Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 551 - Wisconsin uniform securities law.
551.201 - Exempt securities.

551.201 Exempt securities. The following securities are exempt from the requirements of ss. 551.301 to 551.306 and 551.504:
(1)
(a) A security, including a revenue obligation or a separate security as defined in Rule 131 (17 CFR 230.131) adopted under the Securities Act of 1933, issued, insured, or guaranteed by the United States; by a state; by a political subdivision of a state; by a public authority, agency, or instrumentality of one or more states; by a political subdivision of one or more states; or by a person controlled or supervised by and acting as an instrumentality of the United States under authority granted by the Congress; or a certificate of deposit for any of the foregoing but any revenue obligation payable from payments to be made in respect of property or money used under a lease, sale, or loan arrangement by or for a nongovernmental industrial or commercial enterprise is exempt only as provided under par. (b).
(b) Unless subject to a letter of credit of a bank, savings bank, or savings and loan association as provided in this paragraph, a revenue obligation of an issuer specified under par. (a) that is payable from payments to be made in respect of property or money used under a lease, sale, or loan arrangement by or for a nongovernmental industrial or commercial enterprise is exempt subject to rules adopted by the division of securities. A revenue obligation is exempt from any filing under the rules of the division if it is the subject of a guarantee or an irrevocable letter of credit from a depository institution in favor of holders of the revenue obligations providing for payment of all principal of the revenue obligations and all accrued and unpaid interest to the date of an event of default on the revenue obligations, and the letter of credit is accompanied by an opinion of counsel stating all of the following:
1. Either that payment of debt service will not constitute a preference under federal bankruptcy law if a petition in bankruptcy with respect to the enterprise is filed or that the guarantee or letter of credit will provide for reimbursement to holders of the revenue obligations if they are required by order of a federal bankruptcy court to disgorge as a preference any payment of a debt service.
2. That the enforceability of the guarantee or letter of credit would not be materially affected by the filing of a petition under federal bankruptcy law with respect to the enterprise or any person obligated to reimburse the depository institution for payments made under the guarantee or letter of credit.
(2) A security issued, insured, or guaranteed by a foreign government with which the United States maintains diplomatic relations, or any of its political subdivisions, if the security is recognized as a valid obligation by the issuer, insurer, or guarantor.
(3) A security issued by and representing or that will represent an interest in or a direct obligation of, or be guaranteed by, any of the following:
(a) An international banking institution.
(b) A banking institution organized under the laws of the United States; a member bank of the Federal Reserve System; or a depository institution a substantial portion of the business of which consists or will consist of receiving deposits or share accounts that are insured to the maximum amount authorized by statute by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund, or a successor authorized by federal law or exercising fiduciary powers that are similar to those permitted for national banks under the authority of the Comptroller of Currency pursuant to Section 1 of Public Law 87-722 (12 USC 92a).
(c) Any other depository institution, unless by rule or order the administrator proceeds under s. 551.204.
(4) A security issued by and representing an interest in, or a debt of, or insured or guaranteed by, an insurance company authorized to do business in this state.
(5) A security issued or guaranteed by a railroad, other common carrier, public utility, or public utility holding company that is any of the following:
(a) Regulated in respect to its rates and charges by the United States or a state.
(b) Regulated in respect to the issuance or guarantee of the security by the United States, a state, Canada, or a Canadian province or territory.
(c) A public utility holding company registered under the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or a subsidiary of such a registered holding company within the meaning of that act.
(6) A federal covered security specified in section 18 (b) (1) of the Securities Act of 1933 (15 USC 77r (b) (1)) or by rule adopted under that provision or a security listed or approved for listing on another securities market specified by rule under this chapter; a put or a call option contract; a warrant; a subscription right on or with respect to such securities; or an option or similar derivative security on a security or an index of securities or foreign currencies issued by a clearing agency registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and listed or designated for trading on a national securities exchange, a facility of a national securities exchange, or a facility of a national securities association registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or an offer or sale, of the underlying security in connection with the offer, sale, or exercise of an option or other security that was exempt when the option or other security was written or issued; or an option or a derivative security designated by the Securities and Exchange Commission under section 9 (b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 USC 78i (b)).
(7) A security issued by a person organized and operated exclusively for religious, educational, benevolent, fraternal, charitable, social, athletic, or reformatory purposes, or as a chamber of commerce, and not for pecuniary profit, no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of a private stockholder or other person, or a security of a company that is excluded from the definition of an investment company under section 3 (c) (10) (B) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 USC 80a-3 (c) (10) (B)); except that with respect to the offer or sale of a note, bond, debenture, or other evidence of indebtedness issued by such a person, a rule may be adopted under this chapter limiting the availability of this exemption by classifying securities, persons, and transactions, imposing different requirements for different classes, specifying with respect to par. (b) the scope of the exemption and the grounds for denial or suspension, and requiring an issuer to do any of the following:
(a) To file a notice specifying the material terms of the proposed offer or sale and copies of any proposed sales and advertising literature to be used and provide that the exemption becomes effective if the administrator does not disallow the exemption within the period established by the rule.
(b) To file a request for exemption authorization for which a rule under this chapter may specify the scope of the exemption, the requirement of an offering statement, the filing of sales and advertising literature, the filing of consent to service of process complying with s. 551.611, and grounds for denial or suspension of the exemption.
(c) To register under s. 551.304.
(8) Any securities of a cooperative corporation organized under ch. 185 or an unincorporated cooperative association organized under ch. 193.
(9) An equipment trust certificate with respect to equipment leased or conditionally sold to a person, if any security issued by the person would be exempt under this section or would be a federal covered security under section 18 (b) (1) of the Securities Act of 1933 (15 USC 77r (b) (1)).
History: 2007 a. 196; 2011 a. 178.

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