Fair Investment Opportunities for Professional Experts Act

To direct the Securities and Exchange Commission to revise its regulations regarding the qualifications of natural persons as accredited investors. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Fair Investment Opportunities for Professional Experts Act 2. Definition of accredited investor Section 2(a)(15) of the Securities Act of 1933 ( 15 U.S.C. 77b(a)(15) (1) by redesignating clauses (i) and (ii) as subparagraphs (A) and (F), respectively; (2) in subparagraph (A) (as so redesignated), by striking ; or (B) any natural person whose individual net worth, or joint net worth with that person’s spouse, exceeds $1,000,000 (which amount, along with the amounts set forth in subparagraph (C), shall be adjusted for inflation by the Commission every five years to the nearest $10,000 to reflect the change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics) where, for purposes of calculating net worth under this subparagraph— (i) the person’s primary residence shall not be included as an asset; (ii) indebtedness that is secured by the person’s primary residence, up to the estimated fair market value of the primary residence at the time of the sale of securities, shall not be included as a liability (except that if the amount of such indebtedness outstanding at the time of sale of securities exceeds the amount outstanding 60 days before such time, other than as a result of the acquisition of the primary residence, the amount of such excess shall be included as a liability); and (iii) indebtedness that is secured by the person's primary residence in excess of the estimated fair market value of the primary residence at the time of the sale of securities shall be included as a liability; (C) any natural person who had an individual income in excess of $200,000 in each of the two most recent years or joint income with that person’s spouse in excess of $300,000 in each of those years and has a reasonable expectation of reaching the same income level in the current year; (D) any natural person who is currently licensed or registered as a broker or investment adviser by the Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or an equivalent self-regulatory organization (as defined in section 3(a)(26) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934), or the securities division of a State or the equivalent State division responsible for licensing or registration of individuals in connection with securities activities; (E) any natural person the Commission determines, by regulation, to have demonstrable education or job experience to qualify such person as having professional knowledge of a subject related to a particular investment, and whose education or job experience is verified by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority or an equivalent self-regulatory organization (as defined in section 3(a)(26) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934); or . February 1, 2016 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

Summary: Fair Investment Opportunities for Professional Experts Act (Sec. 2) This bill amends the Securities Act of 1933 to add to the definition of accredited investor any natural person whose individual net worth, or joint net worth with his or her spouse, exceeds $1 million (adjusted every five years for inflation). The person's net worth shall exclude: the person's primary residence; and as a liability any indebtedness secured by the primary residence, up to the estimated fair market value of the residence at the time of the sale of securities. Indebtedness secured by the person's primary residence in excess of the residence's estimated fair market value at the time of the sale of securities, however, shall be included in net worth as a liability. An accredited investor shall also include any natural person: whose individual income exceeded $200,000 in each of the two most recent years, or whose joint income with spouse exceeded $300,000 in each of those years, and has a reasonable expectation of reaching the same income level in the current year; currently licensed or registered as a broker or investment adviser by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) (or an equivalent self-regulatory organization), or a state division responsible for licensing or registration of individuals in connection with securities activities; or whose demonstrable education or job experience qualifies as professional knowledge of a subject related to a particular investment, and whose education or job experience is verified by the FINRA or an equivalent self-regulatory organization.