(15) SECURITIES LAWS.—The term ‘‘securities laws’’ means
the provisions of law referred to in section 3(a)(47) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(47)), as
amended by this Act, and includes the rules, regulations, and
orders issued by the Commission thereunder.
(16) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means any State of the
United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin
Islands, or any other territory or possession of the United
States.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 3(a)(47) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(47)) is amended by
inserting ‘‘the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002,’’ before ‘‘the Public’’.
SEC. 3. COMMISSION RULES AND ENFORCEMENT.
(a) REGULATORY ACTION.—The Commission shall promulgate
such rules and regulations, as may be necessary or appropriate
in the public interest or for the protection of investors, and in
furtherance of this Act.
(b) ENFORCEMENT.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—A violation by any person of this Act,
any rule or regulation of the Commission issued under this
Act, or any rule of the Board shall be treated for all purposes
in the same manner as a violation of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78a et seq.) or the rules and regulations
issued thereunder, consistent with the provisions of this Act,
and any such person shall be subject to the same penalties,
and to the same extent, as for a violation of that Act or
such rules or regulations.
(2) INVESTIGATIONS, INJUNCTIONS, AND PROSECUTION OF
OFFENSES.—Section 21 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(15 U.S.C. 78u) is amended—
(A) in subsection (a)(1), by inserting ‘‘the rules of the
Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, of which such
person is a registered public accounting firm or a person
associated with such a firm,’’ after ‘‘is a participant,’’;
(B) in subsection (d)(1), by inserting ‘‘the rules of the
Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, of which such
person is a registered public accounting firm or a person
associated with such a firm,’’ after ‘‘is a participant,’’;
(C) in subsection (e), by inserting ‘‘the rules of the
Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, of which such
person is a registered public accounting firm or a person
associated with such a firm,’’ after ‘‘is a participant,’’; and
(D) in subsection (f), by inserting ‘‘or the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’’ after ‘‘self-regulatory
organization’’ each place that term appears.
(3) CEASE-AND-DESIST PROCEEDINGS.—Section 21C(c)(2) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78u–3(c)(2))
is amended by inserting ‘‘registered public accounting firm (as
defined in section 2 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002),’’ after
‘‘government securities dealer,’’.
(4) ENFORCEMENT BY FEDERAL BANKING AGENCIES.—Section
12(i) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78l(i))
is amended by—
(A) striking ‘‘sections 12,’’ each place it appears and
inserting ‘‘sections 10A(m), 12,’’; and