[House Report 119-248]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


119th Congress }                                          { Report 
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
  1st Session   }                                         { 119-248


======================================================================
 
                    IMPROVING CAPITAL ALLOCATION FOR
                         NEWCOMERS ACT OF 2025

                                _______
                                

 September 8, 2025.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on 
            the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

    Mr. Hill of Arkansas, from the Committee on Financial Services, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 4431]

    The Committee on Financial Services, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 4431) to amend the Investment Company Act of 
1940 with respect to the definition of qualifying venture 
capital funds, and for other purposes, having considered the 
same, reports favorably thereon with an amendment and 
recommends that the bill as amended do pass.

                                CONTENTS

                                                                   Page
Purpose and Summary..............................................     2
Background and Need for Legislation..............................     3
Related Hearings.................................................     4
Committee Votes..................................................     4
Committee Oversight Findings.....................................     7
Performance Goals and Objectives.................................     7
Committee Cost Estimate..........................................     7
New Budget Authority and CBO Cost Estimate.......................     7
Unfunded Mandates Statement......................................     7
Earmark Statement................................................     7
Federal Advisory Committee Act Statement.........................     8
Applicability to the Legislative Branch..........................     8
Duplication of Federal Programs..................................     8
Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation...................     8
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............     8
Documents Included by Unanimous Consent..........................    16

    The amendment is as follows:
    Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

  This Act may be cited as the ``Improving Capital Allocation for 
Newcomers Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. QUALIFYING VENTURE CAPITAL FUNDS.

  Section 3(c)(1) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-
3(c)(1)) is amended--
          (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking 
        ``250 persons'' and inserting ``500 persons''; and
          (2) in subparagraph (C)(i), by striking ``$10,000,000'' and 
        inserting ``$50,000,000''.

SEC. 3. STUDY AND RULEMAKING.

  (a) In General.--Beginning 5 years after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation, in 
consultation with the Investor Advocate, shall conduct a study on the 
effect of the amendments made by section 2 on the businesses and 
startup entities in which qualifying venture capital funds invest, 
specifically including, with respect to such businesses and startup 
entities, changes or trends relating to--
          (1) the geographic distribution of capital to portfolio 
        companies;
          (2) the socio-economic characteristics of founders or 
        controlling persons;
          (3) the veteran status of founders or controlling persons;
          (4) the industry sector, size, stage of development, and 
        related details; and
          (5) other factors or metrics determined by the Advocate for 
        Small Business Capital Formation.
  (b) Report.--The Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation shall 
issue a report to the Congress containing all findings and 
determinations made in carrying out the study required in subsection 
(a), and make such report available to the public on the website of the 
Commission.
  (c) Public Comment.--During the 180-day period beginning on the date 
the report is issued under subsection (b), the Commission shall solicit 
feedback from the public on the findings and determinations contained 
in the report.
  (d) Rulemaking.--
          (1) In general.--The Commission, in consultation with the 
        Investor Advocate and the Advocate for Small Business Capital 
        Formation, may, after considering all comments received under 
        subsection (c) and only if the Commission determines in such 
        report that the amendments made by section 2 have had a 
        demonstrable effect on increasing the geographic distribution 
        of capital to portfolio companies, increasing the variety of 
        the socio-economic characteristics of founders or controlling 
        persons, or increasing the number of founders or controlling 
        persons who are veterans, issue rules to--
                  (A) increase or decrease the 500 person threshold 
                described in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) of 
                section 3(c)(1) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, 
                but such threshold may not exceed 750 persons or be 
                reduced below 250 persons; and
                  (B) increase or decrease the $50,000,000 dollar 
                figure in section 3(c)(1)(C)(i) of the Investment 
                Company Act of 1940, but such dollar figure may not 
                exceed $100,000,000 or be reduced below $10,000,000.
          (2) Deadline for rulemaking.--The rulemaking authority in 
        paragraph (1) only applies to a rule with respect to which the 
        proposed rule was issued during the 180-day period beginning at 
        the end of the public comment period described in subsection 
        (c).
          (3) No effect on inflation adjustments.--A rule issued under 
        this subsection shall have no effect on the requirement under 
        clause (i) of section 3(c)(1)(C) of the Investment Company Act 
        of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-3(c)(1)(C)) to index the first dollar 
        amount in such clause for inflation.

                          Purpose and Summary

    H.R. 4431, the Improving Capital Allocation for Newcomers 
Act of 2025, was introduced on July 16, 2025, by Republican 
Representative William Timmons (SC-04). H.R. 4431 modifies the 
Qualifying Venture Capital Fund Exemption under Section 3(c)(1) 
of the Investment Company Act of 1940 by increasing the cap on 
aggregate capital contributions and uncalled capital 
commitments from $10 million to $50 million, while increasing 
the allowable number of beneficial owners in a qualifying 
venture capital fund from 250 to 500. The bill also requires 
the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation, in 
consultation with the Investor Advocate, to conduct a study on 
the effect of these changes on the businesses and startup 
entities in which qualifying venture capital funds invest.

                  Background and Need for Legislation

    Venture capital (VC) plays a critical role in the American 
startup ecosystem by providing funding for companies as they 
reach a certain size or level of maturity. However, access to 
VC funding is not evenly distributed across the country. Most 
VC funding goes to companies in well-known technology and 
venture hubs in just three states: California, Massachusetts, 
and New York.\1\ In fact, on one fund management platform, 
California startups raised nearly half of U.S. venture funding 
in 2024.\2\ Likewise, more than 72 percent of all venture 
funding raised on the platform went to startups domiciled in 
just four states--California, New York, Massachusetts, and 
Texas.\3\ Meanwhile, just 12 states raised more than one 
percent of total venture funding in 2024.\4\ As evidenced by 
these figures, entrepreneurs in other parts of the country face 
greater difficulty raising the capital necessary for 
scaling.\5\ For example, outside of the established venture 
hubs, founders specifically struggle raising Series A capital, 
usually $3 million to $10 million. A lack of access to Series A 
capital prevents founders from more easily securing Series B 
funding from investors focused on growth.\6\ Compounding these 
challenges, in 2023 and 2024, startups' demand for VC funding, 
especially later-stage capital for series C and D rounds, 
outpaced supply from investors.\7\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\Start Us Up, America's New Business Plan (Dec. 3, 2021), https:/
/www.startusupnow.org/wpcontent/uploads/sites/12/2021/03/
AmericasNewBusinessPlan.pdf.
    \2\Kevin Dowd, California rises, Florida falls, and other ways the 
map of VC funding shifted in 2024, Carta (Mar. 3, 2025), https://
carta.com/data/VC-funding-geography-2024/.
    \3\Id.
    \4\Id.
    \5\See Letter from the SEC Small Business Capital Formation 
Advisory Committee to Chair Gensler (May 21, 2021), https://
www.sec.gov/spotlight/sbcfac/encouraging-small-regional-funds-
043021.pdf.
    \6\Id.
    \7\Coinage Act of April 2, 1792, https://www.usmint.gov/learn/
history/historical-documents/
coinage-act-of-april-2-
1792?srsltid=AfmBOoqhi6CErmZrPfkfTbYI_rz3yrZGOxOs29nAIAzLEhVS EG8yRe4V 
(last visited July 8, 2025).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The current qualified venture capital fund size limit of 
$10 million under Section 3(c)(1) of the Investment Company Act 
of 1940 is prohibitively low. This prevents a fund from 
covering its operational costs without levying an immense fee 
on its investors. H.R. 4431 makes it easier for funds to 
qualify for the Qualifying Venture Capital Fund Exemption, 
thereby enabling VC funds to be invested in more entrepreneurs 
in their own communities.

                        COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

                             119TH CONGRESS

    On July 16, 2025, Representative Timmons introduced H.R. 
4431, the Improving Capital Allocation for Newcomers Act of 
2025. Representative Brittany Pettersen (D-CO) was added 
subsequently as a cosponsor. The bill was referred solely to 
the Committee on Financial Services. The bill was attached to 
the February 26, 2025, hearing titled ``The Future of American 
Capital: Strengthening Public and Private Markets by Increasing 
Investor Access and Facilitating Capital Formation,'' and the 
March 25, 2025, hearing titled, ``Beyond Silicon Valley: 
Expanding Access to Capital Across America.''
    On July 22, 2025, the Committee on Financial Services met 
in open session to consider, among others, H.R. 4431. The 
Committee ordered H.R. 4431, as amended, to be favorably 
reported to the House of Representatives.

                             118TH CONGRESS

    On April 13, 2023, Representative Timmons introduced H.R. 
2790, the Improving Capital Allocation for Newcomers Act of 
2021. This bill is an earlier iteration of H.R. 4431. The bill 
was referred solely to the Committee on Financial Services. The 
bill was included in H.R. 2799, the Expanding Access to Capital 
Act of 2023, which passed the House on March 8, 2024, by a 
recorded vote of 212 yeas and 205 nays. On March 11, 2024, H.R. 
2799 was received in the Senate and referred to the Committee 
on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

                             117TH CONGRESS

    On June 29, 2021, Representative Timmons introduced H.R. 
4243, the Improving Capital Allocation for Newcomers Act of 
2021. This bill is an earlier iteration of H.R. 4431. The bill 
was referred solely to the Committee on Financial Services. 
There was no further action on the bill in the 117th Congress.

                            Related Hearings

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(6) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the following hearings were used to 
develop H.R. 4431:
    The Capital Markets Subcommittee of the Committee on 
Financial Services held a February 26, 2025, hearing titled 
``The Future of American Capital: Strengthening Public and 
Private Markets by Increasing Investor Access and Facilitating 
Capital Formation'' and the Full Committee held a March 25, 
2025, hearing titled, ``Beyond Silicon Valley: Expanding Access 
to Capital Across America.'' A discussion draft version of the 
bill was attached to both hearings. The following witnesses 
testified at the February 26, 2025, hearing: Mr. Andrew 
Barnell, CEO and Co-Founder, Geneoscopy; Mr. McKeever Conwell, 
Founder and Managing Partner, RareBreed Ventures; Ms. Rebecca 
Kacaba, CEO and Co-Founder, DealMaker; Ms. Anna Pinedo, 
Partner, Mayer Brown; and Ms. Alexandra Thornton, Senior 
Director, Financial Regulation, Center for American Progress. 
The following witnesses testified at the March 25, 2025, 
hearing: Mr. Steve Case, Chairman and CEO, Revolution LLC; Mr. 
Bill Newell, Senior Business Advisor & Former CEO, Sutro 
Biopharma; Ms. Candice Matthews Brackeen, General Partner, 
Lightship Capital; Mr. Joel Trotter, Partner, Latham & Watkins 
LLP; and Ms. Amanda Senn, Director of the Alabama Securities 
Commission.

                            Committee Votes

    Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives requires the Committee Report to include record 
votes on the motion to report legislation and amendments 
thereto.
    On July 22, 2025, the Committee ordered H.R. 4431, as 
amended, to be reported favorably to the House by a recorded 
vote of 50 yeas and 2 nays. (Record Vote No. FC-172).
    Before the question to report was called, the Committee 
adopted an amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by 
Representative Timmons, designated as TIMMSC_026, which reduces 
the expansion in the bill's qualifying venture capital fund 
thresholds from the introduced levels, raising the investor 
limit from 250 to 500 persons and the aggregate capital 
contributions limit from $10 million to $50 million. It also 
adds a new section requiring the Advocate for Small Business 
Capital Formation, in consultation with the Investor Advocate, 
to conduct a study beginning five years after enactment on the 
effect of these amendments on the businesses and startup 
entities in which qualifying venture capital funds invest. 
Following a report to Congress and a 180-day public comment 
period, the SEC may issue rules, only if the study finds a 
demonstrable positive effect, adjusting the thresholds within 
specified ranges. This amendment was adopted by voice vote.


                      Committee Oversight Findings

    Pursuant to clause 3(c) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the findings and recommendations of 
the Committee, based on oversight activities under clause 
2(b)(1) of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives 
are incorporated in the descriptive portions of this report.

                    Performance Goals and Objectives

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the goal of H.R. 4431 is to expand 
the participation thresholds for qualifying venture capital 
funds in order to increase the availability and distribution of 
investment capital to a broader range of businesses and startup 
entities.

                        Committee Cost Estimate

    Clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives requires an estimate and a comparison of the 
costs that would be incurred in carrying out H.R. 4431. The 
Committee has requested but not received a cost estimate from 
the Director of the Congressional Budget Office. However, 
pursuant to clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the Committee will adopt as its own 
the cost estimate by the Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office once it has been prepared.

               New Budget Authority and CBO Cost Estimate

    With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) of rule 
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 
308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and with respect 
to requirements of clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives and section 402 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee will adopt as 
its own the cost estimate for the bill prepared by the Director 
of the Congressional Budget Office. However, a cost estimate 
was not made available to the Committee in time for the filing 
of this report. The Chairman of the Committee shall cause such 
estimate to be printed in the Congressional Record upon its 
receipt by the Committee.

                      Unfunded Mandates Statement

    The Committee has requested but not received from the 
Director of the Congressional Budget Office an estimate of the 
Federal mandates pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded 
Mandates Reform Act. The Chairman of the Committee shall cause 
such estimate to be printed in the Congressional Record upon 
its receipt by the Committee.

                           Earmark Statement

    In compliance with clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, this bill, as reported, contains no 
congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff 
benefits as defined in clause 9(e), 9(f), or 9(g) of rule XXI.

                Federal Advisory Committee Act Statement

    No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b) 
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act were created by this 
legislation.

                Applicability to the Legislative Branch

    The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to 
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public 
services or accommodations within the meaning of section 
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.

                    Duplication of Federal Programs

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(5) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the Committee states that no 
provision of the bill establishes or reauthorizes a program of 
the Federal Government known to be duplicative of another 
Federal program, including any program that was included in a 
report to Congress pursuant to section 21 of the Public Law 
111-139 or the most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic 
Assistance.

             Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation


Section 1. Short title

    Section 1 provides the short title is the ``Improving 
Capital Allocation for Newcomers Act of 2025.''

Section 2. Qualifying venture capital funds

    Section 2 amends the qualifying venture capital fund 
definition to include any issuer whose outstanding securities 
are beneficially owned by not more than 500 persons and not 
more than $50,000,000 in aggregate capital contributions and 
uncalled committed capital.

Section 3. Study and rulemaking

    Section 3 requires the Advocate for Small Business Capital 
Formation, in consultation with the Investor Advocate, to 
conduct a study on the effect of the amendments made by section 
2 on the businesses and startup entities in which qualifying 
venture capital funds invest followed by a report to Congress 
and a rulemaking by the SEC only if the Commission determines 
that the amendments have had a demonstrable effect on 
increasing the distribution of capital to portfolio companies.

         Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported

      In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules 
of the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made 
by the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law 
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new 
matter is printed in italics, and existing law in which no 
change is proposed is shown in roman):

                     INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940


TITLE I--INVESTMENT COMPANIES

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *



                    definition of investment company

  Sec. 3. (a)(1) When used in this title, ``investment 
company'' means any issuer which--
          (A) is or holds itself out as being engaged 
        primarily, or proposes to engage primarily, in the 
        business of investing, reinvesting, or trading in 
        securities;
          (B) is engaged or proposes to engage in the business 
        of issuing face-amount certificates of the installment 
        type, or has been engaged in such business and has any 
        such certificate outstanding; or
          (C) is engaged or proposes to engage in the business 
        of investing, reinvesting, owning, holding, or trading 
        in securities, and owns or proposes to acquire 
        investment securities having a value exceeding 40 per 
        centum of the value of such issuer's total assets 
        (exclusive of Government securities and cash items) on 
        an unconsolidated basis.
  (2) As used in this section, ``investment securities'' 
includes all securities except (A) Government securities, (B) 
securities issued by employees' securities companies, and (C) 
securities issued by majority-owned subsidiaries of the owner 
which (i) are not investment companies, and (ii) are not 
relying on the exception from the definition of investment 
company in paragraph (1) or (7) of subsection (c).
  (b) Notwithstanding paragraph (1)(C) of subsection (a), none 
of the following persons is an investment company within the 
meaning of this title:
          (1) Any issuer primarily engaged, directly or through 
        a wholly-owned subsidiary or subsidiaries, in a 
        business or businesses other than that of investing, 
        reinvesting, owning, holding, or trading in securities.
          (2) Any issuer which the Commission, upon application 
        by such issuer, finds and by order declares to be 
        primarily engaged in a business or businesses other 
        than that of investing, reinvesting, owning, holding, 
        or trading in securities either directly or (A) through 
        majority-owned subsidiaries or (B) through controlled 
        companies conducting similar types of businesses. The 
        filing of an application under this paragraph in good 
        faith by an issuer other than a registered investment 
        company shall exempt the applicant for a period of 
        sixty days from all provisions of this title applicable 
        to investment companies as such. For cause shown, the 
        Commission by order may extend such period of exemption 
        for an additional period or periods. Whenever the 
        Commission, upon its own motion or upon application, 
        finds that the circumstances which gave rise to the 
        issuance of an order granting an application under this 
        paragraph no longer exist, the Commission shall by 
        order revoke such order.
          (3) Any issuer all the outstanding securities of 
        which (other than short-term paper and directors' 
        qualifying shares) are directly or indirectly owned by 
        a company excepted from the definition of investment 
        company by paragraph (1) or (2) of this subsection.
  (c) Notwithstanding subsection (a), none of the following 
persons is an investment company within the meaning of this 
title:
          (1) Any issuer whose outstanding securities (other 
        than short-term paper) are beneficially owned by not 
        more than one hundred persons (or, in the case of a 
        qualifying venture capital fund, [250 persons] 500 
        persons) and which is not making and does not presently 
        propose to make a public offering of its securities. 
        Such issuer shall be deemed to be an investment company 
        for purposes of the limitations set forth in 
        subparagraphs (A)(i) and (B)(i) of section 12(d)(1) 
        governing the purchase or other acquisition by such 
        issuer of any security issued by any registered 
        investment company and the sale of any security issued 
        by any registered open-end investment company to any 
        such issuer. For purposes of this paragraph:
                  (A) Beneficial ownership by a company shall 
                be deemed to be beneficial ownership by one 
                person, except that, if the company owns 10 per 
                centum or more of the outstanding voting 
                securities of the issuer, and is or, but for 
                the exception provided for in this paragraph or 
                paragraph (7), would be an investment company, 
                the beneficial ownership shall be deemed to be 
                that of the holders of such company's 
                outstanding securities (other than short-term 
                paper).
                  (B) Beneficial ownership by any person who 
                acquires securities or interests in securities 
                of an issuer described in the first sentence of 
                this paragraph shall be deemed to be beneficial 
                ownership by the person from whom such transfer 
                was made, pursuant to such rules and 
                regulations as the Commission shall prescribe 
                as necessary or appropriate in the public 
                interest and consistent with the protection of 
                investors and the purposes fairly intended by 
                the policy and provisions of this title, where 
                the transfer was caused by legal separation, 
                divorce, death, or other involuntary event.
                  (C)(i) The term ``qualifying venture capital 
                fund'' means a venture capital fund that has 
                not more than [$10,000,000] $50,000,000 in 
                aggregate capital contributions and uncalled 
                committed capital, with such dollar amount to 
                be indexed for inflation once every 5 years by 
                the Commission, beginning from a measurement 
                made by the Commission on a date selected by 
                the Commission, rounded to the nearest 
                $1,000,000.
                  (ii) The term ``venture capital fund'' has 
                the meaning given the term in section 
                275.203(l)-1 of title 17, Code of Federal 
                Regulations, or any successor regulation.
          (2)(A) Any person primarily engaged in the business 
        of underwriting and distributing securities issued by 
        other persons, selling securities to customers, acting 
        as broker, and acting as market intermediary, or any 
        one or more of such activities, whose gross income 
        normally is derived principally from such business and 
        related activities.
          (B) For purposes of this paragraph--
                  (i) the term ``market intermediary'' means 
                any person that regularly holds itself out as 
                being willing contemporaneously to engage in, 
                and that is regularly engaged in, the business 
                of entering into transactions on both sides of 
                the market for a financial contract or one or 
                more such financial contracts; and
                  (ii) the term ``financial contract'' means 
                any arrangement that--
                          (I) takes the form of an individually 
                        negotiated contract, agreement, or 
                        option to buy, sell, lend, swap, or 
                        repurchase, or other similar 
                        individually negotiated transaction 
                        commonly entered into by participants 
                        in the financial markets;
                          (II) is in respect of securities, 
                        commodities, currencies, interest or 
                        other rates, other measures of value, 
                        or any other financial or economic 
                        interest similar in purpose or function 
                        to any of the foregoing; and
                          (III) is entered into in response to 
                        a request from a counter party for a 
                        quotation, or is otherwise entered into 
                        and structured to accommodate the 
                        objectives of the counter party to such 
                        arrangement.
          (3) Any bank or insurance company; any savings and 
        loan association, building and loan association, 
        cooperative bank, homestead association, or similar 
        institution, or any receiver, conservator, liquidator, 
        liquidating agent, or similar official or person 
        thereof or therefor; or any common trust fund or 
        similar fund maintained by a bank exclusively for the 
        collective investment and reinvestment of moneys 
        contributed thereto by the bank in its capacity as a 
        trustee, executor, administrator, or guardian, if--
                  (A) such fund is employed by the bank solely 
                as an aid to the administration of trusts, 
                estates, or other accounts created and 
                maintained for a fiduciary purpose;
                  (B) except in connection with the ordinary 
                advertising of the bank's fiduciary services, 
                interests in such fund are not--
                          (i) advertised; or
                          (ii) offered for sale to the general 
                        public; and
                  (C) fees and expenses charged by such fund 
                are not in contravention of fiduciary 
                principles established under applicable Federal 
                or State law.
          (4) Any person substantially all of whose business is 
        confined to making small loans, industrial banking, or 
        similar businesses.
          (5) Any person who is not engaged in the business of 
        issuing redeemable securities, face-amount certificates 
        of the installment type or periodic payment plan 
        certificates, and who is primarily engaged in one or 
        more of the following businesses: (A) Purchasing or 
        otherwise acquiring notes, drafts, acceptances, open 
        accounts receivable, and other obligations representing 
        part or all of the sales price of merchandise, 
        insurance, and services; (B) making loans to 
        manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers of, and to 
        prospective purchasers of, specified merchandise, 
        insurance, and services; and (C) purchasing or 
        otherwise acquiring mortgages and other liens on and 
        interests in real estate.
          (6) Any company primarily engaged, directly or 
        through majority-owned subsidiaries, in one or more of 
        the businesses described in paragraphs (3), (4), and 
        (5), or in one or more of such businesses (from which 
        not less than 25 centum of such company's gross income 
        during its last fiscal year was derived) together with 
        an additional business or businesses other than 
        investing, reinvesting, owning, holding, or trading in 
        securities.
          (7)(A) Any issuer, the outstanding securities of 
        which are owned exclusively by persons who, at the time 
        of acquisition of such securities, are qualified 
        purchasers, and which is not making and does not at 
        that time propose to make a public offering of such 
        securities. Securities that are owned by persons who 
        received the securities from a qualified purchaser as a 
        gift or bequest, or in a case in which the transfer was 
        caused by legal separation, divorce, death, or other 
        involuntary event, shall be deemed to be owned by a 
        qualified purchaser, subject to such rules, 
        regulations, and orders as the Commission may prescribe 
        as necessary or appropriate in the public interest or 
        for the protection of investors.
          (B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), an issuer is 
        within the exception provided by this paragraph if--
                  (i) in addition to qualified purchasers, 
                outstanding securities of that issuer are 
                beneficially owned by not more than 100 persons 
                who are not qualified purchasers, if--
                          (I) such persons acquired any portion 
                        of the securities of such issuer on or 
                        before September 1, 1996; and
                          (II) at the time at which such 
                        persons initially acquired the 
                        securities of such issuer, the issuer 
                        was excepted by paragraph (1); and
                  (ii) prior to availing itself of the 
                exception provided by this paragraph--
                          (I) such issuer has disclosed to each 
                        beneficial owner, as determined under 
                        paragraph (1), that future investors 
                        will be limited to qualified 
                        purchasers, and that ownership in such 
                        issuer is no longer limited to not more 
                        than 100 persons; and
                          (II) concurrently with or after such 
                        disclosure, such issuer has provided 
                        each beneficial owner, as determined 
                        under paragraph (1), with a reasonable 
                        opportunity to redeem any part or all 
                        of their interests in the issuer, 
                        notwithstanding any agreement to the 
                        contrary between the issuer and such 
                        persons, for that person's 
                        proportionate share of the issuer's net 
                        assets.
          (C) Each person that elects to redeem under 
        subparagraph (B)(ii)(II) shall receive an amount in 
        cash equal to that person's proportionate share of the 
        issuer's net assets, unless the issuer elects to 
        provide such person with the option of receiving, and 
        such person agrees to receive, all or a portion of such 
        person's share in assets of the issuer. If the issuer 
        elects to provide such persons with such an 
        opportunity, disclosure concerning such opportunity 
        shall be made in the disclosure required by 
        subparagraph (B)(ii)(I).
          (D) An issuer that is excepted under this paragraph 
        shall nonetheless be deemed to be an investment company 
        for purposes of the limitations set forth in 
        subparagraphs (A)(i) and (B)(i) of section 12(d)(1) 
        relating to the purchase or other acquisition by such 
        issuer of any security issued by any registered 
        investment company and the sale of any security issued 
        by any registered open-end investment company to any 
        such issuer.
          (E) For purposes of determining compliance with this 
        paragraph and paragraph (1), an issuer that is 
        otherwise excepted under this paragraph and an issuer 
        that is otherwise excepted under paragraph (1) shall 
        not be treated by the Commission as being a single 
        issuer for purposes of determining whether the 
        outstanding securities of the issuer excepted under 
        paragraph (1) are beneficially owned by not more than 
        100 persons or whether the outstanding securities of 
        the issuer excepted under this paragraph are owned by 
        persons that are not qualified purchasers. Nothing in 
        this subparagraph shall be construed to establish that 
        a person is a bona fide qualified purchaser for 
        purposes of this paragraph or a bona fide beneficial 
        owner for purposes of paragraph (1).
          (8)
          (9) Any person substantially all of whose business 
        consists of owning or holding oil, gas, or other 
        mineral royalties or leases, or fractional interests 
        therein, or certificates of interest or participation 
        in or investment contracts relative to such royalties, 
        leases, or fractional interests.
          (10)(A) Any company organized and operated 
        exclusively for religious, educational, benevolent, 
        fraternal, charitable, or reformatory purposes--
                  (i) no part of the net earnings of which 
                inures to the benefit of any private 
                shareholder or individual; or
                  (ii) which is or maintains a fund described 
                in subparagraph (B).
          (B) For the purposes of subparagraph (A)(ii), a fund 
        is described in this subparagraph if such fund is a 
        pooled income fund, collective trust fund, collective 
        investment fund, or similar fund maintained by a 
        charitable organization exclusively for the collective 
        investment and reinvestment of one or more of the 
        following:
                  (i) assets of the general endowment fund or 
                other funds of one or more charitable 
                organizations;
                  (ii) assets of a pooled income fund;
                  (iii) assets contributed to a charitable 
                organization in exchange for the issuance of 
                charitable gift annuities;
                  (iv) assets of a charitable remainder trust 
                or of any other trust, the remainder interests 
                of which are irrevocably dedicated to any 
                charitable organization;
                  (v) assets of a charitable lead trust;
                  (vi) assets of a trust, the remainder 
                interests of which are revocably dedicated to 
                or for the benefit of 1 or more charitable 
                organizations, if the ability to revoke the 
                dedication is limited to circumstances 
                involving--
                          (I) an adverse change in the 
                        financial circumstances of a settlor or 
                        an income beneficiary of the trust;
                          (II) a change in the identity of the 
                        charitable organization or 
                        organizations having the remainder 
                        interest, provided that the new 
                        beneficiary is also a charitable 
                        organization; or
                          (III) both the changes described in 
                        subclauses (I) and (II);
                  (vii) assets of a trust not described in 
                clauses (i) through (v), the remainder 
                interests of which are revocably dedicated to a 
                charitable organization, subject to 
                subparagraph (C); or
                  (viii) such assets as the Commission may 
                prescribe by rule, regulation, or order in 
                accordance with section 6(c).
          (C) A fund that contains assets described in clause 
        (vii) of subparagraph (B) shall be excluded from the 
        definition of an investment company for a period of 3 
        years after the date of enactment of this subparagraph, 
        but only if--
                  (i) such assets were contributed before the 
                date which is 60 days after the date of 
                enactment of this subparagraph; and
                  (ii) such assets are commingled in the fund 
                with assets described in one or more of clauses 
                (i) through (vi) and (viii) of subparagraph 
                (B).
          (D) For purposes of this paragraph--
                  (i) a trust or fund is ``maintained'' by a 
                charitable organization if the organization 
                serves as a trustee or administrator of the 
                trust or fund or has the power to remove the 
                trustees or administrators of the trust or fund 
                and to designate new trustees or 
                administrators;
                  (ii) the term ``pooled income fund'' has the 
                same meaning as in section 642(c)(5) of the 
                Internal Revenue Code of 1986;
                  (iii) the term ``charitable organization'' 
                means an organization described in paragraphs 
                (1) through (5) of section 170(c) or section 
                501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986;
                  (iv) the term ``charitable lead trust'' means 
                a trust described in section 170(f)(2)(B), 
                2055(e)(2)(B), or 2522(c)(2)(B) of the Internal 
                Revenue Code of 1986;
                  (v) the term ``charitable remainder trust'' 
                means a charitable remainder annuity trust or a 
                charitable remainder unitrust, as those terms 
                are defined in section 664(d) of the Internal 
                Revenue Code of 1986; and
                  (vi) the term ``charitable gift annuity'' 
                means an annuity issued by a charitable 
                organization that is described in section 
                501(m)(5) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
          (11) Any employee's stock bonus, pension, or profit-
        sharing trust which meets the requirements for 
        qualification under section 401 of the Internal Revenue 
        Code of 1986; or any governmental plan described in 
        section 3(a)(2)(C) of the Securities Act of 1933; or 
        any collective trust fund maintained by a bank 
        consisting solely of assets of one or more of such 
        trusts, government plans, or church plans, companies or 
        accounts that are excluded from the definition of an 
        investment company under paragraph (14) of this 
        subsection; or any separate account the assets of which 
        are derived solely from (A) contributions under pension 
        or profit-sharing plans which meet the requirements of 
        section 401 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or the 
        requirements for deduction of the employer's 
        contribution under section 404(a)(2) of such Code, (B) 
        contributions under governmental plans in connection 
        with which interests, participations, or securities are 
        exempted from the registration provisions of section 5 
        of the Securities Act of 1933 by section 3(a)(2)(C) of 
        such Act, and (C) advances made by an insurance company 
        in connection with the operation of such separate 
        account.
          (12) Any voting trust the assets of which consist 
        exclusively of securities of a single issuer which is 
        not an investment company.
          (13) Any security holders' protective committee or 
        similar issuer having outstanding and issuing no 
        securities other than certificates of deposit and 
        short-term paper.
          (14) Any church plan described in section 414(e) of 
        the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, if, under any such 
        plan, no part of the assets may be used for, or 
        diverted to, purposes other than the exclusive benefit 
        of plan participants or beneficiaries, or any company 
        or account that is--
                  (A) established by a person that is eligible 
                to establish and maintain such a plan under 
                section 414(e) of the Internal Revenue Code of 
                1986; and
                  (B) substantially all of the activities of 
                which consist of--
                          (i) managing or holding assets 
                        contributed to such church plans or 
                        other assets which are permitted to be 
                        commingled with the assets of church 
                        plans under the Internal Revenue Code 
                        of 1986; or
                          (ii) administering or providing 
                        benefits pursuant to church plans.

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