H. R. 3763—44
by an insured depository institution (as defined in section 3
of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813)), if
the loan is subject to the insider lending restrictions of section
22(h) of the Federal Reserve Act (12 U.S.C. 375b).’’.
SEC. 403. DISCLOSURES OF TRANSACTIONS INVOLVING MANAGEMENT
AND PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS.
(a) AMENDMENT.—Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78p) is amended by striking the heading of
such section and subsection (a) and inserting the following:
‘‘SEC. 16. DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, AND PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS.
‘‘(a) DISCLOSURES REQUIRED.—
‘‘(1) DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, AND PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS
REQUIRED TO FILE.—Every person who is directly or indirectly
the beneficial owner of more than 10 percent of any class
of any equity security (other than an exempted security) which
is registered pursuant to section 12, or who is a director or
an officer of the issuer of such security, shall file the statements
required by this subsection with the Commission (and, if such
security is registered on a national securities exchange, also
with the exchange).
‘‘(2) TIME OF FILING.—The statements required by this sub-
section shall be filed—
‘‘(A) at the time of the registration of such security
on a national securities exchange or by the effective date
of a registration statement filed pursuant to section 12(g);
‘‘(B) within 10 days after he or she becomes such
beneficial owner, director, or officer;
‘‘(C) if there has been a change in such ownership,
or if such person shall have purchased or sold a security-
based swap agreement (as defined in section 206(b) of
the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (15 U.S.C. 78c note)) involving
such equity security, before the end of the second business
day following the day on which the subject transaction
has been executed, or at such other time as the Commission
shall establish, by rule, in any case in which the Commis-
sion determines that such 2-day period is not feasible.
‘‘(3) CONTENTS OF STATEMENTS.—A statement filed—
‘‘(A) under subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (2)
shall contain a statement of the amount of all equity securi-
ties of such issuer of which the filing person is the beneficial
owner; and
‘‘(B) under subparagraph (C) of such paragraph shall
indicate ownership by the filing person at the date of
filing, any such changes in such ownership, and such pur-
chases and sales of the security-based swap agreements
as have occurred since the most recent such filing under
such subparagraph.
‘‘(4) ELECTRONIC FILING AND AVAILABILITY.—Beginning not
later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Sarbanes-
Oxley Act of 2002—
‘‘(A) a statement filed under subparagraph (C) of para-
graph (2) shall be filed electronically;
‘‘(B) the Commission shall provide each such statement
on a publicly accessible Internet site not later than the
end of the business day following that filing; and
H. R. 3763—45
‘‘(C) the issuer (if the issuer maintains a corporate
website) shall provide that statement on that corporate
website, not later than the end of the business day following
that filing.’’.
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by this section
shall be effective 30 days after the date of the enactment of this
Act.
SEC. 404. MANAGEMENT ASSESSMENT OF INTERNAL CONTROLS.
(a) RULES REQUIRED.—The Commission shall prescribe rules
requiring each annual report required by section 13(a) or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78m or 78o(d))
to contain an internal control report, which shall—
(1) state the responsibility of management for establishing
and maintaining an adequate internal control structure and
procedures for financial reporting; and
(2) contain an assessment, as of the end of the most recent
fiscal year of the issuer, of the effectiveness of the internal
control structure and procedures of the issuer for financial
reporting.
(b) INTERNAL CONTROL EVALUATION
AND REPORTING.—With
respect to the internal control assessment required by subsection
(a), each registered public accounting firm that prepares or issues
the audit report for the issuer shall attest to, and report on, the
assessment made by the management of the issuer. An attestation
made under this subsection shall be made in accordance with stand-
ards for attestation engagements issued or adopted by the Board.
Any such attestation shall not be the subject of a separate engage-
ment.
SEC. 405. EXEMPTION.
Nothing in section 401, 402, or 404, the amendments made
by those sections, or the rules of the Commission under those
sections shall apply to any investment company registered under
section 8 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a–
8).
SEC. 406. CODE OF ETHICS FOR SENIOR FINANCIAL OFFICERS.
(a) CODE OF ETHICS DISCLOSURE.—The Commission shall issue
rules to require each issuer, together with periodic reports required
pursuant to section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, to disclose whether or not, and if not, the reason therefor,
such issuer has adopted a code of ethics for senior financial officers,
applicable to its principal financial officer and comptroller or prin-
cipal accounting officer, or persons performing similar functions.
(b) CHANGES
IN CODES
OF ETHICS.—The Commission shall
revise its regulations concerning matters requiring prompt disclo-
sure on Form 8–K (or any successor thereto) to require the imme-
diate disclosure, by means of the filing of such form, dissemination
by the Internet or by other electronic means, by any issuer of
any change in or waiver of the code of ethics for senior financial
officers.
(c) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘code of ethics’’ means
such standards as are reasonably necessary to promote—
(1) honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical han-
dling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal
and professional relationships;
H. R. 3763—46
(2) full, fair, accurate, timely, and understandable disclo-
sure in the periodic reports required to be filed by the issuer;
and
(3) compliance with applicable governmental rules and
regulations.
(d) DEADLINE FOR RULEMAKING.—The Commission shall—
(1) propose rules to implement this section, not later than
90 days after the date of enactment of this Act; and
(2) issue final rules to implement this section, not later
than 180 days after that date of enactment.
SEC. 407. DISCLOSURE OF AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT.
(a) RULES DEFINING ‘‘FINANCIAL EXPERT’’.—The Commission
shall issue rules, as necessary or appropriate in the public interest
and consistent with the protection of investors, to require each
issuer, together with periodic reports required pursuant to sections
13(a) and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, to disclose
whether or not, and if not, the reasons therefor, the audit committee
of that issuer is comprised of at least 1 member who is a financial
expert, as such term is defined by the Commission.
(b) CONSIDERATIONS.—In defining the term ‘‘financial expert’’
for purposes of subsection (a), the Commission shall consider
whether a person has, through education and experience as a public
accountant or auditor or a principal financial officer, comptroller,
or principal accounting officer of an issuer, or from a position
involving the performance of similar functions—
(1) an understanding of generally accepted accounting prin-
ciples and financial statements;
(2) experience in—
(A) the preparation or auditing of financial statements
of generally comparable issuers; and
(B) the application of such principles in connection
with the accounting for estimates, accruals, and reserves;
(3) experience with internal accounting controls; and
(4) an understanding of audit committee functions.
(c) DEADLINE FOR RULEMAKING.—The Commission shall—
(1) propose rules to implement this section, not later than
90 days after the date of enactment of this Act; and
(2) issue final rules to implement this section, not later
than 180 days after that date of enactment.
SEC. 408. ENHANCED REVIEW OF PERIODIC DISCLOSURES BY ISSUERS.
(a) REGULAR AND SYSTEMATIC REVIEW.—The Commission shall
review disclosures made by issuers reporting under section 13(a)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (including reports filed
on Form 10–K), and which have a class of securities listed on
a national securities exchange or traded on an automated quotation
facility of a national securities association, on a regular and system-
atic basis for the protection of investors. Such review shall include
a review of an issuer’s financial statement.
(b) REVIEW CRITERIA.—For purposes of scheduling the reviews
required by subsection (a), the Commission shall consider, among
other factors—
(1) issuers that have issued material restatements of finan-
cial results;
(2) issuers that experience significant volatility in their
stock price as compared to other issuers;
(3) issuers with the largest market capitalization;
H. R. 3763—47
(4) emerging companies with disparities in price to earning
ratios;
(5) issuers whose operations significantly affect any mate-
rial sector of the economy; and
(6) any other factors that the Commission may consider
relevant.
(c) MINIMUM REVIEW PERIOD.—In no event shall an issuer
required to file reports under section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 be reviewed under this section less frequently
than once every 3 years.
SEC. 409. REAL TIME ISSUER DISCLOSURES.
Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C.
78m), as amended by this Act, is amended by adding at the end
the following:
‘‘(l) REAL TIME ISSUER DISCLOSURES.—Each issuer reporting
under section 13(a) or 15(d) shall disclose to the public on a rapid
and current basis such additional information concerning material
changes in the financial condition or operations of the issuer, in
plain English, which may include trend and qualitative information
and graphic presentations, as the Commission determines, by rule,
is necessary or useful for the protection of investors and in the
public interest.’’.
TITLE V—ANALYST CONFLICTS OF
INTEREST
SEC. 501. TREATMENT OF SECURITIES ANALYSTS BY REGISTERED
SECURITIES ASSOCIATIONS AND NATIONAL SECURITIES
EXCHANGES.
(a) RULES REGARDING SECURITIES ANALYSTS.—The Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78a et seq.) is amended by
inserting after section 15C the following new section:
‘‘SEC. 15D. SECURITIES ANALYSTS AND RESEARCH REPORTS.
‘‘(a) ANALYST PROTECTIONS.—The Commission, or upon the
authorization and direction of the Commission, a registered securi-
ties association or national securities exchange, shall have adopted,
not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section,
rules reasonably designed to address conflicts of interest that can
arise when securities analysts recommend equity securities in
research reports and public appearances, in order to improve the
objectivity of research and provide investors with more useful and
reliable information, including rules designed—
‘‘(1) to foster greater public confidence in securities
research, and to protect the objectivity and independence of
securities analysts, by—
‘‘(A) 
restricting 
the 
prepublication 
clearance 
or
approval of research reports by persons employed by the
broker or dealer who are engaged in investment banking
activities, or persons not directly responsible for investment
research, other than legal or compliance staff;
‘‘(B) limiting the supervision and compensatory evalua-
tion of securities analysts to officials employed by the
broker or dealer who are not engaged in investment
banking activities; and