Supporting America’s Innovators Act of 2017 Passes in House Vote

Federal Issues House Financial Services Committee Securities Senate Banking Committee

On April 6, a bipartisan bill entitled, Supporting America’s Innovators Act of 2017 (H.R. 1219) was received in the Senate after passing through the House by a 417-3 margin. The securities-related bill – which is now pending before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, amends the provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940 that require venture capital funds with more than 100 investors to register with the SEC. As previously reported in InfoBytes, the bill would serve to raise the cap on the number of investors from 100 to 250, thereby facilitating greater access to venture capital funding for small businesses and startups. In a press release issued by the House Financial Services Committee, the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Patrick McHenry explains that H.R. 1219 is intended to, among other things, “address the challenges facing angel investing so that startups and small businesses can have better access to capital,” by “creating a regulatory framework that encourages innovation and growth, while ensuring that shareholder and investor protections remain strong.”