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may be economically operated as a single interconnected and coordinated system confined in its operations to a single area or region, in one or more States, not so large as to impair (considering the state of the art and the area or region affected) the advantages of localized management, efficient operation, and the effectiveness of regulation; and

(B) As applied to gas utility companies, a system consisting of one or more gas utility companies which are so located and related that substantial economies may be effectuated by being operated as a single coordinated system confined in its operations to a single area or region, in one or more States, not so large as to impair (considering the state of the art and the area or region affected) the advantages of localized management, efficient operation, and the effectiveness of regulation: Provided, That gas utility companies deriving natural gas from a common source of supply may be deemed to be included in a single area or region.

(b) No person shall be deemed to be a holding company under clause (B) of paragraph (7) of subsection (a), or a subsidiary company under clause (B) of paragraph (8) of such subsection, or an affiliate under clause (D) of paragraph (11) of such subsection, unless the Commission, after appropriate notice and opportunity for hearing, has issued an order declaring such person to be a holding company, a subsidiary company, or an affiliate, or declaring a class of which such person is a member to be affiliates. Such an order shall not become effective for at least thirty days after the mailing of a copy thereof to the person thereby declared to be a holding company, subsidiary company, or affiliate; or, in the case of determination of affiliates by classes, until at least thirty days after appropriate publication thereof in such manner as the Commission shall determine. Whenever the Commission, on its own motion or upon application by the person declared to be a holding company, subsidiary company, or affiliate, finds that the circumstances which gave rise to the issuance of any such order no longer exist, the Commission shall by order revoke such order.

(c) No provision in this title shall apply to, or be deemed to include, the United States, a State, or any political subdivision of a State, or any agency, authority, or instrumentality of any one

or more of the foregoing, or any corporation which is wholly owned directly or indirectly by any one or more of the foregoing, or any officer, agent, or employee of any of the foregoing acting as such in the course of his official duty, unless such provision makes specific reference thereto.

Power to Make Particular Exemptions Regarding Holding Companies, Subsidiary Companies, and Affiliates

SEC. 3. (a) The Commission, by rules and regulations upon its own motion, or by order upon application, shall exempt any holding company, and every subsidiary company thereof as such, from any provision or provisions of this title, unless and except insofar as it finds the exemption detrimental to the public interest or the interest of investors or consumers, if-

(1) such holding company, and every subsidiary company thereof which is a publicutility company from which such holding company derives, directly or indirectly, any material part of its income, are predominantly intrastate in character and carry on their business substantially in a single State in which such holding company and every such subsidiary company thereof are organized;

(2) such holding company is predominantly a public-utility company whose operations as such do not extend beyond the State in which it is organized and States contiguous thereto;

(3) such holding company is only incidentally a holding company, being primarily engaged or interested in one or more businesses other than the business of a public-utility company and (A) not deriving, directly or indirectly, any material part of its income from any one or more subsidiary companies, the principal business of which is that of a publicutility company, or (B) deriving a material part of its income from any one or more such subsidiary companies, if substantially all the outstanding securities of such companies are owned, directly or indirectly, by such holding company;

(4) such holding company is temporarily a holding company solely by reason of the acquisition of securities for purposes of liquidation or distribution in connection with a bona fide debt previously contracted or in connection

with a bona fide arrangement for the underwriting or distribution of securities; or

(5) such holding company is not, and derives no material part of its income, directly or indirectly, from any one or more subsidiary companies which are, a company or companies the principal business of which within the United States is that of a public-utility company.

(b) The Commission, by rules and regulations upon its own motion, or by order upon application, shall exempt any subsidiary company, as such, of a holding company from any provision. or provisions of this title, the application of which to such subsidiary company the Commission finds is not necessary in the public interest or for the protection of investors, if such subsidiary company derives no material part of its income, directly or indirectly, from sources within the United States, and neither it nor any of its subsidiary companies is a public-utility company operating in the United States.

(c) Within a reasonable time after the receipt of an application for exemption under subsection (a) or (b), the Commission shall enter an order granting, or, after notice and opportunity for hearing, denying or otherwise disposing of such application. The filing of an application in good faith under subsection (a) by a person other than a registered holding company shall exempt the applicant from any obligation, duty, or liability imposed in this title upon the applicant as a holding company until the Commission has acted upon such application. The filing of an application in good faith under subsection (b) shall exempt the applicant from any obligation, duty, or liability imposed in this title upon the applicant as a subsidiary company until the Commission has acted upon such application. Whenever the Commission, on its own motion, or upon application by the holding company or any subsidiary company thereof exempted by any order issued under subsection (a), or by the subsidiary company exempted by any order issued under subsection (b), finds that the circumstances which gave rise to the issuance of such order no longer exist, the Commission shall by order revoke such order.

(d) The Commission may, by rules and regulations, conditionally or unconditionally exempt any specified class or classes of persons from the obligations, duties, or liabilities imposed upon such

persons as subsidiary companies or affiliates under any provision or provisions of this title, and may provide within the extent of any such exemption that such specified class or classes of persons shall not be deemed subsidiary companies or affiliates within the meaning of any such provision or provisions, if and to the extent that it deems the exemption necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors or consumers and not contrary to the purposes of this title.

Transactions by Unregistered Holding
Companies

SEC. 4. (a) After December 1, 1935, unless a holding company is registered under section 5, it shall be unlawful for such holding company, directly or indirectly—

(1) to sell, transport, transmit, or distribute, or own or operate any utility assets for the transportation, transmission, or distribution of, natural or manufactured gas or electric energy in interstate commerce;

(2) by use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce, to negotiate, enter into, or take any step in the performance of, any service, sales, or construction contract undertaking to perform services or construction work for, or sell goods to, any public-utility company or holding company;

(3) to distribute or make any public offering for sale or exchange of any security of such holding company, any subsidiary company or affiliate of such holding company, any publicutility company, or any holding company, by use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce, or to sell any such security having reason to believe that such security, by use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce, will be distributed or made the subject of a public offering;

(4) by use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce, to acquire or negotiate for the acquisition of any security or utility assets of any subsidiary company or affiliate of such holding company, any public-utility company, or any holding company;

(5) to engage in any business in interstate

commerce; or

(6) to own, control, or hold with power to vote, any security of any subsidiary company thereof that does any of the acts enumerated in paragraphs (1) to (5), inclusive, of this subsection.

(b) Every holding company which has outstanding any security any of which, by use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce, has been distributed or made the subject of a public offering subsequent to January 1, 1925, and any of which security is owned or held on October 1, 1935 (or, if such company is not a holding company on that date, on the date such company becomes a holding company) by persons not resident in the State in which such holding company is organized, shall register under section 5 on or before December 1, 1935, or the thirtieth day after such company becomes a holding company, whichever date is later.

Registration of Holding Companies

SEC. 5. (a) On or at any time after October 1, 1935, any holding company or any person purposing to become a holding company may register by filing with the Commission a notification of registration, in such form as the Commission may by rules and regulations prescribe as necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors or consumers. A person shall be deemed to be registered upon receipt by the Commission of such notification of registration.

(b) It shall be the duty of every registered holding company to file with the Commission, within such reasonable time after registration as the Commission shall fix by rules and regulations or order, a registration statement in such form as the Commission shall by rules and regulations or order prescribe as necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors or consumers. Such registration statement shall include

(1) such copies of the charter or articles of incorporation, partnership, or agreement, with all amendments thereto, and the bylaws, trust indentures, mortgages, underwriting arrangements, voting-trust agreements, and similar documents, by whatever name known, of or relating to the registrant or any of its associate companies as the Commission may by rules and

regulations or order prescribe as necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors or consumers;

(2) such information in such form and in such detail relating to, and copies of such documents of or relating to, the registrant and its associate companies as the Commission may by rules and regulations or order prescribe as necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors or consumers in respect of

(A) the organization and financial structure of such companies and the nature of their business;

(B) the terms, position, rights, and privileges of the different classes of their securities outstanding;

(C) the terms and underwriting arrangements under which their securities, during not more than the five preceding years, have been offered to the public or otherwise disposed of and the relations of underwriters to, and their interest in, such companies;

(D) the directors and officers of such companies, their remuneration, their interest in the securities of, their material contracts with, and their borrowings from, any of such companies;

(E) bonus and profit-sharing arrangements;

(F) material contracts, not made in the ordinary course of business, and service, sales, and construction contracts;

(G) options in respect of securities;

(H) balance sheets for not more than the five preceding fiscal years, certified, if required by the rules and regulations of the Commission, by an independent public accountant;

(I) profit and loss statements for not more than the five preceding fiscal years, certified, if required by the rules and regulations of the Commission, by an independent public accountant;

(3) such further information or documents regarding the registrant or its associate companies or the relations between them as the Commission may by rules and regulations or order prescribe as necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of in

vestors or consumers.

(c) The Commission by such rules and regulations or order as it deems necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors or consumers, may permit a registrant to file a preliminary registration statement without complying with the provisions of subsection (b); but every registrant shall file a complete registration statement with the Commission within such reasonable period of time as the Commission shall fix by rules and regulations or order, but not later than one year after the date of registration.

(d) Whenever the Commission, upon application, finds that a registered holding company has ceased to be a holding company, it shall so declare by order and upon the taking effect of such order the registration of such company shall, upon such terms and conditions as the Commission finds and in such order prescribes as necessary for the protection of investors, cease to be in effect. The denial of any such application by the Commission shall be by order.

Unlawful Security Transactions by Registered Holding and Subsidiary Companies

SEC. 6. (a) Except in accordance with a declaration effective under section 7 and with the order under such section permitting such declaration to become effective, it shall be unlawful for any registered holding company or subsidiary company thereof, by use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce, or otherwise, directly or indirectly (1) to issue or sell any security of such company; or (2) to exercise any privilege or right to alter the priorities, preferences, voting power, or other rights of the holders of an outstanding security of such company.

(b) The provisions of subsection (a) shall not apply to the issue, renewal, or guaranty by a registered holding company or subsidiary company thereof of a note or draft (including the pledge of any security as collateral therefor) if such note or draft (1) is not part of a public offering, (2) matures or is renewed for not more than nine months, exclusive of days of grace, after the date of such issue, renewal, or guaranty thereof, and (3) aggregates (together with all other then outstanding notes and drafts of a maturity of nine months or less, exclusive of days of grace, as to which such company is primarily or secondarily liable) not more than 5 per centum of the prin

cipal amount and par value of the other securities of such company then outstanding, or such greater per centum thereof as the Commission upon application may by order authorize as necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors or consumers. In the case of securities having no principal amount or no par value, the value for the purposes of this subsection shall be the fair market value as of the date of issue. The Commission by rules and regulations or order, subject to such terms and conditions as it deems appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors or consumers, shall exempt from the provisions of subsection (a) the issue or sale of any security by any subsidiary company of a registered holding company, if the issue and sale of such security are solely for the purpose of financing the business of such subsidiary company and have been expressly authorized by the State commission of the State in which such subsidiary company is organized and doing business, or if the issue and sale of such security are solely for the purpose of financing the business of such subsidiary company when such subsidiary company is not a holding company, a public-utility company, an investment company, or a fiscal or financing agency of a holding company, a public utility company, or an investment company. The provisions of subsection (a) shall not apply to the issue, by a registered holding company or subsidiary company thereof, of a security issued pursuant to the terms of any security outstanding on January 1, 1935, giving the holder of such outstanding security the right to convert such outstanding security into another security of the same issuer or of another person, or giving the right to subscribe to another security of the same issuer or another issuer. Within ten days after any issue, sale, renewal, or guaranty exempted from the application of subsection (a) by or under authority of this subsection, such holding company or subsidiary company thereof shall file with the Commission a certificate of notification in such form and setting forth such of the information required in a declaration under section 7 as the Commission may by rules and regulations or order prescribe as necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors

or consumers.

(c) It shall be unlawful, by use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate com

merce, or otherwise, for any registered holding company or any subsidiary company thereof, directly or indirectly—

(1) to sell or offer for sale or to cause to be sold or offered for sale, from house to house, any security of such holding company; or

(2) to cause any officer or employee of any subsidiary company of such holding company to sell or cause to be sold any security of such holding company.

As used in this subsection the term "house" shall not include an office used for business purposes.

Declarations by Registered Holding and Subsidiary Companies in Respect of Security Transactions

SEC. 7. (a) A registered holding company or subsidiary company thereof may file a declaration with the Commission, regarding any of the acts enumerated in subsection (a) of section 6, in such form as the Commission may by rules and regulations prescribe as necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors or consumers. Such declaration shall include

(1) such of the information and documents which are required to be filed in order to register a security under section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, as the Commission may by rules and regulations or order prescribe as necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors or consumers; and

(2) such additional information, in such form and detail, and such documents regarding the declarant or any associate company thereof, the particular security and compliance with such State laws as may apply to the act in question as the Commission may by rules and regulations or order prescribe as necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of in

vestors or consumers.

(b) A declaration filed under this section shall become effective within such reasonable period of time after the filing thereof as the Commission shall fix by rules and regulations or order, unless the Commission prior to the expiration of such period shall have issued an order to the declarant to show cause why such declaration should become effective. Within a reasonable time after an opportunity for hearing upon an order to show cause under this subsection, unless the declarant

shall withdraw its declaration, the Commission shall enter an order either permitting such declaration to become effective as filed or amended, or refusing to permit such declaration to become effective. Amendments to a declaration may be made upon such terms and conditions as the Commission may prescribe.

(c) The Commission shall not permit a declaration regarding the issue or sale of a security to become effective unless it finds that—

(1) such security is (A) a common stock having a par value and being without preference as to dividends or distribution over, and having at least equal voting rights with, any outstanding security of the declarant; (B) a bond (i) secured by a first lien on physical property of the declarant, or (ii) secured by an obligation of a subsidiary company of the declarant, secured by a first lien on physical property of such subsidiary company, or (iii) secured by any other assets of the type and character which the Commission by rules and regulations or order may prescribe as appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors; (C) a guaranty of, or assumption of liability on, security of another company; or (D) a receiver's or trustee's certificate duly authorized by the appropriate court or courts; or

a

(2) such security is to be issued or sold solely (A) for the purpose of refunding, extending, exchanging, or discharging an outstanding security of the declarant and/or a predecessor company thereof or for the purpose of effecting a merger, consolidation, or other reorganization; (B) for the purpose of financing the business of the declarant as a public-utility company; (C) for the purpose of financing the business of the declarant, when the declarant is neither a holding company nor a public-utility company; and/or (D) for necessary and urgent corporate purposes of the declarant where the requirements of the provisions of paragraph (1) would impose an unreasonable financial burden upon the declarant and are not necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors or consumers; or

(3) such security is one the issuance of which was authorized by the company prior to January 1, 1935, and which the Commission by rules and regulations or order authorizes as necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors or consumers.

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