Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request, 46375-46376 [2015-18886]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 149 / Tuesday, August 4, 2015 / Notices different from or less advantageous than that of other participants. tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Sales Charge) uniformly to all shareholders in a given class and consistently with the requirements of rule 22d–1 under the Act. Asset-Based Distribution Fees 1. Section 17(d) of the Act and rule 17d–1 under the Act prohibit an affiliated person of a registered investment company or an affiliated person of such person, acting as principal, from participating in or effecting any transaction in connection with any joint enterprise or joint arrangement in which the investment company participates unless the Commission issues an order permitting the transaction. In reviewing applications submitted under section 17(d) and rule 17d–1, the Commission considers whether the participation of the investment company in a joint enterprise or joint arrangement is consistent with the provisions, policies and purposes of the Act, and the extent to which the participation is on a basis different from or less advantageous than that of other participants. 2. Rule 17d–3 under the Act provides an exemption from section 17(d) and rule 17d–1 to permit open-end investment companies to enter into distribution arrangements pursuant to rule 12b–1 under the Act. Applicants request an order under section 17(d) and rule 17d–1 under the Act to the extent necessary to permit the Fund to impose asset-based service and/or distribution fees. Applicants have agreed to comply with rules 12b–1 and 17d–3 as if those rules applied to closed-end investment companies, which they believe will resolve any concerns that might arise in connection with a Fund financing the distribution of its Shares through assetbased distribution fees. 3. For the reasons stated above, applicants submit that the exemptions requested under section 6(c) are necessary and appropriate in the public interest and are consistent with the protection of investors and the purposes fairly intended by the policy and provisions of the Act. Applicants further submit that the relief requested pursuant to section 23(c)(3) is consistent with the protection of investors and insures that applicants do not unfairly discriminate against any holders of the class or classes of securities to be purchased. Finally, applicants submit that the requested relief meets the standards for relief in section 17(d) of the Act and rule 17d–1 thereunder. Applicants state that the Funds’ imposition of asset-based distribution fees is consistent with the provisions, policies and purposes of the Act and does not involve participation on a basis VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:45 Aug 03, 2015 Jkt 235001 46375 contact the Office of the Secretary at (202) 551–5400. Applicants’ Condition Applicants agree that any order granting the requested relief will be subject to the following condition: Applicants will comply with the provisions of rules 6c–10, 12b–1, 17d– 3, 18f–3, and 22d–1 under the Act, as amended from time to time or replaced, as if those rules applied to closed-end management investment companies, and will comply with the NASD Conduct Rule 2830, as amended from time to time, as if that rule applied to all closed-end management investment companies. Dated: July 30, 2015. Brent J. Fields, Secretary. For the Commission, by the Division of Investment Management, under delegated authority. Robert W. Errett, Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. 2015–19014 Filed 8–3–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8011–01–P SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Sunshine Act Meeting Notice is hereby given, pursuant to the provisions of the Government in the Sunshine Act, Public Law 94–409, that the Securities and Exchange Commission will hold a Closed Meeting on Thursday, August 6, 2015 at 2 p.m. Commissioners, Counsel to the Commissioners, the Secretary to the Commission, and recording secretaries will attend the Closed Meeting. Certain staff members who have an interest in the matters also may be present. The General Counsel of the Commission, or her designee, has certified that, in her opinion, one or more of the exemptions set forth in 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(3), (5), (7), 9(B) and (10) and 17 CFR 200.402(a)(3), (5), (7), 9(ii) and (10), permit consideration of the scheduled matter at the Closed Meeting. Commissioner Gallagher, as duty officer, voted to consider the items listed for the Closed Meeting in closed session. The subject matter of the Closed Meeting will be: Settlement of injunctive actions; Institution and settlement of administrative proceedings; Consideration of amicus participation; and Other matters relating to enforcement proceedings. At times, changes in Commission priorities require alterations in the scheduling of meeting items. For further information and to ascertain what, if any, matters have been added, deleted or postponed, please PO 00000 Frm 00142 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 [FR Doc. 2015–19188 Filed 7–31–15; 4:15 pm] BILLING CODE 8011–01–P SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request Upon Written Request, Copies Available From: Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of FOIA Services, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549–2736. Extension: Rule 23c–3 and Form N–23c–3, SEC File No. 270–373, OMB Control No. 3235– 0422. Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et. seq.), the Securities and Exchange Commission (the ‘‘Commission’’) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (‘‘OMB’’) a request for extension of the previously approved collection of information discussed below. Rule 23c–3 (17 CFR 270.23c–3) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a–1 et seq.) permits a registered closed-end investment company (‘‘closed-end fund’’ or ‘‘fund’’) that meets certain requirements to repurchase common stock of which it is the issuer from shareholders at periodic intervals, pursuant to repurchase offers made to all holders of the stock. The rule enables these funds to offer their shareholders a limited ability to resell their shares in a manner that previously was available only to open-end investment company shareholders. To protect shareholders, a closed-end fund that relies on rule 23c–3 must send shareholders a notification that contains specified information each time the fund makes a repurchase offer (on a quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis, or, for certain funds, on a discretionary basis not more often than every two years). The fund also must file copies of the shareholder notification with the Commission (electronically through the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval System (‘‘EDGAR’’)) on Form N–23c–3, a filing that provides certain information about the fund and the type of offer the fund is making.1 The fund 1 Form N–23c–3, entitled ‘‘Notification of Repurchase Offer Pursuant to Rule 23c–3,’’ requires E:\FR\FM\04AUN1.SGM Continued 04AUN1 tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 46376 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 149 / Tuesday, August 4, 2015 / Notices must describe in its annual report to shareholders the fund’s policy concerning repurchase offers and the results of any repurchase offers made during the reporting period. The fund’s board of directors must adopt written procedures designed to ensure that the fund’s investment portfolio is sufficiently liquid to meet its repurchase obligations and other obligations under the rule. The board periodically must review the composition of the fund’s portfolio and change the liquidity procedures as necessary. The fund also must file copies of advertisements and other sales literature with the Commission as if it were an open-end investment company subject to section 24 of the Investment Company Act (15 U.S.C. 80a–24) and the rules that implement section 24. Rule 24b–3 under the Investment Company Act (17 CFR 270.24b–3), however, exempts the fund from that requirement if the materials are filed instead with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (‘‘FINRA’’). The requirement that the fund send a notification to shareholders of each offer is intended to ensure that a fund provides material information to shareholders about the terms of each offer. The requirement that copies be sent to the Commission is intended to enable the Commission to monitor the fund’s compliance with the notification requirement. The requirement that the shareholder notification be attached to Form N–23c–3 is intended to ensure that the fund provides basic information necessary for the Commission to process the notification and to monitor the fund’s use of repurchase offers. The requirement that the fund describe its current policy on repurchase offers and the results of recent offers in the annual shareholder report is intended to provide shareholders current information about the fund’s repurchase policies and its recent experience. The requirement that the board approve and review written procedures designed to maintain portfolio liquidity is intended to ensure that the fund has enough cash or liquid securities to meet its repurchase obligations, and that written procedures are available for review by shareholders and examination by the Commission. The requirement that the fund file advertisements and sales literature as if it were an open-end fund is intended to facilitate the review of these materials by the Commission or FINRA to prevent incomplete, the fund to state its registration number, its full name and address, the date of the accompanying shareholder notification, and the type of offer being made (periodic, discretionary, or both). VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:45 Aug 03, 2015 Jkt 235001 inaccurate, or misleading disclosure about the special characteristics of a closed-end fund that makes periodic repurchase offers. Based on staff experience, the Commission staff estimates that 21 funds make use of rule 23c–3 annually, including six funds that are relying upon rule 23c–3 for the first time. The Commission staff estimates that on average a fund spends 89 hours annually in complying with the requirements of the rule and Form N– 23c–3, with funds relying upon rule 23c–3 for the first time incurring an additional one-time burden of 28 hours. The Commission therefore estimates the total annual burden of the rule’s and form’s paperwork requirements to be 2,037 hours. In addition to the burden hours, the Commission estimates that the average yearly cost to each fund that relies on rule 23c–3 to print and mail repurchase offers to shareholders is approximately $29,966.50. The Commission estimates total annual cost is therefore approximately $629,297. Estimates of the average burden hours and costs are made solely for the purposes of the Paperwork Reduction Act and are not derived from a comprehensive or even representative survey or study of the costs of Commission rules and forms. Compliance with the collection of information requirements of the rule and form is mandatory only for those funds that rely on the rule in order to repurchase shares of the fund. The information provided to the Commission on Form N–23c–3 will not be kept confidential. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The public may view the background documentation for this information collection at the following Web site, www.reginfo.gov. Comments should be directed to: (i) Desk Officer for the Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Room 10102, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503, or by sending an email to: Shagufta_ Ahmed@omb.eop.gov; and (ii) Pamela Dyson, Director/Chief Information Officer, Securities and Exchange Commission, c/o Remi Pavlik-Simon, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549 or send an email to: PRA_Mailbox@ sec.gov. Comments must be submitted to OMB within 30 days of this notice. PO 00000 Frm 00143 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Dated: July 28, 2015. Robert W. Errett, Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. 2015–18886 Filed 8–3–15; 08:45 am] BILLING CODE 8011–01–P SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Announcement of 2016 InnovateHER: Innovating for Women Business Challenge U.S. Small Business Administration. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is conducting the second year of the InnovateHER: Innovating for Women Challenge (the Challenge), pursuant to the America Competes Act, for entrepreneurs to create a product or service that has a measurable impact on the lives of women and families, has the potential for commercialization, and fills a need in the marketplace. DATES: The Challenge launches on August 4, 2015. The initial round of the Challenge will take the form of local competitions that will be run across the country beginning August 5, 2015 and ending no later than December 2, 2015. The host organizations running the local competitions must select and submit one winner from each local competition to SBA, along with a Nomination package, no later than December 3, 2015. SBA will then select up to ten Finalists. The Top 3 Winners will be announced no later than March 17, 2016 following a live pitch competition. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Heather Young, Office of Entrepreneurial Development, U.S. Small Business Administration, 409 Third Street SW., 6th Floor, Washington, DC 20416, (202) 205–7430, womenbusiness@sba.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 1. Subject of Challenge Competition: The SBA is looking for innovative products and services that help impact and empower the lives of women and families. We know that our workforce looks very different from 50 years ago. Women now make up nearly half of the labor force and play a critical role in our nation’s economic prosperity. Most children live in households where all parents work. And as our population ages, families are increasingly caring for aging parents while balancing the needs of work and home. As the demands on women and families grow, the need for products and services that address these unique challenges increases. This SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\04AUN1.SGM 04AUN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 149 (Tuesday, August 4, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46375-46376]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-18886]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Upon Written Request, Copies Available From: Securities and Exchange 
Commission, Office of FOIA Services, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 
20549-2736.

Extension:
    Rule 23c-3 and Form N-23c-3, SEC File No. 270-373, OMB Control 
No. 3235-0422.

    Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et. seq.), the Securities and Exchange 
Commission (the ``Commission'') has submitted to the Office of 
Management and Budget (``OMB'') a request for extension of the 
previously approved collection of information discussed below.
    Rule 23c-3 (17 CFR 270.23c-3) under the Investment Company Act of 
1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-1 et seq.) permits a registered closed-end 
investment company (``closed-end fund'' or ``fund'') that meets certain 
requirements to repurchase common stock of which it is the issuer from 
shareholders at periodic intervals, pursuant to repurchase offers made 
to all holders of the stock. The rule enables these funds to offer 
their shareholders a limited ability to resell their shares in a manner 
that previously was available only to open-end investment company 
shareholders. To protect shareholders, a closed-end fund that relies on 
rule 23c-3 must send shareholders a notification that contains 
specified information each time the fund makes a repurchase offer (on a 
quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis, or, for certain funds, on a 
discretionary basis not more often than every two years). The fund also 
must file copies of the shareholder notification with the Commission 
(electronically through the Commission's Electronic Data Gathering, 
Analysis, and Retrieval System (``EDGAR'')) on Form N-23c-3, a filing 
that provides certain information about the fund and the type of offer 
the fund is making.\1\ The fund

[[Page 46376]]

must describe in its annual report to shareholders the fund's policy 
concerning repurchase offers and the results of any repurchase offers 
made during the reporting period. The fund's board of directors must 
adopt written procedures designed to ensure that the fund's investment 
portfolio is sufficiently liquid to meet its repurchase obligations and 
other obligations under the rule. The board periodically must review 
the composition of the fund's portfolio and change the liquidity 
procedures as necessary. The fund also must file copies of 
advertisements and other sales literature with the Commission as if it 
were an open-end investment company subject to section 24 of the 
Investment Company Act (15 U.S.C. 80a-24) and the rules that implement 
section 24. Rule 24b-3 under the Investment Company Act (17 CFR 
270.24b-3), however, exempts the fund from that requirement if the 
materials are filed instead with the Financial Industry Regulatory 
Authority (``FINRA'').
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Form N-23c-3, entitled ``Notification of Repurchase Offer 
Pursuant to Rule 23c-3,'' requires the fund to state its 
registration number, its full name and address, the date of the 
accompanying shareholder notification, and the type of offer being 
made (periodic, discretionary, or both).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The requirement that the fund send a notification to shareholders 
of each offer is intended to ensure that a fund provides material 
information to shareholders about the terms of each offer. The 
requirement that copies be sent to the Commission is intended to enable 
the Commission to monitor the fund's compliance with the notification 
requirement. The requirement that the shareholder notification be 
attached to Form N-23c-3 is intended to ensure that the fund provides 
basic information necessary for the Commission to process the 
notification and to monitor the fund's use of repurchase offers. The 
requirement that the fund describe its current policy on repurchase 
offers and the results of recent offers in the annual shareholder 
report is intended to provide shareholders current information about 
the fund's repurchase policies and its recent experience. The 
requirement that the board approve and review written procedures 
designed to maintain portfolio liquidity is intended to ensure that the 
fund has enough cash or liquid securities to meet its repurchase 
obligations, and that written procedures are available for review by 
shareholders and examination by the Commission. The requirement that 
the fund file advertisements and sales literature as if it were an 
open-end fund is intended to facilitate the review of these materials 
by the Commission or FINRA to prevent incomplete, inaccurate, or 
misleading disclosure about the special characteristics of a closed-end 
fund that makes periodic repurchase offers.
    Based on staff experience, the Commission staff estimates that 21 
funds make use of rule 23c-3 annually, including six funds that are 
relying upon rule 23c-3 for the first time. The Commission staff 
estimates that on average a fund spends 89 hours annually in complying 
with the requirements of the rule and Form N-23c-3, with funds relying 
upon rule 23c-3 for the first time incurring an additional one-time 
burden of 28 hours. The Commission therefore estimates the total annual 
burden of the rule's and form's paperwork requirements to be 2,037 
hours. In addition to the burden hours, the Commission estimates that 
the average yearly cost to each fund that relies on rule 23c-3 to print 
and mail repurchase offers to shareholders is approximately $29,966.50. 
The Commission estimates total annual cost is therefore approximately 
$629,297.
    Estimates of the average burden hours and costs are made solely for 
the purposes of the Paperwork Reduction Act and are not derived from a 
comprehensive or even representative survey or study of the costs of 
Commission rules and forms. Compliance with the collection of 
information requirements of the rule and form is mandatory only for 
those funds that rely on the rule in order to repurchase shares of the 
fund. The information provided to the Commission on Form N-23c-3 will 
not be kept confidential. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a 
person is not required to respond to, a collection of information 
unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

    The public may view the background documentation for this 
information collection at the following Web site, www.reginfo.gov. 
Comments should be directed to: (i) Desk Officer for the Securities and 
Exchange Commission, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Office of Management and Budget, Room 10102, New Executive Office 
Building, Washington, DC 20503, or by sending an email to: 
Shagufta_Ahmed@omb.eop.gov; and (ii) Pamela Dyson, Director/Chief 
Information Officer, Securities and Exchange Commission, c/o Remi 
Pavlik-Simon, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549 or send an email 
to: PRA_Mailbox@sec.gov.

    Comments must be submitted to OMB within 30 days of this notice.

    Dated: July 28, 2015.
Robert W. Errett,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-18886 Filed 8-3-15; 08:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P
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