2023 California Code › Corporations Code - CORP › TITLE 4 - SECURITIES › DIVISION 1 - CORPORATE SECURITIES LAW OF 968 › PART 3 - REGULATION AND NOTICE FILING REQUIREMENTS OF AGENTS, BROKER-DEALERS, INVESTMENT ADVISER REPRESENTATIVES, AND INVESTMENT ADVISERS › CHAPTER 2 - Licensing of Agents and Broker-Dealers › Section 25216.

25216. (a) No broker-dealer or agent shall effect any transaction in, or induce or attempt to induce the purchase or sale of, any security in this state by means of any manipulative, deceptive or other fraudulent scheme, device, or contrivance. The commissioner shall, for the purposes of this subdivision, by rule define such schemes, devices or contrivances as are manipulative, deceptive, or otherwise fraudulent.
(b) No broker-dealer or agent shall effect any transaction in, or induce or attempt to induce the purchase or sale of, any security in this state in connection with which such broker-dealer or agent engages in any fraudulent, deceptive or manipulative act or practice or makes any fictitious quotation. The commissioner shall, for the purposes of this subdivision, by rule define and prescribe means reasonably designed to prevent such acts and practices as are fraudulent, deceptive, or manipulative and such quotations as are fictitious.
(c) No broker-dealer or agent shall effect any transaction in, or induce or attempt to induce the purchase or sale of, any security in this state in contravention of such rules as the commissioner may prescribe as necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors to provide safeguards with respect to the financial responsibility of broker-dealers. Subject to the limitations of Section 15(h) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, those rules may require a minimum capital for broker-dealers or prescribe a ratio between net capital and aggregate indebtedness or both and a fidelity bond.
(d) No broker-dealer or agent shall effect or attempt to effect in this state, in contravention of such rules as the commissioner may prescribe as necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors, (1) any transaction in connection with any security whereby any party to such transaction acquires any put, call, straddle, or other option or privilege (A) of buying or selling the security, (B) on any security, certificate of deposit, or group or index of securities (including any interest therein or based on the market value thereof), (C) entered into on a national securities exchange relating to foreign currency, or (2) any transaction in connection with any security with relation to which the broker-dealer or agent has, directly or indirectly, any interest in any such put, call, straddle, option, or privilege, or (3) any transaction in any security for the account of any person who the broker-dealer or agent has reason to believe has, and who actually has, directly or indirectly, any interest in any such put, call, straddle, option, or privilege with relation to such security.
(e) The commissioner may by rule require any issuer who employs agents in connection with any security or transaction not exempted by Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 25100) of Part 2 of this division to post a surety bond in an amount not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000), conditioned that the issuer will comply with the provisions of this law and the rules and orders issued thereunder. The bond, unless previously canceled, shall cover for the entire period that the qualification is in effect. If a deposit in lieu of a bond is made pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 995.710) of Chapter 2 of Title 14 of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure, the deposit may include an appropriate deposit of securities. No suit may be maintained to enforce any liability on the bond unless brought within two years after the contract of sale or other act upon which the suit is based.
(Amended by Stats. 1997, Ch. 391, Sec. 20. Effective January 1, 1998.)