No licensee shall, either by itself or in concert with any of its directors, officers, principal shareholders, or affiliates, any other licensee, or any of the directors, officers, principal shareholders, or affiliates of any other licensee, acquire or hold control of any business firm, except as follows:

(a) Any licensee which has provided financing assistance to a business firm may, if and to the extent necessary to protect its interests as a creditor of, or investor in, such business firm, acquire and hold control of such business firm; provided, however, that such licensee shall divest itself of such control as soon as practicable and in any event within three years after acquiring such control or such longer period as the commissioner may approve.

(b) Any licensee may, with the prior approval of the commissioner, acquire and hold control of a corporation which is licensed as a small business investment company under the Small Business Investment Act of 1958.

(c) Any licensee may, with the prior approval of the commissioner, acquire and hold control of a corporation which is licensed as a personal property broker under Division 9 (commencing with Section 22000).

(d) Any licensee may, with the prior approval of the commissioner, acquire and hold control of a corporation which transacts business as a local development company in accordance with all applicable provisions of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 and of the regulations of the Small Business Administration.

(Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 1064, Sec. 658. Effective January 1, 1997. Operative July 1, 1997.)