Additional Questions and Answers: Rule G-37 on Political Contributions and Prohibitions on Municipal Securities Business

Additional Questions and Answers: Rule G-37 on Political Contributions and Prohibitions on Municipal Securities Business

Transition and Inaugural Expenses

1. Q: May a municipal finance professional who is entitled to vote for an issuer official make contributions to pay for such official's transition or inaugural expenses without causing a prohibition on municipal securities business with the issuer?

A: Yes, under certain conditions. The de minimis exception allows a municipal finance professional to contribute up to $250 per candidate per election if the municipal finance professional is entitled to vote for that issuer official. The de minimis exception is keyed to an election cycle; therefore, if a municipal finance professional contributed $250 to the general election of an issuer official, the municipal finance professional would not be able to make any contributions to pay for transition or inaugural expenses without causing a prohibition on municipal securities business with the issuer. If a municipal finance professional made no contributions to an issuer official prior to the election, then the municipal finance professional may, if entitled to vote for the candidate, contribute up to $250 to pay for transition or inaugural expenses and payment of debt incurred in connection with the election without causing a prohibition on municipal securities business.

Definition of Issuer Official

2. Q: An incumbent was seeking re-election as an issuer official but she lost the election. She is now soliciting money to pay for the debt incurred in connection with this election. Would there be a prohibition on engaging in municipal securities business with the issuer if a dealer or a municipal finance professional provides money for the payment of this debt?

A: No, under certain conditions. If the incumbent is out of office at the time she is soliciting money to pay for the election debt, then she is no longer considered to be within the definition of "official of an issuer" and any monies given for the payment of debt incurred in connection with the election in this instance is not subject to rule G-37. If the incumbent still holds her issuer official position at the time she is soliciting money to pay for the election debt, then, if a municipal finance professional contributed $250 to her during the general election, the municipal finance professional would not be able to make any contributions for the payment of debt without causing a prohibition on municipal securities business with the issuer. If a municipal finance professional made no contributions to the incumbent prior to the election, then the municipal finance professional may, if entitled to vote for the candidate, contribute up to $250 for the payment of debt incurred in connection with the election while the incumbent is still in office without causing a prohibition on municipal securities business. A dealer may not contribute any monies towards the payment of debt while the incumbent is still in office without causing a prohibition on municipal securities business with the issuer.

Definitions of Municipal Finance Professional and Executive Officer

3. Q: In making the determination of which associated persons of a dealer meet the definitions of municipal finance professional and executive officer, is it correct to designate all the executives of the dealer (e.g., President, Executive Vice Presidents) under the category of executive officers?

A: No. In making the determination of whether someone is a municipal finance professional or executive officer, one must review the activities of the individual and not his or her title. Rule G-37(g)(iv) defines the term "municipal finance professional" as:

(A) any associated person primarily engaged in municipal securities representative activities, as defined in rule G-3(a)(i); (B) any associated person who solicits municipal securities business, as defined paragraph (vii); (C) any associated person who is both (i) a municipal securities principal or a municipal securities sales principal and (ii) a supervisor of any persons described in subparagraphs (A) or (B); (D) any associated person who is a supervisor of any person described in subparagraph (C) up through and including, in the case of a broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer other than a bank dealer, the Chief Executive Officer or similarly situated official and, in the case of a bank dealer, the officer or officers designated by the board of directors of the bank as responsible for the day-to-day conduct of the bank's municipal securities dealer activities, as required pursuant to rule G-1(a); or (E) any associated person who is a member of the broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer (or, in the case of a bank dealer, the separately identifiable department or division of the bank, as defined in rule G-1) executive or management committee or similarly situated officials, if any; provided, however, that, if the only associated persons meeting the definition of municipal finance professional are those described in this subparagraph (E), the broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer shall be deemed to have no municipal finance professionals.

Rule G-37(g)(v) defines the term "executive officer" as:

an associated person in charge of a principal business unit, division or function or any other person who performs similar policy making functions for the broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer (or, in the case of a bank dealer, the separately identifiable department or division of the bank, as defined in rule G-1), but does not include any municipal finance professional, as defined in paragraph (iv) of this section (g); provided, however, that, if no associated person of the broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer meets the definition of municipal finance professional, the broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer shall be deemed to have no executive officers.

Dealers should first review the activities of their associated persons to determine whether they are municipal finance professionals, and then, once that list of individuals has been established, conduct a review of the remaining associated persons to determine whether they are executive officers. Dealers should pay close attention to those associated persons who are soliciting municipal securities business and, thus, will be considered municipal finance professionals. The Board has previously stated that solicitation activities may include, but are not limited to, responding to issuer Requests for Proposals, making presentations of public finance and/or municipal marketing capabilities to issuer officials, and engaging in other activities calculated to appeal to issuer officials for municipal securities business, or which effectively do so. (See "Additional Rule G-37 Questions & Answers," MSRB Reports, Vol. 14, No. 5 (December 1994) at 8).

Reporting by Syndicate Members

4. Q: Rule G-37(e) requires, among other things, that dealers submit information to the Board on Form G-37/G-38 about the municipal securities business in which they engaged. Is information about the municipal securities business engaged in required to be submitted by all syndicate and selling group members, or is it only the responsibility of the manager(s) to submit such information on behalf of the syndicate?

A: All manager(s) and syndicate members (excluding selling group members) must separately report the municipal securities business in which they engaged.

September 9, 1997

Copyright 2000 Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board. All Rights Reserved. Terms and Conditions of Use.