(a) The commissioner may issue a stop order denying effectiveness to, or suspending or revoking the effectiveness of, any registration statement if the commissioner finds that:

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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 48-1-108

  • Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
  • Business: includes every trade, occupation, profession, investment activity and other lawful purpose for gain or the preservation of assets whether or not carried on for profits. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
  • Commissioner: means the commissioner of commerce and insurance. See Tennessee Code 48-1-102
  • Court: includes every court and judge having jurisdiction in the case. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
  • Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
  • Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
  • Interest: means either or both of the following rights under the organic law of an unincorporated entity:
    (A) The right to receive distributions from the entity either in the ordinary course or upon liquidation. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
  • Issuer: means every person who issues any security, except that:
    (i) With respect to certificates of deposit, voting-trust certificates, collateral-trust certificates, certificates of interest or shares in an unincorporated investment trust which is of the fixed, restricted management or unit type or which does not have either a board of directors or persons performing similar functions, "issuer" means the person or persons performing the acts and assuming the duties of depositor or manager pursuant to the trust or other agreement under which such securities are issued. See Tennessee Code 48-1-102
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Person: means a natural person, a sole proprietorship, a corporation, a partnership, an association, a limited liability company, a joint-stock company, a trust, a governmental entity or agency, or any other unincorporated organization. See Tennessee Code 48-1-102
  • Proceeding: includes civil suit and criminal, administrative, and investigatory action. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
  • Security: means any note, stock, treasury stock, bond, debenture, evidence of indebtedness, a life settlement investment or any fractional or pooled interest in a life insurance policy or life settlement investment, 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, certificate of interest or participation in an oil, gas, or mining title or lease or in payments out of production under such a title or lease. See Tennessee Code 48-1-102
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • under common control with: means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or compel the direction of the management or policies of a person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract, or otherwise. See Tennessee Code 48-1-102
  • Underwriter: means any person who has purchased from an issuer or an affiliate of an issuer with a view to, or who sells for an issuer or an affiliate of an issuer in connection with, the distribution of any security, or participates or has a direct or indirect participation in any such undertaking, or participates or has a participation in the direct or indirect underwriting of any such undertaking. See Tennessee Code 48-1-102
  • Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(1) The order is in the public interest; and
(2)

(A) The registration statement, or any amendment under § 48-1-107 (as of its effective date or as of the date of an order denying effectiveness), or any report under § 48-1-107(h) includes any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements made therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
(B) Any provision of this part or any rule, order or condition lawfully imposed under this part has been willfully violated in connection with the offering by:

(i) The person filing the registration statement;
(ii) The issuer, any partner, officer, or director of the issuer, any person occupying a similar status or performing similar functions, or any person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the issuer, but only if the person filing the registration statement is directly or indirectly controlled by or acting for the issuer; or
(iii) Any underwriter;
(C) The security registered or sought to be registered is the subject of an administrative stop order or similar order or a permanent or temporary injunction of any court of competent jurisdiction entered under any other federal or state act applicable to the offering; provided, that the commissioner may not:

(i) Institute a proceeding against an effective registration statement under this subdivision (a)(2)(C) more than one (1) year from the date of the order or injunction relied on; or
(ii) Enter an order under this subdivision (a)(2)(C) on the basis of an order or injunction entered under any other state act, unless that order or injunction was based on facts which would currently constitute a ground for a stop order under this section;
(D) The issuer’s enterprise or method of business includes or would include activities which are illegal where performed;
(E) The offering has worked or tended to work a fraud upon purchasers or would so operate;
(F) When a security is sought to be registered by coordination, there has been a failure to comply with the undertaking required by § 48-1-105(b)(4); or
(G) The applicant or registrant has failed to pay the proper filing fee; provided, that the commissioner may enter only a denial order under this subdivision (a)(2)(G) and the commissioner shall vacate any such order when the deficiency has been corrected.
(b) No order may be entered under any part of this section without full compliance with § 48-1-116. Upon issuance of an order under this section, the commissioner shall give notice of the issuance of such order and of the reasons therefor and opportunity for hearing by personal service or by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the addressee’s last known business mailing address. The commissioner shall vacate or modify the order at any time for good cause or if such registration statement or prospectus has been filed or amended in accordance with such order.
(c) The commissioner may not institute a stop order proceeding against an effective registration statement on the basis of a fact or transaction known to the commissioner when the registration statement became effective, unless the proceeding is instituted within the thirty (30) days immediately following the date the registration statement became effective.
(d) In any case in which the commissioner is authorized to issue a stop order denying, suspending or revoking the effective registration of the securities of an issuer, the commissioner may impose a fine of five thousand dollars ($5,000) upon the issuer of such securities for all violations arising from any single transaction.
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