SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 (References in brackets [ are to title 15, United States Code) AN ACT To provide for the regulation of securities exchanges and of over-thecounter markets operating in interstate and foreign commerce and through the mails, to prevent inequitable and unfair practices on such exchanges and markets, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, TITLE I-REGULATION OF SECURITIES EXCHANGES SHORT TITLE SECTION 1. [78a] This Act may be cited as the "Securities Exchange Act of 1934". NECESSITY FOR REGULATION AS PROVIDED IN THIS TITLE 1 SEC. 2. [78b] For the reasons hereinafter enumerated, transactions in securities as commonly conducted upon securities ex 1Section 7 of the Insider Trading and Securities Fraud Enforcement Act (15 U.S.C. 78b note; P.L. 100-704) contained the following additional provisions: SEC. 7. SECURITIES LAWS STUDY. (a) FINDINGS.-The Congress finds that (1) recent disclosures of securities fraud and insider trading have caused public concern about the adequacy of Federal securities laws, rules, and regulations; (2) Federal securities laws, rules, and regulations have not undergone a comprehensive and exhaustive review since the advent of the modern international, institutionalized securities market; (3) since that review, the volume of securities transactions and the nature of the securities industry have changed dramatically; and (4) there is an important national interest in maintaining fair and orderly securities trading, assuring the fairness of securities transactions and markets and protecting investors. (b) STUDY AND INVESTIGATION REQUIRED. (1) GENERAL REQUIREMENT.-The Securities and Exchange Commission shall, subject to the availability of funds appropriated pursuant to subsection (d), make a study and investigation of the adequacy of the Federal securities laws and rules and regulations thereunder for the protection of the public interest and the interests of investors. (2) REQUIRED SUBJECTS FOR STUDY AND INVESTIGATION.-Such study and investigation shall include an analysis of— (A) the extent of improper trading while in possession of insider information, such as trading with advance knowledge of tender offers or forthcoming announcements of material financial information; (B) the adequacy of surveillance methods and technologies of brokers, dealers, and self-regulatory organizations; (C) the adequacy of cooperation between the Federal, State, and foreign enforcement authorities concerning securities laws enforcement; and (D) impediments to the fairness and orderliness of the securities markets and to improvements in the breadth and depth of the capital available to the securities markets, and additional methods to promote those objectives. (3) CONDUCT OF STUDY AND INVESTIGATION.-In conducting the study and investigation required by this section, the Commission (A) may exercise any existing authority to gather information, including all power and authority the Commission would have if such investigation were being conducted pursuant to section 21 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; Continued changes and over-the-counter markets are affected with a national public interest which makes it necessary to provide for regulation and control of such transactions and of practices and matters related thereto, including transactions by officers, directors, and principal security holders, to require appropriate reports, to remove impediments to and perfect the mechanisms of a national market system for securities and a national system for the clearance and settlement of securities transactions and the safeguarding of securities and funds related thereto, and to impose requirements necessary to make such regulation and control reasonably complete and effective, in order to protect interstate commerce, the national credit, the Federal taxing power, to protect and make more effective the national banking system and Federal Reserve System, and to insure the maintenance of fair and honest markets in such transactions: (1) Such transactions (a) are carried on in large volume by the public generally and in large part originate outside the States in which the exchanges and over-the-counter markets are located and/ or are affected by means of the mails and instrumentalities of interstate commerce; (b) constitute an important part of the current of interstate commerce; (c) involve in large part the securities of issuers engaged in interstate commerce; (d) involve the use of credit, directly affect the financing of trade, industry, and transportation in interstate commerce, and directly affect and influence the volume of interstate commerce; and affect the national credit. (2) The prices established and offered in such transactions are generally disseminated and quoted throughout the United States and foreign countries and constitute a basis for determining and establishing the prices at which securities are bought and sold, the amount of certain taxes owing to the United States and to the sev (B) may consult with and obtain such assistance and information from other agencies in the executive and legislative branches of the Government (including the Department of Justice) as is necessary to enable the Commission to carry out this section; (C) may appoint, without regard to the civil service laws, rules, and regulations, such personnel as the Commission deems advisable to carry out such study and investigation and to fix their respective rates of compensation without regard to such laws, rules, and regulations, but no such rate shall exceed the rate payable pursuant to section 5314 of title 5, United States Code; and (D) may, on a reimbursable basis, use the services of personnel detailed to the Commission from any Federal agency. (4) SUPPORT FROM OTHER AGENCIES. (A) The head of any Federal agency etail employees to the Commission for the purposes of this section; and (ii) shall provide to the Commission such information as it requires for the performance of its functions under this section, consistent with applicable law. (B) The Comptroller General and the Director of the Office of Technology Assessment are authorized to assist the Commission in the performance of its functions under this section. (c) REPORTS AND INFORMATION TO CONGRESS.— (1) GENERAL REPORT.-The Commission shall report to the Congress on the results of its study and investigation within 18 months after the date funds to carry out this section are appropriated under subsection (d). Such report shall include the Commission's recommendations, including such recommendations for legislation as the Commission deems advisable. (2) INTERIM INFORMATION TO CONGRESS.-The Commission shall keep the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate, and the members thereof, fully informed on the progress of, and any impediments to completing, the study and investigation required by this section. (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.-There are authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 to carry out the study and investigation required by this section. (e) DEFINITIONS.-As used in this section (1) the term "Commission" means the Securities and Exchange Commission; and (2) the term "Federal securities laws" has the meaning given the term securities laws by section 3(a)(47) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(47)). eral States by owners, buyers, and sellers of securities, and the value of collateral for bank loans. (3) Frequently the prices of securities on such exchanges and markets are susceptible to manipulation and control, and the dissemination of such prices gives rise to excessive speculation, resulting in sudden and unreasonable fluctuations in the prices of securities which (a) cause alternately unreasonable expansion and unreasonable contraction of the volume of credit available for trade, transportation, and industry in interstate commerce, (b) hinder the proper appraisal of the value of securities and thus prevent a fair calculation of taxes owing to the United States and to the several States by owners, buyers, and sellers of securities, and (c) prevent the fair valuation of collateral for bank loans and/or obstruct the effective operation of the national banking system and Federal Reserve System. (4) National emergencies, which produce widespread unemployment and the dislocation of trade, transportation, and industry, and which burden interstate commerce and adversely affect the general welfare, are precipitated, intensified, and prolonged by manipulation and sudden and unreasonable fluctuations of security prices and by excessive speculation on such exchanges and markets, and to meet such emergencies the Federal Government is put to such great expense as to burden the national credit. DEFINITIONS AND APPLICATION OF TITLE SEC. 3. [78c] (a) When used in this title, unless the context otherwise requires (1) The term "exchange” means any organization, association, or group of persons, whether incorporated or unincorporated, which constitutes, maintains, or provides a market place or facilities for bringing together purchasers and sellers of securities or for otherwise performing with respect to securities the functions commonly performed by a stock exchange as that term is generally understood, and includes the market place and the market facilities maintained by such exchange. (2) The term "facility" when used with respect to an exchange includes its premises, tangible or intangible property whether on the premises or not, any right to the use of such premises or property or any service thereof for the purpose of effecting or reporting a transaction on an exchange (including, among other things, any system of communication to or from the exchange, by ticker or otherwise, maintained by or with the consent of the exchange), and any right of the exchange to the use of any property or service. (3)(A) The term "member" when used with respect to a national securities exchange means (i) any natural person permitted to effect transactions on the floor of the exchange without the services of another person acting as broker, (ii) any registered broker or dealer with which such a natural person is associated, (iii) any registered broker or dealer permitted to designate as a representative such a natural person, and (iv) any other registered broker or dealer which agrees to be regulated by such exchange and with respect to which the exchange undertakes to enforce compliance with the provisions of this |