Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request, 47264-47265 [2017-21910]

Download as PDF 47264 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 195 / Wednesday, October 11, 2017 / Notices 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549–2736 SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Sunshine Act Meetings Investor Advisory Committee will hold a meeting 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 12, 2017. PLACE: Multi-Purpose Room LL–006 at the Commission’s headquarters, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549. STATUS: This meeting will be open to the public. Seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors will open at 9:00 a.m. Visitors will be subject to security checks. The meeting will be webcast on the Commission’s Web site at www.sec.gov. MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: On September 12, 2017, the Commission issued notice of the Committee meeting (Release No. 33–10412), indicating that the meeting is open to the public (except during that portion of the meeting reserved for an administrative work session during lunch), and inviting the public to submit written comments to the Committee. This Sunshine Act notice is being issued because a quorum of the Commission may attend the meeting. The agenda for the meeting includes: Remarks from Commissioners; a discussion regarding blockchain and other distributed ledger technology and implications for securities markets; an overview of law school clinic advocacy efforts on behalf of retail investors; a discussion regarding electronic delivery of information to retail investors (which may include a recommendation of the Investor as Purchaser Subcommittee); subcommittee reports; and a nonpublic administrative work session during lunch. CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION: For further information and to ascertain what, if any, matters have been added, deleted or postponed; please contact Brent J. Fields from the Office of the Secretary at (202) 551–5400. TIME AND DATE: Dated: October 5, 2017. Brent J. Fields, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2017–21988 Filed 10–6–17; 11:15 am] asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES BILLING CODE 8011–01–P SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request Upon Written Request, Copies Available From: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of FOIA Services, VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:58 Oct 10, 2017 Jkt 244001 Extension: Rule 15g–2, SEC File No. 270–381, OMB Control No. 3235–0434 Notice is hereby given that pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) (‘‘PRA’’), the Securities and Exchange Commission (‘‘Commission’’) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (‘‘OMB’’) a request for extension of the previously approved collection of information provided for in Rule 15g–2 (17 CFR 240.15g–2) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78a et seq.) (‘‘Exchange Act’’). Rule 15g–2 (The ‘‘Penny Stock Disclosure Rule’’) requires broker-dealers to provide their customers with a risk disclosure document, as set forth in Schedule 15G, prior to their first non-exempt transaction in a ‘‘penny stock.’’ As amended, the rule requires brokerdealers to obtain written acknowledgement from the customer that he or she has received the required risk disclosure document. The amended rule also requires broker-dealers to maintain a copy of the customer’s written acknowledgement for at least three years following the date on which the risk disclosure document was provided to the customer, the first two years in an accessible place. Rule 15g– 2 also requires a broker-dealer, upon request of a customer, to furnish the customer with a copy of certain information set forth on the Commission’s Web site. The risk disclosure documents are for the benefit of the customers, to assure that they are aware of the risks of trading in ‘‘penny stocks’’ before they enter into a transaction. The risk disclosure documents are maintained by the broker-dealers and may be reviewed during the course of an examination by the Commission. There are approximately 198 brokerdealers that could potentially be subject to current Rule 15g–2. The Commission estimates that approximately 5% of registered broker-dealers are engaged in penny stock transactions, and thereby subject to the Rule (5% × approximately 3,969 registered broker-dealers = 198 broker-dealers). The Commission estimates that each one of these firms processes an average of three new customers for penny stocks per week. Thus, each respondent processes approximately 156 penny stock disclosure documents per year. If communications in tangible form alone are used to satisfy the requirements of Rule 15g–2, then the copying and mailing of the penny stock disclosure PO 00000 Frm 00094 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 document takes no more than two minutes. Thus, the total associated burden is approximately 2 minutes per response, or an aggregate total of 312 minutes per respondent. Since there are 198 respondents, the current annual burden is 61,776 minutes (312 minutes per each of the 198 respondents) or 1,030 hours for this third party disclosure burden. In addition, brokerdealers incur a recordkeeping burden of approximately two minutes per response when filing the completed penny stock disclosure documents as required pursuant to the Rule 15(g)(2)(c), which requires a brokerdealer to preserve a copy of the written acknowledgement pursuant to Rule 17a–4(b) of the Exchange Act. Since there are approximately 156 responses for each respondent, the respondents incur an aggregate recordkeeping burden of 61,776 minutes (198 respondents × 156 responses for each × 2 minutes per response) or 1,030 hours, under Rule 15g–2. Accordingly, the current aggregate annual hour burden associated with Rule 15g–2 (assuming that all respondents provide tangible copies of the required documents) is approximately 2,060 hours (1,030 third party disclosure hours + 1,030 recordkeeping hours). The burden hours associated with Rule 15g–2 may be slightly reduced when the penny stock disclosure document required under the rule is provided through electronic means such as email from the broker-dealer (e.g., the broker-dealer respondent may take only one minute, instead of the two minutes estimated above, to provide the penny stock disclosure document by email to its customer). In this regard, if each of the customer respondents estimated above communicates with his or her broker-dealer electronically, the total ongoing respondent burden is approximately 1 minute per response, or an aggregate total of 156 minutes (156 customers × 1 minutes per respondent). Assuming 198 respondents, the annual third party disclosure burden, if electronic communications were used by all customers, is 30,888 minutes (156 minutes per each of the 198 respondents) or 515 hours. If all respondents were to use electronic means, the recordkeeping burden would be 61,776 minutes or 1,030 hours (the same as above). Thus, if all brokerdealer respondents obtain and send the documents required under the rules electronically, the aggregate annual hour burden associated with Rule 15g–2 is 1,545 (515 hours + 1,030 hours). In addition, if the penny stock customer requests a paper copy of the information on the Commission’s Web E:\FR\FM\11OCN1.SGM 11OCN1 asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 195 / Wednesday, October 11, 2017 / Notices site regarding microcap securities, including penny stocks, from his or her broker-dealer, the printing and mailing of the document containing this information takes no more than two minutes per customer. Because many investors have access to the Commission’s Web site via computers located in their homes, or in easily accessible public places such as libraries, then, at most, a quarter of customers who are required to receive the Rule 15g–2 disclosure document request that their broker-dealer provide them with the additional microcap and penny stock information posted on the Commission’s Web site. Thus, each broker-dealer respondent processes approximately 39 requests for paper copies of this information per year or an aggregate total of 78 minutes per respondent (2 minutes per customer × 39 requests per respondent). Since there are 198 respondents, the estimated annual burden is 15,444 minutes (78 minutes per each of the 198 respondents) or 257 hours. This is a third party disclosure type of burden. We have no way of knowing how many broker-dealers and customers will choose to communicate electronically. Assuming that 50 percent of respondents continue to provide documents and obtain signatures in tangible form and 50 percent choose to communicate electronically to satisfy the requirements of Rule 15g–2, the total aggregate burden hours would be 2,060 ((aggregate burden hours for sending disclosure documents and obtaining signed customer acknowledgments in tangible form × 0.50 of the respondents = 1,030 hours) + (aggregate burden hours for electronically signed and transmitted documents × 0.50 of the respondents = 773 hours) + (257 burden hours for those customers making requests for a copy of the information on the Commission’s Web site)). The Commission does not maintain the risk disclosure document. Instead, it must be retained by the broker-dealer for at least three years following the date on which the risk disclosure document was provided to the customer, the first two years in an accessible place. The collection of information required by the rule is mandatory. The risk disclosure document is otherwise governed by the internal policies of the broker-dealer regarding confidentiality, etc. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information under the PRA unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The public may view background documentation for this information VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:58 Oct 10, 2017 Jkt 244001 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 by sending an email to: PRA_ Mailbox@sec.gov. Comments must be submitted to OMB within 30 days of this notice. Dated: October 4, 2017. Eduardo A. Aleman, Assistant Secretary. [FR Doc. 2017–21910 Filed 10–10–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8011–01–P SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Sunshine Act Meetings 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 11, 2017. PLACE: Closed Commission Hearing Room. STATUS: This meeting will be closed to the public. MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: 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 his designee, has certified that, in his 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), (a)(5), (a)(7), (a)(9)(ii) and (a)(10), permit consideration of the scheduled matters at the closed meeting. Commissioner Stein, as duty officer, voted to consider the items listed for the closed meeting in closed session. The subject matters of the closed meeting will be: Institution and settlement of injunctive actions; Institution and settlement of administrative proceedings; and Other matters relating to enforcement proceedings. CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION: At times, changes in Commission priorities require alterations in the scheduling of meeting items. For further information and to ascertain what, if TIME AND DATE: PO 00000 Frm 00095 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 47265 any, matters have been added, deleted or postponed; please contact Brent J. Fields from the Office of the Secretary at (202) 551–5400. Dated: October 4, 2017. Brent J. Fields, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2017–21987 Filed 10–6–17; 11:15 am] BILLING CODE 8011–01–P SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION [Release No. 34–81815; File No. SRBatsBZX–2017–58] Self-Regulatory Organizations; Bats BZX Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing of a Proposed Rule Change To List and Trade Shares of the CBOE S&P 500® Dividend Aristocrats® Target Income Index ETF Under the ETF Series Solutions Trust, Under Rule 14.11(c)(3), Index Fund Shares October 4, 2017. Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (‘‘Act’’),1 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,2 notice is hereby given that on September 19, 2017, Bats BZX Exchange, Inc. (the ‘‘Exchange’’ or ‘‘BZX’’) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (‘‘Commission’’) the proposed rule change as described in Items I and II below, which Items have been prepared by the Exchange. The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments on the proposed rule change from interested persons. I. Self-Regulatory Organization’s Statement of the Terms of Substance of the Proposed Rule Change The Exchange filed a proposal to list and trade shares of the CBOE S&P 500 ® Dividend Aristocrats® Target Income Index ETF under the ETF Series Solutions Trust (the ‘‘Trust’’), under Rule 14.11(c)(3) (‘‘Index Fund Shares’’). The text of the proposed rule change is available at the Exchange’s Web site at www.bats.com, at the principal office of the Exchange, and at the Commission’s Public Reference Room. II. Self-Regulatory Organization’s Statement of the Purpose of, and Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change In its filing with the Commission, the Exchange included statements concerning the purpose of and basis for the proposed rule change and discussed any comments it received on the 1 15 2 17 E:\FR\FM\11OCN1.SGM U.S.C. 78s(b)(1). CFR 240.19b–4. 11OCN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 195 (Wednesday, October 11, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47264-47265]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-21910]


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

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

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

Extension:
    Rule 15g-2, SEC File No. 270-381, OMB Control No. 3235-0434

    Notice is hereby given that pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) (``PRA''), the Securities and Exchange 
Commission (``Commission'') has submitted to the Office of Management 
and Budget (``OMB'') a request for extension of the previously approved 
collection of information provided for in Rule 15g-2 (17 CFR 240.15g-2) 
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78a et seq.) 
(``Exchange Act''). Rule 15g-2 (The ``Penny Stock Disclosure Rule'') 
requires broker-dealers to provide their customers with a risk 
disclosure document, as set forth in Schedule 15G, prior to their first 
non-exempt transaction in a ``penny stock.'' As amended, the rule 
requires broker-dealers to obtain written acknowledgement from the 
customer that he or she has received the required risk disclosure 
document. The amended rule also requires broker-dealers to maintain a 
copy of the customer's written acknowledgement for at least three years 
following the date on which the risk disclosure document was provided 
to the customer, the first two years in an accessible place. Rule 15g-2 
also requires a broker-dealer, upon request of a customer, to furnish 
the customer with a copy of certain information set forth on the 
Commission's Web site.
    The risk disclosure documents are for the benefit of the customers, 
to assure that they are aware of the risks of trading in ``penny 
stocks'' before they enter into a transaction. The risk disclosure 
documents are maintained by the broker-dealers and may be reviewed 
during the course of an examination by the Commission.
    There are approximately 198 broker-dealers that could potentially 
be subject to current Rule 15g-2. The Commission estimates that 
approximately 5% of registered broker-dealers are engaged in penny 
stock transactions, and thereby subject to the Rule (5% x approximately 
3,969 registered broker-dealers = 198 broker-dealers). The Commission 
estimates that each one of these firms processes an average of three 
new customers for penny stocks per week. Thus, each respondent 
processes approximately 156 penny stock disclosure documents per year. 
If communications in tangible form alone are used to satisfy the 
requirements of Rule 15g-2, then the copying and mailing of the penny 
stock disclosure document takes no more than two minutes. Thus, the 
total associated burden is approximately 2 minutes per response, or an 
aggregate total of 312 minutes per respondent. Since there are 198 
respondents, the current annual burden is 61,776 minutes (312 minutes 
per each of the 198 respondents) or 1,030 hours for this third party 
disclosure burden. In addition, broker-dealers incur a recordkeeping 
burden of approximately two minutes per response when filing the 
completed penny stock disclosure documents as required pursuant to the 
Rule 15(g)(2)(c), which requires a broker-dealer to preserve a copy of 
the written acknowledgement pursuant to Rule 17a-4(b) of the Exchange 
Act. Since there are approximately 156 responses for each respondent, 
the respondents incur an aggregate recordkeeping burden of 61,776 
minutes (198 respondents x 156 responses for each x 2 minutes per 
response) or 1,030 hours, under Rule 15g-2. Accordingly, the current 
aggregate annual hour burden associated with Rule 15g-2 (assuming that 
all respondents provide tangible copies of the required documents) is 
approximately 2,060 hours (1,030 third party disclosure hours + 1,030 
recordkeeping hours).
    The burden hours associated with Rule 15g-2 may be slightly reduced 
when the penny stock disclosure document required under the rule is 
provided through electronic means such as email from the broker-dealer 
(e.g., the broker-dealer respondent may take only one minute, instead 
of the two minutes estimated above, to provide the penny stock 
disclosure document by email to its customer). In this regard, if each 
of the customer respondents estimated above communicates with his or 
her broker-dealer electronically, the total ongoing respondent burden 
is approximately 1 minute per response, or an aggregate total of 156 
minutes (156 customers x 1 minutes per respondent). Assuming 198 
respondents, the annual third party disclosure burden, if electronic 
communications were used by all customers, is 30,888 minutes (156 
minutes per each of the 198 respondents) or 515 hours. If all 
respondents were to use electronic means, the recordkeeping burden 
would be 61,776 minutes or 1,030 hours (the same as above). Thus, if 
all broker-dealer respondents obtain and send the documents required 
under the rules electronically, the aggregate annual hour burden 
associated with Rule 15g-2 is 1,545 (515 hours + 1,030 hours).
    In addition, if the penny stock customer requests a paper copy of 
the information on the Commission's Web

[[Page 47265]]

site regarding microcap securities, including penny stocks, from his or 
her broker-dealer, the printing and mailing of the document containing 
this information takes no more than two minutes per customer. Because 
many investors have access to the Commission's Web site via computers 
located in their homes, or in easily accessible public places such as 
libraries, then, at most, a quarter of customers who are required to 
receive the Rule 15g-2 disclosure document request that their broker-
dealer provide them with the additional microcap and penny stock 
information posted on the Commission's Web site. Thus, each broker-
dealer respondent processes approximately 39 requests for paper copies 
of this information per year or an aggregate total of 78 minutes per 
respondent (2 minutes per customer x 39 requests per respondent). Since 
there are 198 respondents, the estimated annual burden is 15,444 
minutes (78 minutes per each of the 198 respondents) or 257 hours. This 
is a third party disclosure type of burden.
    We have no way of knowing how many broker-dealers and customers 
will choose to communicate electronically. Assuming that 50 percent of 
respondents continue to provide documents and obtain signatures in 
tangible form and 50 percent choose to communicate electronically to 
satisfy the requirements of Rule 15g-2, the total aggregate burden 
hours would be 2,060 ((aggregate burden hours for sending disclosure 
documents and obtaining signed customer acknowledgments in tangible 
form x 0.50 of the respondents = 1,030 hours) + (aggregate burden hours 
for electronically signed and transmitted documents x 0.50 of the 
respondents = 773 hours) + (257 burden hours for those customers making 
requests for a copy of the information on the Commission's Web site)).
    The Commission does not maintain the risk disclosure document. 
Instead, it must be retained by the broker-dealer for at least three 
years following the date on which the risk disclosure document was 
provided to the customer, the first two years in an accessible place. 
The collection of information required by the rule is mandatory. The 
risk disclosure document is otherwise governed by the internal policies 
of the broker-dealer regarding confidentiality, etc.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required 
to respond to, a collection of information under the PRA unless it 
displays a currently valid OMB control number.
    The public may view 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 by sending an 
email to: PRA_Mailbox@sec.gov. Comments must be submitted to OMB within 
30 days of this notice.

    Dated: October 4, 2017.
Eduardo A. Aleman,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-21910 Filed 10-10-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 8011-01-P
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