The following definitions apply to this subpart and the forms prescribed under this subpart:

(a) Association members or members are persons who, under applicable law, are eligible to vote at the meeting on conversion.

(b) Eligibility record date is the date for determining eligible account holders. The eligibility record date must be at least one year before the date that the board of directors adopts the plan of conversion.

(c) Eligible account holders are any persons holding qualifying deposits on the eligibility record date.

(d) IRS is the United States Internal Revenue Service.

(e) Local community includes:

(1) Every county, parish, or similar governmental subdivision in which the mutual holding company has a home or branch office;

(2) Each county's, parish's, or subdivision's metropolitan statistical area;

(3) All zip code areas in the mutual holding company's Community Reinvestment Act assessment area; and

(4) Any other area or category the mutual holding company sets out in its plan of conversion, as approved by the Board.

(f) Mutual holding company has the same meaning in this subpart as that term is given in subpart A. For purposes of this subpart, references to mutual holding company shall also include a resulting stock holding company, where applicable.

(g) Offer, offer to sell, or offer for sale is an attempt or offer to dispose of, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, a security or interest in a security for value. Preliminary negotiations or agreements with an underwriter, or among underwriters who are or will be in privity of contract with the mutual holding company or resulting stock holding company, are not offers, offers to sell, or offers for sale.

(h) Proxy soliciting material includes a proxy statement, form of proxy, or other written or oral communication regarding the conversion.

(i) Purchase or buy includes every contract to acquire a security or interest in a security for value.

(j) Qualifying deposit is the total balance in an account holder's savings accounts at the close of business on the eligibility or supplemental eligibility record date. The mutual holding company's plan of conversion may provide that only savings accounts with total deposit balances of $50 or more will qualify.

(k) Resulting stock holding company means the stock savings and loan holding company that is issuing stock in connection with conversion of a mutual holding company pursuant to this subpart.

(l) Sale or sell includes every contract to dispose of a security or interest in a security for value. An exchange of securities in a merger or acquisition approved by the Board is not a sale.

(m) Solicitation and solicit is a request for a proxy, whether or not accompanied by or included in a form of proxy; a request to execute, not execute, or revoke a proxy; or the furnishing of a form of proxy or other communication reasonably calculated to cause the members to procure, withhold, or revoke a proxy. Solicitation or solicit does not include providing a form of proxy at the unsolicited request of a member, the acts required to mail communications for members, or ministerial acts performed on behalf of a person soliciting a proxy.

(n) Subscription offering is the offering of shares through nontransferable subscription rights to:

(1) Eligible account holders under §239.59(h);

(2) Tax-qualified employee stock ownership plans under §239.59(m);

(3) Supplemental eligible account holders under §239.59(h); and

(4) Other voting members under §239.59(j).

(o) Supplemental eligibility record date is the date for determining supplemental eligible account holders. The supplemental eligibility record date is the last day of the calendar quarter before the Board approves the conversion and will occur only if the Board has not approved the conversion within 15 months of the eligibility record date.

(p) Supplemental eligible account holders are any persons, except officers, directors, and their associates of the mutual holding company or subsidiary savings association, holding qualifying deposits on the supplemental eligibility record date.

(q) Underwriter is any person who purchases any securities from the mutual holding company or resulting stock holding company with a view to distributing the securities, offers or sells securities for the mutual stock holding company or resulting stock holding company in connection with the securities' distribution, or participates or has a direct or indirect participation in the direct or indirect underwriting of any such undertaking. Underwriter does not include a person whose interest is limited to a usual and customary distributor's or seller's commission from an underwriter or dealer.