate or determined that it is adequate. No government regulation has recommended or given approval to, any person, security, or transaction associated with this offering.”
If the issuer is conducting the offering to raise money for the purchase of farmland, the cover sheet must also state, “The company described in this disclosure form is seeking to purchase farmland. If the sum of the investment commitments received by the company does not amount to a sum sufficient to purchase farmland by [insert date two years after beginning of offering], your investment in the company will be returned to you after 60 days to the most recent address provided.” - The issuer’s street address, telephone number, person to contact with respect to the offering, type of securities offered, financial terms of the offering, the minimum amount the issuer is seeking to raise, a description of the business of the issuer and how the issuer plans to carry out its activities, a budget for the use of proceeds of the offering, a list of the factors the issuer considers to be the most significant risks to an investor, and a description, in chronological order, or the steps management intends to take to achieve, maintain, or improve profitability during the 36 months following receipt of the offering proceeds.
- If the intended use of proceeds of the offering it to purchase real property, and the particular property to be purchased has been identified, a description and address of the property, an appraisal completed within the last year, and a description of all improvements to be made on the property in order to make it viable for agricultural use. If the property to be purchased has not been identified, a description of the size, location, estimated costs, and characteristics of the property the issuer is seeking.
- Income tax returns filed by the issuer for the most recently completed year, if any.
- Specified financial statements of the issuer, prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and certified by the principal executive officer of the issuer to be true and complete in all material respects.
- A written statement of information about any material legal proceedings involving the company or its officers and directors.
- A cover sheet containing all of the following statements, in bold typeface no smaller than 12-point type: “Investment in a small business is often risky. You should not invest any funds in this offering unless you can afford to lose your entire investment.
- Issuers may not utilize the exemption to raise funds for an enterprise dependent on the creation of a product or technology for which no fully functional prototype has been made in advance of the public offering of securities. Any fully functional prototype must be demonstrated in person to any potential investor upon request, as specified.
- Provides a "bad actor" disqualification.
- Any offer or sale of any security in a transaction that meets each of the following criteria:
- At least 75 percent of amounts raised through the offering will be reserved or allocated to the purchase of solar photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, equipment necessary for the generation, storage, and transmission of energy generated by the solar panels or wind turbines, or any labor necessary to install solar panels, wind turbines, or any of the equipment necessary for the generation, storage, and transmission of energy generated by solar panels or wind turbines.
- The issuer meets any of the following qualifications:
- The issuer is a cooperative corporation or a nonprofit mutual benefit corporation with the purpose of developing and operating one or more facilities to generate electricity for its members to install solar panels or wind turbines for its members, either by selling or leasing panels to members, or to arrange or allocate net metering credits among members.
- The issuer is a nonprofit public benefit corporation exempt from federal income taxation pursuant to Sections 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and is purchasing solar panels or wind turbines primarily to meet the energy needs of the corporation.
- The issuer is a cooperative corporation that is operated on a cooperative basis in accordance with Subchapter T of the Internal Revenue Code and the issuer is purchasing solar panels or wind turbines primarily to meet the energy needs of the corporation.
- The issuer is a California nonprofit public benefit corporation, mutual benefit corporation, or cooperative with the purpose of developing and operating one or more facilities to generate electricity in a single county and intended customers within that county, or within a similarly limited geographic area approved by the Commissioner.
- The issuer is an entity owned or entirely controlled by tenants in multitenant housing, and the issuer has entered into a contract with the owner of the property to install solar panels on the property on which the multitenant housing is located.
- The aggregate amount of securities sold to all purchasers by the issuer within any 12-month period does not exceed $2 million.
- Issuers may advertise the offering to California investors only, unless the offering complies with the securities laws of other jurisdictions. Issuers must take steps to ensure that any public advertising indicates that the offering is directed at California residents, or that any solicitations made to nonresidents of California comply with applicable laws of other individual states and the United States.
- Sales to non-accredited investors are capped at either $2,000 or $5,000, depending on whether the purchaser signs a statement verifying that they have a minimum annual gross income of $100,000 or a minimum net worth of $200,000, exclusive of home, home furnishings, and automobiles. Sales to accredited investors are capped at 5% of the investor's net worth. The Commissioner of DBO is authorized to authorize greater purchase amounts by rule or order.
- The issuer provides to DBO and purchasers and makes available to potential purchasers, all of the following:
- A cover sheet containing all of the following statements, in bold typeface no smaller than 12-point type: “Investment in a small business is often risky. You should not invest any funds in this offering unless you can afford to lose your entire investment.
Potential purchasers should review information about the enterprise and offering, and consider the terms and risks of this offering before investing. After reviewing the financial information, description of the business, activities, risk factors, and development time line, potential purchasers should consider whether success of the enterprise is realistic.
No government regulator is recommending these securities. No government regulator has verified that this document is accurate or determined that it is adequate. No government regulator has or recommended or given approval to, any person, security, or transaction associated with this offering.” - The issuer’s street address, telephone number, person to contact with respect to the offering, type of securities offered, financial terms of the offering, the minimum amount the issuer is seeking to raise, a description of the business of the issuer and how the issuer plans to carry out its activities, a budget for the use of proceeds of the offering, a list of the factors the issuer considers to be the most significant risks to an investor, and a description, in chronological order, or the steps management intends to take to achieve, maintain, or improve profitability during the 36 months following receipt of the offering proceeds.
- Specified financial statements of the issuer, prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and certified by the principal executive officer of the issuer to be true and complete in all material respects.
- A cover sheet containing all of the following statements, in bold typeface no smaller than 12-point type: “Investment in a small business is often risky. You should not invest any funds in this offering unless you can afford to lose your entire investment.
- Issuers may not utilize the exemption to raise funds for an enterprise dependent on the creation of a product or technology for which no fully functional prototype has been made in advance of the public offering of securities. Any fully functional prototype must be demonstrated in person to any potential investor upon request, as specified.
- Provides a "bad actor" disqualification.
- Any offer or sale of any security that meets each of the following criteria:
- Expands an existing exemption for nonprofit organizations to include debt securities, not just equity securities.
EXISTING FEDERAL LAW:
- Provide for the Securities Act of 1933, which establishes a framework for regulating the offer and sale of securities and ensuring the protection of investors that purchase those securities. Generally speaking, the Securities Act of 1933 requires the offer or sale of all securities to be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and to be structured as prescribed in federal law and regulation, unless the offer or sale is covered by an exemption. This federal act also require those who offer (i.e., market) and sell securities to be licensed as investment advisers or broker-dealers, unless either the transaction or the activity being undertaken is exempt.
- Provides for Regulation D, one of the regulations promulgated by the SEC to implement the Securities Act of 1933. Regulation D authorizes a series of exemptions from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and includes eight rules, denoted Rules 501 through 508, which are codified as 17 CFR 230.501 through 230.508.
Rule 501 of Regulation D defines accredited investors as, among other things, financial institutions, securities broker-dealers, large pension plans, corporate entities with assets in excess of $5 million, and other large, financially sophisticated entities. An accredited investor also includes:- Any natural person whose individual net worth, or joint net worth with that person’s spouse, exceeds $1 million at the time of their purchase of securities, exclusive of their primary residence; or
- Any natural person with an individual income in excess of $200,000 in each of the two most recent years, or joint income with that person’s spouse in excess of $300,000 in each of those years, together with a reasonable expectation of reaching the same income level in the current year.
- Provides a “bad actor” disqualification that states no exemption shall be available for a sale of securities if the issuer; any predecessor of the issuer; any affiliated issuer; any director, executive officer, other officer participating in the offering, general partner or managing member of the issuer; any beneficial owner of 20% or more of the issuer's outstanding voting equity securities, calculated on the basis of voting power; any promoter connected with the issuer in any capacity at the time of such sale; any investment manager of an issuer that is a pooled investment fund; any person that has been or will be paid (directly or indirectly) remuneration for solicitation of purchasers in connection with such sale of securities; any general partner or managing member of any such investment manager or solicitor; or any director, executive officer or other officer participating in the offering of any such investment manager or solicitor or general partner or managing member of such investment manager or solicitor:
- Has been convicted, within ten years before such sale (or five years, in the case of issuers, their predecessors and affiliated issuers), of any felony or misdemeanor, as specified;
- Is subject to any order, judgment or decree of any court of competent jurisdiction, entered within five years before such sale that, at the time of such sale, restrains or enjoins such person from engaging or continuing to engage in any conduct or practice, as specified; or,
- Is subject to a final order of a state securities commission (or an agency or officer of a state performing like functions); a state authority that supervises or examines banks, savings associations, or credit unions; a state insurance commission (or an agency or officer of a state performing like functions); an appropriate federal banking agency; the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission; or the National Credit Union Administration that, as specified. [Title 17 of Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Section 230.506, subdivision d]
- Has been convicted, within ten years before such sale (or five years, in the case of issuers, their predecessors and affiliated issuers), of any felony or misdemeanor, as specified;
- Pursuant to the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act (Public Law 112-106), authorizes the use of general solicitation and general advertising in certain circumstances not previously authorized. Title II of the JOBS Act, operative September 23, 2013, lifted the restriction against use of general solicitation and general advertising, when sales are made only to accredited investors and other requirements are met.
EXISTING STATE LAW:
- Provides that it is unlawful for any person to offer or sell any security in this state, unless such offering or sale has been qualified by the commissioner, as specified, or unless the offering or sale is covered by an express exemption. [Corporations Code, Section 25110]
- Provides under the Corporate Securities Law of 1968 exemptions from qualification for certain securities transactions. [Corporations Code, commencing with Section 25000]
- Provides that the Commissioner of DBO shall approve all securities offered or sold in California. [Corporation Code, Section 25100]
- Requires all purchasers to have either a preexisting personal or business relationship with the offeror or any of its partners, officers, directors or controlling persons, or managers (as appointed or elected by the members) if the offeror is a limited liability company, or by reason of their business or financial experience or the business or financial experience of their professional advisers who are unaffiliated with and who are not compensated by the issuer or any affiliate or selling agent of the issuer, directly or indirectly, could be reasonably assumed to have the capacity to protect their own interests in connection with the transaction.
[Corporations Code, Section 25102 (f)] - Defines "issuer" as any person who issues or proposes to issue any security, except that:
- With respect to certificates of deposit, voting trust certificates or collateral-trust certificates, or with respect to certificates of interest or shares in an unincorporated investment trust not having a board of directors or persons performing similar functions or of the fixed, restricted management or unit type, "issuer" means the person or persons performing the acts and assuming the duties of depositor or manager pursuant to the provisions of the trust or other agreement or instrument under which the security is issued. However, with respect to equipment-trust certificates or like securities, "issuer" means the person by whom the equipment or property is to be used.
- With respect to certificates of interest or participation in oil, gas or mining titles or leases or in payments out of production under those titles or leases, "issuer" means the person or persons in active control of the exploration or development of the property who sell those interests or participations or payments or any person or persons who subdivide and sell those interests or participations or payments. The determination of the person or persons in active control of the exploration or development of the property shall be made on the basis of the actual relationship of the parties and not on the basis of the legal designation of a person's interest.
- With respect to a fractional or pooled interest in a viatical or life settlement contract, "issuer" means the person who creates, for the purposes of sale, the fractional or pooled interest. In the case of a viatical or life settlement contract that is not fractionalized or pooled, "issuer" means the person effecting the transactions with the investors in those contracts.
- In the case of an unincorporated association which provides by its articles for limited liability of any or all of its members, or in the case of a trust, committee, or other legal entity, the trustees or members thereof shall not be individually liable as issuers of any security issued by the association, trust, committee, or other legal entity. [Corporations Code, Section 25010]
- With respect to certificates of deposit, voting trust certificates or collateral-trust certificates, or with respect to certificates of interest or shares in an unincorporated investment trust not having a board of directors or persons performing similar functions or of the fixed, restricted management or unit type, "issuer" means the person or persons performing the acts and assuming the duties of depositor or manager pursuant to the provisions of the trust or other agreement or instrument under which the security is issued. However, with respect to equipment-trust certificates or like securities, "issuer" means the person by whom the equipment or property is to be used.
- Authorizes several exemptions from the requirement to obtain a securities permit from DBO prior to offering or selling securities in this state. Two of the most relevant exemptions for purposes of this bill include Corporations Code Sections 25102(f) and 25102(n).
- 25102(f) provides an exemption for any offer or sale of any security in a transaction that meets all of the following criteria: i) sales of the security are made to an unlimited number of accredited investors and up to 35 other persons, who are not accredited investors; ii) all purchasers either have a pre-existing personal or business relationship with the offeror, or can reasonably be assumed to have the capacity to protect their own interests in connection with the transaction, by reason of their business or financial experience, or the business or financial experience of their professional advisers; iii) each purchaser represents that he or she is purchasing for his or her own account, and not with a view to or for sale in connection with any distribution of the security; and iv) the offer and sale of the security is not accomplished through the publication of any advertisement.
- 25102(n) provides an exemption for any offer or sale of any security in a transaction that meets all of the following criteria: i) the issuer is not a blind pool issuer, as that term is defined by the commissioner; ii) sales of securities are made only to qualified purchasers or other persons the issuer reasonably believes to be qualified purchasers; iii) each purchaser represents that he or she is purchasing for his or her own account, and not with a view to or for sale in connection with any distribution of the security; iv) each natural person purchaser is provided with a disclosure statement that meets the disclosure requirements of federal Regulation D, at least five business days before they purchase or commit to purchase the security; v) the offer and sale of the security is made by way of a general announcement, whose content is strictly limited; and vi) telephone solicitation by the issuer is not permitted, until and unless the issuer determines that the prospective purchaser being solicited is a qualified purchaser.
Qualified purchasers are those who meet one or more of several criteria listed in subdivision (n). Generally speaking, these criteria describe persons with some degree of financial sophistication, though the qualified purchaser bar is lower than the accredited investor bar. As an example, an individual is a qualified purchaser if that person individually, or jointly with their spouse, has a minimum net worth of $250,000 and had, during the immediately preceding tax year, gross income in excess of $100,000, and reasonably expects gross income in excess of $100,000 during the current tax year. Alternately, the term applies to individuals who have a minimum net worth of $500,000, exclusive of their home, home furnishings, and automobiles. Natural persons are limited to investing no more than 10% of their net worth in any 25012(n) investment.
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown.
COMMENTS:
Need for the bill:
According to the sponsor, the Sustainable Economies Law Center,
"Investors are increasingly interested in putting their money in local, community based enterprises instead of investing in the stock market through distant financial institutions. However, California securities law makes it very expensive and time-consuming for a small business to obtain the permit necessary to legally communicate about its investment needs to a broad audience. AB 2751 will create modest exemptions from those requirements for small businesses that comply with reasonable disclosure requirements and restrictions on the amount of money they can accept per year. We are especially excited that the bill recognizes the need to develop more small-scale farms and community-owned renewable energy enterprises in California by designating unique exemptions designed for those types of enterprises in particular."
Background:
Under existing law, there are only three ways to qualify a securities offering, all of which require significant review of the offering by either the SEC or DBO. Those three ways include coordination (Corporations Code Section 25211; involves offerings registered under the Federal Securities Act of 1933); notification (Section 25212; involves securities registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940); and permitting (a rigorous and often costly process in which applicants apply to DBO for a permit that is good for one year).
In addition, California provides under specified circumstances, the ability for an issuer to claim an exemption without qualification with the DBO. Rather than having to qualify with DBO which can be costly and time consuming, AB 2751 creates exemptions from qualification. Currently, the most widely used exemptions under Corporations Code, Section 21502 are:
- Section 25102(f) "friends & family":
Under Section 25102(f), which is referred to as the Limited Offering Exemption, most issuances to the company’s founders, as well as friends and family of any of its directors and officers will be exempt from the registration requirements of California’s securities laws.
The key aspect of this exemption is the existence of a prior personal or business relationship between the purchaser of the security (i.e. the investor or lender) and the company’s leadership. The exemption is destroyed if there are more than 35 people purchasing securities, or if there is general advertising or publication of the securities.
- Section 25102(o) "employees and consultants":
Under Section 25102(o), an issuance of stock options to employees and consultants is exempt from the registration requirements of California’s securities laws if it satisfies the equivalent federal exemption under Rule 701 (which does not preempt state securities laws). To satisfy Rule 701, an issuance must be made pursuant to an approved option plan, and a company cannot issue more than the greatest of the following in any 12-month period: $1,000,000, 15% of its total assets, or 15% of the outstanding amount of that class of securities.
AB 2751 allows issuers to raise money utilizing forms of general advertising and general solicitation from accredited and non-accredited investors. Under AB 2751, if an issuer wanting to utilize one of the exemptions under this measure the issuer would have to comply with a set of specific rules specific to the exemption. This measure places a cap on the total amount that can be raised and requires specified disclosures to prospective investors. The three new exemptions in this measure include:
- Small Investments: Any California business would be able to raise up to $500,000 per year. Non-accredited investors would be limited to investing no more than $1,000 each in one offering. Accredited investors would be limited to 5% of their net worth in an offering.
- Farms and Agricultural Land Trusts: This bill would allow a farm enterprise or agricultural land trust to raise up to $2,000,000 per year for the purchase of land, long-term leasing of land, purchase of an easement, construction on farmland, or improvement of real property to be used for agriculture purposes. The issuers using this exemption must be farmers who will actively farm the land or issuers must be an agricultural land trust or other nonprofit organization. Under this exemption, the limits on each individual's investment amount would be as follows: Any individual investor could invest up to $2,000. An investor could invest up to $5,000 if the investor has an annual gross income of at least $100,000 or a total net worth of at least $200,000. Accredited investors would be limited to investing no more than 5% of their net worth.
- Renewable Energy Projects: Similar to the farm and land trust exemption in the previous paragraph, the bill would allow nonprofits, cooperatives, and groups of tenants to raise up to $2,000,000 to purchase solar panels or wind turbines, and equipment necessary for the storage or transmission of the energy produced by the panels or turbines. The same limits per investor as in the farmland exemption above would apply to these renewable energy projects.
Additionally, this bill would expand an existing exemption for nonprofit organizations in California Corporations Code Section 25100(j) to include debt securities, not just equity securities.
Because this measure creates exemptions, the burden of complying with these rules specified in the bill falls directly on the investor rather than the DBO. Keep in mind, this measure allows issuers to solicit to both accredited and non-accredited investors. Most often, non-accredited investors are less sophisticated to the rules and regulations that should be followed.
Crowdfunding:
Crowdfunding is a collective cooperation of people who network and pool their money and resources together, via the internet, to support efforts initiated by other organizations. Crowdfunding literally attracts a “crowd” of people, each of whom takes a small stake in a business idea by contributing towards an online funding target. Crowdfunding has become a popular and alternative method of raising finance for a business, real estate investments, projects or ideas and has become popularized online by sites such as Kickstarter, Wefunder, Crowdfunder and RockthePost.
Crowdfunding is a means to raise money by attracting relatively small individual contributions from a large number of people. In recent years, crowdfunding websites have proliferated to raise funds for charities, artistic endeavors and businesses. These sites did not offer securities, such as an ownership interest or share of profits in a business; rather, money was contributed in the form of donations, or in return for the product being made. Federal Crowdfunding expands securities to equity-based crowdfunding. The public most often views crowdfunding as donation based.
General Solicitation & General Advertising:
As their names imply, general solicitation and general advertising are not targeted. They reach an audience that includes both accredited and non-accredited investors. According to the SEC, general solicitation includes advertisements published in newspapers and magazines, public websites, communications broadcasted over television and radio, and seminars where attendees have been invited by general solicitation or general advertising. Use of an unrestricted, and therefore publicly available, website also constitutes general solicitation. General advertising is general solicitation made by means of an advertisement.
Federal Crowdfunding Act:
On April 5, 2012, President Obama signed landmark legislation, H.R. 3606, the JOBS Act. The JOBS Act makes it easier for startups and small businesses to raise funds. This legislation passed Congress through a 73-26 Senate vote and a 380-41 House vote. As far as, AB 2178 is concerned, Title III of the JOBS Act required the SEC to develop new rules permitting capital raising by “crowdfunding.”
In October of 2013, the SEC issued the proposed crowdfunding rules in a 585 page document. The SEC struggled to create the final rules that respected the flexible and democratic nature of crowdfunding (which makes it so appealing to very small and early stage start-up companies) while also implementing sufficient regulation to satisfy consumer and investor protection critics who fear that investment crowdfunding is far too open to abuse and fraud.
On October 30, 2015, the SEC adopted final rules under Title III of the JOBS Act. The JOBS Act provided for a new exemption under the Securities Act of 1933 that will permit securities-based crowdfunding by private companies without registering the offering with the SEC. The final rules become effective in May 2016 except that the forms enabling funding portals to register with the SEC became effective on January 29, 2016. Additionally, the SEC staff must submit a report to the SEC no later than three years following the effective date of crowdfunding on the impact of the regulation on capital formation and investor protection.
Key features of the SEC’s final rules:
- A company will only be able to raise a maximum aggregate amount of $1 million through crowdfunding offerings per 12-month period.
- Companies raising less than $500,000 through crowdfunding within any 12-month period will need to share financial statements and income-tax returns with their investors and those raising more than $500,000 will be obligated to provide audited financial statements to investors.
- Investors with an annual income or net worth of less than $100,000 will be permitted to invest a maximum of $2,000 or 5% of their annual income or net worth (whichever is greater) per 12-month period.
- Investors with an annual income or net worth equal to or greater than $100,000 will be permitted to invest up to 10% of their annual income or net worth (whichever is greater) per 12-month period up to a total maximum of $100,000 in securities.
- Companies conducting a crowdfunding offering will need to file certain information with the SEC, the relevant intermediary facilitating the crowdfunding offering and potential investors.
- Private crowdfunding offerings will be conducted exclusively online through a registered broker or funding platform (portal). Funding platforms will be required to register with the SEC. Non-US crowdfunding platforms will be able to register with the SEC, subject to an on-site examination.
- Private crowdfunding offerings will be conducted exclusively online through broker or funding platforms developed in partnership with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and registered with the SEC.
Related Legislation:
AB 2178 (Chiu) creates a new qualification by permit under California's Corporate Securities Law of 1968 to allow equity-crowdfunding. Pending in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
Previous Legislation:
SB 577 (Hueso) (2015 Legislative Session) would have authorized three new securities permitting exemptions, as specified, and increase, from $300 to $1,000, the maximum allowable aggregate investment of any shareholder in shares of a consumer cooperative corporation or member in memberships of a consumer cooperative corporation. Died in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
AB 722 (Perea) (2015 Legislative Session) would have authorized a new form of securities offering in California to facilitate crowdfunding as an alternative to a similar authorization in federal law under the JOBS Act. Died in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
AB 2096 (Muratsuchi) (2014 Legislative Session) would have created a new way in which a person seeking to offer or sell securities could qualify their offering, by authorizing the “qualification by notification” of offers or sales of securities advertised by means of general solicitation and general advertising, as specified. Died in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
AB 783 (Daly) (2013 Legislative Session) provides that an issuer can offer or sell securities using any form of general solicitation or general advertising. Died in the Assembly Banking and Finance Committee.
AB 2081 (Allen) (2012 Legislative Session) provides that an issuer can offer or sell securities using any form of general solicitation or general advertising. Died on the Senate Floor.
SB 875 (Price) (2010 Legislative Session) would have exempted from qualification offerings or sales of securities using a general solicitation or general advertising, provided the transaction meets specified requirements, including a requirement that the sales are made to accredited investors. Died in Senate Banking and Financial Institutions.
AB 1644 (Campbell & Briggs) (2001 Legislative Session) would have exempted from qualification offerings or sales of securities using a general solicitation or general advertising, provided the transaction meets specified requirements, including a requirement that the sales are made to accredited investors. Failed passage in Assembly Banking and Finance Committee.
Questions & Concerns:
- The economy is continuing to recover, the unemployment rate is down, the federal government acted, is there still a need to act on a statewide level to produce what could be perceived as "risky" ways to raise capital? The U.S. Treasury gave the California State Treasurer a total of $168 million in federal funds from the JOBS Act to provide access to capital to small businesses through the California Pollution Control Financing Authority and the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank. The programs guarantee loans made by banks to small businesses that otherwise couldn’t be made either for lack of collateral or lack of credit history. California received more money than any other state with the final $57 million provided in August, 2015. Are small businesses capitalizing on these funds?
- In the committee background received, it states, "AB 2751 seeks to provide opportunity for entrepreneurs and investors who are more comfortable with more personalized communication methods compared to a website. In some investment offerings we believe that more open and personalized communication opportunities may enhance consumer protection because it would allow an investor and entrepreneur to develop more of a relationship before the investor makes an investment decision. Furthermore, it would enable investment offerings to be made at meetings of community groups that focus on local investing, where investors often discuss offerings amongst each other in a supportive environment among peers where they can learn from each other and are more likely to detect suspicious activity before investments are made." This statement goes against all the protections that the SEC created around the JOBS Act as well as current state law. How are the current securities exemptions insufficient and why should California open up the floodgates to allow issuers to solicit accredited and non-accredited investors to invest in farm land or renewable energy projects?
- This measure lacks investor protections and if adopted in its current form, would leave Californians vulnerable to potential bad actors due to the limited oversight over these types of securities transactions. This measure has no limits on general solicitation and general advertising; therefore, an issuer could go door to door. Due to all of the historic changes made surrounding securities, why does California need additional exemptions now, which could potentially lead to fraud and taking thousands from consumers with little recourse?
Recommended Amendments:
This committee recently heard and passed out AB 2178 which created a new permit process for crowdfunding. This measure also tries to implement a new crowdfunding process by way of a securities exemption. Based on the recent and supportive action by this committee on AB 2178, the committee is recommending deleting from this measure the general exemption due to the similar intent and nature. In addition, AB 2178 carried more investor protections and vetting process through DBO rather than a pure exemption as this measure attempts.
- On page 26, delete (r) starting on line 22- to page 29, line 2.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
California Farmlink
Cutting Edge Capital
Food Access Coalition
Greenhorns
Humboldt Food Policy Council
Local Clean Energy Alliance
New Hope Farms
Peak Agency
Roots of Change
Slow Money South Bay
Sustainable Economies Law Center
The Farmers Guild
4 Individuals
Opposition
Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (PIABA)
Analysis Prepared by: Kathleen O'Malley / B. & F. / (916) 319-3081
Discussed in Hearing
Assembly Standing Committee on Appropriations
Bill Author
Bill Co-Author(s):