1. Office of Securities; administrator. There is created within the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation the Office of Securities. The Office of Securities is directed by the Securities Administrator, referred to in this chapter as the "administrator," who is responsible for the administration and enforcement of this chapter, the Maine Commodity Code and chapter 69-B. A. The administrator is appointed by the Commissioner of Professional and Financial Regulation. The administrator is appointed for a term that is coterminous with the term of the Governor or until a successor is appointed and qualified. Any vacancy occurring must be filled by appointment for the unexpired portion of the term. The administrator may be removed from office for cause by the commissioner, and Title 5, section 931, subsection 2 does not apply. A person appointed as administrator must have knowledge of, or experience in, the theory and practice of securities. [PL 2005, c. 65, Pt. A, §2 (NEW).] B. With the approval of the Commissioner of Professional and Financial Regulation, the administrator shall organize the Office of Securities in such a manner as the administrator considers necessary to carry out the administrator's responsibilities. [PL 2005, c. 65, Pt. A, §2 (NEW).] C. The administrator may employ personnel as the business of the Office of Securities may require, subject to the Commissioner of Professional and Financial Regulation's approval and in accordance with the Civil Service Law. The qualifications of the personnel must reflect the needs and responsibilities of the Office of Securities' regulatory functions. The administrator may authorize senior personnel of the Office of Securities to carry out the administrator's duties and authority. The administrator may employ or engage such expert, professional or other assistance as may be necessary to assist the Office of Securities in carrying out its functions. In addition to salaries or wages, all employees of the Office of Securities must receive their actual expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties. [PL 2005, c. 65, Pt. A, §2 (NEW).] D. At the expense of the Office of Securities, the administrator may train the Office of Securities' employees, or have them trained, in a manner the administrator determines desirable, to carry out the purposes of the Office of Securities. [PL 2005, c. 65, Pt. A, §2 (NEW).] [PL 2005, c. 65, Pt. A, §2 (NEW).] 2. Unlawful use of records or information. It is unlawful for the administrator or an employee or designee of the administrator to use for personal benefit or the benefit of others records or other information obtained by or filed with the administrator that is not public under section 16607, subsection 2. This chapter does not authorize the administrator or an officer, employee or designee of the administrator to disclose the record or information, except in accordance with section 16602, section 16607, subsection 3 or section 16608. [PL 2005, c. 65, Pt. A, §2 (NEW).] 3. No privilege or exemption created or diminished. This chapter does not create or diminish a privilege or exemption that exists at common law or by statute or rule or otherwise. [PL 2005, c. 65, Pt. A, §2 (NEW).] 4. Investor education. The administrator may develop and implement investor education initiatives to inform the public about investing in securities, with particular emphasis on the prevention and detection of securities fraud. In developing and implementing these initiatives, the administrator may collaborate with public and nonprofit organizations with an interest in investor education. The administrator may accept a grant or donation from a person that is not affiliated with the securities industry or from a nonprofit organization, regardless of whether the organization is affiliated with the securities industry, to develop and implement investor education initiatives. This subsection does not authorize the administrator to require participation or monetary contributions of a registrant in an investor education program. [PL 2005, c. 65, Pt. A, §2 (NEW).] 5. Waiver of fee. The administrator may, by order, waive the filing fee required to register a security, to perfect a notice filing for a federal covered security or to secure an exemption from registration upon a written finding that the fee would be unreasonably high in light of the maximum potential proceeds from the sale of the security in the State or that the imposition of the fee would otherwise be unreasonable. [PL 2005, c. 65, Pt. A, §2 (NEW).] 6. Nonlapsing operating fund. Except as provided in section 16522, subsection 2, there is established an operating fund to be used to carry out the purposes of this chapter and any other statutory duties of the administrator. The operating fund consists of all annual renewal license fees for agents and investment adviser representatives received pursuant to this chapter. Any balance in the operating fund does not lapse, but must be carried forward to be used for the same purposes. [PL 2021, c. 576, §2 (AMD).] 7. Securities Investor Education and Training Fund. The Securities Investor Education and Training Fund, referred to in this subsection as "the fund," is established to provide funds for the purposes specified in subsection 4. The fund consists of all grants or donations accepted by the administrator pursuant to subsection 4 and all payments received by the administrator for investor education and training that have been designated in a consent order or consent agreement resulting from a multistate investigation or a joint investigation with the federal Securities and Exchange Commission or a court order or court judgment to be credited to the fund. Any balance in the fund does not lapse but must be carried forward to be used for the same purposes. [PL 2005, c. 485, §1 (NEW).]
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