[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7187 Reported in House (RH)]

<DOC>





                                                 Union Calendar No. 691
119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7187

                          [Report No. 119-791]

 To amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to provide an exemption 
       from the definition of a broker for a certain registered 
 representative-owned personal services entity, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 21, 2026

 Mr. Nunn of Iowa (for himself and Mr. Meeks) introduced the following 
    bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services

                           September 1, 2026

   Additional sponsors: Ms. Pettersen, Mr. Lawler, Mr. Stutzman, Mr. 
Garbarino, Ms. McBride, Mr. Moore of North Carolina, Mr. Timmons, Mrs. 
      Kim, Ms. De La Cruz, Mr. Kennedy of New York, and Mr. Moran

                           September 1, 2026

Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House 
          on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on January 
                               21, 2026]


_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to provide an exemption 
       from the definition of a broker for a certain registered 
 representative-owned personal services entity, and for other purposes.


 


    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Clarity for Compensation Act''.

SEC. 2. BROKER DEFINITION EXCEPTION FOR REGISTERED REPRESENTATIVE-OWNED 
              PERSONAL SERVICES ENTITY.

    (a) In General.--Section 3(a)(4) of the Securities Exchange Act of 
1934 (15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(4)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
                    ``(G) Exception for registered representative-owned 
                personal services entity.--
                            ``(i) In general.--A personal services 
                        entity shall not be considered a broker solely 
                        by reason of receiving compensation on behalf 
                        of a registered representative from that 
                        representative's registered broker at the 
                        direction of such representative, if--
                                    ``(I) the representative's 
                                registered broker instructs or 
                                otherwise approves the amount and 
                                timing of the payment and maintains 
                                records regarding the payment made;
                                    ``(II) the personal services entity 
                                does not hold itself out as a broker;
                                    ``(III) the personal services 
                                entity does not engage in any other 
                                broker activity, other than the receipt 
                                of compensation on behalf of the 
                                registered representative;
                                    ``(IV) the representative's 
                                registered broker maintains adequate 
                                supervision and control over the 
                                registered representative and the 
                                personal services entity;
                                    ``(V) the representative's 
                                registered broker and the personal 
                                services entity have a written 
                                agreement governing their relationship 
                                and the responsibilities of each party 
                                regarding compensation arrangements;
                                    ``(VI) the personal services entity 
                                is only owned by--
                                            ``(aa) the registered 
                                        representative;
                                            ``(bb) if the registered 
                                        representative is an 
                                        individual, immediate family 
                                        members of the registered 
                                        representative; or
                                            ``(cc) entities wholly 
                                        owned by--

                                                    ``(AA) the 
                                                registered 
                                                representative; or

                                                    ``(BB) if the 
                                                registered 
                                                representative is an 
                                                individual, immediate 
                                                family members of the 
                                                registered 
                                                representative;

                                    ``(VII) the personal services 
                                entity meets such other requirements as 
                                the Commission may prescribe, by rule; 
                                and
                                    ``(VIII) the personal services 
                                entity, with respect solely to the 
                                resolution of disputes with, and 
                                recovery by, customers--
                                            ``(aa) agrees in writing--

                                                    ``(AA) to submit to 
                                                the jurisdiction of a 
                                                dispute resolution 
                                                forum of the applicable 
                                                self-regulatory 
                                                organization solely for 
                                                the purposes of 
                                                enforcement of any 
                                                award rendered against 
                                                the registered 
                                                representative arising 
                                                from the securities 
                                                business of the 
                                                registered 
                                                representative; and

                                                    ``(BB) to be bound 
                                                by any such award to 
                                                the extent of assets 
                                                held by the personal 
                                                services entity; and

                                            ``(bb) remains subject to 
                                        all financial obligations, 
                                        liabilities, and remedies of 
                                        the registered representative 
                                        under applicable Federal 
                                        securities laws, the rules of 
                                        the applicable self-regulatory 
                                        organization, and the 
                                        securities laws of any State 
                                        with respect to such securities 
                                        business.
                            ``(ii) Oversight and examination.--In order 
                        to ensure that a personal services entity that 
                        is not considered a broker by reason of this 
                        subparagraph continues to meet the requirements 
                        for the exception under this subparagraph, the 
                        personal services entity shall maintain, and 
                        make available upon request to the Commission 
                        and the applicable self-regulatory 
                        organization, all books and records in the 
                        possession of the personal services entity 
                        that--
                                    ``(I) the broker from which the 
                                personal services entity receives 
                                compensation is required to maintain 
                                and make available to the Commission 
                                and the applicable self-regulatory 
                                organization; and
                                    ``(II) the Commission determines 
                                necessary and appropriate to 
                                demonstrate that the personal services 
                                entity continues to meet the 
                                requirements for the exception under 
                                this subparagraph.
                            ``(iii) Definitions.--In this subparagraph:
                                    ``(I) Applicable self-regulatory 
                                organization.--With respect to a 
                                personal services entity or a 
                                registered representative of a broker, 
                                the term `applicable self-regulatory 
                                organization' means each self-
                                regulatory organization with which the 
                                related broker is required to be 
                                registered.
                                    ``(II) Broker activity.--The term 
                                `broker activity' means an activity 
                                undertaken by a broker or a dealer who 
                                is registered, or required to be 
                                registered, under this Act.
                                    ``(III) Immediate family member.--
                                With respect to an individual, the term 
                                `immediate family member' means a 
                                spouse, child, parent, brother, sister, 
                                grandparent, grandchild, stepparent, 
                                stepchild, stepbrother, or stepsister 
                                of the individual.
                                    ``(IV) Personal services entity.--
                                The term `personal services entity' 
                                means an entity that is established by 
                                a registered representative to receive 
                                compensation for the services of the 
                                registered representative and for other 
                                activity that is not securities-
                                related.
                                    ``(V) Registered representative.--
                                With respect to a broker, the term 
                                `registered representative' means a 
                                person who is--
                                            ``(aa) an `associated 
                                        person of a broker or dealer' 
                                        with respect to the broker; and
                                            ``(bb) registered with the 
                                        applicable self-regulatory 
                                        organization.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--Section 3(a)(4)(G) of the Securities Exchange 
Act of 1934, as added by subsection (a), shall take effect on the date 
that is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
            Amend the title so as to read: ``A bill to amend the 
        Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to provide an exception from 
        the definition of a broker for a certain registered 
        representative-owned personal services entity, and for other 
        purposes.''.
                                                 Union Calendar No. 691

119th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 7187

                          [Report No. 119-791]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to provide an exemption 
       from the definition of a broker for a certain registered 
 representative-owned personal services entity, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                           September 1, 2026

Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House 
          on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed