reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MA Gen L ch 110a § 407 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 110a - Uniform Securities Act|Section 407 - Investigations and Subpoenas

Section 407. (a) The secretary in his discretion (1) may make such public or private investigations within or outside of the commonwealth as he deems necessary to determine whether any person has violated or is about to violate any provision of this chapter or any rule or order hereunder, or to aid in the enforcement of this chapter or in the prescribing of rules and forms hereunder, (2) may require or permit any person to file a statement in writing, under oath or otherwise as the secretary determines, as to all the facts and circumstances concerning the matter to be investigated, and (3) may publish information concerning any violation of this chapter or any rule or order hereunder.  (b) For the purpose of any investigation or proceeding under this chapter, the secretary or any officer designated by him may administer oaths and affirmations, subpoena witnesses, compel their attendance, take evidence, and require the production of any books, papers, correspondence, memoranda, agreements, or other documents or records which the secretary deems relevant or material to the inquiry.  (c) In case of contumacy by, or refusal to obey a subpoena issued to, any person, the superior court for the county in which the person is found or is an inhabitant or transacts business, upon application by the secretary, may issue to the person an order requiring him to appear before the secretary, or the officer designated by him, there to produce documentary evidence if so ordered or to give evidence touching the matter under investigation or in question. Failure to obey the order of the court may be punished by the court as a contempt of court.  (d) No person is excused from attending and testifying or from producing any document or record before the secretary, or in obedience to the subpoena of the secretary or any officer designated by him, or in any proceeding instituted by the secretary, on the ground that the testimony or evidence, documentary or otherwise, required of him may tend to incriminate him or subject him to a penalty of forfeiture; but no individual may be prosecuted or subjected to any penalty or forfeiture for or on account of any transaction, matter, or thing concerning which he is compelled, after claiming his privilege against self-incrimination, to testify or produce evidence, documentary or otherwise, except that the individual testifying is not exempt from prosecution and punishment for perjury or contempt committed in testifying.
MA Gen L ch 110a § 407a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 110a - Uniform Securities Act|Section 407a - Violations; Cease and Desist Orders; Costs

Section 407A. (a) If the secretary determines, after notice and opportunity for hearing, that any person has engaged in or is about to engage in any act or practice constituting a violation of any provision of this chapter or any rule or order issued thereunder, he may order such person to cease and desist from such unlawful act or practice and may take such affirmative action, including the imposition of an administrative fine, the issuance of an order for an accounting, disgorgement or rescission or any other such relief as in his judgment may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter. No administrative fine imposed pursuant to this chapter shall exceed $25,000 for each violation and any fine collected shall be deposited in the Worker and Small Investor Protection Fund, established by section 68 of chapter 10.  (b) If the secretary makes written findings of fact that the public interest will be irreparably harmed by delay in issuing an order under subsection (a), the secretary may issue a temporary cease and desist order. Upon the entry of a temporary cease and desist order, the secretary shall promptly notify in writing the person subject to the order that such order has been entered, the reasons therefor, and that within twenty days after the receipt of a written request from such person the matter shall be set down for hearing to determine whether or not the order shall become permanent and final. If no hearing is requested and none is ordered by the secretary, the order shall remain in effect until it is modified or vacated by the secretary. If a hearing is requested or ordered, the secretary, after giving notice of and opportunity for a hearing to the person subject to the order, shall by written findings of fact and conclusions of law, vacate, modify, or make permanent the order.  (c) No order under this section, except an order issued pursuant to subsection (b), may be entered without prior notice of and opportunity for hearing. The secretary may vacate or modify an order under this section upon his finding that the conditions which required such an order have changed and that it is in the public interest to so vacate or modify.  An order issued pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be subject to review as provided in section four hundred and eleven.  (d) A registrant, applicant for registration, issuer or other person upon whom the secretary has conducted an examination, audit, investigation or adjudicatory proceeding who has been found to have violated the provisions of this chapter shall pay for all the costs incurred in the conduct of such examination, audit, investigation or proceeding. Such costs shall include, but not be limited to, the salaries and other compensation paid to clerical, administrative, investigative and legal personnel of the secretary in the conduct of such examination, audit, investigation or adjudicatory proceeding.
MA Gen L ch 110a § 408 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 110a - Uniform Securities Act|Section 408 - Injunctions

Section 408. Whenever it appears to the secretary that any person has engaged or is about to engage in any act or practice constituting a violation of any provision of this chapter or any rule or order hereunder, he may in his discretion bring an action in the superior court for the county in which the person is found or is an inhabitant or transacts business to enjoin the acts or practices and to enforce compliance with this chapter or any rule or order hereunder. Upon a proper showing, the court may grant a preliminary or permanent injunction or a temporary restraining order and may order an accounting, disgorgement, rescission and such other relief as may be in the public interest, including but not limited to the appointment of a receiver or conservator for the defendant or the defendant's assets. The court may not require the secretary to post a bond.
MA Gen L ch 110a § 409 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 110a - Uniform Securities Act|Section 409 - Criminal Penalties

Section 409. (a) Any person who willfully violates any provision of this chapter except section 404, or who willfully violates any rule or order under this chapter, or who willfully violates section 404 knowing the statement made to be false or misleading in any material respect, shall upon conviction be fined not more than $100,000 or imprisoned not more than 10 years in the state prison, or both; but no person may be imprisoned for the violation of any rule or order if he proves that he had no knowledge of the rule or order.  Fines collected under this subsection shall be immediately sent to the state treasurer for deposit in the Securities Fraud Prosecution Fund, established by section 69 of chapter 10.  (b) The secretary may refer such evidence as is available concerning violations of this chapter or of any rule or order hereunder to the attorney general, who may, with or without such a reference, institute the appropriate criminal proceedings under this chapter.  (c) Nothing in this chapter limits the power of the commonwealth to punish any person for any conduct which constitutes a crime by statute or at common law.
MA Gen L ch 110a § 411 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 110a - Uniform Securities Act|Section 411 - Judicial Review of Orders

Section 411. (a) Any person aggrieved by a final decision of the secretary in an adjudicatory proceeding may obtain judicial review pursuant to section fourteen of chapter thirty A.  (b) The commencement of proceedings under subsection (a) does not, unless specifically ordered by the court, operate as a stay of the secretary's order.
MA Gen L ch 110a § 412 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 110a - Uniform Securities Act|Section 412 - Rules, Forms, Orders, and Hearings

Section 412. (a) The secretary may from time to time make, amend, and rescind such rules, forms, and orders as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter, including rules and forms governing registration statements, applications, and reports, and defining any terms, whether or not used in this chapter, insofar as the definitions are not inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter. For the purpose of rules and forms, the secretary may classify securities, persons, and matters within its jurisdiction, and prescribe different requirements for different classes.  (b) No rule, form, or order may be made, amended, or rescinded unless the secretary finds that the action is necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors and consistent with the purposes fairly intended by the policy and provisions of this chapter. In prescribing rules and forms the secretary may cooperate with the securities administrators of the other states and the Securities and Exchange Commission with a view to effectuating the policy of this statute to achieve maximum uniformity in the form and content of registration statements, applications, and reports wherever practicable.  (c) The secretary may by rule or order prescribe (1) the form and content of financial statements required under this chapter, (2) the circumstances under which consolidated financial statements shall be filed, and (3) whether any required financial statements shall be certified by independent or certified public accountants. All financial statements shall be prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting practices.  (d) All rules and forms of the secretary shall be published pursuant to sections six and six A of chapter thirty A.  (e) No provision of this chapter imposing any liability applies to any act done or omitted in good faith in conformity with any rule, form, or order of the secretary, notwithstanding that the rule, form, or order may later be amended or rescinded or be determined by judicial or other authority to be invalid for any reason.  (f) Every hearing in an administrative proceeding shall be public unless the secretary in his discretion grants a request joined in by all the respondents that the hearing be conducted privately.  (g) Assessments collected by the secretary pursuant to administrative actions may be used to assist investors. The assistance may include, but is not limited to, restitution for victims of financial fraud or other violations of this chapter.
MA Gen L ch 110a § 413 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 110a - Uniform Securities Act|Section 413 - Administrative Files and Opinions

Section 413. (a) A document is filed when it is received by the secretary.  (b) The secretary shall keep a register of all notice filings made under subsection (b) of section 202 and section 306 and all applications for registration and registration statements which are or have ever been effective under this chapter and all denial, suspension, or revocation orders which have been entered under this chapter. The register shall be open for public inspection.  (c) The information contained in or filed with any registration statement, application, or report may be made available to the public under such rules as the secretary prescribes.  (d) Upon request and at such reasonable charges as he prescribes, the secretary shall furnish to any person photostatic or other copies, certified under the seal of the secretary if requested, of any entry in the register or any document which is a matter of public record. In any proceeding or prosecution under this chapter, any copy so certified is prima facie evidence of the contents of the entry or document certified.  (e) The secretary in his discretion may honor requests from interested persons for interpretative opinions.
MA Gen L ch 110a § 415 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 110a - Uniform Securities Act|Section 415 - Statutory Policy

Section 415. This chapter shall be so construed as to effectuate its general purpose to make uniform the law of those states which enact it and to coordinate the interpretation and administration of this chapter with the related federal regulation.
MA Gen L ch 110a § 416 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 110a - Uniform Securities Act|Section 416 - Short Title

Section 416. This chapter may be cited as the Uniform Securities Act.
MA Gen L ch 110a § 417 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 110a - Uniform Securities Act|Section 417 - Severability of Provisions

Section 417. If any provision of this chapter or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the act which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this act are severable.
MA Gen L ch 110c § 2 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 110c - Regulation of Take-Over Bids in the Acquisition of Corporations|Section 2 - Disclosure of Terms of Take-Over Bid; Filing; Hearing

Section 2. No offeror shall make a take-over bid unless he announces publicly the terms of the proposed take-over bid, files with the secretary and the target company, on the date of the commencement of the take-over bid, copies of all information required by section four, and pays the secretary a filing fee of one thousand dollars to defray the costs of any investigation the secretary may make in connection therewith.  Within five days following such filing, or after a request made by the target company or an offeree within said five days, the secretary may order a hearing within ten days following such filing if he determines it necessary or appropriate for the protection of offerees in the commonwealth. If no such hearing is ordered within said ten days or a hearing is so ordered within such time and after hearing the secretary adjudicates that the take-over bid is not in violation of this chapter and that effective provision is made for fair and full disclosure to offerees of all information material to a decision to accept or reject the offer, the take-over bid shall be deemed to be in compliance with this chapter. If the secretary finds that the take-over bid would comply with provisions of this chapter if amended in certain respects, the take-over bid shall be deemed to be in compliance with this chapter only if so amended.
MA Gen L ch 110c § 3 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 110c - Regulation of Take-Over Bids in the Acquisition of Corporations|Section 3 - Acquisition of Target Company Stock by Offeror Prior to Take-Over Bid; Disclosure Requirements

Section 3. No offeror shall make a take-over bid if he and his associates and affiliates are directly or indirectly the beneficial owners of five per cent or more of the issued and outstanding equity securities of any class of the target company, any of which were purchased within one year before the proposed take-over bid, and the offeror, before making any such purchase, or before the thirtieth day following the effective date of this section, whichever is later, failed to publicly announce his intention to gain control of the target company, or otherwise failed to make fair, full, and effective disclosure of such intention to the persons from whom he acquired such securities.
MA Gen L ch 110c § 5 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 110c - Regulation of Take-Over Bids in the Acquisition of Corporations|Section 5 - Time for Filing or Delivering Copies of Solicitation Materials

Section 5. Copies of all advertisements, circulars, letters or other solicitation materials published by the offeror or the target company on or after the date that the take-over bid may be made in accordance with section two shall be filed with the secretary and delivered by the target company, or the offeror, as the case may be, to the other of them on the date that the same are first published or used or sent to offerees.
MA Gen L ch 110c § 6 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 110c - Regulation of Take-Over Bids in the Acquisition of Corporations|Section 6 - Hearings and Adjudications; Time; Deposits for Costs; Findings

Section 6. Any hearing pursuant to this section shall be commenced within twenty days of the date a filing is made pursuant to section two. Adjudications made pursuant to this section shall be made within forty-five days after such filing and pursuant to section four hundred and twelve of chapter one hundred and ten A. Upon filing an application with the secretary for a hearing under this section, the target company shall pay to the secretary a fee of two hundred and fifty dollars, and shall deposit with the secretary such sum, not exceeding seven hundred and fifty dollars, as the secretary may require to defray the costs of such hearing and any investigation which the secretary may make in connection therewith. If, after hearing, the secretary finds that the take-over bid is in violation of this chapter or that effective provision is not made for fair and full disclosure to offerees of all information material to a decision to accept or reject the offer, he shall so adjudicate. If he finds that the take-over bid would comply with this chapter if amended in certain respects, he shall so adjudicate. If he finds that the take-over bid is not in violation of this chapter and that effective provision is made for fair and full disclosure to offerees of all information material to a decision to accept or reject the offer, he shall so adjudicate.
MA Gen L ch 110c § 7 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 110c - Regulation of Take-Over Bids in the Acquisition of Corporations|Section 7 - Unlawful Practices; Rights of Resident Shareholders; Increasing Terms of Bid; Minimum Time of Bid; Withdrawal of Deposited Securities

Section 7. It is unlawful for any offeror or target company or any affiliate or associate of an offeror or target company or any broker-dealer acting in behalf of an offeror or target company to make any untrue statement of a material fact or to conceal any material fact in order to make the statements misleading, or to engage in any fraudulent, evasive, deceptive, manipulative or grossly unfair practices in connection with a take-over bid.  No take-over bid shall be made unless it is made under the provisions of this chapter, and no offeror shall make a take-over bid which is not made to all holders residing in the commonwealth of the equity security that is the subject of such take-over bid, or which is not made to such holders on the same terms as such take-over bid is made to holders of such equity security not residing within the commonwealth. If a take-over bid is made for less than all the outstanding equity securities of any class and if the number of securities deposited pursuant thereto is greater than the number the offeror has agreed to accept, the offeror shall take up and pay for the securities pro-rata, disregarding fractions, according to the number of securities deposited by each offeree. If the terms of a take-over bid are changed before its expiration by increasing the consideration offered to offerees, the offeror shall pay the increased consideration for all equity securities taken up, whether the same are deposited or taken up before or after the change in the terms of the take-over bid.  No offeror shall make a take-over bid which does not remain open for at least fifteen days after it is deemed to be in compliance with this chapter with the right to extend such period; purchase any shares pursuant to a take-over bid prior to the expiration of such fifteen day period; offer to pay an offeree a fee, commission or any other consideration not offered to all offerees; or publish or use in connection with the offer any false statement of a material fact or conceal a material fact in order to make the statement misleading.  Securities deposited pursuant to a take-over bid may be withdrawn by an offeree or his attorney-in-fact by demand in writing to the offeror or the depository at any time up to five days prior to the announced termination date of the offer.
MA Gen L ch 110c § 8 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 110c - Regulation of Take-Over Bids in the Acquisition of Corporations|Section 8 - Banking or Public Utility Corporations; Copies of Filed Material Furnished to Regulatory Body

Section 8. If the offeror or the target company is a banking corporation subject to regulation by the commissioner of banks, or a public utility corporation subject to regulation by the department of public utilities or the department of telecommunications and cable, the secretary shall forthwith, upon receipt of the filing required under section two, furnish a copy of such filing to the regulatory body having jurisdiction over the offeror or target company.
MA Gen L ch 110c § 10 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 110c - Regulation of Take-Over Bids in the Acquisition of Corporations|Section 10 - Rules and Regulations; Promulgation; Waiver of Jurisdiction; Delegation of Authority

Section 10. (a) The secretary may, pursuant to section four hundred and twelve of chapter one hundred and ten A prescribe reasonable rules and regulations or issue orders with respect to particular situations:  (1) Defining any terms used in this chapter including fraudulent, evasive, deceptive, manipulative or grossly unfair practices in connection with take-over bids.  (2) Exempting from this chapter take-over bids not made for the purpose of, and not having the effect of, changing or influencing the control of a target company.  (3) Covering such other matters as are necessary to give effect to this chapter.  (4) Waiving jurisdiction over a take-over bid if he determines that: (i) the take-over bid is subject to the jurisdiction of another state having a statute or regulation similar in purpose and effect to this chapter; (ii) information similar to that specified in section four is required to be filed with the administrator of such other state; (iii) such other state has a greater interest in regulating the take-over bid than the commonwealth, and (iv) the purpose of this chapter will be accomplished and the public interest will be better served by such waiver.  (b) The secretary may delegate to the director of securities the authority to perform any duty and exercise any power assigned to the secretary under the provisions of this chapter.