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SPONSOR: |
Rep. B. Short & Sen. Bushweller |
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Reps.
Brady, Collins, Dukes, Gray, Heffernan, Hensley, Hudson, Q. Johnson, Keeley,
Kenton, Kowalko, Lynn, Matthews, Miro, Mitchell, Osienski, Ramone, D. Short,
Smyk, Spiegelman, Viola, Wilson, Yearick; Sens. Richardson, Townsend |
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 148th GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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HOUSE BILL NO. 327 |
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AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 6, CHAPTER 73 OF THE DELAWARE CODE TO PERMIT DELAWARE BUSINESSES TO RAISE CAPITAL THROUGH INTRASTATE CROWDFUNDING ACTIVITIES. |
Section
1. Amend Section 73-207(b), Title 6 of the Delaware Code by making
deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as
follows:
§ 73-207.
Exemptions.
(b) The following transactions
are exempted from §§ 73-202, 73-208 and 73-211 of this title:
(15) Any offer or sale of securities
conducted solely in this state to residents of this state in which each of the
following conditions is met:
a. The issuer of the security shall
be a for-profit entity organized under the laws of the State of Delaware and
registered with the Secretary of State with its principal place of business in
the State of Delaware.
b. The transaction shall meet the
requirements of the federal exemption for intrastate offerings in section
3(a)(11) of the Securities Act of 1933, 15 U.S.C. § 77c(a)(11), and SEC rule
147, 17 CFR 230.147. Among other things,
these laws and regulations require that such securities must be offered to and
sold only to persons who are residents of the State of Delaware at the time of
purchase. Prior to any offer or sale
pursuant to this exemption, the seller shall obtain documentary evidence from
each prospective purchaser that provides the seller with a reasonable basis to
believe that such investor is a resident of the State of Delaware.
c. The sum of all cash and other
consideration to be received for all sales of the security in reliance upon
this exemption shall not exceed one million dollars ($1,000,000), less the
aggregate amount received for all sales of securities by the issuer pursuant to
this exemption within the twelve months before the first offer or sale made in
reliance upon this exemption.
d. The issuer shall not accept more
than five thousand dollars ($5,000) from any single purchaser unless the
purchaser is an accredited investor as defined by SEC rule 501, 17 CFR 230.501.
e. The issuer must reasonably believe
that all purchasers of securities are purchasing for investment and not for
sale in connection with a distribution of the security.
f. A commission or other form of
remuneration shall not be paid or given, directly or indirectly, for any
person’s participation in the offer or sale of securities for the issuer unless
the person is registered as a broker-dealer or agent under this chapter.
g. All funds received from investors
shall be deposited into a bank or depository institution authorized to do
business in the State of Delaware, and all the funds shall be used in
accordance with representations made to investors.
h. Not less than ten days prior to
the commencement of an offering pursuant to this exemption the issuer shall
provide the Investor Protection Unit of the Delaware Department of Justice a
notice in a form required by the Director by rule or order. The notice shall specify that the issuer is
conducting an offering in reliance upon this exemption and shall contain, among
any other requirements set forth by the Director, a copy of the disclosure
document to be provided to prospective
investors pursuant to paragraph j of § 73-207(b)(15) and the names and
addresses of all of the following persons:
1. The issuer.
2. Officers, directors and any
control person of the issuer.
3. All persons who will be involved
in the offer or sale of securities on behalf of the issuer.
4. The bank or other depository
institution in which investor funds will be deposited.
i. The issuer shall not be, either
before or as a result of the offering:
1. An investment company as defined
in section 3 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, 15 U.S.C. § 80a-3, or
subject to the reporting requirements of sections 13 or 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. §§ 78m and 78o(d); or
2. An investment advisor as defined
at 6 Del. C. § 73-103, nor a person
who otherwise provides investment advice as a service or as a fee.
j. The issuer shall provide the
following information to each prospective investor at the time the offer of
securities is made:
1. A disclosure document that, at a
minimum, contains the following information:
A.
Evidence that the issuer is a business organization organized under the
laws of this State and is authorized to do business in this State;
B. A description of the company, its
form and date of business organization, the address and telephone number of its
principal office, its history, its business plan, a description of material
agreements and the intended use of the offering proceeds, at least 65 percent
of which shall be specifically disclosed in dollar amount and percentage terms
in a use of proceeds section and which shall also include any amounts to be
paid, as compensation or otherwise, to any owner, executive officer, director,
managing member, or other person occupying a similar status or performing
similar functions on behalf of the issuer;
C. The identity of all persons owning
more than 10 percent of the ownership interests of any class of securities of
the company, with a description of options or other contingent securities
outstanding and a description of the amount of those options or other
contingent securities that those persons own;
D. The identity of the executive
officers, directors, managing members, and other persons occupying a similar
status or performing similar functions in the name of and on behalf of the
issuer, including their titles and their prior experience, with a description
of options or other contingent securities outstanding and a description of the
amount of those options or other contingent securities that those persons own;
E. The terms and conditions of the
securities being offered and of any outstanding securities of the company, the
minimum and maximum amount of securities being offered, if any, and the
percentage ownership of the company represented by the offered securities and
the valuation of the company implied by the price of the offered securities;
F. The minimum offering amount that
is necessary to implement the business plan, and a notice that the funds will
only be released to the issuer if the minimum offering amount is reached;
G.
The time and date, which may be no more than 12 months from the date of
the offering, by which the minimum offering amount must be reached before the
funds will be returned to investors;
H. A description of any litigation or
legal proceedings involving the company or its management;
I. A discussion of significant
factors that make the offering speculative or risky;
J. A description of any conflicts of
interest;
K. Financial statements, including a
balance sheet, income statement, cash flow statement, and capitalization of
issuer;
L. Any additional information
material to the offering.
2. A notice informing all purchasers
that the securities have not been registered under this chapter and, therefore,
cannot be resold unless the purchaser registers the securities or they qualify for an exemption from registration
under 6 Del C. § 73-207 at the time
of the subsequent sale by the purchaser.
In addition, the notice shall make the disclosures required by
subsection (f) of SEC Rule 147, 17 C.F.R. 230.147(f).
k. An offer or sale pursuant to this exemption may be
made through one or more internet sites
subject to the following requirements:
1. Each
internet site operator shall register with the Investor Protection Unit by
filing an application for registration in a form required by the Director by
rule or order. In addition to any other information
required by the Director, such registration shall include the following:
A. That the Internet site operator is a business
entity organized under the laws of this State and authorized to do business in
this State;
B. That the Internet site is being utilized to
offer and sell securities pursuant to this exemption; and
C. The identity and location of, and contact
information for, the Internet site operator;
2. Each internet site operator will be required
to register with the Investor Protection Unit as a broker dealer unless:
A.
The internet site operator is registered as a broker-dealer under the
securities exchange act of 1934;
B.
Is a funding portal registered under the securities act of 1933 and provides
copies of all documents submitted to the SEC in connection with such
registration to the Director; or
C.
All of the following apply:
I. It does not
offer investment advice or recommendations;
II. It does not
solicit purchases, sales, or offers to buy the securities offered or displayed
on the Internet site;
III. It does
not compensate employees, agents, or other persons for the solicitation or
based on the sale of securities displayed or referenced on the Internet site;
IV. It is not
compensated based on the amount of securities sold, and it does not hold,
manage, possess, or otherwise handle investor funds or securities;
V. The fee it
charges an issuer for an offering of securities on the Internet site is a fixed
amount for each offering, a variable amount based on the length of time that
the securities are offered on the Internet site, or a combination of such fixed
and variable amounts;
VI. It does not
identify, promote, or otherwise refer to any individual security offered on the
Internet site in any advertising for the Internet site; and
VII. It does
not engage in other activities the Director determines to be prohibited.
3. The issuer and the Internet site
operator shall maintain records of all offers and sales of securities effected
through the Internet site and shall provide ready access to the records to representatives
of the Director, upon request. Representatives of the Director may access,
inspect, and review any Internet site registered under this section as well as
its records.
l. This exemption shall not be used
in conjunction with any other exemption under this chapter except the exemption
to institutional investors at 6 Del. C. §
73-207(b)(8) and for offers and sales to controlling persons of the
issuer. Sales to controlling persons
shall not count toward the limitation in subparagraph (b)(15)(c).
m. This
exemption shall not be available if the issuer, or any director, executive
officer, general partner, managing member, or other person with management
authority over the issuer, or any internet site operator, or any director,
executive officer, general partner, managing member, or other person with
management authority over the Internet site operator, has been subject to any
conviction, order, judgment, decree, or other action specified in Rule 506 (d)
(1) adopted under the “Securities Act of 1933” (17 C.F.R. s.230.506(d)(1)) that
would disqualify an issuer under Rule 506 (d) adopted under the “Securities Act
of 1933” (17 C.F.R. s.230.506(d)) from claiming an exemption specified in Rule
506 (a) to (c) adopted under the “Securities Act of 1933” (17 C.F.R.
ss.230.506(a) to (c)).
n. Nothing in this exemption shall be construed to
alleviate any person from the anti-fraud provisions at 6 Del C. § 73-201, nor shall such exemption be construed to provide
relief from any other provisions of this chapter other than as expressly
stated.
o. Every notice of exemption provided for in
subparagraph (b)(15)h. of this section shall be accompanied by a nonrefundable
filing fee as required by rule or order of the Director.
Section
2. If any provision of this Act or the application thereof to any person or
circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity does not affect other provisions
or applications of the Act which can be given effect without the invalid
provision or application; and, to that end, the provisions of this Act are
declared to be severable.
Section 3. This Act shall be effective 120 days after
its enactment into law.
SYNOPSIS
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This bill permits Delaware residents to become early stage investors in Delaware based startups through newly available crowdfunding platforms. The enabling of this new investment tool allows corporations and other business to offer or sell securities via crowdfunding efforts, provided (among other things) that the purchasers of such securities are Delaware residents, the aggregate amount raised by the business through this process cannot exceed $1 million in any twelve-month period, and no person can purchase more than $5,000 worth of securities unless such individual is an accredited investor as defined by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. |