(a) General rule.--Under such regulations as the commission may prescribe, every public utility, before it shall issue or assume securities, shall file with the commission and receive from it, notice of registration of a document to be known as a securities certificate.

(b) Issuance of securities defined.--Issuance of securities includes any act of a public utility executing, causing to be authenticated, delivering or making any change or extension in any term, condition or date of, any stock certificate, or other evidence of equitable interest in itself or any bond, note, trust certificate or other evidence of indebtedness of itself. Issuance of securities does not include the execution, authentication or delivery of the following:

(1) Securities to replace identical securities lost, mutilated or destroyed while in the ownership of a bona fide holder-for-value who properly indemnifies the public utility therefor.

(2) Securities in exchange for the surrender of identical securities, solely for the purpose of registering or facilitating changes in the ownership thereof between bona fide holders-for-value, which surrendered securities are thereupon cancelled.

(3) Securities from the treasury of the public utility previously reacquired from bona fide holders-for-value and held alive.

(4) Any evidence of indebtedness, the date of maturity of which is at a period of less than one year from the date of its execution.

(5) Any evidence of indebtedness for which no date of maturity is fixed but which matures upon demand of the holder.

(6) Any evidence of indebtedness in the nature of a contract between a public utility and a vendor of equipment wherein the public utility promises to pay installments upon the purchase price of equipment acquired and which is not in the form of an equipment trust certificate or similar instrument readily marketable to the general public.

(c) Assumption of securities defined.--Assumption of securities includes any act of a public utility assuming primary or contingent liability for the payment of any dividends upon any stocks or of any principal or interest of any indebtedness, created or incurred by any other person or corporation. Assumption of securities does not include the acquisition of all property of the issuing company by the assuming company as provided in section 1102(3) (relating to enumeration of acts requiring certificate) if the approval of the commission is obtained.