§ 79c. Exemptions regarding holding companies

• (a) Exemption of holding companies

  The Commission, by rules and regulations upon its own motion, or by order upon application, shall exempt any holding company, and every subsidiary company thereof as such, from any provision or provisions of this chapter, unless and except insofar as it finds the exemption detrimental to the public interest or the interest of investors or consumers, if -

  • (1) such holding company, and every subsidiary company thereof which is a public-utility company from which such holding company derives, directly or indirectly, any material part of its income, are predominantly intrastate in character and carry on their business substantially in a single State in which such holding company and every such subsidiary company thereof are organized;
  • (2) such holding company is predominantly a public-utility company whose operations as such do not extend beyond the State in which it is organized and States contiguous thereto;
  • (3) such holding company is only incidentally a holding company, being primarily engaged or interested in one or more businesses other than the business of a public-utility company and (A) not deriving, directly or indirectly, any material part of its income from any one or more subsidiary companies, the principal business of which is that of a public-utility company, or (B) deriving a material part of its income from any one or more such subsidiary companies, if substantially all the outstanding securities of such companies are owned, directly or indirectly, by such holding company;
  • (4) such holding company is temporarily a holding company solely by reason of the acquisition of securities for purposes of liquidation or distribution in connection with a bona fide debt previously contracted or in connection with a bona fide arrangement for the underwriting or distribution of securities; or
  • (5) such holding company is not, and derives no material part of its income, directly or indirectly, from any one or more subsidiary companies which are, a company or companies the principal business of which within the United States is that of a public-utility company.
• (b) Exemption of subsidiary companies of holding company

  The Commission, by rules and regulations upon its own motion, or by order upon application, shall exempt any subsidiary company, as such, of a holding company from any provision or provisions of this chapter, the application of which to such subsidiary company the Commission finds is not necessary in the public interest or for the protection of investors, if such subsidiary company derives no material part of its income, directly or indirectly, from sources within the United States, and neither it nor any of its subsidiary companies is a public-utility company operating in the United States.

• (c) Filing for exemption

  Within a reasonable time after the receipt of an application for exemption under subsection (a) or (b) of this section, the Commission shall enter an order granting, or, after notice and opportunity for hearing, denying or otherwise disposing of such application. The filing of an application in good faith under subsection (a) of this section by a person other than a registered holding company shall exempt the applicant from any obligation, duty, or liability imposed in this chapter upon the applicant as a holding company until the Commission has acted upon such application. The filing of an application in good faith under subsection (b) of this section shall exempt the applicant from any obligation, duty, or liability imposed in this chapter upon the applicant as a subsidiary company until the Commission has acted upon such application. Whenever the Commission, on its own motion, or upon application by the holding company or any subsidiary company thereof exempted by any order issued under subsection (a) of this section, or by the subsidiary company exempted by any order issued under subsection (b) of this section, finds that the circumstances which gave rise to the issuance of such order no longer exist, the Commission shall by order revoke such order.

• (d) Exemption of specified class or classes of persons

  The Commission may, by rules and regulations, conditionally or unconditionally exempt any specified class or classes of persons from the obligations, duties, or liabilities imposed upon such persons as subsidiary companies or affiliates under any provision or provisions of this chapter, and may provide within the extent of any such exemption that such specified class or classes of persons shall not be deemed subsidiary companies or affiliates within the meaning of any such provision or provisions, if and to the extent that it deems the exemption necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors or consumers and not contrary to the purposes of this chapter.