Page 1 of 8 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. Regular Session, 2010 ENROLLED SENATE BILL NO. 256 BY SENATOR CHAISSON AN ACT1 To enact Part IV of Chapter 4 of Code Title VII of Code Book III of Title 9 of the Louisiana2 Revised Statutes of 1950, to be comprised of R.S. 9:3131.1 through 3131.9, relative3 to the Louisiana Exchange Sale of Receivables Act; to provide for legislative intent;4 to provide for definitions; to provide for the scope; to provide for the true sale status5 of sales of receivables over exchanges located in Louisiana; to provide for the6 binding effectiveness of Louisiana law to the sales of receivables; to provide for7 buyer ownership rights; to provide for relationship with the Uniform Commercial8 Code; to prohibit the filing or maintaining of certain actions; and to provide for9 related matters.10 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:11 Section 1. Part IV of Chapter 4 of Code Title VII of Code Book III of Title 9 of the12 Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, comprised of R.S. 9:3131.1 through 3131.9, is hereby13 enacted to read as follows:14 PART IV. LOUISIANA EXCHANGE SALE OF RECEIVABLES ACT15 §3131.1. Short title16 This Part shall be known and may be cited as the "Louisiana Exchange17 Sale of Receivables Act".18 §3131.2. Legislative intent19 A. It is the intent of the legislature to encourage and promote businesses20 to offer sellers the ability to sell their receivables to qualified buyers over21 electronic and other types of exchanges located in this state, thereby availing22 themselves of Louisiana civil law principles not found in common law23 jurisdictions, and further availing themselves of the true sale provisions of this24 Part and R.S. 10:9-109(e).25 B. The legislature declares the following actions to be the public policy26 ACT No. 958 SB NO. 256 ENROLLED Page 2 of 8 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. of this state.1 (1) All sales of receivables over exchanges located in Louisiana shall be2 subject to Louisiana law, and specifically subject to this Part and to R.S. 10:9-3 109(e).4 (2) Such sales shall result in true sales for all purposes and not be limited5 to a bankruptcy context.6 (3) Such sales shall not be subject to recharacterization as a simulated7 sale or as a loan, extension of credit, or other credit accommodation by the8 buyer to the seller, notwithstanding that the seller may be obligated to9 repurchase the receivable, or the buyer may have other recourse against the10 seller, if the receivable is not timely paid, and further notwithstanding that the11 seller may be entitled to receive a portion of the collection proceeds.12 C. This Part and R.S. 10:9-109(e) specifically reject common law legal13 theories under which recourse sales of receivables have been recharacterized as14 loans or credit accommodations, as being contrary to Louisiana civil law15 principles that apply to sales of receivables over exchanges located in this state.16 §3131.3. Definitions17 A. For the purposes of this Part, the following terms shall have the18 following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.19 (1) "Buyer" means the person buying a receivable over an exchange20 located in this state.21 (2) "Collection proceeds" means any amounts received or otherwise22 collected from the person owing the receivable, including the account debtor or23 a guarantor of the payment obligation.24 (3) "Consummate" means to complete all agreements, steps and actions25 necessary for a sale of receivables to be deemed to be complete under Louisiana26 law, with ownership of the purchased receivable passing from the seller to the27 buyer.28 (4) "Exchange" means an electronic or other marketplace over which29 sellers may offer and sell their receivables to qualified buyers.30 SB NO. 256 ENROLLED Page 3 of 8 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. (5) "Operational employees" means and refers to employees whose work1 responsibilities are primarily devoted to performing operations-related2 functions related to the exchange and persons transacting business over the3 exchange, as compared to employees whose primary work responsibilities are4 devoted to managerial, marketing, sales, internal accounting and other non-5 operational functions.6 (6) "Receivable" means an account, general intangible, payment7 intangible, chattel paper or instrument as defined under the UCC. Receivables8 shall also include third-party payment obligations that are not subject to the9 UCC. Receivables shall not be limited to United States domestic payment10 obligations, and shall include receivables owed by non-United States persons11 and entities as well as receivables originating out of non-United States12 transactions.13 (7) "Seller" means the person offering a receivable for sale over an14 exchange located in this state.15 (8) "True sale" means a consummated sale of all rights, title and16 interests that the seller may have in a receivable sold over an exchange located17 in this state, with the buyer acquiring all of the seller's rights and interests, and18 with the seller not retaining a legal or equitable interest in the receivables sold.19 (9) "UCC" means the Uniform Commercial Code of any state and the20 comparable laws of foreign non-United States jurisdictions. In Louisiana,21 "UCC" means and refers to Chapter 9 of the Louisiana Uniform Commercial22 Code, R.S. 10:9-101, et seq.23 B. All terms used, but not defined in this Part, shall have the meanings24 found in the UCC, the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, and the Civil Code.25 §3131.4. Scope26 A. This Part shall apply to all sales of receivables over exchanges located27 in this state irrespective of whether the buyer or the seller of the receivable is28 a Louisiana resident, business organization or other entity, provided that the29 buyer and the seller contractually agree that such sales shall be deemed to be30 SB NO. 256 ENROLLED Page 4 of 8 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. consummated in Louisiana subject to Louisiana law, and contractually agree1 that the sales of receivables result in true sales for all purposes.2 B. An exchange shall be conclusively deemed to be located in this state3 when the exchange is owned and operated by a Louisiana business organization4 having fifty percent or more of its operational employees located in this state,5 and such Louisiana business organization declares in an affidavit filed in the6 conveyance office of the parish in which the organization has its principal place7 of business, that the affiant maintains its principal place of business in that8 parish. An exchange owner or operator located in this state may have9 additional sales and other offices, as well as managerial, sales, marketing,10 accounting and other operational and non-operational employees located in11 other jurisdictions, so long as the company has fifty percent or more of its12 operational employees in Louisiana. In the case of an electronic exchange13 conducting exchange business over the Internet or other electronic media, the14 servers and electronic interchanges of the company need not be physically15 located in Louisiana.16 §3131.5. True sales of receivables; not subject to recharacterization; simulation17 articles not applicable18 A. All sales of receivables over exchanges subject to the scope of this19 Part as provided by R.S. 9:3131.4(A) shall conclusively result in consummated20 true sales for all purposes, and not be limited to a bankruptcy context, with the21 buyer acquiring all of the seller's rights, title and interests in and to the traded22 receivables and the collection proceeds thereof, and with the seller retaining no23 vestiges of legal or equitable interest in the receivables sold.24 B. As true sales, sales of receivables over exchanges located in this state25 shall not be subject to recharacterization as loans, extensions of credit, or other26 credit accommodations by the seller to the buyer, notwithstanding that the27 seller may be obligated to repurchase the receivable, or the buyer may28 otherwise have recourse against the seller if the receivable is not paid when due,29 and further notwithstanding that the seller may be entitled to receive a portion30 SB NO. 256 ENROLLED Page 5 of 8 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. of the collection proceeds. Furthermore, sales of receivables over exchanges1 located in this state shall not be construed, under any circumstance, to be a2 simulated sale under the simulation articles of the Civil Code.3 C. (1) The seller's written agreement in the underlying documents that4 the seller absolutely, unconditionally, and irrevocably intends that sales of the5 seller's receivables over an exchange located in this state result in true sales of6 such receivables for all purposes, shall be definitive and binding on the seller,7 and may not be subsequently disavowed or refuted by any of the following8 persons:9 (a) The seller.10 (b) The seller's successors or assigns, or any person acquiring rights11 from or through the seller, including the buyer.12 (c) Past and future owners, directors, officers, employees, agents,13 representatives and attorneys of the seller, or of its successors or assigns, or any14 person acquiring rights from or through the seller.15 (d) The account debtor or any other person obligated to pay the16 receivable.17 (e) All other third persons.18 (2) Any person, including anyone listed in Paragraph (1) of this19 Subsection, attempting to recharacterize a sale of a receivable over an exchange20 located in this state as anything other than a true sale under Louisiana law, shall21 be personally liable and obligated by operation of law to reimburse the buyer22 and the buyer's agents for attorney fees, court costs, arbitration costs, expert23 fees, and out-of-pocket expenses, including but not limited to travel expenses,24 expended in defense of the status of such sale as a true sale under Louisiana law.25 §3131.6. Binding effectiveness of Louisiana law26 A. Louisiana law, and specifically this Part and R.S. 10:9-109(e), shall27 apply to all sales of receivables over exchanges located in this state irrespective28 of the domicile or other location of the buyer or the seller.29 B. (1) The seller's written agreement and choice of law covenant in the30 SB NO. 256 ENROLLED Page 6 of 8 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. underlying documents that Louisiana law shall apply to all sales of the seller's1 receivables over an exchange located in this state, shall be definitive for all2 purposes, and shall be absolutely, unconditionally and irrevocably binding on3 the seller, and shall not be subsequently disavowed or refuted by any of the4 following persons:5 (a) The seller.6 (b) The seller's successors or assigns, or anyone acquiring rights from or7 through the seller, including the buyer.8 (c) Past and future owners, directors, officers, employees, agents,9 representatives and attorneys of the seller, or of its successors or assigns, or10 anyone acquiring rights from or through the seller.11 (d) The account debtor or person obligated to pay the receivable.12 (e) All other third persons.13 (2) Any person, including anyone listed in Paragraph (1) of this14 Subsection, attempting to contest the applicability of Louisiana law and to apply15 the laws of another state or jurisdiction to the sale of the seller's receivables16 over an exchange located in this state, shall be personally liable and obligated17 by operation of law to reimburse the buyer and the buyer's agents for all18 attorney fees, court costs, arbitration costs, expert fees, and out-of-pocket19 expenses, including but not limited to travel expenses expended in defense of the20 status of such a sale as a true sale under Louisiana law.21 C. For the further purpose of applying relevant conflicts of law22 principles, the legislature declares that Louisiana public policy shall be most23 seriously impaired to the extent that the laws of another state or jurisdiction24 might be applied to sales of receivables over exchanges located in Louisiana. 25 As sales of receivables take place in Louisiana over Louisiana-based exchanges,26 Louisiana shall be deemed to have the most significant contact with the27 underlying sales transaction.28 §3131.7. Buyer ownership rights; evidence of ownership29 A. The buyer shall be deemed for all purposes, and not be limited to a30 SB NO. 256 ENROLLED Page 7 of 8 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. bankruptcy context, to be the owner of a receivable purchased over an exchange1 located in this state, with the buyer having the right to all of the following2 actions:3 (1) To collect the receivable from the account debtor or other obligated4 person.5 (2) To resell the receivable to a subsequent buyer.6 (3) To pledge or otherwise grant a security interest in the receivable in7 favor of the buyer's creditor.8 (4) To reflect the receivable as an asset on the buyer's books and records.9 B. To the extent that the owner or operator of an exchange located in10 this state maintains records of sales of receivables over the exchange, such11 records shall serve as the single authoritative record evidencing buyer12 ownership of traded receivables for all purposes.13 §3131.8. Relationship to the UCC14 A. This Part supplements R.S. 10:9-109(e), and shall not be construed15 to implicitly amend or repeal any provision of the UCC, including but not16 limited to R.S. 10:1-201(35), 9-102(72)(D), 9-109(e), 9-301, 9-307, 9-310(a), 9-17 312(a), 9-317 through 9-339, 9-406, 9-501, and 9-607(a)(1).18 B. This Part and R.S. 10:9-109(e) provide for and define the true sale19 status and the state property ownership rights of buyers of receivables20 purchased over exchanges located in this state, and shall not independently21 provide for rules governing perfection, the effects of perfection or22 nonperfection, or the priority rights of buyers of receivables purchased over23 Louisiana based exchanges within the context of R.S. 10:9-301.24 §3131.9. Prohibition of actions 25 A seller shall not maintain an action or have any claim against an owner26 or operator of an exchange located in this state, or against a buyer of the27 receivables, unless there is an agreement in writing setting forth the relevant28 terms and conditions, and the agreement is signed by the seller and the owner29 or operator on its own behalf and as agent for the buyer.30 SB NO. 256 ENROLLED Page 8 of 8 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. Section 2. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not1 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature2 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If3 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become4 effective on the day following such approval.5 PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA APPROVED: