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S 2190 112th Congress Senate Finance and Financial Sector Administrative law and regulatory procedures Business investment and capital Congressional oversight Financial services and investments Fraud offenses and financial crimes Securities Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Small business State and local government operations

CROWDFUND Act

Introduced: March 13, 2012 Introduced by: Merkley, Jeff Democratic · Oregon See on congress.gov
This bill died when the 112th Congress ended
It never became law before the 112th Congress (2011–2012) 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 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 13, 2012
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
Mar 13, 2012
Introduced in Senate
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Capital Raising Online While Deterring Fraud and Unethical Non-Disclosure Act of 2011 or CROWDFUND Act - Amends the Securities Act of 1933 (SA) to prescribe conditions under which transactions of $1 million or less involving the offer or sale of securities by an issuer through a broker or funding portal are exempt from certain registration requirements and prohibitions relating to interstate commerce and the mails (crowdfunding exemption).

(Crowdfunding is a method of capital formation by which groups of people pool money, typically composed of very small individual contributions, and often via Internet platforms, to invest in a company or otherwise support an effort by others to accomplish a specific goal.)

Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (SEA) to define "funding portal" as any person engaged in the business of effecting securities transactions for the account of others, solely pursuant to the crowdfunding exemption under this Act, that does not: (1) offer investment advice or recommendations; (2) solicit purchases, sales, or offers to buy the securities offered or displayed on its website or portal; (3) compensate employees, agents, or other persons for such solicitation or based on the sale of securities displayed or references on its website or portal; (4) hold, manage, possess, or otherwise handle investor funds or securities; or (5) engage in other activities determined by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Amends the SA to set forth qualification requirements for such crowdfunding exemption, including those for intermediaries and issuers.

Sets forth restrictions on sales of such exempt securities.

Amends the SEA to authorize the SEC to exempt crowdfunding investors from certain shareholder caps under the Securities Act of 1933.

Requires the SEC to exempt funding portals from certain registration requirements, provided that they remain subject to examination by the SEC and a national securities association.

Prohibits a state or its political subdivision from enforcing any law or administrative action against a registered funding portal with respect to its business as such. Exempts from such prohibition the examination and enforcement of any law or administrative action of a state in which the principal place of business of a registered funding portal is located, if the law or administrative action is not in addition to or different from SEC requirements for registered funding portals.

What's happening now March 13, 2012

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

 Related & companion bills 1
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 2190: CROWDFUND Act. 112th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/112-S-2190/
MLA
"S. 2190: CROWDFUND Act." 112th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/112-S-2190/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 2190, 112th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/112-S-2190/.
Markdown link
[S. 2190: CROWDFUND Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/112-S-2190/)
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