Ensuring Quality Information and Transparency for Abroad-Based Listings on our Exchanges Act or the EQUITABLE Act This bill generally restricts the use of a foreign public accounting firm by a foreign issuer of securities. The bill requires certain disclosures from a foreign issuer of securities that uses, for its required audit report to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), a foreign public accounting firm that is not subject to inspection by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. If an issuer uses such a foreign public accounting firm, the issuer is generally prohibited from listing its securities on a national securities exchange. Specifically, an issuer that is not currently listed on an exchange and uses such a firm may not be listed. A currently-listed issuer will be delisted beginning in 2025 if the issuer uses such a firm for three consecutive years.
Accounting and auditingAdministrative law and regulatory proceduresAsiaBanking and financial institutions regulationBusiness recordsChinaFinancial services and investmentsForeign and international corporationsGovernment information and archivesPolitical parties and affiliationSecuritiesSecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC)U.S. and foreign investments
EQUITABLE Act
USA116th CongressS-1731| Senate
| Updated: 6/5/2019
Ensuring Quality Information and Transparency for Abroad-Based Listings on our Exchanges Act or the EQUITABLE Act This bill generally restricts the use of a foreign public accounting firm by a foreign issuer of securities. The bill requires certain disclosures from a foreign issuer of securities that uses, for its required audit report to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), a foreign public accounting firm that is not subject to inspection by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. If an issuer uses such a foreign public accounting firm, the issuer is generally prohibited from listing its securities on a national securities exchange. Specifically, an issuer that is not currently listed on an exchange and uses such a firm may not be listed. A currently-listed issuer will be delisted beginning in 2025 if the issuer uses such a firm for three consecutive years.
Accounting and auditingAdministrative law and regulatory proceduresAsiaBanking and financial institutions regulationBusiness recordsChinaFinancial services and investmentsForeign and international corporationsGovernment information and archivesPolitical parties and affiliationSecuritiesSecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC)U.S. and foreign investments