The following securities are exempt from the requirements of ss. 551.301 to 551.306 and 551.504:

      (a)    A banking institution organized under the laws of the United States. See Wisconsin Statutes 551.102

Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.

Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.

Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.

Depository institution: means any of the following:

      (a)    A bank. See Wisconsin Statutes 551.102

division: means the division of securities in the department of financial institutions. See Wisconsin Statutes 551.102

Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.

Federal covered security: means a security that is, or upon completion of a transaction will be, a covered security under section 18 (b) of the Securities Act of 1933 (15 U. See Wisconsin Statutes 551.102

Federal Reserve System: The central bank of the United States. The Fed, as it is commonly called, regulates the U.S. monetary and financial system. The Federal Reserve System is composed of a central governmental agency in Washington, D.C. (the Board of Governors) and twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks in major cities throughout the United States. ^{Source: OCC}

Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.

Filing: means the receipt under this chapter of a record by the administrator or a designee of the administrator. See Wisconsin Statutes 551.102

Following: when used by way of reference to any statute section, means the section next following that in which the reference is made. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01

Guaranteed: means guaranteed as to payment of all principal and all interest. See Wisconsin Statutes 551.102

Guarantor: A party who agrees to be responsible for the payment of another party's debts should that party default. ^{Source: OCC}

Insurance company: means a company organized as an insurance company whose primary business is writing insurance or reinsuring risks underwritten by insurance companies and which is subject to supervision by the insurance commissioner or a similar official or agency of a state. See Wisconsin Statutes 551.102

Insured: means insured as to payment of all principal and all interest. See Wisconsin Statutes 551.102

International banking institution: means an international financial institution of which the United States is a member and whose securities are exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933. See Wisconsin Statutes 551.102

Issuer: means a person that issues or proposes to issue a security, subject to the following:

      (a)    The issuer of a voting trust certificate, collateral trust certificate, certificate of deposit for a security, or share in an investment company without a board of directors or individuals performing similar functions is the person performing the acts and assuming the duties of depositor or manager pursuant to the trust or other agreement or instrument under which the security is issued. See Wisconsin Statutes 551.102

Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}

Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.

Person: means an individual; corporation; business trust; estate; trust; partnership; limited liability company; association; joint venture; government; governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality; public corporation; or any other legal or commercial entity. See Wisconsin Statutes 551.102

Property: includes real and personal property. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01

Public law: A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide.

Sale: includes every contract of sale, contract to sell, or disposition of a security or interest in a security for value, and "offer to sell" includes every attempt or offer to dispose of, or solicitation of an offer to purchase, a security or interest in a security for value. See Wisconsin Statutes 551.102

Securities and Exchange Commission: means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. See Wisconsin Statutes 551.102

Security: means a note; stock; treasury stock; security future; bond; debenture; evidence of indebtedness; limited partnership interest; life settlement investment or similar agreement; certificate of interest or participation in a profit-sharing agreement; collateral trust certificate; preorganization certificate or subscription; transferable share; investment contract; voting trust certificate; certificate of deposit for a security; fractional undivided interest in oil, gas, or other mineral rights; put, call, straddle, option, or privilege on a security, certificate of deposit, or group or index of securities, including an interest therein or based on the value thereof; put, call, straddle, option, or privilege entered into on a national securities exchange relating to foreign currency; or, in general, an interest or instrument commonly known as a "security"; or a certificate of interest or participation in, temporary or interim certificate for, receipt for, guarantee of, or warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase, any of the foregoing. See Wisconsin Statutes 551.102

Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.

State: means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. See Wisconsin Statutes 551.102

Statute: A law passed by a legislature.

United States: includes the District of Columbia, the states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the territories organized by congress. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01

   (1)   

      (a)    A security, including a revenue obligation or a separate security as defined in Rule 131 (17 C.F.R. 230.131) adopted under the Securities Act of 1933, issued, insured, or guaranteed by the United States; by a state; by a political subdivision of a state; by a public authority, agency, or instrumentality of one or more states; by a political subdivision of one or more states; or by a person controlled or supervised by and acting as an instrumentality of the United States under authority granted by the Congress; or a certificate of deposit for any of the foregoing but any revenue obligation payable from payments to be made in respect of property or money used under a lease, sale, or loan arrangement by or for a nongovernmental industrial or commercial enterprise is exempt only as provided under par. (b).

      (b)    Unless subject to a letter of credit of a bank, savings bank, or savings and loan association as provided in this paragraph, a revenue obligation of an issuer specified under par. (a) that is payable from payments to be made in respect of property or money used under a lease, sale, or loan arrangement by or for a nongovernmental industrial or commercial enterprise is exempt subject to rules adopted by the division of securities. A revenue obligation is exempt from any filing under the rules of the division if it is the subject of a guarantee or an irrevocable letter of credit from a depository institution in favor of holders of the revenue obligations providing for payment of all principal of the revenue obligations and all accrued and unpaid interest to the date of an event of default on the revenue obligations, and the letter of credit is accompanied by an opinion of counsel stating all of the following:

         1.    Either that payment of debt service will not constitute a preference under federal bankruptcy law if a petition in bankruptcy with respect to the enterprise is filed or that the guarantee or letter of credit will provide for reimbursement to holders of the revenue obligations if they are required by order of a federal bankruptcy court to disgorge as a preference any payment of a debt service.

         2.    That the enforceability of the guarantee or letter of credit would not be materially affected by the filing of a petition under federal bankruptcy law with respect to the enterprise or any person obligated to reimburse the depository institution for payments made under the guarantee or letter of credit.

   (2)   A security issued, insured, or guaranteed by a foreign government with which the United States maintains diplomatic relations, or any of its political subdivisions, if the security is recognized as a valid obligation by the issuer, insurer, or guarantor.

   (3)   A security issued by and representing or that will represent an interest in or a direct obligation of, or be guaranteed by, any of the following:

      (a)    An international banking institution.

      (b)    A banking institution organized under the laws of the United States; a member bank of the Federal Reserve System; or a depository institution a substantial portion of the business of which consists or will consist of receiving deposits or share accounts that are insured to the maximum amount authorized by statute by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund, or a successor authorized by federal law or exercising fiduciary powers that are similar to those permitted for national banks under the authority of the Comptroller of Currency pursuant to Section 1 of Public Law 87-722 (12 U.S. Code § 92a).

      (c)    Any other depository institution, unless by rule or order the administrator proceeds under s. 551.204.

   (4)   A security issued by and representing an interest in, or a debt of, or insured or guaranteed by, an insurance company authorized to do business in this state.

   (5)   A security issued or guaranteed by a railroad, other common carrier, public utility, or public utility holding company that is any of the following:

      (a)    Regulated in respect to its rates and charges by the United States or a state.

      (b)    Regulated in respect to the issuance or guarantee of the security by the United States, a state, Canada, or a Canadian province or territory.

      (c)    A public utility holding company registered under the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or a subsidiary of such a registered holding company within the meaning of that act.

   (6)   A federal covered security specified in section 18 (b) (1) of the Securities Act of 1933 (15 U.S. Code § 77r (b) (1)) or by rule adopted under that provision or a security listed or approved for listing on another securities market specified by rule under this chapter; a put or a call option contract; a warrant; a subscription right on or with respect to such securities; or an option or similar derivative security on a security or an index of securities or foreign currencies issued by a clearing agency registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and listed or designated for trading on a national securities exchange, a facility of a national securities exchange, or a facility of a national securities association registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or an offer or sale, of the underlying security in connection with the offer, sale, or exercise of an option or other security that was exempt when the option or other security was written or issued; or an option or a derivative security designated by the Securities and Exchange Commission under section 9 (b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S. Code § 78i (b)).

   (7)   A security issued by a person organized and operated exclusively for religious, educational, benevolent, fraternal, charitable, social, athletic, or reformatory purposes, or as a chamber of commerce, and not for pecuniary profit, no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of a private stockholder or other person, or a security of a company that is excluded from the definition of an investment company under section 3 (c) (10) (B) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 USC 80a-3 (c) (10) (B)); except that with respect to the offer or sale of a note, bond, debenture, or other evidence of indebtedness issued by such a person, a rule may be adopted under this chapter limiting the availability of this exemption by classifying securities, persons, and transactions, imposing different requirements for different classes, specifying with respect to par. (b) the scope of the exemption and the grounds for denial or suspension, and requiring an issuer to do any of the following:

      (a)    To file a notice specifying the material terms of the proposed offer or sale and copies of any proposed sales and advertising literature to be used and provide that the exemption becomes effective if the administrator does not disallow the exemption within the period established by the rule.

      (b)    To file a request for exemption authorization for which a rule under this chapter may specify the scope of the exemption, the requirement of an offering statement, the filing of sales and advertising literature, the filing of consent to service of process complying with s. 551.611, and grounds for denial or suspension of the exemption.

      (c)    To register under s. 551.304.

   (8)   Any securities of a cooperative corporation organized under ch. 185 or an unincorporated cooperative association organized under ch. 193.

   (9)   An equipment trust certificate with respect to equipment leased or conditionally sold to a person, if any security issued by the person would be exempt under this section or would be a federal covered security under section 18 (b) (1) of the Securities Act of 1933 (15 U.S. Code § 77r (b) (1)).