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HR 4938 102th Congress House

Small Business Incentive Act of 1992

Official title: To amend the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940 to promote capital formation for small businesses and others through exempted offeri… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: To amend the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940 to promote capital formation for small businesses and others through exempted offerings under the Securities Act and others through exempted offerings under the Securities Act and through investment pools that are excepted or exempted from regulation under the Investment Company Act and through business development companies.

Introduced: April 9, 1992 Introduced by: Markey, Edward J. Democratic · Massachusetts See on congress.gov
Commerce Capital formationInformation disclosure (Securities law)Securities regulationSmall businessState laws
This bill died when the 102nd Congress ended
It never became law before the 102nd Congress (1991–1992) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Apr 21, 1992
Referred to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Finance.
Apr 9, 1992
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Apr 9, 1992
Introduced in House
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 Latest action April 21, 1992

Referred to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Finance.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Small Business Incentive Act of 1992 - Title I: Amendment to the Securities Act of 1933 - Amends the Securities Act of 1933 to increase from $5 million to $10 million of small business offerings that are exempt from the registration requirements of the Act (thus removing some regulatory constraints in order to facilitate capital-raising by small businesses).

Title II: Amendments to the Investment Company Act of 1940 - Amends the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the Act) to exclude from the definition of investment company any issuer all of whose securities are held by certain investors whom the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has determined by rule or regulation possess such financial sophistication, net worth, and other specified factors as not to need the protections of the Act (thus exempting such companies from some of the Act's regulatory constraints). Empowers the SEC to define, by rule, such "qualified purchasers."

Sets forth conditions under which certain business and industrial development companies that are already subject to regulation by the State in which they are organized are exempt from the regulatory constraints of the Act.

Increases from $100,000 to $10 million the maximum aggregate amount of proceeds that certain interstate closed-end investment companies may receive from the sale of their outstanding securities and still retain their exempt status under the Act.

Expands the definition of eligible portfolio company to include any company which does not have total assets in excess of $4 million and capital and surplus in excess of $2 million (thus increasing the flow of capital by permitting business development companies to invest in more small businesses).

Declares that a business development company is not required to make available significant managerial assistance with respect to any eligible portfolio company (as defined by this Act), or any other company that meets certain SEC criteria (thus encouraging the flow of capital to very small businesses).

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 4938: Small Business Incentive Act of 1992. 102nd Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/102-HR-4938/
MLA
"H.R. 4938: Small Business Incentive Act of 1992." 102nd Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/102-HR-4938/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 4938, 102nd Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/102-HR-4938/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 4938: Small Business Incentive Act of 1992](https://openamerica.io/bill/102-HR-4938/)
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