### §1625. Securities laws exemption

#### (a) Laws; termination date of exempt status

A Native Corporation shall be exempt from the provisions, as amended, of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (54 Stat. 789) [15 U.S.C. 80a–1 et seq.], the Securities Act of 1933 (48 Stat. 74) [15 U.S.C. 77a et seq.], and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (48 Stat. 881) [15 U.S.C. 78a et seq.] until the earlier of the day after—

(1) the date on which the corporation issues shares of stock other than Settlement Common Stock in a transaction where—

(A) the transaction or the shares are not otherwise exempt from Federal securities laws; and

(B) the shares are issued to persons or entities other than—

(i) individuals who held shares in the corporation on February 3, 1988;

(ii) Natives;

(iii) descendants of Natives;

(iv) individuals who have received shares of Settlement Common Stock by inheritance pursuant to section 1606(h)(2) of this title;

(v) Settlement Trusts; or

(vi) entities established for the sole benefit of Natives or descendants of Natives; or

(2) the date on which alienability restrictions are terminated; or

(3) the date on which the corporation files a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to either the Securities Act of 1933 [15 U.S.C. 77a et seq.] or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 [15 U.S.C. 78a et seq.].

#### (b) Status of Native Corporations after termination date

No provision of this section shall be construed to require or imply that a Native Corporation shall, or shall not, be subject to provisions of the Acts listed in subsection (a) after any of the dates described in subsection (a).

#### (c) Annual report to shareholders; shareholders of record

(1) A Native Corporation that, but for this section, would be subject to the provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 [15 U.S.C. 78a et seq.] shall annually prepare and transmit to its shareholders a report that contains substantially all the information required to be included in an annual report to shareholders by a corporation subject to that Act.

(2) For purposes of determining the applicability of the registration requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on or after the date described in subsection (a), holders of Settlement Common Stock shall be excluded from the calculation of the number of shareholders of record pursuant to section 12(g) of that Act [15 U.S.C. 78l(g)].

#### (d) Wholly owned subsidiaries; Settlement Trusts; voluntary registration as Investment Company

(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, prior to January 1, 2001, the provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940 [15 U.S.C. 80a–1 et seq.] shall not apply to any Native Corporation or any subsidiary of such corporation if such subsidiary is wholly owned (as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940) by the corporation and the corporation owns at least 95 per centum of the equity of the subsidiary.

(2) The Investment Company Act of 1940 shall not apply to any Settlement Trust.

(3) If, but for this section, a Native Corporation would qualify as an Investment Company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, it shall be entitled to voluntarily register pursuant to such Act and any such corporation which so registered shall thereafter comply with the provisions of such Act.

(Pub. L. 92–203, §28, as added Pub. L. 94–204, §3, Jan. 2, 1976, 89 Stat. 1147; amended Pub. L. 100–241, §14, Feb. 3, 1988, 101 Stat. 1811.)

#### **Editorial Notes**

#### References in Text

The Investment Company Act of 1940, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (d), is title I of act Aug. 22, 1940, ch. 686, 54 Stat. 789, which is classified generally to subchapter I (§80a–1 et seq.) of chapter 2D of Title 15, Commerce and Trade. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 80a–51 of Title 15 and Tables.

The Securities Act of 1933 (48 Stat. 74), referred to in subsec. (a), is act May 27, 1933, ch. 38, title I, 48 Stat. 74, which is classified generally to subchapter I (§77a et seq.) of chapter 2A of Title 15. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 77a of Title 15 and Tables.

The Securities Exchange Act of 1934, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (c), is act June 6, 1934, ch. 404, 48 Stat. 881, which is classified principally to chapter 2B (§78a et seq.) of Title 15. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 78a of Title 15 and Tables.

#### Amendments

1988—Pub. L. 100–241 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section read as follows: "Any corporation organized pursuant to this chapter shall be exempt from the provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (54 Stat. 789) [15 U.S.C. 80a–1 et seq.], the Securities Act of 1933 (48 Stat. 74) [15 U.S.C. 77a et seq.], and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (48 Stat. 881), as amended [15 U.S.C. 78a et seq.], through December 31, 1991. Nothing in this section, however, shall be construed to mean that any such corporation shall or shall not, after such date, be subject to the provisions of such Acts. Any such corporation which, but for this section, would be subject to the provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 shall transmit to its stockholders each year a report containing substantially all the information required to be included in an annual report to stockholders by a corporation which is subject to the provisions of such Act."

#### **Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries**

#### Construction of Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act With Pub. L. 94–204

Pub. L. 94–204, §18, Jan. 2, 1976, 89 Stat. 1156, provided that: "Except as specifically provided in this Act [enacting this section and sections 1626 and 1627 of this title, amending sections 1615, 1616, 1620 and 1621 of this title, and enacting provisions set out as notes under this section and sections 1604, 1605, 1611, 1613, and 1618 of this title], (i) the provisions of the Settlement Act [this chapter] are fully applicable to this Act, and (ii) nothing in this Act shall be construed to alter or amend any of such provisions."