15 USC 77r-1 – Preemption of State law
(a) Authority to purchase, hold, and invest in securities; securities considered as obligations of United States
(1) Any person, trust, corporation, partnership, association, business trust, or business entity created pursuant to or existing under the laws of the United States or any State shall be authorized to purchase, hold, and invest in securities that are—
(A) offered and sold pursuant to section 77d(5) 1 of this title,
(B) mortgage related securities (as that term is defined in section 78c(a)(41) of this title),
(C) small business related securities (as defined in section 78c(a)(53) of this title), or
(D) securities issued or guaranteed by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation or the Federal National Mortgage Association,
to the same extent that such person, trust, corporation, partnership, association, business trust, or business entity is authorized under any applicable law to purchase, hold or invest in obligations issued by or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the United States or any agency or instrumentality thereof.
Terms Used In 15 USC 77r-1
- association: when used in reference to a corporation, shall be deemed to embrace the words "successors and assigns of such company or association" in like manner as if these last-named words, or words of similar import, were expressed. See 1 USC 5
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
- Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
- Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
- person: means an individual, a corporation, a partnership, an association, a joint-stock company, a trust, any unincorporated organization, or a government or political subdivision thereof. See 15 USC 77b
- security: means any note, stock, treasury stock, security future, security-based swap, bond, debenture, evidence of indebtedness, certificate of interest or participation in any 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, any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege on any security, certificate of deposit, or group or index of securities (including any interest therein or based on the value thereof), or any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege entered into on a national securities exchange relating to foreign currency, or, in general, any interest or instrument commonly known as a "security" or any 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. See 15 USC 77b
- Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
- trust: shall include only a trust where the interest or interests of the beneficiary or beneficiaries are evidenced by a security. See 15 USC 77b
(2) Where State law limits the purchase, holding, or investment in obligations issued by the United States by such a person, trust, corporation, partnership, association, business trust, or business entity, such securities that are—
(A) offered and sold pursuant to section 77d(5) 1 of this title,
(B) mortgage related securities (as that term is defined in section 78c(a)(41) of this title),
(C) small business related securities (as defined in section 78c(a)(53) of this title), or
(D) securities issued or guaranteed by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation or the Federal National Mortgage Association,
shall be considered to be obligations issued by the United States for purposes of the limitation.
(b) Exception; validity of contracts under prior law
The provisions of subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to a particular person, trust, corporation, partnership, association, business trust, or business entity or class thereof in any State that, prior to the expiration of seven years after October 3, 1984, enacts a statute that specifically refers to this section and either prohibits or provides for a more limited authority to purchase, hold, or invest in such securities by any person, trust, corporation, partnership, association, business trust, or business entity or class thereof than is provided in subsection (a). The enactment by any State of any statute of the type described in the preceding sentence shall not affect the validity of any contractual commitment to purchase, hold, or invest that was made prior thereto and shall not require the sale or other disposition of any securities acquired prior thereto.
(c) Registration and qualification requirements; exemption; subsequent enactment by State
Any securities that are offered and sold pursuant to section 77d(5) 1 of this title, that are mortgage related securities (as that term is defined in section 78c(a)(41) of this title), or that are small business related securities (as defined in section 78c(a)(53) of this title) shall be exempt from any law of any State with respect to or requiring registration or qualification of securities or real estate to the same extent as any obligation issued by or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the United States or any agency or instrumentality thereof. Any State may, prior to the expiration of seven years after October 3, 1984, enact a statute that specifically refers to this section and requires registration or qualification of any such security on terms that differ from those applicable to any obligation issued by the United States.
(d) Implementation
(1) Limitation
The provisions of subsections (a) and (b) concerning small business related securities shall not apply with respect to a particular person, trust, corporation, partnership, association, business trust, or business entity or class thereof in any State that, prior to the expiration of 7 years after September 23, 1994, enacts a statute that specifically refers to this section and either prohibits or provides for a more limited authority to purchase, hold, or invest in such small business related securities by any person, trust, corporation, partnership, association, business trust, or business entity or class thereof than is provided in this section. The enactment by any State of any statute of the type described in the preceding sentence shall not affect the validity of any contractual commitment to purchase, hold, or invest that was made prior to such enactment, and shall not require the sale or other disposition of any small business related securities acquired prior to the date of such enactment.
(2) State registration or qualification requirements
Any State may, not later than 7 years after September 23, 1994, enact a statute that specifically refers to this section and requires registration or qualification of any small business related securities on terms that differ from those applicable to any obligation issued by the United States.