[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7187 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7187

 To amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to provide an exemption 
       from the definition of a broker for a certain registered 
 representative-owned personal services entity, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 21, 2026

 Mr. Nunn of Iowa (for himself and Mr. Meeks) introduced the following 
    bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to provide an exemption 
       from the definition of a broker for a certain registered 
 representative-owned personal services entity, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Clarity for Compensation Act''.

SEC. 2. BROKER DEFINITION EXCEPTION FOR REGISTERED REPRESENTATIVE-OWNED 
              PERSONAL SERVICES ENTITY.

    (a) In General.--Section 3(a)(4) of the Securities Exchange Act of 
1934 (15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(4)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
                    ``(G) Exception for registered representative-owned 
                personal services entity.--
                            ``(i) In general.--A personal services 
                        entity shall not be considered a broker solely 
                        by reason of receiving compensation on behalf 
                        of a registered representative from that 
                        representative's broker at the direction of 
                        such representative, if--
                                    ``(I) the broker instructs or 
                                otherwise approves the amount and 
                                timing of the payment and maintains 
                                records regarding the payment made;
                                    ``(II) the personal services entity 
                                does not hold itself out as a broker;
                                    ``(III) the personal services 
                                entity does not engage in broker or 
                                dealer activity, other than the receipt 
                                of compensation on behalf of the 
                                registered representative;
                                    ``(IV) the broker maintains 
                                adequate supervision and control over 
                                the registered representative;
                                    ``(V) the broker and the personal 
                                services entity have a written 
                                agreement governing their relationship 
                                and the responsibilities of each party 
                                regarding compensation arrangements;
                                    ``(VI) the personal services entity 
                                is only owned by--
                                            ``(aa) the registered 
                                        representative;
                                            ``(bb) if the registered 
                                        representative is an 
                                        individual, immediate family 
                                        members of the registered 
                                        representative; or
                                            ``(cc) entities wholly 
                                        owned by--

                                                    ``(AA) the 
                                                registered 
                                                representative; or

                                                    ``(BB) if the 
                                                registered 
                                                representative is an 
                                                individual, immediate 
                                                family members of the 
                                                registered 
                                                representative; and

                                    ``(VII) the personal services 
                                entity meets such other requirements as 
                                the Commission may prescribe, by rule.
                            ``(ii) Oversight and examination.--In order 
                        to ensure that a personal services entity that 
                        is not considered a broker by reason of this 
                        subparagraph continues to meet the requirements 
                        to not be considered a broker by reason of this 
                        subparagraph, the personal services entity 
                        shall maintain, and make available upon request 
                        to the Commission and the applicable self-
                        regulatory organization, all books and records 
                        that both--
                                    ``(I) the broker from which the 
                                personal services entity receives 
                                compensation is required to maintain 
                                and make available to the Commission 
                                and the applicable self-regulatory 
                                organization; and
                                    ``(II) the Commission determines 
                                necessary and appropriate to 
                                demonstrate that the personal services 
                                entity continues to meet the 
                                requirements to not be considered a 
                                broker by reason of this subparagraph.
                            ``(iii) Definitions.--In this subparagraph:
                                    ``(I) Applicable self-regulatory 
                                organization.--With respect to a 
                                personal services entity or a 
                                registered representative of a broker, 
                                the term `applicable self-regulatory 
                                organization' means each self-
                                regulatory organization with which the 
                                related broker is required to be 
                                registered.
                                    ``(II) Broker or dealer activity.--
                                The term `broker or dealer activity' 
                                means an activity undertaken by a 
                                broker or a dealer who is registered, 
                                or required to be registered, under 
                                this Act.
                                    ``(III) Immediate family member.--
                                With respect to an individual, the term 
                                `immediate family member' means a 
                                spouse, child, parent, brother, sister, 
                                grandparent, grandchild, stepparent, 
                                stepchild, stepbrother, or stepsister 
                                of the individual.
                                    ``(IV) Personal services entity.--
                                The term `personal services entity' 
                                means an entity that is established by 
                                a registered representative to receive 
                                compensation for the services of the 
                                registered representative and for 
                                administrative purposes and other 
                                benefits.
                                    ``(V) Registered representative.--
                                With respect to a broker, the term 
                                `registered representative' means a 
                                person who is--
                                            ``(aa) an `associated 
                                        person of a broker or dealer' 
                                        with respect to the broker; and
                                            ``(bb) registered with the 
                                        applicable self-regulatory 
                                        organization.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--Section 3(a)(4)(G) of the Securities Exchange 
Act of 1934, as added by subsection (a), shall take effect on the date 
that is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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