Section, added
Pub. L. 98–369, div. A, title V, § 543(a), July 18, 1984,
98 Stat. 891; amended
Pub. L. 99–514, title XI, § 1173(b)(1)(A), (2), title XVIII, § 1854(c)(2)(A), (C), (D), Oct. 22, 1986,
100 Stat. 2515, 2879;
Pub. L. 100–647, title I, § 1011B(h)(1), (2), Nov. 10, 1988,
102 Stat. 3490;
Pub. L. 101–239, title VII, § 7301(a)–(c), Dec. 19, 1989,
103 Stat. 2346, 2347, prior to repeal, read as follows:
(b)
Securities acquisition loan
(1)
In general
For purposes of this section, the term “securities acquisition loan” means—
(A)
any loan to a corporation or to an employee stock ownership plan to the extent that the proceeds are used to acquire employer securities for the plan, or
(B)
any loan to a corporation to the extent that, within 30 days, employer securities are transferred to the plan in an amount equal to the proceeds of such loan and such securities are allocable to accounts of plan participants within 1 year of the date of such loan.
For purposes of this paragraph, the term “employer securities” has the meaning given such term by section
409
(l). The term “securities acquisition loan” shall not include a loan with a term greater than 15 years.
(2)
Loans between related persons
The term “securities acquisition loan” shall not include—
(A)
any loan made between corporations which are members of the same controlled group of corporations, or
(B)
any loan made between an employee stock ownership plan and any person that is—
(i)
the employer of any employees who are covered by the plan; or
(ii)
a member of a controlled group of corporations which includes such employer.
For purposes of this paragraph, subparagraphs (A) and (B) shall not apply to any loan which, but for such subparagraphs, would be a securities acquisition loan if such loan was not originated by the employer of any employees who are covered by the plan or by any member of the controlled group of corporations which includes such employer, except that this section shall not apply to any interest received on such loan during such time as such loan is held by such employer (or any member of such controlled group).
(3)
Terms applicable to certain securities acquisition loans
A loan to a corporation shall not fail to be treated as a securities acquisition loan merely because the proceeds of such loan are lent to an employee stock ownership plan sponsored by such corporation (or by any member of the controlled group of corporations which includes such corporation) if such loan includes—
(A)
repayment terms which are substantially similar to the terms of the loan of such corporation from a lender described in subsection (a), or
(B)
repayment terms providing for more rapid repayment of principal or interest on such loan, but only if allocations under the plan attributable to such repayment do not discriminate in favor of highly compensated employees (within the meaning of section
414
(q)).
(4)
Controlled group of corporations
For purposes of this paragraph, the term “controlled group of corporations” has the meaning given such term by section
409
(l)(4).
(5)
Treatment of refinancings
The term “securities acquisition loan” shall include any loan which—
(A)
is (or is part of a series of loans) used to refinance a loan described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1), and
(B)
meets the requirements of paragraphs (2) and (3).
(6)
Plan must hold more than 50 percent of stock after acquisition or transfer
(A)
In general
A loan shall not be treated as a securities acquisition loan for purposes of this section unless, immediately after the acquisition or transfer referred to in subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1), respectively, the employee stock ownership plan owns more than 50 percent of—
(i)
each class of outstanding stock of the corporation issuing the employer securities, or
(ii)
the total value of all outstanding stock of the corporation.
(B)
Failure to retain minimum stock interest
(i)
In general
Subsection (a) shall not apply to any interest received with respect to a securities acquisition loan which is allocable to any period during which the employee stock ownership plan does not own stock meeting the requirements of subparagraph (A).
(ii)
Exception
To the extent provided by the Secretary, clause (i) shall not apply to any period if, within 90 days of the first date on which the failure occurred (or such longer period not in excess of 180 days as the Secretary may prescribe), the plan acquires stock which results in its meeting the requirements of subparagraph (A).
(C)
Stock
For purposes of subparagraph (A)—
(i)
In general
The term “stock” means stock other than stock described in section
1504
(a)(4).
(ii)
Treatment of certain rights
The Secretary may provide that warrants, options, contracts to acquire stock, convertible debt interests and other similar interests be treated as stock for 1 or more purposes under subparagraph (A).
(D)
Aggregation rule
For purposes of determining whether the requirements of subparagraph (A) are met, an employee stock ownership plan shall be treated as owning stock in the corporation issuing the employer securities which is held by any other employee stock ownership plan which is maintained by—
(i)
the employer maintaining the plan, or
(ii)
any member of a controlled group of corporations (within the meaning of section 409(l)(4)) of which the employer described in clause (i) is a member.
(7)
Voting rights of employer securities
A loan shall not be treated as a securities acquisition loan for purposes of this section unless—
(A)
the employee stock ownership plan meets the requirements of section
409
(e)(2) with respect to all employer securities acquired by, or transferred to, the plan in connection with such loan (without regard to whether or not the employer has a registration-type class of securities), and
(B)
no stock described in section
409
(l)(3) is acquired by, or transferred to, the plan in connection with such loan unless—
(i)
such stock has voting rights equivalent to the stock to which it may be converted, and
(ii)
the requirements of subparagraph (A) are met with respect to such voting rights.