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15 USC § 686 - Aggregate limitations on amount of assistance to any single enterprise

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t15/s686"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "15 USC § 686 - Aggregate limitations on amount of assistance to any single enterprise"
title_number: 15
title_name: "COMMERCE AND TRADE"
section_number: "686"
section_name: "Aggregate limitations on amount of assistance to any single enterprise"
chapter_number: 14
chapter_name: "SMALL BUSINESS INVESTMENT PROGRAM"
subchapter_number: "III"
subchapter_name: "INVESTMENT DIVISION PROGRAMS"
part_number: "A"
part_name: "Small Business Investment Companies"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 85–699, title III, § 306, Aug. 21, 1958, 72 Stat. 694; Pub. L. 87–341, § 7(a), Oct. 3, 1961, 75 Stat. 753; Pub. L. 88–273, § 4, Feb. 28, 1964, 78 Stat. 146; Pub. L. 90–104, title II, § 207, Oct. 11, 1967, 81 Stat. 271; Pub. L. 92–595, § 2(f), Oct. 27, 1972, 86 Stat. 1316; Pub. L. 102–366, title IV, § 408(a), Sept. 4, 1992, 106 Stat. 1016; Pub. L. 111–5, div. A, title V, § 505(b), Feb. 17, 2009, 123 Stat. 156.)"
---

# § 686. Aggregate limitations on amount of assistance to any single enterprise

**(a)** **Percentage limitation on private capital** If any small business investment company has obtained financing from the Administrator and such financing remains outstanding, the aggregate amount of securities acquired and for which commitments may be issued by such company under the provisions of this subchapter for any single enterprise shall not, without the approval of the Administrator, exceed 10 percent of the sum of—

**(1)** the private capital of such company; and

**(2)** the total amount of leverage projected by the company in the company’s business plan that was approved by the Administrator at the time of the grant of the company’s license.

**(b)** **Repealed. Pub. L. 92–595, § 2(f), Oct. 27, 1972, 86 Stat. 1316** 

**(c)** **Application of provisions to commitments incurred prior to effective date of section** With respect to obligations or securities acquired prior to the effective date of the Small Business Investment Act Amendments of 1967, and with respect to legally binding commitments issued prior to such date, the provisions of this section as in effect immediately prior to such effective date shall continue to apply.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 85–699, title III, § 306, Aug. 21, 1958, 72 Stat. 694; Pub. L. 87–341, § 7(a), Oct. 3, 1961, 75 Stat. 753; Pub. L. 88–273, § 4, Feb. 28, 1964, 78 Stat. 146; Pub. L. 90–104, title II, § 207, Oct. 11, 1967, 81 Stat. 271; Pub. L. 92–595, § 2(f), Oct. 27, 1972, 86 Stat. 1316; Pub. L. 102–366, title IV, § 408(a), Sept. 4, 1992, 106 Stat. 1016; Pub. L. 111–5, div. A, title V, § 505(b), Feb. 17, 2009, 123 Stat. 156.)

## Editorial Notes

### References in Text

For effective date of the Small Business Investment Act Amendments of 1967, referred to in subsec. (c), see Effective Date of 1967 Amendment note set out under .

### Amendments

2009—Subsec. (a).  amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “If any small business investment company has obtained financing from the Administration and such financing remains outstanding, the aggregate amount of obligations and securities acquired and for which commitments may be issued by such company under the provisions of this subchapter for any single enterprise shall not exceed 20 per centum of the private capital of such company, without the approval of the Administration.”

1992—Subsec. (a).  amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) read as follows: “Without the approval of the Administration, the aggregate amount of obligations and securities acquired and for which commitments may be issued by any small business investment company under the provisions of this chapter for any single enterprise shall not exceed 20 percent of the combined private paid-in capital and paid-in surplus of such company.”

1972—Subsec. (a). , substituted “combined private paid-in capital” for “combined paid-in capital”.

Subsec. (b). , repealed subsec. (b) which enumerated the items making up the combined paid-in capital and paid-in surplus of companies licensed prior to .

1967—Subsec. (a).  substituted “paid-in capital and paid-in surplus of such company” for “capital and surplus of such small business investment company authorized by this chapter”.

Subsecs. (b), (c).  added subsecs. (b) and (c).

1964— struck out the $500,000 limitation on amount of assistance to any single enterprise.

1961— inserted “or (2) $500,000, whichever is the lesser”.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1967 Amendment

Amendment by  effective , see , set out as a note under .

### Effective Date of 1961 Amendment

> “The amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall apply only with respect to obligations and securities acquired by a small business investment company on or after the date of the enactment of this Act [
> 
> ]; except that such amendment shall not apply with respect to any obligations or securities so acquired pursuant to a commitment issued before such date.”

, , , provided that:

### Effect of Small Business Equity Enhancement Act of 1992 on Securities Laws

Nothing in amendment by  to be construed to affect applicability of securities laws or to otherwise supersede or limit jurisdiction of Securities and Exchange Commission, see , set out as a note under .