Minnesota Session Laws - 2000, Regular Session

                            CHAPTER 379-S.F.No. 2987 
                  An act relating to cooperatives; amending provisions 
                  on the financing and distribution of income for 
                  cooperatives; amending Minnesota Statutes 1998, 
                  section 308A.705, subdivision 3; Minnesota Statutes 
                  1999 Supplement, section 80A.15, subdivision 2; 
                  repealing Minnesota Statutes 1998, sections 308A.031; 
                  and 308A.161. 
        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
           Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1999 Supplement, section 
        80A.15, subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
           Subd. 2.  The following transactions are exempted from 
        sections 80A.08 and 80A.16: 
           (a) Any sales, whether or not effected through a 
        broker-dealer, provided that: 
           (1) no person shall make more than ten sales of securities 
        of the same issuer pursuant to this exemption, exclusive of 
        sales according to clause (2), during any period of 12 
        consecutive months; provided further, that in the case of sales 
        by an issuer, except sales of securities registered under the 
        Securities Act of 1933 or exempted by section 3(b) of that act, 
        (i) the seller reasonably believes that all buyers are 
        purchasing for investment, and (ii) the securities are not 
        advertised for sale to the general public in newspapers or other 
        publications of general circulation or otherwise, or by radio, 
        television, electronic means or similar communications media, or 
        through a program of general solicitation by means of mail or 
        telephone; and 
           (2) no issuer shall make more than 25 sales of its 
        securities according to this exemption, exclusive of sales 
        pursuant to clause (1), during any period of 12 consecutive 
        months; provided further, that the issuer meets the conditions 
        in clause (1) and, in addition meets the following additional 
        conditions:  (i) files with the commissioner, ten days before a 
        sale according to this clause, a statement of issuer on a form 
        prescribed by the commissioner; and (ii) no commission or other 
        remuneration is paid or given directly or indirectly for 
        soliciting any prospective buyers in this state in connection 
        with a sale according to this clause except reasonable and 
        customary commissions paid by the issuer to a broker-dealer 
        licensed under this chapter. 
           (b) Any nonissuer distribution of an outstanding security 
        if (1) either Moody's, Fitch's, or Standard & Poor's Securities 
        Manuals, or other recognized manuals approved by the 
        commissioner contains the names of the issuer's officers and 
        directors, a balance sheet of the issuer as of a date not more 
        than 18 months prior to the date of the sale, and a profit and 
        loss statement for the fiscal year preceding the date of the 
        balance sheet, and (2) the issuer or its predecessor has been in 
        active, continuous business operation for the five-year period 
        next preceding the date of sale, and (3) if the security has a 
        fixed maturity or fixed interest or dividend provision, the 
        issuer has not, within the three preceding fiscal years, 
        defaulted in payment of principal, interest, or dividends on the 
        securities. 
           (c) The execution of any orders by a licensed broker-dealer 
        for the purchase or sale of any security, pursuant to an 
        unsolicited offer to purchase or sell; provided that the 
        broker-dealer acts as agent for the purchaser or seller, and has 
        no direct material interest in the sale or distribution of the 
        security, receives no commission, profit, or other compensation 
        from any source other than the purchaser and seller and delivers 
        to the purchaser and seller written confirmation of the 
        transaction which clearly itemizes the commission, or other 
        compensation. 
           (d) Any nonissuer sale of notes or bonds secured by a 
        mortgage lien if the entire mortgage, together with all notes or 
        bonds secured thereby, is sold to a single purchaser at a single 
        sale. 
           (e) Any judicial sale, exchange, or issuance of securities 
        made pursuant to an order of a court of competent jurisdiction. 
           (f) The sale, by a pledge holder, of a security pledged in 
        good faith as collateral for a bona fide debt. 
           (g) Any offer or sale to a bank, savings institution, trust 
        company, insurance company, investment company as defined in the 
        Investment Company Act of 1940, or other financial institution 
        or institutional buyer, or to a broker-dealer, whether the 
        purchaser is acting for itself or in some fiduciary capacity. 
           (h) An offer or sale of securities by an issuer made in 
        reliance on the exemptions provided by Rule 505 or 506 of 
        Regulation D promulgated by the Securities and Exchange 
        Commission, Code of Federal Regulations, title 17, sections 
        230.501 to 230.508, subject to the conditions and definitions 
        provided by Rules 501 to 503 of Regulation D, if the offer and 
        sale also satisfies the conditions and limitations in clauses 
        (1) to (10). 
           (1) The exemption under this paragraph is not available for 
        the securities of an issuer if any of the persons described in 
        Rule 252(c) to (f) of Regulation A promulgated by the Securities 
        and Exchange Commission, Code of Federal Regulations, title 17, 
        sections 230.251 to 230.263:  
           (i) has filed a registration statement that is the subject 
        of a currently effective order entered against the issuer, its 
        officers, directors, general partners, controlling persons, or 
        affiliates, according to any state's law within five years 
        before the filing of the notice required under clause (5), 
        denying effectiveness to, or suspending or revoking the 
        effectiveness of, the registration statement; 
           (ii) has been convicted, within five years before the 
        filing of the notice required under clause (5), of a felony or 
        misdemeanor in connection with the offer, sale, or purchase of a 
        security or franchise, or a felony involving fraud or deceit, 
        including but not limited to forgery, embezzlement, obtaining 
        money under false pretenses, larceny, or conspiracy to defraud; 
           (iii) is subject to an effective administrative order or 
        judgment entered by a state securities administrator within five 
        years before the filing of the notice required under clause (5), 
        that prohibits, denies, or revokes the use of an exemption from 
        securities registration, that prohibits the transaction of 
        business by the person as a broker-dealer or agent, or that is 
        based on fraud, deceit, an untrue statement of a material fact, 
        or an omission to state a material fact; or 
           (iv) is subject to an order, judgment, or decree of a court 
        entered within five years before the filing of the notice 
        required under clause (5), temporarily, preliminarily, or 
        permanently restraining or enjoining the person from engaging in 
        or continuing any conduct or practice in connection with the 
        offer, sale, or purchase of a security, or the making of a false 
        filing with a state. 
           A disqualification under paragraph (h) involving a 
        broker-dealer or agent is waived if the broker-dealer or agent 
        is or continues to be licensed in the state in which the 
        administrative order or judgment was entered against the person 
        or if the broker-dealer or agent is or continues to be licensed 
        in this state as a broker-dealer or agent after notifying the 
        commissioner of the act or event causing disqualification. 
           The commissioner may waive a disqualification under 
        paragraph (h) upon a showing of good cause that it is not 
        necessary under the circumstances that use of the exemption be 
        denied. 
           A disqualification under paragraph (h) may be waived if the 
        state securities administrator or agency of the state that 
        created the basis for disqualification has determined, upon a 
        showing of good cause, that it is not necessary under the 
        circumstances that an exemption from registration of securities 
        under the state's laws be denied. 
           It is a defense to a violation of paragraph (h) based upon 
        a disqualification if the issuer sustains the burden of proof to 
        establish that the issuer did not know, and in the exercise of 
        reasonable care could not have known, that a disqualification 
        under paragraph (h) existed. 
           (2) This exemption must not be available to an issuer with 
        respect to a transaction that, although in technical compliance 
        with this exemption, is part of a plan or scheme to evade 
        registration or the conditions or limitations explicitly stated 
        in paragraph (h). 
           (3) No commission, finder's fee, or other remuneration 
        shall be paid or given, directly or indirectly, for soliciting a 
        prospective purchaser, unless the recipient is appropriately 
        licensed, or exempt from licensure, in this state as a 
        broker-dealer. 
           (4) Nothing in this exemption is intended to or should be 
        in any way construed as relieving issuers or persons acting on 
        behalf of issuers from providing disclosure to prospective 
        investors adequate to satisfy the antifraud provisions of the 
        securities law of Minnesota.  
           (5) The issuer shall file with the commissioner a notice on 
        form D as adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission 
        according to Regulation D, Code of Federal Regulations, title 
        17, section 230.502.  The notice must be filed not later than 15 
        days after the first sale in this state of securities in an 
        offering under this exemption.  Every notice on form D must be 
        manually signed by a person duly authorized by the issuer and 
        must be accompanied by a consent to service of process on a form 
        prescribed by the commissioner.  
           (6) A failure to comply with a term, condition, or 
        requirement of paragraph (h) will not result in loss of the 
        exemption for an offer or sale to a particular individual or 
        entity if the person relying on the exemption shows that:  (i) 
        the failure to comply did not pertain to a term, condition, or 
        requirement directly intended to protect that particular 
        individual or entity, and the failure to comply was 
        insignificant with respect to the offering as a whole; and (ii) 
        a good faith and reasonable attempt was made to comply with all 
        applicable terms, conditions, and requirements of paragraph (h), 
        except that, where an exemption is established only through 
        reliance upon this provision, the failure to comply shall 
        nonetheless constitute a violation of section 80A.08 and be 
        actionable by the commissioner.  
           (7) The issuer, upon request by the commissioner, shall, 
        within ten days of the request, furnish to the commissioner a 
        copy of any and all information, documents, or materials 
        furnished to investors or offerees in connection with the offer 
        and sale according to paragraph (h).  
           (8) Neither compliance nor attempted compliance with the 
        exemption provided by paragraph (h), nor the absence of an 
        objection or order by the commissioner with respect to an offer 
        or sale of securities undertaken according to this exemption, 
        shall be considered to be a waiver of a condition of the 
        exemption or considered to be a confirmation by the commissioner 
        of the availability of this exemption.  
           (9) The commissioner may, by rule or order, increase the 
        number of purchasers or waive any other condition of this 
        exemption.  
           (10) The determination whether offers and sales made in 
        reliance on the exemption set forth in paragraph (h) shall be 
        integrated with offers and sales according to other paragraphs 
        of this subdivision shall be made according to the integration 
        standard set forth in Rule 502 of Regulation D promulgated by 
        the Securities and Exchange Commission, Code of Federal 
        Regulations, title 17, section 230.502.  If not subject to 
        integration according to that rule, offers and sales according 
        to paragraph (h) shall not otherwise be integrated with offers 
        and sales according to other exemptions set forth in this 
        subdivision. 
           (i) Any offer (but not a sale) of a security for which a 
        registration statement has been filed under sections 80A.01 to 
        80A.31, if no stop order or refusal order is in effect and no 
        public proceeding or examination looking toward an order is 
        pending; and any offer of a security if the sale of the security 
        is or would be exempt under this section.  The commissioner may 
        by rule exempt offers (but not sales) of securities for which a 
        registration statement has been filed as the commissioner deems 
        appropriate, consistent with the purposes of sections 80A.01 to 
        80A.31. 
           (j) The offer and sale by a cooperative organized under 
        chapter 308A or under the laws of another state, of its 
        securities when the securities are offered and sold only to its 
        members, or when the purchase of the securities is necessary or 
        incidental to establishing membership in the cooperative, or 
        when such securities are issued as patronage dividends.  This 
        paragraph applies to a cooperative organized under the laws of 
        another state only if the cooperative has filed with the 
        commissioner a consent to service of process under section 
        80A.27, subdivision 7, and has, not less than ten days prior to 
        the issuance or delivery, furnished the commissioner with a 
        written general description of the transaction and any other 
        information that the commissioner requires by rule or otherwise. 
        This exemption only applies when the issuing cooperative is 
        seeking to raise up to $1,000,000. 
           (l) The issuance and delivery of any securities of one 
        corporation to another corporation or its security holders in 
        connection with a merger, exchange of shares, or transfer of 
        assets whereby the approval of stockholders of the other 
        corporation is required to be obtained, provided, that the 
        commissioner has been furnished with a general description of 
        the transaction and with other information as the commissioner 
        by rule prescribes not less than ten days prior to the issuance 
        and delivery. 
           (m) Any transaction between the issuer or other person on 
        whose behalf the offering is made and an underwriter or among 
        underwriters. 
           (n) The distribution by a corporation of its or other 
        securities to its own security holders as a stock dividend or as 
        a dividend from earnings or surplus or as a liquidating 
        distribution; or upon conversion of an outstanding convertible 
        security; or pursuant to a stock split or reverse stock split. 
           (o) Any offer or sale of securities by an affiliate of the 
        issuer thereof if:  (1) a registration statement is in effect 
        with respect to securities of the same class of the issuer and 
        (2) the offer or sale has been exempted from registration by 
        rule or order of the commissioner.  
           (p) Any transaction pursuant to an offer to existing 
        security holders of the issuer, including persons who at the 
        time of the transaction are holders of convertible securities, 
        nontransferable warrants, or transferable warrants exercisable 
        within not more than 90 days of their issuance, if:  (1) no 
        commission or other remuneration (other than a standby 
        commission) is paid or given directly or indirectly for 
        soliciting any security holder in this state; and (2) the 
        commissioner has been furnished with a general description of 
        the transaction and with other information as the commissioner 
        may by rule prescribe no less than ten days prior to the 
        transaction. 
           (q) Any nonissuer sales of any security, including a 
        revenue obligation, issued by the state of Minnesota or any of 
        its political or governmental subdivisions, municipalities, 
        governmental agencies, or instrumentalities. 
           (r) Any transaction as to which the commissioner by rule or 
        order finds that registration is not necessary in the public 
        interest and for the protection of investors. 
           (s) An offer or sale of a security issued in connection 
        with an employee's stock purchase, savings, option, profit 
        sharing, pension, or similar employee benefit plan, if the 
        following conditions are met:  
           (1) the issuer, its parent corporation or any of its 
        majority-owned subsidiaries offers or sells the security 
        according to a written benefit plan or written contract relating 
        to the compensation of the purchaser; and 
           (2) the class of securities offered according to the plan 
        or contract, or if an option or right to purchase a security, 
        the class of securities to be issued upon the exercise of the 
        option or right, is registered under section 12 of the 
        Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or is a class of securities 
        with respect to which the issuer files reports according to 
        section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; or 
           (3) the issuer fully complies with the provisions of Rule 
        701 as adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, Code 
        of Federal Regulations, title 12, section 230.701. 
           The issuer shall file not less than ten days before the 
        transaction, a general description of the transaction and any 
        other information that the commissioner requires by rule or 
        otherwise or, if applicable, a Securities and Exchange Form S-8. 
        Annually, within 90 days after the end of the issuer's fiscal 
        year, the issuer shall file a notice as provided with the 
        commissioner. 
           (t) Any sale of a security of an issuer that is a pooled 
        income fund, a charitable remainder trust, or a charitable lead 
        trust that has a qualified charity as the only charitable 
        beneficiary. 
           (u) Any sale by a qualified charity of a security that is a 
        charitable gift annuity if the issuer has a net worth, otherwise 
        defined as unrestricted fund balance, of not less than $300,000 
        and either:  (1) has been in continuous operation for not less 
        than three years; or (2) is a successor or affiliate of a 
        qualified charity that has been in continuous operation for not 
        less than three years. 
           Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 308A.705, 
        subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
           Subd. 3.  [DIVIDENDS.] Dividends may be paid on capital 
        common stock and nonstock units of equity only if the net income 
        of the cooperative for the previous fiscal year is 
        sufficient.  Unless otherwise provided in the articles of 
        incorporation, the dividends are not cumulative. 
           Sec. 3.  [REPEALER.] 
           Minnesota Statutes 1998, sections 308A.031; and 308A.161, 
        are repealed. 
           Sec. 4.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
           Section 1 is effective retroactively from July 1, 1999. 
           Presented to the governor April 10, 2000 
           Signed by the governor April 13, 2000, 4:56 p.m.