Page images
PDF
EPUB

ber or officer designated by the Commission, there to produce records, if so ordered, or to give testimony touching the matter under investigation or in question; any failure to obey such order of the court may be punished by such court as a contempt thereof. All process in any such case may be served in the judicial district whereof such person is an inhabitant or wherever he may be found. Any person who without just cause shall fail or refuse to attend and testify or to answer any lawful inquiry or to produce books, papers, correspondence, memoranda, contracts, agreements, or other records, if in his or its power so to do, in obedience to the subpena of the Commission, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be subject to a fine of not more than $1,000 or to imprisonment for a term of not more than one year, or both.

(d) No person shall be excused from attending and testifying or from producing books, papers, correspondence, memoranda, contracts, agreements, or other records and documents before the Commission, or in obedience to the subpena of the Commission or any member thereof or any officer designated by it, or in any cause or proceeding instituted by the Commission, on the ground that the testimony or evidence, documentary or otherwise, required of him may tend to incriminate him or subject him to a penalty or forfeiture; but no individual shall be prosecuted or subject to any penalty or forfeiture for or on account of any transaction, matter, or thing concerning which he is compelled to testify or produce evidence, documentary or otherwise, after having claimed his privilege against self-incrimination, except that such individual so testifying shall not be exempt from prosecution and punishment for perjury committed in so testifying.

(e) Whenever it shall appear to the Commission that any person has engaged or is about to engage in any act or practice constituting a violation of any provision of this title, or of any rule, regulation, or order hereunder, it may in its discretion bring an action in the proper district court of the United States, or the proper United States court of any Territory or other place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, to enjoin such acts or practices and to enforce compliance with this title or any rule, regulation, or order hereunder. Upon a showing that such person has engaged or is about to engage in any such act or practice, a permanent or temporary injunction or decree or restraining order shall be granted without bond. In any proceeding under this subsection to enforce compliance with section 7, the court as a court of equity may, to the extent it deems necessary or appropriate, take exclusive jurisdiction and possession of the investment company or companies involved and the books, records, and assets thereof, wherever located; and the court shall have jurisdiction to appoint a trustee, who with the approval of the court shall have power to dispose of any or all of such assets, subject to such terms and conditions as the court may prescribe. The Commission may transmit such evidence as may be available concerning any violation of the provisions of this title, or of any rule, regulation, or order thereunder, to the Attorney General, who, in his discretion, may institute the appropriate criminal proceedings under this title.

COURT REVIEW OF ORDERS

SEC. 43. (a) Any person or party aggrieved by an order issued by the Commission under this title may obtain a review of such order in the circuit court of appeals of the United States within any circuit wherein such person resides or has his principal place of business, or in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, by filing in such court, within sixty days after the entry of such order, a written petition praying that the order of the Commission be modified or set aside in whole or in part. A copy of such petition shall be forthwith served upon any member of the Commission, or upon any officer thereof designated by the Commission for that purpose, and thereupon the Commission shall certify and file. in the court a transcript of the record upon which the order complained of was entered. Upon the filing of such transcript such court shall have exclusive jurisdiction to affirm, modify, or set aside such order, in whole or in part. No objection to the order of the Commission shall be considered by the court unless such objection shall have been urged before the Commission or unless there were reasonable grounds for failure so to do. The findings of the Commission as to the facts, if supported by substantial evidence, shall be conclusive. If application is made to the court for leave to adduce additional evidence, and it is shown to the satisfaction of the court that such additional evidence is material and that there were reasonable grounds for failure to adduce such evidence in the proceeding before the Commission, the court may order such additional evidence to be taken before the Commission and to be adduced upon the hearing in such manner and upon such terms and conditions as to the court may seem proper. The Commission may modify its findings as to the facts by reason of the additional evidence so taken, and it shall file with the court such modified or new findings, which, if supported by substantial evidence, shall be conclusive, and its recommendation, if any, for the modification or setting aside of the original order. The judgment and decree of the court affirming, modifying, or setting aside, in whole or in part, any such order of the Commission shall be final, subject to review by the Supreme. Court of the United States upon certiorari or certification as provided in sections 239 and 240 of the Judicial Code, as amended.

(b) The commencement of proceedings under subsection (a) to review an order of the Commission issued under section 8 (e) shall operate as a stay of the Commission's order unless the court otherwise orders. The commencement of proceedings under subsection (a) to review an order of the Commission issued under any provision of this title other than section 8 (e) shall not operate as a stay of the Commission's order unless the court specifically so orders.

JURISDICTION OF OFFENSES AND SUITS

SEC. 44. The district courts of the United States and the United States courts of any Territory or other place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States shall have jurisdiction of violations of this title or the rules, regulations, or orders thereunder, and, concurrently with State and Territorial courts, of all suits in equity and actions at law brought to enforce any liability or duty created by,

or to enjoin any violation of, this title or the rules, regulations, or orders thereunder. Any criminal proceeding may be brought in the district wherein any act or transaction constituting the violation occurred. A criminal proceeding based upon a violation of section 34, or upon a failure to file a report or other document required to be filed under this title, may be brought in the district wherein the defendant is an inhabitant or maintains his principal office or place of business. Any suit or action to enforce any liability or duty created by, or to enjoin any violation of, this title or rules, regulations, or orders thereunder, may be brought in any such district or in the district wherein the defendant is an inhabitant or transacts business, and process in such cases may be served in any district of which the defendant is an inhabitant or transacts business or wherever the defendant may be found. Judgments and decrees so rendered shall be subject to review as provided in sections 128 and 240 of the Judicial Code, as amended, and section 7, as amended, of the Act entitled "An Act to establish a court of appeals for the District of Columbia", approved February 9, 1893. No costs shall be assessed for or against the Commission in any proceeding under this title brought by or against the Commission in any court.

INFORMATION FILED WITH COMMISSION

SEO. 45. (a) The information contained in any registration statement, application, report, or other document filed with the Commission pursuant to any provision of this title or of any rule or regulation thereunder (as distinguished from any information or document transmitted to the Commission) shall be made available to the public, unless and except insofar as the Commission, by rules and regulations upon its own motion, or by order upon application, finds that public disclosure is neither necessary nor appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors. It shall be unlawful for any member, officer, or employee of the Commission to use for personal benefit, or to disclose to any person other than an official or employee of the United States or of a State, for official use, or for any such official or employee to use for personal benefit, any information contained in any document so filed or transmitted, if such information is not available to the public.

(b) Photostatic or other copies of information contained in documents filed with the Commission under this title and made available to the public shall be furnished any person at such reasonable charge and under such reasonable limitations as the Commission shall prescribe.

ANNUAL REPORTS OF COMMISSION; EMPLOYEES OF THE COMMISSION

SEC. 46. (a) The Commission shall submit annually a report to the Congress covering the work of the Commission for the preceding year and including such information, data, and recommendations for further legislation in connection with the matters covered by this title as it may find advisable.

(b) For the purposes of this title, the Commission may select, employ, and fix the compensation of such attorneys, examiners, and

other experts as shall be necessary for the transaction of the business of the Commission in respect of this title without regard to the provisions of other laws applicable to the employment and compensation of officers or employees of the United States; and the Commission may, subject to the civil-service laws, appoint such other officers and employees as are necessary in the execution of the funetions of the Commission and fix their salaries in accordance with the Classification Act of 1923, as amended.

VALIDITY OF CONTRACTS

SEC. 47. (a) Any condition, stipulation, or provision binding any person to waive compliance with any provision of this title or with any rule, regulation, or order thereunder shall be void.

(b) Every contract made in violation of any provision of this title or of any rule, regulation, or order thereunder, and every contract heretofore or hereafter made, the performance of which involves the violation of, or the continuance of any relationship or practice in violation of, any provision of this title, or any rule, regulation, or order thereunder, shall be void (1) as regards the rights of any person who, in violation of any such provision, rule, regulation, or order, shall have made or engaged in the performance of any such contract, and (2) as regards the rights of any person who, not being a party to such contract, shall have acquired any right thereunder with actual knowledge of the facts by reason of which the making or performance of such contract was in violation of any such provision, rule, regulation, or order.

LIABILITY OF CONTROLLING PERSONS; PREVENTING COMPLIANCE WITH TITLE

SEC. 48. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person, directly or indirectly, to cause to be done any act or thing through or by means of any other person which it would be unlawful for such person to do under the provisions of this title or any rule, regulation, or order thereunder.

(b) It shall be unlawful for any person without just cause to hinder, delay, or obstruct the making, filing, or keeping of any information, document, report, record, or account required to be made, filed, or kept under any provision of this title or any rule, regulation, or order thereunder.

PENALTIES

SEC. 49. Any person who willfully violates any provision of this title or of any rule, regulation, or order hereunder, or any person who willfully in any registration statement, application, report, account, record, or other document filed or transmitted pursuant to this title or the keeping of which is required pursuant to section 31 (a) makes any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact necessary in order to prevent the statements made therein from being materially misleading in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, shall upon conviction be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than two years, or

both; but no person shall be convicted under this section for the violation of any rule, regulation, or order if he proves that he had no actual knowledge of such rule, regulation, or order.

EFFECT ON EXISTING LAW

SEC. 50. Except where specific provision is made to the contrary, nothing in this title shall affect (1) the jurisdiction of the Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, or title II of this Act, over any person, security, or transaction, or (2) the rights, obligations, duties, or liabilities of any person under such Acts; nor shall anything in this title affect the jurisdiction of any other commission, board, agency, or officer of the United States or of any State or political subdivision of any State, over any person, security, or transaction, insofar as such jurisdiction does not conflict with any provision of this title or of any rule, regulation, or order hereunder.

SEPARABILITY OF PROVISIONS

SEC. 51. If any provision of this title or any provision incorporated in this title by reference, or the application of any such provision to any person or circumstances, shall be held invalid, the remainder of this title and the application of any such provision to person or circumstances other than those as to which it is held invalid shall not be affected thereby.

SHORT TITLE

SEC. 52. This title may be cited as the "Investment Company Act of 1940".

EFFECTIVE DATE

SEC. 53. The effective date of the provisions of this title, so far as the same relate to face-amount certificates or to face-amount certificate companies, is January 1, 1941: Provided, however, That any such faceamount certificate company may register prior to said date, as provided by section 8 of this title, and such registration shall not operate to change or affect said effective date as to any such company or any face-amount certificates issued by it. The effective date of provisions hereof, insofar as the same do not apply to face-amount certificates or face-amount certificate companies is November 1, 1940. Except as herein otherwise provided, every provision of this title shall take effect on November 1, 1940.

TITLE II-INVESTMENT ADVISERS

FINDINGS

SEC. 201. Upon the basis of facts disclosed by the record and report of the Securities and Exchange Commission made pursuant to section 30 of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, and facts otherwise disclosed and ascertained, it is hereby found that investment advisers are of national concern, in that, among other things

« PreviousContinue »