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08 LC 34 1615S (SCS)

Senate Bill 358

By: Senator Hamrick of the 30th
AS PASSED SENATE

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT

To amend Chapter 5 of Title 10 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to securities, by repealing it in its entirety and enacting a new Chapter 5 of Title 10 to be known as the "Georgia Uniform Securities Act of 2008"; to provide for a short title; to provide for definitions; to provide for electronic records and signatures; to provide for exemptions from registration of securities; to provide for registration of securities and notice of filing of federal covered securities; to provide for denial, suspension, or revocation of securities registration; to provide for registration of broker-dealers, agents, investment advisers, investment adviser representatives, and federal covered investment advisers; to provide for termination or transfer of employment of investment advisers; to provide for succession, change, or withdrawal of registration; to provide for filing fees and postregistration requirements; to provide for fraud and liabilities; to provide for prohibited conduct in providing investment advice; to provide for filing of sales and advertising literature; to provide for qualified immunity and civil and criminal penalties; to provide for rescission offers; to provide for administration and judicial review; to provide for investigations and subpoenas; to provide for uniformity and cooperation with other agencies; to provide for jurisdiction and service of process; to amend the Official Code of Georgia Annotated to change certain references; to provide for applicability; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.

Chapter 5 of Title 10 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to securities, is repealed in its entirety and replaced by a new Chapter 5 to read as follows:

"CHAPTER 5
ARTICLE 1

10-5-1.

This chapter shall be known as and may be cited as the 'Georgia Uniform Securities Act of 2008.'

10-5-2.

As used in this chapter, the term:

(1) 'Agent' means an individual, other than a broker-dealer, who represents a broker-dealer in effecting or attempting to effect purchases or sales of securities or who represents an issuer in effecting or attempting to effect purchases or sales of the issuer´s securities. A partner, officer, or director of a broker-dealer or issuer or an individual having a similar status or performing similar functions may be an agent if the individual performs the duties of an agent. This term does not include an individual excluded by rule adopted or order issued under this chapter.

(2) 'Bank' means:

(A) A banking institution organized under the laws of the United States;

(B) A member bank of the Federal Reserve System;

(C) Any other banking institution, whether incorporated or not, doing business under the laws of a state or of the United States, a substantial portion of the business of which consists of receiving deposits or exercising fiduciary powers similar to those permitted to be exercised by national banks under the authority of the Comptroller of the Currency pursuant to Section 1 of P. L. 87-722, 12 U.S.C. Section 92a, and which is supervised and examined by a state or federal agency having supervision over banks and which is not operated for the purpose of evading this chapter; or

(D) A receiver, conservator, or other liquidating agent of any institution or firm included in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of this paragraph.

(3) 'Broker-dealer' means a person engaged in the business of effecting transactions in securities for the account of others or for the person´s own account. The term does not include:

(A) An agent;

(B) An issuer;

(C) A bank, trust company, credit union, or savings institution if its activities as a broker-dealer are limited to those specified in subsections 3(a)(4)(B)(i) through (vi), (viii) through (x), and (xi) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. Section 78c(a)(4), if limited to unsolicited transactions, subsections 3(a)(5)(B) and 3(a)(5)(C) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. Section 78c(a)(5), or a bank that satisfies the conditions described in subsection 3(a)(4)(E) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. Section 78c(a)(4);

(D) An international banking institution; or

(E) A person excluded by rule adopted or order issued under this chapter.

(4) 'Central Registration Depository' means a computerized data base that contains information about most brokers, their representatives, and the firms they work for. It can be used to find out if brokers are properly licensed and if they have had previous disputes with regulators or received serious complaints from investors.

(5) 'Credit union' means any credit union incorporated under the laws of this state, the United States, or any state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia.

(6) 'Commissioner' means the Secretary of State of Georgia.

(7)(A) 'Depository institution' means:

(i) A bank; or

(ii) A savings institution, trust company, credit union, or similar institution that is organized or chartered under the laws of a state or of the United States, authorized to receive deposits, and supervised and examined by an official or agency of a state or the United States if its deposits or share accounts are insured to the maximum amount authorized by statute by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund or a successor authorized by federal law.

(B) The term does not include:

(i) An insurance company or other organization primarily engaged in the business of insurance;

(ii) A Morris Plan bank; or

(iii) An industrial loan company that is not an 'insured depository institution' as defined in subsection 3(c)(2) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, 12 U.S.C. Section 1813(c)(2), or any successor federal statute.

(8) 'Federal covered investment adviser' means a person registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, 15 U.S.C. Section 80b-1, et seq.

(9) 'Federal covered security' means a security that is, or upon completion of a transaction will be, a covered security under Section 18(b) of the Securities Act of 1933, 15 U.S.C. Section 77r(b), or rules or regulations adopted pursuant to that provision.

(10) 'Filing' means the receipt under this chapter of a record by the Commissioner or a designee of the Commissioner.

(11) 'Fraud,' 'deceit,' or 'defraud' is not limited to common law deceit.

(12) 'Guaranteed' means guaranteed as to payment of all principal and all interest.

(13) 'Institutional investor' means any of the following, whether acting for itself or for others in a fiduciary capacity:

(A) A depository institution or international banking institution;

(B) An insurance company;

(D) An investment company as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, 15 U.S.C. Section 80a-1, et seq.;

(E) A broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. Section 78a, et seq.;

(F) An employee pension, profit-sharing, or benefit plan if the plan has total assets in excess of $10 million or its investment decisions are made by a named fiduciary, as defined in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, 29 U.S.C. Section 1001, et seq., that is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. Section 78a, et seq., an investment adviser registered or exempt from registration under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, 15 U.S.C. Section 80b-1, et seq., an investment adviser registered under this chapter, a depository institution, or an insurance company;

(G) A plan established and maintained by a state, a political subdivision of a state, or an agency or instrumentality of a state or a political subdivision of a state for the benefit of its employees if the plan has total assets in excess of $10 million or its investment decisions are made by a duly designated public official or by a named fiduciary, as defined in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, 29 U.S.C. Section 1001, et seq., that is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. Section 78a, et seq., an investment adviser registered or exempt from registration under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, 15 U.S.C. Section 80b-1, et seq., an investment adviser registered under this chapter, a depository institution, or an insurance company;

(H) A trust if it has total assets in excess of $10 million, its trustee is a depository institution, and its participants are exclusively plans of the types identified in subparagraph (F) or (G) of this paragraph, regardless of the size of their assets, except a trust that includes as participants self-directed individual retirement accounts or similar self-directed plans;

(I) An organization that is not formed for the specific purpose of acquiring the securities offered, with total assets in excess of $10 million, including an organization described in subsection 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, 26 U.S.C. Section 501(c)(3), a corporation, a Massachusetts trust or similar business trust, a limited liability company, or a partnership;

(J) A small business investment company licensed by the Small Business Administration under Section 301(c) of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958, 15 U.S.C. Section 681(c), with total assets in excess of $10 million;

(K) A private business development company as defined in Section 202(a)(22) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, 15 U.S.C. Section 80b-2(a)(22), with total assets in excess of $10 million;

(L) A federal covered investment adviser acting for its own account;

(M) A qualified institutional buyer as defined in Rule 144A(a)(1), other than Rule 144A(a)(1)(H),17 C.F.R. 230.144A, adopted under the Securities Act of 1933,15 U.S.C. Section 77a, et seq.;

(N) A major United States institutional investor as defined in Rule 15a-6(b)(4)(I), 17 C.F.R. 240.15a-6, adopted under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. Section 78a, et seq.;

(O) Any other person, other than an individual, of institutional character with total assets in excess of $10 million not organized for the specific purpose of evading this chapter; or

(P) Any other person specified by rule adopted or order issued under this chapter.

(14) ´Insurance company´ means a company organized as an insurance company whose primary business is writing insurance or reinsuring risks underwritten by insurance companies and which is subject to supervision by the insurance commissioner or a similar official or agency of a state.

(15) 'Insured' means insured as to payment of all principal and all interest.

(16) ´International banking institution´ means an international financial institution of which the United States is a member and whose securities are exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, 15 U.S.C. Section 77a, et seq.

(17) 'Investment adviser' means a person that, for compensation, engages in the business of advising others, either directly or through publications or writings, as to the value of securities or the advisability of investing in, purchasing, or selling securities or that, for compensation and as a part of a regular business, issues or promulgates analysis or reports concerning securities. The term includes a financial planner or other person that, as an integral component of other financially related services, provides investment advice to others for compensation as part of a business or that holds itself out as providing investment advice to others for compensation. The term does not include:

(A) An investment adviser representative;

(B) A lawyer, accountant, engineer, or teacher whose performance of investment advice is solely incidental to the practice of the person´s profession;

(C) A broker-dealer or its agents whose performance of investment advice is solely incidental to the conduct of business as a broker-dealer and that does not receive special compensation for the investment advice;

(D) A publisher of a bona fide newspaper, news magazine, or business or financial publication of general and regular circulation;

(E) A federal covered investment adviser;

(F) A bank or savings institution;

(G) Any other person that is excluded by the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, 15 U.S.C. Section 80b-1, et seq., from the definition of investment adviser; or

(H) Any other person excluded by rule adopted or order issued under this chapter.

(18) 'Investment Adviser Registration Depository' means an electronic filing system that facilitates investment adviser registration, regulatory review, and the public disclosure information of investment adviser firms.

(19) 'Investment adviser representative' means an individual employed by or associated with an investment adviser or federal covered investment adviser who makes any recommendations or otherwise gives investment advice regarding securities, manages accounts or portfolios of clients, determines which recommendation or advice regarding securities should be given, provides investment advice or holds herself or himself out as providing investment advice, receives compensation to solicit, offer, or negotiate for the sale of or for selling investment advice, or supervises employees who perform any of the foregoing. The term does not include an individual who:

(A) Performs only clerical or ministerial acts;

(B) Is an agent whose performance of investment advice is solely incidental to the individual acting as an agent and who does not receive special compensation for investment advisory services;

(C) Is employed by or associated with a federal covered investment adviser, unless the individual has a place of business in this state as that term is defined by rule adopted under Section 203A of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, 15 U.S.C. Section 80b-3a, and is:

(i) An investment adviser representative as that term is defined by rule adopted under Section 203A of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, 15 U.S.C. Section 80b-3a; or

(ii) Not a supervised person as that term is defined in Section 202(a)(25) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, 15 U.S.C. Section 80b-2(a)(25); or

(D) Is excluded by rule adopted or order issued under this chapter.

(20) 'Issuer' means a person that issues or proposes to issue a security, subject to the following:

(A) The issuer of a voting trust certificate, collateral trust certificate, certificate of deposit for a security, or share in an investment company without a board of directors or individuals performing similar functions is the person performing the acts and assuming the duties of depositor or manager pursuant to the trust or other agreement or instrument under which the security is issued;

(B) The issuer of an equipment trust certificate or similar security serving the same purpose is the person by which the property is or will be used or to which the property or equipment is or will be leased or conditionally sold or that is otherwise contractually responsible for assuring payment of the certificate; or

(C) The issuer of a fractional undivided interest in an oil, gas, or other mineral lease or in payments out of production under a lease, right, or royalty is the owner of an interest in the lease or in payments out of production under a lease, right, or royalty, whether whole or fractional, that creates fractional interests for the purpose of sale.

(21) 'Nonissuer transaction' or 'nonissuer distribution' means a transaction or distribution not directly or indirectly for the benefit of the issuer.

(22) 'Offer to purchase' includes an attempt or offer to obtain or solicitation of an offer to sell a security or interest in a security for value. The term does not include a tender offer that is subject to Section 14(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. Section 78n(d).

(23) 'Person' means an individual; corporation; business trust; estate; trust; partnership; limited liability company; association; joint venture; government; governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality; public corporation; or any other legal or commercial entity.

(24) ´Place of business´ of a broker-dealer, an investment adviser, or a federal covered investment adviser means:

(A) An office at which the broker-dealer, investment adviser, or federal covered investment adviser regularly provides brokerage or investment advice or solicits, meets with, or otherwise communicates with customers or clients; or

(B) Any other location that is held out to the general public as a location at which the broker-dealer, investment adviser, or federal covered investment adviser provides brokerage or investment advice or solicits, meets with, or otherwise communicates with customers or clients.

(25) 'Predecessor Act' means Chapter 5 of this title, the 'Georgia Securities Act of 1973', as it existed immediately prior to the effective date of this chapter.

(26) 'Price amendment' means the amendment to a registration statement filed under the Securities Act of 1933, 15 U.S.C. Section 77a, et seq., or, if an amendment is not filed, the prospectus or prospectus supplement filed under the Securities Act of 1933, 15 U.S.C. Section 77a, et seq., that includes a statement of the offering price, underwriting and selling discounts or commissions, amount of proceeds, conversion rates, call prices, and other matters dependent upon the offering price.

(27) 'Principal place of business' of a broker-dealer or an investment adviser means the executive office of the broker-dealer or investment adviser from which the officers, partners, or managers of the broker-dealer or investment adviser direct, control, and coordinate the activities of the broker-dealer or investment adviser.

(28) 'Record,' except in the phrases 'of record,' 'official record,' and 'public record,' means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form.

(29) 'Sale' includes every contract of sale, contract to sell, or disposition of a security or interest in a security for value. Offer to sell includes every attempt or offer to dispose of or solicitation of an offer to purchase a security or interest in a security for value. Both terms include:

(A) A security given or delivered with or as a bonus on account of a purchase of securities or any other thing constituting part of the subject of the purchase and having been offered and sold for value;

(B) A gift of assessable stock involving an offer and sale; and

(C) A sale or offer of a warrant or right to purchase or subscribe to another security of the same or another issuer and a sale or offer of a security that gives the holder a present or future right or privilege to convert the security into another security of the same or another issuer, including an offer of the other security.

(30) 'Securities and Exchange Commission' means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

(31) 'Security' means a note; stock; treasury stock; security future; bond; debenture; evidence of indebtedness; certificate of interest or participation in a profit-sharing agreement; collateral trust certificate; preorganization certificate or subscription; transferable share; investment contract; voting trust certificate; certificate of deposit for a security; fractional undivided interest in oil, gas, or other mineral rights; put, call, straddle, option, or privilege on a security, certificate of deposit, or group or index of securities, including an interest therein or based on the value thereof; put, call, straddle, option, or privilege entered into on a national securities exchange relating to foreign currency; or, in general, an interest or instrument commonly known as a 'security'; or a certificate of interest or participation in, temporary or interim certificate for, receipt for, guarantee of, or warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase any of the foregoing. The term:

(A) Includes both a certificated and an uncertificated security;

(B) Does not include an insurance or endowment policy or annuity contract under which an insurance company promises to pay a fixed or variable sum of money either in a lump sum or periodically for life or other specified period;

(C) Does not include an interest in a contributory or noncontributory pension or welfare plan subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, 29 U.S.C. Section 1001, et seq.;

(D) Includes as an investment contract an investment in a common enterprise with the expectation of profits to be derived primarily from the efforts of a person other than the investor where common enterprise means an enterprise in which the fortunes of the investor are interwoven with those of either the person offering the investment, a third party, or other investors; and

(E) Includes as an investment contract, among other contracts, an interest in a limited partnership or a limited liability company and an investment in a viatical settlement or similar agreement.

(32) 'Self-regulatory organization' means a national securities exchange registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. Section 78a, et seq., a national securities association of broker-dealers registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. Section 78a, et seq., a clearing agency registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. Section 78a, et seq., or the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board established under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. Section 78a, et seq.

(33) 'Sign' means, with present intent to authenticate or adopt a record:

(A) To execute or adopt a tangible symbol; or

(B) To attach or logically associate with the record an electronic symbol, sound, or process.

(34) 'State' means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.

10-5-3.

Any citation in this chapter to a section of the United States Code includes those statutes and the rules and regulations adopted under those statutes as in effect on the date of enactment of this chapter, or as later amended.

10-5-4.

A reference in this chapter to an agency or department of the United States is also a reference to a successor agency or department.

10-5-5.

This chapter modifies, limits, and supersedes the federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, 15 U.S.C. Section 7001, et seq., but does not modify, limit, or supersede Section 101(c) of that act, 15 U.S.C. Section 7001(c), or authorize electronic delivery of any of the notices described in Section 103(b) of that act, 15 U.S.C. Section 7003(b). This chapter authorizes the filing of records and signatures, when specified by provisions of this chapter or by a rule adopted or order issued under this chapter, in a manner consistent with Section 104(a) of that act, 15 U.S.C. Section 7004(a).

ARTICLE 2

10-5-10.

The following securities are exempt from the requirements of Article 3 of this chapter and Code Section 10-5-53:

(1) A security, including a revenue obligation or a separate security as defined in Rule 131, 17 C.F.R. 230.131, adopted under the Securities Act of 1933, 15 U.S.C. Section 77a, et seq., issued, insured, or guaranteed by the United States; by a state; by a political subdivision of a state; by a public authority, agency, or instrumentality of one or more states; by a political subdivision of one or more states; or by a person controlled or supervised by and acting as an instrumentality of the United States under authority granted by the Congress or a certificate of deposit for any of the foregoing;

(2) A security issued, insured, or guaranteed by a foreign government with which the United States maintains diplomatic relations, or any of its political subdivisions, if the security is recognized as a valid obligation by the issuer, insurer, or guarantor;

(3) A security issued by and representing or that will represent an interest in or a direct obligation of or be guaranteed by:

(A) An international banking institution;

(B) A banking institution organized under the laws of the United States; a member bank of the Federal Reserve System; or a depository institution a substantial portion of the business of which consists or will consist of receiving deposits or share accounts that are insured to the maximum amount authorized by statute by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund or a successor authorized by federal law or exercising fiduciary powers that are similar to those permitted for national banks under the authority of the Comptroller of Currency pursuant to Section 1 of P. L. 87-722, 12 U.S.C. Section 92a; or

(4) A security issued by and representing an interest in, or a debt of, or insured or guaranteed by, an insurance company authorized to do business in this state;

(5) A security issued or guaranteed by a railroad, other common carrier, public utility, or public utility holding company that is:

(A) Regulated in respect to its rates and charges by the United States or a state;

(B) Regulated in respect to the issuance or guarantee of the security by the United States, a state, Canada, or a Canadian province or territory; or

(C) A public utility holding company registered under the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or a subsidiary of such a registered holding company within the meaning of that act;

(6) A federal covered security specified in Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act of 1933, 15 U.S.C. Section 77r(b)(1), or by rule adopted under that provision or a security listed or approved for listing on another securities market specified by rule under this chapter; a put or a call option contract; a warrant; a subscription right on or with respect to such securities; or an option or similar derivative security on a security or an index of securities or foreign currencies issued by a clearing agency registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. Section 77a, et seq., and listed or designated for trading on a national securities exchange, a facility of a national securities exchange, or a facility of a national securities association registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. Section 77a, et seq., or an offer or sale of the underlying security in connection with the offer, sale, or exercise of an option or other security that was exempt when the option or other security was written or issued; or an option or a derivative security designated by the Securities and Exchange Commission under Section 9(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. Section 78i(b);

(7) A security issued by a person organized and operated exclusively for religious, educational, benevolent, fraternal, charitable, social, athletic, or reformatory purposes or as a chamber of commerce and not for pecuniary profit, no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of a private stockholder or other person; or a security of a company that is excluded from the definition of an investment company under Section 3(c)(10)(B) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, 15 U.S.C. Section 80b-3(c)(10)(B); except that with respect to the offer or sale of a note, bond, debenture, or other evidence of indebtedness issued by such a person, a rule may be adopted under this chapter limiting the availability of this exemption by classifying securities, persons, and transactions, imposing different requirements for different classes, specifying with respect to Section 3(c)(10)(B) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, 15 U.S.C. Section 80b-3(c)(10)(B), the scope of the exemption and the grounds for denial or suspension, and requiring an issuer:

(A) To file a notice specifying the material terms of the proposed offer or sale and copies of any proposed sales and advertising literature to be used and provide that the exemption becomes effective if the Commissioner does not disallow the exemption within the period established by the rule;

(B) To file a request for exemption authorization for which a rule under this chapter may specify the scope of the exemption, the requirement of an offering statement, the filing of sales and advertising literature, the filing of consent to service of process complying with Code Section 10-5-80, and grounds for denial or suspension of the exemption; or

(8) A member´s or owner´s interest in, retention certificate, or like security given in lieu of a cash patronage dividend issued by, a cooperative organized and operated as a nonprofit membership cooperative under the cooperative laws of a state, but not a member´s or owner´s interest, retention certificate, or like security sold to persons other than bona fide members of the cooperative; and

(9) An equipment trust certificate with respect to equipment leased or conditionally sold to a person if any security issued by the person would be exempt under this Code section or would be a federal covered security under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act of 1933, 15 U.S.C. Section 77r(b)(1).

10-5-11.

The following transactions are exempt from the requirements of Article 3 of this chapter and Code Section 10-5-53:

(1) An isolated nonissuer transaction, whether effected by or through a broker-dealer or not;

(2) A nonissuer transaction by or through a broker-dealer registered, or exempt from registration under this chapter, and a resale transaction by a sponsor of a unit investment trust registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, 15 U.S.C. Section 80a-1, et seq., in a security of a class that has been outstanding in the hands of the public for at least 90 days, if, at the date of the transaction:

(A) The issuer of the security is engaged in business, the issuer is not in the organizational stage or in bankruptcy or receivership, and the issuer is not a blank check, blind pool, or shell company that has no specific business plan or purpose or has indicated that its primary business plan is to engage in a merger or combination of the business with, or an acquisition of, an unidentified person;

(B) The security is sold at a price reasonably related to its current market price;

(C) The security does not constitute the whole or part of an unsold allotment to or a subscription or participation by the broker-dealer as an underwriter of the security or a redistribution;

(D) A nationally recognized securities manual or its electronic equivalent designated by rule adopted or order issued under this chapter or a record filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission that is publicly available contains:

(i) A description of the business and operations of the issuer;

(ii) The names of the issuer´s executive officers and the names of the issuer´s directors, if any;

(iii) An audited balance sheet of the issuer as of a date within 18 months before the date of the transaction or, in the case of a reorganization or merger when the parties to the reorganization or merger each had an audited balance sheet, a pro forma balance sheet for the combined organization; and

(iv) An audited income statement for each of the issuer´s two immediately previous fiscal years or for the period of existence of the issuer, whichever is shorter, or, in the case of a reorganization or merger when each party to the reorganization or merger had an audited income statement, a pro forma income statement; and

(E) The issuer of the security has a class of equity securities listed on a national securities exchange registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. Section 78a, et seq., or designated for trading on the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System, unless the issuer of the security is a unit investment trust registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, 15 U.S.C. Section 80a-1, et seq.; or the issuer of the security, including its predecessors, has been engaged in continuous business for at least three years; or the issuer of the security has total assets of at least $2 million based on an audited balance sheet as of a date within 18 months before the date of the transaction or, in the case of a reorganization or merger when the parties to the reorganization or merger each had an audited balance sheet, a pro forma balance sheet for the combined organization;

(3) A nonissuer transaction by or through a broker-dealer registered or exempt from registration under this chapter in a security of a foreign issuer that is a margin security defined in regulations or rules adopted by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System;

(4) A nonissuer transaction by or through a broker-dealer registered or exempt from registration under this chapter in an outstanding security if the guarantor of the security files reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. Section 78m or 78o(d);

(5) A nonissuer transaction by or through a broker-dealer registered or exempt from registration under this chapter in a security that:

(A) Is rated at the time of the transaction by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization in one of its four highest rating categories; or

(B) Has a fixed maturity or a fixed interest or dividend if:

(i) A default has not occurred during the current fiscal year or within the three previous fiscal years or during the existence of the issuer and any predecessor, if less than three fiscal years, in the payment of principal, interest, or dividends on the security; and

(ii) The issuer is engaged in business, is not in the organizational stage or in bankruptcy or receivership, and is not and has not been within the previous 12 months a blank check, blind pool, or shell company that has no specific business plan or purpose or has indicated that its primary business plan is to engage in a merger or combination of the business with or an acquisition of an unidentified person;

(6) A nonissuer transaction by or through a broker-dealer registered or exempt from registration under this chapter effecting an unsolicited order or offer to purchase;

(7) A nonissuer transaction executed by a bona fide pledgee without the purpose of evading this chapter;

(8) A nonissuer transaction by a federal covered investment adviser with investments under management in excess of $100 million acting in the exercise of discretionary authority in a signed record for the account of others;

(9) A transaction in a security, whether or not the security or transaction is otherwise exempt, in exchange for one or more bona fide outstanding securities, claims, or property interests, or partly in such exchange and partly for cash, if the terms and conditions of the issuance and exchange or the delivery and exchange and the fairness of the terms and conditions have been approved by the Commissioner after a hearing;

(10) A transaction between the issuer or other person on whose behalf the offering is made and an underwriter or among underwriters;

(11) A transaction in a note, bond, debenture, or other evidence of indebtedness secured by a mortgage or other security agreement if:

(A) The note, bond, debenture, or other evidence of indebtedness is offered and sold with the mortgage or other security agreement as a unit;

(B) A general solicitation or general advertisement of the transaction is not made; and (C) A commission or other remuneration is not paid or given, directly or indirectly, to a person not registered under this chapter as a broker-dealer or as an agent;

(12) A transaction by an executor, commissioner of an estate, sheriff, marshal, receiver, trustee in bankruptcy, guardian, or conservator;

(13) A sale or offer to sell to:

(A) An institutional investor;

(B) A federal covered investment adviser; or

(14) A sale or an offer to sell securities of an issuer if part of a single issue in which:

(A) Not more than 15 purchasers are present in this state during any 12 consecutive months, other than those designated in paragraph (13) of this Code section;

(B) A general solicitation or general advertising is not made in connection with the offer to sell or sale of the securities;

(C) A commission or other remuneration is not paid or given, directly or indirectly, to any person for soliciting a prospective purchaser in this state; and

(D) The issuer reasonably believes that all the purchasers in this state, other than those designated in paragraph (13) of this Code section, are purchasing for investment;

(15) A transaction under an offer to existing security holders of the issuer, including persons that at the date of the transaction are holders of convertible securities, options, or warrants if a commission or other remuneration, other than a standby commission, is not paid or given, directly or indirectly, for soliciting a security holder in this state;

(16) An offer to sell, but not a sale, of a security not exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, 15 U.S.C. Section 77a, et seq., if:

(A) A registration or offering statement or similar record as required under the Securities Act of 1933, 15 U.S.C. Section 77a, et seq., has been filed but is not effective, or the offer is made in compliance with Rule 165, 17 C.F.R. 230.165, adopted under the Securities Act of 1933, 15 U.S.C. Section 77a, et seq.; and

(B) A stop order of which the offeror is aware has not been issued against the offeror by the Commissioner or the Securities and Exchange Commission, and an audit, inspection, or proceeding that is public and that may culminate in a stop order is not known by the offeror to be pending;

(17) An offer to sell, but not a sale, of a security exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, 15 U.S.C. Section 77a, et seq., if:

(A) A registration statement has been filed under this chapter but is not effective;

(B) A solicitation of interest is provided in a record to offerees in compliance with a rule adopted by the Commissioner under this chapter; and

(C) A stop order of which the offeror is aware has not been issued by the Commissioner under this chapter, and an audit, inspection, or proceeding that may culminate in a stop order is not known by the offeror to be pending;

(18) A transaction involving the distribution of the securities of an issuer to the security holders of another person in connection with a merger, consolidation, exchange of securities, sale of assets, or other reorganization to which the issuer, or its parent or subsidiary, and the other person, or its parent or subsidiary, are parties;

(19) A rescission offer, sale, or purchase under Code Section 10-5-59;

(20) An offer or sale of a security to a person not a resident of this state and not present in this state if the offer or sale does not constitute a violation of the laws of the state or foreign jurisdiction in which the offeree or purchaser is present and is not part of an unlawful plan or scheme to evade this chapter;

(21) Employees´ stock purchase, savings, option, profit-sharing, pension, or similar employees´ benefit plan, including any securities, plan interests, and guarantees issued under a compensatory benefit plan or compensation contract, contained in a record, and established by the issuer, its parents, its majority-owned subsidiaries, or the majority-owned subsidiaries of the issuer´s parent for the participation of their employees including offers or sales of such securities to:

(A) Directors; general partners; trustees, if the issuer is a business trust; officers; consultants; and advisers;

(B) Family members who acquire such securities from those persons through gifts or domestic relations orders;

(C) Former employees, directors, general partners, trustees, officers, consultants, and advisers if those individuals were employed by or providing services to the issuer when the securities were offered; and

(D) Insurance agents who are exclusive insurance agents of the issuer or the issuer´s subsidiaries or parents or who derive more than 50 percent of their annual income from those organizations;

(22) A transaction involving:

(A) A stock dividend or equivalent equity distribution, whether the corporation or other business organization distributing the dividend or equivalent equity distribution is the issuer or not, if nothing of value is given by stockholders or other equity holders for the dividend or equivalent equity distribution other than the surrender of a right to a cash or property dividend if each stockholder or other equity holder may elect to take the dividend or equivalent equity distribution in cash, property, or stock;

(B) An act incident to a judicially approved reorganization in which a security is issued in exchange for one or more outstanding securities, claims, or property interests or partly in such exchange and partly for cash; or

(C) The solicitation of tenders of securities by an offeror in a tender offer in compliance with Rule 162, 17 C.F.R. 230.162, adopted under the Securities Act of 1933, 15 U.S.C. Section 77a, et seq.; and

(23) A nonissuer transaction in an outstanding security by or through a broker-dealer registered or exempt from registration under this chapter if the issuer is a reporting issuer in a foreign jurisdiction designated by this paragraph or by rule adopted or order issued under this chapter; has been subject to continuous reporting requirements in the foreign jurisdiction for not less than 180 days before the transaction; and the security is listed on the foreign jurisdiction´s securities exchange that has been designated by this paragraph or by rule adopted or order issued under this chapter or is a security of the same issuer that is of senior or substantially equal rank to the listed security or is a warrant or right to purchase or subscribe to any of the foregoing. For purposes of this paragraph, Canada, together with its provinces and territories, is a designated foreign jurisdiction and The Toronto Stock Exchange, Inc., is a designated securities exchange. After an administrative hearing in compliance with Chapter 13 of Title 50, the 'Georgia Administrative Procedure Act,' the Commissioner, by rule adopted or order issued under this chapter, may revoke the designation of a securities exchange under this paragraph, if the Commissioner finds that revocation is necessary or appropriate in the public interest and for the protection of investors.

10-5-12.

A rule adopted or order issued under this chapter may exempt a security, transaction, or offer; a rule adopted under this chapter may exempt a class of securities, transactions, or offers from any or all of the requirements of Article 3 of this chapter and Code Section 10-5-53; and an order issued under this chapter may waive, in whole or in part, any or all of the conditions for an exemption or offer under Code Sections 10-5-10 and 10-5-11.

10-5-13.

(a) Except with respect to a federal covered security or a transaction involving a federal covered security, an order issued under this chapter may deny, suspend application of, condition, limit, or revoke an exemption created under subparagraph (C) of paragraph (3) or paragraph (7) or (8) of Code Section 10-5-10 or under Code Section 10-5-11 or an exemption or waiver created under Code Section 10-5-12 with respect to a specific security, transaction, or offer. An order issued under this Code section may be issued only pursuant to the procedures in subsection (d) of Code Section 10-5-25 or 10-5-73 and only prospectively.

(b) A person does not violate Code Section 10-5-20, 10-5-22 through 10-5-25, 10-5-53, or 10-5-59 by an offer to sell, offer to purchase, sale, or purchase effected after the entry of an order issued under this Code section if the person did not know, and in the exercise of reasonable care could not have known, of the order.

ARTICLE 3

10-5-20.

It is unlawful for a person to offer or sell a security in this state unless:

(1) The security is a federal covered security;

(2) The security, transaction, or offer is exempted from registration under Code Sections 10-5-10 through 10-5-12; or

(3) The security is registered under this chapter.

10-5-21.

(a) With respect to a federal covered security, as defined in Section 18(b)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, 15 U.S.C. Section 77r(b)(2), that is not otherwise exempt under Code Sections 10-5-10 through 10-5-12, a rule adopted or order issued under this chapter may require the filing of any or all of the following records:

(1) Before the initial offer of a federal covered security in this state, all records that are part of a federal registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, 15 U.S.C. Section 77a, et seq., and a consent to service of process complying with Code Section 10-5-80 signed by the issuer and the payment of a fee of $250.00;

(2) After the initial offer of the federal covered security in this state, all records that are part of an amendment to a federal registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, 15 U.S.C. Section 77a, et seq.; and

(3) To the extent necessary or appropriate to compute fees, a report of the value of the federal covered securities sold or offered to persons present in this state, if the sales data are not included in records filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and payment of a fee of $250.00.

(b) A notice filing under subsection (a) of this Code section is effective for one year commencing on the later of the notice filing or the effectiveness of the offering filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. On or before expiration, the issuer may renew a notice filing by filing a copy of those records filed by the issuer with the Securities and Exchange Commission that are required by rule adopted or order issued under this chapter to be filed and by paying a renewal fee of $100.00. A previously filed consent to service of process complying with Code Section 10-5-80 may be incorporated by reference in a renewal. A renewed notice filing becomes effective upon the expiration of the filing being renewed.

(c) With respect to a security that is a federal covered security under Section 18(b)(4)(D) of the Securities Act of 1933, 15 U.S.C. Section 77r(b)(4)(D), a rule adopted under this chapter may require a notice filing by or on behalf of an issuer to include a copy of Form D, including the Appendix, as promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and a consent to service of process complying with Code Section 10-5-80 signed by the issuer not later than 15 days after the first sale of the federal covered security in this state and the payment of a fee of $250.00.

(d) Except with respect to a federal security under Section 181(b)(1) of the Securities Act of 1933, 15 U.S.C. Section 77r(b)(1), if the Commissioner finds that there is a failure to comply with a notice or fee requirement of this Code section, the Commissioner may issue a stop order suspending the offer and sale of a federal covered security in this state. If the deficiency is corrected, the stop order is void as of the time of its issuance and no penalty may be imposed by the Commissioner.

10-5-22.

(a) A security for which a registration statement has been filed under the Securities Act of 1933, 15 U.S.C. Section 77a, et seq., in connection with the same offering may be registered by coordination under this Code section.

(b) A registration statement and accompanying records under this Code section must contain or be accompanied by the following records in addition to the information specified in Code Section 10-5-24 and a consent to service of process complying with Code Section 10-5-80:

(1) A copy of the latest form of prospectus filed under the Securities Act of 1933, 15 U.S.C. Section 77a, et seq.;

(2) A copy of the articles of incorporation and bylaws or their substantial equivalents currently in effect; a copy of any agreement with or among underwriters; a copy of any indenture or other instrument governing the issuance of the security to be registered; and a specimen, copy, or description of the security that is required by rule adopted or order issued under this chapter;

(3) Copies of any other information or any other records filed by the issuer under the Securities Act of 1933, 15 U.S.C. Section 77a, et seq., requested by the Commissioner; and

(4) An undertaking to forward each amendment to the federal prospectus, other than an amendment that delays the effective date of the registration statement, promptly after it is filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

(c) A registration statement under this Code section becomes effective simultaneously with or subsequent to the federal registration statement when all the following conditions are satisfied:

(1) A stop order issued under subsection (d) of this Code section or Code Section 10-5-25 or issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission is not in effect and a proceeding is not pending against the issuer under Code Section 10-5-41; and

(2) The registration statement has been on file for at least 20 days or a shorter period provided by rule adopted or order issued under this chapter.

(d) The registrant shall promptly notify the Commissioner in a record of the date when the federal registration statement becomes effective and the content of any price amendment and shall promptly file a record containing the price amendment. If the notice is not timely received, the Commissioner may issue a stop order, without prior notice or hearing, retroactively denying effectiveness to the registration statement or suspending its effectiveness until compliance with this Code section. The Commissioner shall promptly notify the registrant of an order by telephone or electronic means and promptly confirm this notice by a record. If the registrant subsequently complies with the notice requirements of this Code section, the stop order is void as of the date of its issuance.

(e) If the federal registration statement becomes effective before each of the conditions in this Code section is satisfied or is waived by the Commissioner, the registration statement is automatically effective under this chapter when all the conditions are satisfied or waived. If the registrant notifies the Commissioner of the date when the federal registration statement is expected to become effective, the Commissioner shall promptly notify the registrant by telephone or electronic means and promptly confirm this notice by a record, indicating whether all the conditions are satisfied or waived and whether the Commissioner intends the institution of a proceeding under Code Section 10-5-25. The notice by the Commissioner does not preclude the institution of such a proceeding.

10-5-23.

(a) A security may be registered by qualification under this Code section.

(b) A registration statement under this Code section must contain the information or records specified in Code Section 10-5-24, a consent to service of process complying with Code Section 10-5-80, and, if required by rule adopted under this chapter, the following information or records:

(1) With respect to the issuer and any significant subsidiary, its name, address, and form of organization; the state or foreign jurisdiction and date of its organization; the general character and location of its business; a description of its physical properties and equipment; and a statement of the general competitive conditions in the industry or business in which it is or will be engaged;

(2) With respect to each director and officer of the issuer and other person having a similar status or performing similar functions, the person´s name, address, and principal occupation for the previous five years; the amount of securities of the issuer held by the person as of the thirtieth day before the filing of the registration statement; the amount of the securities covered by the registration statement to which the person has indicated an intention to subscribe; and a description of any material interest of the person in any material transaction with the issuer or a significant subsidiary effected within the previous three years or proposed to be effected;

(3) With respect to persons covered by paragraph (2) of this subsection, the aggregate sum of the remuneration paid to those persons during the previous 12 months and estimated to be paid during the next 12 months, directly or indirectly, by the issuer and all predecessors, parents, subsidiaries, and affiliates of the issuer;

(4) With respect to a person owning of record or owning beneficially, if known, 10 percent or more of the outstanding shares of any class of equity security of the issuer, the information specified in paragraph (2) of this subsection other than the person´s occupation;

(5) With respect to a promoter, if the issuer was organized within the previous three years, the information or records specified in paragraph (2) of this subsection, any amount paid to the promoter within that period or intended to be paid to the promoter and the consideration for the payment;

(6) With respect to a person on whose behalf any part of the offering is to be made in a nonissuer distribution, the person´s name and address; the amount of securities of the issuer held by the person as of the date of the filing of the registration statement; a description of any material interest of the person in any material transaction with the issuer or any significant subsidiary effected within the previous three years or proposed to be effected; and a statement of the reasons for making the offering;

(7) The capitalization and long term debt, on both a current and pro forma basis, of the issuer and any significant subsidiary, including a description of each security outstanding or being registered or otherwise offered, and a statement of the amount and kind of consideration, whether in the form of cash, physical assets, services, patents, good will, or anything else of value, for which the issuer or any subsidiary has issued its securities within the previous two years or is obligated to issue its securities;

(8) The kind and amount of securities to be offered; the proposed offering price or the method by which it is to be computed; any variation at which a proportion of the offering is to be made to a person or class of persons other than the underwriters, with a specification of the person or class; the basis on which the offering is to be made if otherwise than for cash; the estimated aggregate underwriting and selling discounts or commissions and finders´ fees, including separately cash, securities, contracts, or anything else of value to accrue to the underwriters or finders in connection with the offering or, if the selling discounts or commissions are variable, the basis of determining them and their maximum and minimum amounts; the estimated amounts of other selling expenses, including legal, engineering, and accounting charges; the name and address of each underwriter and each recipient of a finder´s fee; a copy of any underwriting or selling group agreement under which the distribution is to be made or the proposed form of any such agreement whose terms have not yet been determined; and a description of the plan of distribution of any securities that are to be offered otherwise than through an underwriter;

(9) The estimated monetary proceeds to be received by the issuer from the offering; the purposes for which the proceeds are to be used by the issuer; the estimated amount to be used for each purpose; the order or priority in which the proceeds will be used for the purposes stated; the amounts of any funds to be raised from other sources to achieve the purposes stated; the sources of the funds; and, if a part of the proceeds is to be used to acquire property, including good will, otherwise than in the ordinary course of business, the names and addresses of the vendors, the purchase price, the names of any persons that have received commissions in connection with the acquisition, and the amounts of the commissions and other expenses in connection with the acquisition, including the cost of borrowing money to finance the acquisition;

(10) A description of any stock options or other security options outstanding or to be created in connection with the offering and the amount of those options held or to be held by each person required to be named in paragraph (2), (4), (5), (6), or (8) of this subsection and by any person that holds or will hold 10 percent or more in the aggregate of those options;

(11) The dates of, parties to, and general effect concisely stated of each managerial or other material contract made or to be made otherwise than in the ordinary course of business to be performed in whole or in part at or after the filing of the registration statement or that was made within the previous two years and a copy of the contract;

(12) A description of any pending litigation, action, or proceeding to which the issuer is a party and that materially affects its business or assets and any litigation, action, or proceeding known to be contemplated by governmental authorities;

(13) A copy of any prospectus, pamphlet, circular, form letter, advertisement, or other sales literature intended as of the effective date to be used in connection with the offering and any solicitation of interest used in compliance with subparagraph (B) of paragraph (17) of Code Section 10-5-11;

(14) A specimen or copy of the security being registered, unless the security is uncertificated; a copy of the issuer´s articles of incorporation and bylaws or their substantial equivalents, in effect; and a copy of any indenture or other instrument covering the security to be registered;

(15) A signed or conformed copy of an opinion of counsel concerning the legality of the security being registered, with an English translation if it is in a language other than English, which states whether the security when sold will be validly issued, fully paid, and nonassessable and, if a debt security, a binding obligation of the issuer;

(16) A signed or conformed copy of a consent of any accountant, engineer, appraiser, or other person whose profession gives authority for a statement made by the person if the person is named as having prepared or certified a public report or valuation, other than an official record, which is used in connection with the registration statement;

(17) A balance sheet of the issuer as of a date within four months before the filing of the registration statement; a statement of income and changes in financial position for each of the three fiscal years preceding the date of the balance sheet and for any period between the close of the immediately previous fiscal year and the date of the balance sheet or for the period of the issuer´s and any predecessor´s existence if less than three years; and, if any part of the proceeds of the offering is to be applied to the purchase of a business, the financial statements that would be required if that business were the registrant; and

(18) Any additional information or records required by rule adopted or order issued under this chapter.

(c) A registration statement under this Code section becomes effective 30 days after the date the registration statement or the last amendment other than a price amendment is filed, unless any shorter period is provided by a rule adopted or order issued under this chapter, if:

(1) A stop order is not in effect and a proceeding is not pending under Code Section 10-5-25;

(2) The Commissioner has not issued an order under Code Section 10-5-25 delaying effectiveness; and

(3) The applicant or registrant has not requested that effectiveness be delayed.

(d) The Commissioner may delay effectiveness once for not more than 90 days if the Commissioner determines the registration statement is not complete in all material respects and promptly notifies the applicant or registrant of that determination. The Commissioner may also delay effectiveness for a further period of not more than 30 days if the Commissioner determines that the delay is necessary or appropriate.

(e) A rule adopted or order issued under this chapter may require as a condition of registration under this Code section that a prospectus containing a specified part of the information or record specified in subsection (b) of this Code section be sent or given to each person to which an offer is made before or concurrently with the earliest of:

(1) The first offer made in a record to the person, otherwise than by means of a public advertisement, by or for the account of the issuer or another person on whose behalf the offering is being made or by an underwriter or broker-dealer that is offering part of an unsold allotment or subscription taken by the person as a participant in the distribution;

(2) The confirmation of a sale made by or for the account of the person;

(3) Payment pursuant to such a sale; or

(4) Delivery of the security pursuant to such a sale.

10-5-24.

(a) A registration statement may be filed by the issuer, a person on whose behalf the offering is to be made, or a broker-dealer registered under this chapter.

(b) If a registration statement is withdrawn before the effective date or a pre-effective stop order is issued under Code Section 10-5-25, the Commissioner shall retain the fee.

(1) The amount of securities to be offered in this state;

(2) The states in which a registration statement or similar record in connection with the offering has been or is to be filed; and

(3) Any adverse order, judgment, or decree issued in connection with the offering by a state securities administrator, the Securities and Exchange Commission, or a court.

(d) A record filed under this chapter or the predecessor Act within five years preceding the filing of a registration statement may be incorporated by reference in the registration statement to the extent that the record is currently accurate.

(e) In the case of a nonissuer distribution, information or a record shall not be required under subsection (i) of this Code section or under Code Section 10-5-23, unless it is known to the person filing the registration statement or to the person on whose behalf the distribution is to be made or unless it can be furnished by those persons without unreasonable effort or expense.

(f) A rule adopted or order issued under this chapter may require as a condition of registration that a security issued within the previous five years or to be issued to a promoter for a consideration substantially less than the public offering price or to a person for a consideration other than cash be deposited in escrow; and that the proceeds from the sale of the registered security in this state be impounded until the issuer receives a specified amount from the sale of the security either in this state or elsewhere. The conditions of any escrow or impoundment required under this subsection may be established by rule adopted or order issued under this chapter, but the Commissioner may not reject a depository institution solely because of its location in another state.

(g) A rule adopted or order issued under this chapter may require as a condition of registration that a security registered under this chapter be sold only on a specified form of subscription or sale contract and that a signed or conformed copy of each contract be filed under this chapter or preserved for a period specified by the rule or order, which may not be longer than five years.

(h) Except while a stop order is in effect under Code Section 10-5-25, a registration statement is effective for one year after its effective date or for any longer period designated in an order under this chapter during which the security is being offered or distributed in a nonexempted transaction by or for the account of the issuer or other person on whose behalf the offering is being made or by an underwriter or broker-dealer that is still offering part of an unsold allotment or subscription taken as a participant in the distribution. For the purposes of a nonissuer transaction, all outstanding securities of the same class identified in the registration statement as a security registered under this chapter are considered to be registered while the registration statement is effective. If any securities of the same class are outstanding, a registration statement may not be withdrawn until one year after its effective date. A registration statement may be withdrawn only with the approval of the Commissioner.

(i) While a registration statement is effective, a rule adopted or order issued under this chapter may require the person that filed the registration statement to file reports, not more often than quarterly, to keep the information or other record in the registration statement reasonably current, and to disclose the progress of the offering.

(j) A registration statement may be amended after its effective date. The post-effective amendment becomes effective when the Commissioner so orders. A post-effective amendment relates back to the date of the offering of the additional securities being registered if, within one year after the date of the sale, the amendment is filed and the additional registration fee is paid.

10-5-25.

(a) The Commissioner may issue a stop order denying effectiveness to, or suspending or revoking the effectiveness of, a registration statement if the Commissioner finds that the order is in the public interest and that:

(1) The registration statement as of its effective date or before the effective date in the case of an order denying effectiveness, an amendment under subsection (j) of Code Section 10-5-24 as of its effective date, or a report under subsection (i) of Code Section 10-5-24 is incomplete in a material respect or contains a statement that, in the light of the circumstances under which it was made, was false or misleading with respect to a material fact;

(2) This chapter or a rule adopted or order issued under this chapter or a condition imposed under this chapter has been willfully violated, in connection with the offering, by the person filing the registration statement; by the issuer, a partner, officer, or director of the issuer or a person having a similar status or performing a similar function; by a promoter of the issuer; or by a person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by the issuer but only if the person filing the registration statement is directly or indirectly controlled by or acting for the issuer; or by an underwriter;

(3) The security registered or sought to be registered is the subject of a permanent or temporary injunction of a court of competent jurisdiction or an administrative stop order or similar order issued under any federal, foreign, or state law other than this chapter applicable to the offering, but the Commissioner may not institute a proceeding against an effective registration statement under this paragraph more than one year after the date of the order or injunction on which it is based, and the Commissioner may not issue an order under this paragraph on the basis of an order or injunction issued under the securities act of another state unless the order or injunction was based on conduct that would constitute, as of the date of the order, a ground for a stop order under this Code section;

(4) The issuer´s enterprise or method of business includes or would include activities that are unlawful where performed;

(5) With respect to a security sought to be registered under Code Section 10-5-22, there has been a failure to comply with the undertaking required by paragraph (4) of subsection (b) of said Code section;

(6) The applicant or registrant has not paid the filing fee, but the Commissioner shall void the order if the deficiency is corrected; or

(7) The offering:

(A) Will work or tend to work a fraud upon purchasers or would so operate; or

(B) Has been or would be made with unreasonable amounts of underwriters´ and sellers´ discounts, commissions, or other compensation or promoters´ profits or participations or unreasonable amounts or kinds of options; or

(b) To the extent practicable, the Commissioner by rule adopted or order issued under this chapter shall publish standards that provide notice of conduct that violates paragraph (7) of subsection (a) of this Code section.

(c) The Commissioner may not institute a stop order proceeding against an effective registration statement on the basis of conduct or a transaction known to the Commissioner when the registration statement became effective unless the proceeding is instituted within 30 days after the registration statement became effective.

(d) The Commissioner may summarily revoke, deny, postpone, or suspend the effectiveness of a registration statement pending final determination of an administrative proceeding. Upon the issuance of the order, the Commissioner shall promptly notify each person specified in subsection (e) of this Code section that the order has been issued, the reasons for the revocation, denial, postponement, or suspension, and that within 15 days after the receipt of a request in a record from the person the matter will be scheduled for a hearing. If a hearing is not requested and none is ordered by the Commissioner within 30 days after the date of service of the order, the order becomes final. If a hearing is requested or ordered, the Commissioner, after notice of and opportunity for hearing for each person subject to the order, may modify or vacate the order or extend the order until final determination.

(e) A stop order may not be issued under this Code section without:

(1) Appropriate notice to the applicant or registrant, the issuer, and the person on whose behalf the securities are to be or have been offered;

(2) An opportunity for hearing; and

(3) Findings of fact and conclusions of law in a record in accordance with Chapter 13 of Title 50, the 'Georgia Administrative Procedure Act.'

(f) The Commissioner may modify or vacate a stop order issued under this Code section if the Commissioner finds that the conditions that caused its issuance have changed or that it is necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors.

10-5-26.

The Commissioner may waive or modify, in whole or in part, any or all of the requirements of Code Sections 10-5-21, 10-5-22, and subsection (b) of Code Section 10-5-23 or the requirement of any information or record in a registration statement or in a periodic report filed pursuant to subsection (i) of Code Section 10-5-24.

ARTICLE 4

10-5-30.

(a) It is unlawful for a person to transact business in this state as a broker-dealer unless the person is registered under this chapter as a broker-dealer or is exempt from registration as a broker-dealer under subsection (b) or (d) of this Code section.

(b) The following persons are exempt from the registration requirement of subsection (a) of this Code section:

(1) A broker-dealer without a place of business in this state if its only transactions effected in this state are with:

(A) The issuer of the securities involved in the transactions;

(B) A person registered as a broker-dealer under this chapter or not required to be registered as a broker-dealer under this chapter;

(D) A nonaffiliated federal covered investment adviser with investments under management in excess of $100 million acting for the account of others pursuant to discretionary authority in a signed record;

(E) A bona fide preexisting customer whose principal place of residence is not in this state and the person is registered as a broker-dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. Section 78a, et seq., or not required to be registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. Section 78a, et seq., and is registered under the securities act of the state in which the customer maintains a principal place of residence;

(F) A bona fide preexisting customer whose principal place of residence is in this state but was not present in this state when the customer relationship was established, if:

(i) The broker-dealer is registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. Section 78a, et seq., or not required to be registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. Section 78a, et seq., and is registered under the securities laws of the state in which the customer relationship was established and where the customer had maintained a principal place of residence; and

(ii) Within 45 days after the customer´s first transaction in this state, the person files an application for registration as a broker-dealer in this state and a further transaction is not effected more than 75 days after the date on which the application is filed, or, if earlier, the date on which the Commissioner notifies the person that the Commissioner has denied the application for registration or has stayed the pendency of the application for good cause;

(G) Not more than three customers in this state during the previous 12 months, in addition to those customers specified in subparagraphs (A) through (F) and subparagraph (H) of this paragraph, if the broker-dealer is registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. Section 78a, et seq., or not required to be registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. Section 78a, et seq., and is registered under the securities act of the state in which the broker-dealer has its principal place of business; and

(H) Any other person exempted by rule adopted or order issued under this chapter; and

(2) A person that deals solely in United States government securities and is supervised as a dealer in government securities by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or the Office of Thrift Supervision.

(c) It is unlawful for a broker-dealer or for an issuer engaged in offering, offering to purchase, purchasing, or selling securities in this state, directly or indirectly, to employ or associate with an individual to engage in an activity related to securities transactions in this state if the registration of the individual is suspended or revoked or the individual is barred from employment or association with a broker-dealer, an issuer, an investment adviser, or a federal covered investment adviser by an order of the Commissioner under this chapter, the Securities and Exchange Commission, or a self-regulatory organization. A broker-dealer or issuer does not violate this subsection if the broker-dealer or issuer did not know and in the exercise of reasonable care could not have known of the suspension, revocation, or bar. Upon request from a broker-dealer or issuer and for good cause, an order under this chapter may modify or waive, in whole or in part, the application of the prohibitions of this subsection to the broker-dealer.

(d) A rule adopted or order issued under this chapter may permit:

(1) A broker-dealer that is registered in Canada or other foreign jurisdiction and that does not have a place of business in this state to effect transactions in securities with or for or attempt to effect the purchase or sale of any securities by:

(A) An individual from Canada or other foreign jurisdiction who is temporarily present in this state and with whom the broker-dealer had a bona fide customer relationship before the individual entered the United States;

(B) An individual from Canada or other foreign jurisdiction who is present in this state and whose transactions are in a self-directed tax advantaged retirement plan of which the individual is the holder or contributor in that foreign jurisdiction; or

(C) An individual who is present in this state, with whom the broker-dealer customer relationship arose while the individual was temporarily or permanently resident in Canada or the other foreign jurisdiction; and

(2) An agent who represents a broker-dealer that is exempt under this subsection to effect transactions in securities or attempt to effect the purchase or sale of securities in this state as permitted for a broker-dealer described in paragraph (1) of this subsection.

10-5-31.

(a) It is unlawful for an individual to transact business in this state as an agent unless the individual is registered under this chapter as an agent or is exempt from registration as an agent under subsection (b) of this Code section.

(b) The following individuals are exempt from the registration requirement of subsection (a) of this Code section:

(1) An individual who represents a broker-dealer in effecting transactions in this state limited to those described in Section 15(h)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. Section 78(h)(2);

(2) An individual who represents a broker-dealer that is exempt under subsection (b) or (d) of Code Section 10-5-30;

(3) An individual who represents an issuer with respect to an offer or sale of the issuer´s own securities or those of the issuer´s parent or any of the issuer´s subsidiaries and who is not compensated in connection with the individual´s participation by the payment of commissions or other remuneration based, directly or indirectly, on transactions in those securities;

(4) An individual who represents an issuer and who effects transactions in the issuer´s securities exempted by Code Section 10-5-11, with the exception of paragraphs (11) and (14) of that Code section;

(5) An individual who represents an issuer that effects transactions solely in federal covered securities of the issuer, but an individual who effects transactions in a federal covered security under Section 18(b)(3) or 18(b)(4)(D) of the Securities Act of 1933, 15 U.S.C. Section 77r(b)(3) or 77r(b)(4)(D), is not exempt if the individual is compensated in connection with the agent´s participation by the payment of commissions or other remuneration based, directly or indirectly, on transactions in those securities;

(6) An individual who represents a broker-dealer registered in this state under subsection (a) of Code Section 10-5-30 or exempt from registration under subsection (b) of Code Section 10-5-30 in the offer and sale of securities for an account of a nonaffiliated federal covered investment adviser with investments under management in excess of $100 million acting for the account of others pursuant to discretionary authority in a signed record;

(7) An individual who represents an issuer in connection with the purchase of the issuer´s own securities;

(8) An individual who represents an issuer and who restricts participation to performing clerical or ministerial acts; or

(9) Any other individual exempted by rule adopted or order issued under this chapter.

(c) The registration of an agent is effective only while the agent is employed by or associated with a broker-dealer registered under this chapter or an issuer that is offering, selling, or purchasing its securities in this state.

(d) It is unlawful for a broker-dealer or an issuer engaged in offering, selling, or purchasing securities in this state to employ or associate with an agent who transacts business in this state on behalf of broker-dealers or issuers unless the agent is registered under subsection (a) of this Code section or exempt from registration under subsection (b) of this Code section.

(e) An individual may not act as an agent for more than one broker-dealer or one issuer at a time, unless the broker-dealers and the issuers for which the agent acts are affiliated by direct or indirect common control or are authorized by rule adopted or order issued under this chapter.

10-5-32.

(a) It is unlawful for a person to transact business in this state as an investment adviser unless the person is registered under this chapter as an investment adviser or is exempt from registration as an investment adviser under subsection (b) of this Code section.

(b) The following persons are exempt from the registration requirement of subsection (a) of this Code section:

(1) A person without a place of business in this state that is registered under the securities act of the state in which the person has its principal place of business if its only clients in this state are:

(A) Federal covered investment advisers, investment advisers registered under this chapter, or broker-dealers registered under this chapter;

(B) Institutional investors;

(C) Bona fide preexisting clients whose principal places of residence are not in this state if the investment adviser is registered under the securities act of the state in which the clients maintain principal places of residence; or

(D) Any other client exempted by rule adopted or order issued under this chapter;

(2) A person without a place of business in this state if the person has had, during the preceding 12 months, not more than five clients that are resident in this state in addition to those specified under paragraph (1) of this subsection; or

(3) Any other person exempted by rule adopted or order issued under this chapter.

(c) It is unlawful for an investment adviser, directly or indirectly, to employ or associate with an individual to engage in an activity related to investment advice in this state if the registration of the individual is suspended or revoked or the individual is barred from employment or association with an investment adviser, federal covered investment adviser, or broker-dealer by an order issued under this chapter, the Securities and Exchange Commission, or a self-regulatory organization unless the investment adviser did not know, and in the exercise of reasonable care could not have known, of the suspension, revocation, or bar. Upon request from the investment adviser and for good cause, the Commissioner, by order, may waive, in whole or in part, the application of the prohibitions of this subsection to the investment adviser.

(d) It is unlawful for an investment adviser to employ or associate with an individual required to be registered under this chapter as an investment adviser representative who transacts business in this state on behalf of the investment adviser unless the individual is registered under subsection (a) of Code Section 10-5-33 or is exempt from registration under subsection (b) of Code Section 10-5-33.

10-5-33.

(a) It is unlawful for an individual to transact business in this state as an investment adviser representative unless the individual is registered under this chapter as an investment adviser representative or is exempt from registration as an investment adviser under subsection (b) of this Code section.

(b) The following individuals are exempt from the registration requirement of subsection (a) of this Code section:

(1) An individual who is employed by or associated with an investment adviser that is exempt from registration under subsection (b) of Code Section 10-5-32 or a federal covered investment adviser that is excluded from the notice filing requirements of Code Section 10-5-34; and

(2) Any other individual exempted by rule adopted or order issued under this chapter.

(c) The registration of an investment adviser representative is not effective while the investment adviser representative is not employed by or associated with an investment adviser registered under this chapter or a federal covered investment adviser that has made or is required to make a notice filing under Code Section 10-5-34.

(d) An individual may transact business as an investment adviser representative for more than one investment adviser or federal covered investment adviser unless a rule adopted or order issued under this chapter prohibits or limits an individual from acting as an investment adviser representative for more than one investment adviser or federal covered investment adviser.

(e) It is unlawful for an individual acting as an investment adviser representative, directly or indirectly, to conduct business in this state on behalf of an investment adviser or a federal covered investment adviser if the registration of the individual as an investment adviser representative is suspended or revoked or the individual is barred from employment or association with an investment adviser or a federal covered investment adviser by an order issued under this chapter, the Securities and Exchange Commission, or a self-regulatory organization. Upon request from a federal covered investment adviser and for good cause, the Commissioner, by order, may waive, in whole or in part, the application of the requirements of this subsection to the federal covered investment adviser.

(f) An investment adviser registered under this chapter, a federal covered investment adviser that has filed a notice under Code Section 10-5-34, or a broker-dealer registered under this chapter is not required to employ or associate with an individual as an investment adviser representative if the only compensation paid to the individual for a referral of investment advisory clients is paid to an investment adviser registered under this chapter, a federal covered investment adviser who has filed a notice under Code Section 10-5-34, or a broker-dealer registered under this chapter with which the individual is employed or associated as an investment adviser representative.

10-5-34.

(a) Except with respect to a federal covered investment adviser described in subsection (b) of this Code section, it is unlawful for a federal covered investment adviser to transact business in this state as a federal covered investment adviser unless the federal covered investment adviser complies with subsection (c) of this Code section.

(b) The following federal covered investment advisers are not required to comply with subsection (c) of this Code section:

(1) A federal covered investment adviser without a place of business in this state if its only clients in this state are:

(A) Federal covered investment advisers, investment advisers registered under this chapter, and broker-dealers registered under this chapter;

(B) Institutional investors;