15 U.S.C. § 80a–53 (COMMERCE AND TRADE)
§ 80a–53. Election to be regulated as business development company
(a) Eligibility
Any company defined in section 80a–2(a)(48)(A) and (B) of this title may elect to be subject to the provisions of sections 80a–54 through 80a–64 of this title by filing with the Commission a notification of election, if such company—
(1) has a class of its equity securities registered under section 78l of this title; or
(2) has filed a registration statement pursuant to section 78l of this title for a class of its equity securities.
(b) Form and manner of notification; effect
The Commission may, by rule, prescribe the form and manner in which notification of election under this section shall be given. A business development company shall be deemed to be subject to sections 80a–54 through 80a–64 of this title upon receipt by the Commission of such notification of election.
(c) Revocation or withdrawal of election
Whenever the Commission finds, on its own motion or upon application, that a business development company which has filed a notification of election pursuant to subsection (a) of this section has ceased to engage in business, the Commission shall so declare by order revoking such company’s election. Any business development company may voluntarily withdraw its election under subsection (a) by filing a notice of withdrawal of election with the Commission, in a form and manner which the Commission may, by rule, prescribe. Such withdrawal shall be effective immediately upon receipt by the Commission.
(Aug. 22, 1940, ch. 686, title I, § 54, as added Pub. L. 96–477, title I, § 105, Oct. 21, 1980, 94 Stat. 2278; amended Pub. L. 100–181, title VI, § 625, Dec. 4, 1987, 101 Stat. 1262.)
heading: Editorial Notes
heading: Amendments
text: 1987—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 100–181 substituted “defined in section” for “defined in sections”.
heading: Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
heading: Parity for Business Development Companies Regarding Offering and Proxy Rules
text: Pub. L. 115–141, div. S, title VIII, § 803, Mar. 23, 2018, 132 Stat. 1140, provided that:
“(a) Definitions.—
In this section—
“(1) the term ‘business development company’ has the meaning given the term in section 2(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a–2(a));
“(2) the term ‘Commission’ means the Securities and Exchange Commission;
“(3) the term ‘Form N–2’ means the form described in section 239.14 of title 17, Code of Federal Regulations;
“(4) the term ‘Form S–3’ means the form described in section 239.13 of title 17, Code of Federal Regulations; and
“(5) the term ‘Schedule 14A’ means the information required under section 240.14a–101 of title 17, Code of Federal Regulations.
“(b) Revision to Rules.—
“(1) In general.—
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act [Mar. 23, 2018], the Commission shall make the revisions described in paragraph (2) to allow a business development company that has filed an election under section 54 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a–53) to use the securities offering and proxy rules that are available to other issuers that are required to file reports under section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78m(a); 78o(d)).
“(2) Required revisions.—
The revisions described in this paragraph are revisions to—
“(A) section 230.405 of title 17, Code of Federal Regulations—
“(i) to remove the exclusion of a business development company from the definition of the term ‘well-known seasoned issuer’ under that section; and
“(ii) to add a registration statement filed on Form N–2 to the definition of the term ‘automatic shelf registration statement’ under that section;
“(B) sections 230.168 and 230.169 of title 17, Code of Federal Regulations, to remove the exclusion of a business development company from an issuer that is eligible for the exemptions under those sections;
“(C) section 230.163 of title 17, Code of Federal Regulations, to remove a business development company from the list of issuers that are ineligible for the exemption under that section;
“(D) section 230.163A of title 17, Code of Federal Regulations, to remove the communications made by a business development company from the list of communications that are ineligible for the exemption under that section;
“(E) section 230.134 of title 17, Code of Federal Regulations, to remove the exclusion of a communication relating to a business development company from the application of that section;
“(F) sections 230.138 and 230.139 of title 17, Code of Federal Regulations, to specifically include a business development company as an issuer to which those sections apply;
“(G) section 230.156 of title 17, Code of Federal Regulations, to provide that nothing in that section may be construed to prevent a business development company from qualifying for an exemption under section 230.168 or 230.169 of title 17, Code of Federal Regulations, as amended by the Commission in accordance with the requirements of this section;
“(H) section 230.164 of title 17, Code of Federal Regulations, to remove a business development company from the list of issuers that are excluded under that section;
“(I) section 230.433 of title 17, Code of Federal Regulations, to specifically include a business development company that is a well-known seasoned issuer as an issuer to which that section applies;
“(J) section 230.415 of title 17, Code of Federal Regulations to state that the registration for securities under section 230.415(a)(1)(x) of title 17, Code of Federal Regulations, includes securities registered on Form N–2 by a business development company that would otherwise meet the eligibility requirements of Form S–3;
“(K) section 230.497 of title 17, Code of Federal Regulations, to include a process for a business development company to file a form of prospectus in the same manner as the process for filing a form of prospectus under section 230.424(b) of title 17, Code of Federal Regulations;
“(L) sections 230.172 and 230.173 of title 17, Code of Federal Regulations, to remove the exclusion of an offering of a business development company from the application of those sections;
“(M) section 230.418 of title 17, Code of Federal Regulations, to provide that a business development company that would otherwise meet the eligibility requirements of Form S–3 shall be exempt from paragraph (a)(3) of that section;
“(N) Schedule 14A to revise item 13(b)(1) of that Schedule to include a business development company that would otherwise meet the requirements of note E of that Schedule as an issuer to which that item applies;
“(O) section 243.103 of title 17, Code of Federal Regulations, to provide that paragraph (a) of that section applies for the purposes of Form N–2; and
“(P) item 34 on Form N–2 to require a business development company to provide undertakings that are no more restrictive than the undertakings that are required of a registrant under section 229.512 of title 17, Code of Federal Regulations.
“(c) Revision to Form N–2.—
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall revise Form N–2—
“(1) to include an item or instruction that is similar to item 12 on Form S–3 to provide that a business development company that would otherwise meet the requirements of Form S–3 shall incorporate by reference the reports and documents filed by the business development company under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78a et seq.) into the registration statement of the business development company filed on Form N–2; and
“(2) to include an item or instruction that is similar to the instruction regarding automatic shelf offerings by well-known seasoned issuers on Form S–3 to provide that a business development company that is a well-known seasoned issuer may file automatic shelf offerings on Form N–2.
“(d) Treatment if Revisions Not Completed in Timely Manner.—
If the Commission fails to complete the revisions required under subsections (b) and (c) by the dates described in those subsections, a business development company, during the period beginning on the date that is 1 day after 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act and ending on the date that the Commission completes those revisions, may deem those revisions to have been completed in accordance with the actions required to be taken by the Commission under those subsections.
“(e) Rules of Construction.—
“(1) Treatment of successor regulations and forms.—
Any reference in this section to a regulation or form shall be construed as a reference to—
“(A) that regulation or form, as in effect on the day before the date of enactment of this Act; or
“(B) any successor to that regulation or form.
“(2) Distribution of sales material.—
Nothing in this section, or in the amendments made pursuant to the requirements of this section, may be construed to prevent a business development company from distributing sales material under section 230.482 of title 17, Code of Federal Regulations.”