Proposed Collection; Comment Request, 53537-53538 [2017-24751]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 220 / Thursday, November 16, 2017 / Notices Therefore, LCH SA believes that the proposed rule change is consistent with Rule 17Ad–22(e)(6)(i) and (v). B. Clearing Agency’s Statement on Burden on Competition Section 17A(b)(3)(I) of the Act requires that the rules of a clearing agency not impose any burden on competition not necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the purposes of the Act.9 LCH SA does not believe that the proposed rule change would impose burdens on competition that are not necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the purposes of the Act. While the proposed rule change may result in higher WWR margin charges on participants, the revisions to the margin methodology will uniformly apply across all participants. In addition, as stated above, the proposed rule change is consistent with the applicable requirements of the Act and is appropriate in order to more conservatively calculate WWR margin. Therefore, LCH SA does not believe that the proposed rule change imposes any burden on competition that is not necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the purposes of the Act. C. Clearing Agency’s Statement on Comments on the Proposed Rule Change Received From Members, Participants or Others Written comments relating to the proposed rule change have not been solicited or received. LCH SA will notify the Commission of any written comments received by LCH SA. III. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for Commission Action asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES Within 45 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register or within such longer period up to 90 days (i) as the Commission may designate if it finds such longer period to be appropriate and publishes its reasons for so finding or (ii) as to which the self-regulatory organization consents, the Commission will: (A) By order approve or disapprove such proposed rule change, or (B) institute proceedings to determine whether the proposed rule change should be disapproved. IV. Solicitation of Comments Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views, and arguments concerning the foregoing, including whether the proposed rule change is consistent with the Act. 9 15 U.S.C. 78q–1(b)(3)(I). VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:52 Nov 15, 2017 Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods: SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Electronic Comments • Use the Commission’s Internet comment form (https://www.sec.gov/ rules/sro.shtml); or • Send an email to rule-comments@ sec.gov. Please include File Number SR– LCH SA–2017–009 on the subject line. [SEC File No. 270–173, OMB Control No. 3235–0178] Paper Comments • Send paper comments in triplicate to Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549–1090. All submissions should refer to File Number SR–LCH SA–2017–009. This file number should be included on the subject line if email is used. To help the Commission process and review your comments more efficiently, please use only one method. The Commission will post all comments on the Commission’s Internet Web site (https://www.sec.gov/ rules/sro.shtml). Copies of the submission, all subsequent amendments, all written statements with respect to the proposed rule change that are filed with the Commission, and all written communications relating to the proposed rule change between the Commission and any person, other than those that may be withheld from the public in accordance with the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be available for Web site viewing and printing in the Commission’s Public Reference Room, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549 on official business days between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Copies of the filing also will be available for inspection and copying at the principal office of LCH SA and on LCH SA’s Web site at https://www.lch.com/assetclasses/cdsclear. All comments received will be posted without change. Persons submitting comments are cautioned that we do not redact or edit personal identifying information from comment submissions. You should submit only information that you wish to make available publicly. All submissions should refer to File Number SR–LCH SA–2017–009 and should be submitted on or before December 7, 2017. For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated authority.10 Eduardo A. Aleman, Assistant Secretary. [FR Doc. 2017–24784 Filed 11–15–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8011–01–P 10 17 Jkt 244001 53537 PO 00000 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12). Frm 00088 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Proposed Collection; 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 31a–1 Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501–3520), the Securities and Exchange Commission (‘‘Commission’’) is soliciting comments on the collections of information summarized below. The Commission plans to submit these existing collections of information to the Office of Management and Budget for extension. Rule 31a–1 (17 CFR 270.31a–1) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the ‘‘Act’’) (15 U.S.C. 80a) is entitled ‘‘Records to be maintained by registered investment companies, certain majorityowned subsidiaries thereof, and other persons having transactions with registered investment companies.’’ Rule 31a–1 requires registered investment companies (‘‘funds’’), and every underwriter, broker, dealer, or investment adviser that is a majorityowned subsidiary of a fund, to maintain and keep current accounts, books, and other documents which constitute the record forming the basis for financial statements required to be filed pursuant to section 31 of the Act (15 U.S.C. 80a– 30) and of the auditor’s certificates relating thereto. The rule lists specific records to be maintained by funds. The rule also requires certain underwriters, brokers, dealers, depositors, and investment advisers to maintain the records that they are required to maintain under federal securities laws. There are approximately 4,029 investment companies registered with the Commission, all of which are required to comply with rule 31a–1. For purposes of determining the burden imposed by rule 31a–1, the Commission staff estimates that each fund is divided into approximately four series, on average, and that each series is required to comply with the recordkeeping requirements of rule 31a–1. Based on conversations with fund representatives, it is estimated that rule 31a–1 imposes an average burden of approximately 1,750 hours annually per series for a total of 7,000 annual hours per fund. E:\FR\FM\16NON1.SGM 16NON1 53538 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 220 / Thursday, November 16, 2017 / Notices The estimated total annual burden for all 4,029 funds subject to the rule therefore is approximately 28,203,000 hours. Based on conversations with fund representatives, however, the Commission staff estimates that even absent the requirements of rule 31a–1, 90 percent of the records created pursuant to the rule are the type that generally would be created as a matter of normal business practice and to prepare financial statements. Thus, the Commission staff estimates that the total annual burden associated with rule 31a– 1 is 2,820,300 hours. The estimate of average burden hours is made solely for the purposes of the Paperwork Reduction Act, and is not derived from a comprehensive or even a representative survey or study. 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. Written comments are requested on: (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information has practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Commission’s estimate of the burden(s) of the collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Consideration will be given to comments and suggestions submitted in writing within 60 days of this publication. Please direct your written comments to 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. Dated: November 9, 2017. Eduardo A. Aleman, Assistant Secretary. asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES 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 Jkt 244001 U.S.C. 80a. example, fund directors must approve investment advisory and distribution contracts. See 15 U.S.C. 80a–15(a), (b), and (c). 3 Investment Company Act Release No. 4 (Oct. 29, 1940) (5 FR 4316 (Oct. 31, 1940)). Note that rule 0– 1 was originally adopted as rule N–1. 4 The relevant exemptive rules are: Rule 10f–3 (17 CFR 270.10f–3), rule 12b–1 (17 CFR 270.12b–1), rule 15a–4(b)(2) (17 CFR 270.15a–4(b)(2)), rule 17a– 7 (17 CFR 270.17a–7), rule 17a–8 (17 CFR 270.17a– 8), rule 17d–1(d)(7) (17 CFR 270.17d–1(d)(7)), rule 17e–1(c) (17 CFR 270.17e–1(c)), rule 17g–1 (17 CFR 270.17g–1), rule 18f–3 (17 CFR 270.18f–3), and rule 23c–3 (17 CFR 270.23c–3). 5 See Role of Independent Directors of Investment Companies, Investment Company Act Release No. 24816 (Jan. 2, 2001) (66 FR 3735 (Jan. 16, 2001)). 2 For BILLING CODE 8011–01–P 16:52 Nov 15, 2017 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 (‘‘Commission’’) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget a request for extension of the previous approved collection of information discussed below. The Investment Company Act of 1940 (the ‘‘Act’’) 1 establishes a comprehensive framework for regulating the organization and operation of investment companies (‘‘funds’’). A principal objective of the Act is to protect fund investors by addressing the conflicts of interest that exist between funds and their investment advisers and other affiliated persons. The Act places significant responsibility on the fund board of directors in overseeing the operations of the fund and policing the relevant conflicts of interest.2 In one of its first releases, the Commission exercised its rulemaking authority pursuant to sections 38(a) and 40(b) of the Act by adopting rule 0–1 (17 CFR 270.0–1).3 Rule 0–1, as subsequently amended on numerous occasions, provides definitions for the terms used by the Commission in the rules and regulations it has adopted pursuant to the Act. The rule also contains a number of rules of construction for terms that are defined either in the Act itself or elsewhere in the Commission’s rules and regulations. Finally, rule 0–1 defines terms that serve as conditions to the availability of certain of the Commission’s exemptive rules. More specifically, the term ‘‘independent legal counsel,’’ as defined in rule 0–1, sets out conditions that funds must meet in order to rely on any of ten exemptive rules (‘‘exemptive rules’’) under the Act.4 The Commission amended rule 0–1 to include the definition of the term ‘‘independent legal counsel’’ in 2001.5 This amendment was designed to 1 15 [FR Doc. 2017–24751 Filed 11–15–17; 8:45 am] VerDate Sep<11>2014 Extension: Rule 0–1, SEC File No. 270–472, OMB Control No. 3235–0531 PO 00000 Frm 00089 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 enhance the effectiveness of fund boards of directors and to better enable investors to assess the independence of those directors. The Commission also amended the exemptive rules to require that any person who serves as legal counsel to the independent directors of any fund that relies on any of the exemptive rules must be an ‘‘independent legal counsel.’’ This requirement was added because independent directors can better perform the responsibilities assigned to them under the Act and the rules if they have the assistance of truly independent legal counsel. If the board’s counsel has represented the fund’s investment adviser, principal underwriter, administrator (collectively, ‘‘management organizations’’) or their ‘‘control persons’’ 6 during the past two years, rule 0–1 requires that the board’s independent directors make a determination about the adequacy of the counsel’s independence. A majority of the board’s independent directors are required to reasonably determine, in the exercise of their judgment, that the counsel’s prior or current representation of the management organizations or their control persons was sufficiently limited to conclude that it is unlikely to adversely affect the counsel’s professional judgment and legal representation. Rule 0–1 also requires that a record for the basis of this determination is made in the minutes of the directors’ meeting. In addition, the independent directors must have obtained an undertaking from the counsel to provide them with the information necessary to make their determination and to update promptly that information when the person begins to represent a management organization or control person, or when he or she materially increases his or her representation. Generally, the independent directors must re-evaluate their determination no less frequently than annually. Any fund that relies on one of the exemptive rules must comply with the requirements in the definition of ‘‘independent legal counsel’’ under rule 0–1. We assume that approximately 3,108 funds rely on at least one of the exemptive rules annually.7 We further 6 A ‘‘control person’’ is any person—other than a fund—directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control, with any of the fund’s management organizations. See 17 CFR 270.01(a)(6)(iv)(B). 7 Based on statistics compiled by Commission staff, we estimate that there are approximately 3,453 funds that could rely on one or more of the exemptive rules (this figure reflects the three-year average of open-end and closed-end funds (3,349) and business development companies (104)). Of those funds, we assume that approximately 90 E:\FR\FM\16NON1.SGM 16NON1

Agencies

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 220 (Thursday, November 16, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53537-53538]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-24751]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[SEC File No. 270-173, OMB Control No. 3235-0178]


Proposed Collection; 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 31a-1

    Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), the Securities and Exchange 
Commission (``Commission'') is soliciting comments on the collections 
of information summarized below. The Commission plans to submit these 
existing collections of information to the Office of Management and 
Budget for extension.
    Rule 31a-1 (17 CFR 270.31a-1) under the Investment Company Act of 
1940 (the ``Act'') (15 U.S.C. 80a) is entitled ``Records to be 
maintained by registered investment companies, certain majority-owned 
subsidiaries thereof, and other persons having transactions with 
registered investment companies.'' Rule 31a-1 requires registered 
investment companies (``funds''), and every underwriter, broker, 
dealer, or investment adviser that is a majority-owned subsidiary of a 
fund, to maintain and keep current accounts, books, and other documents 
which constitute the record forming the basis for financial statements 
required to be filed pursuant to section 31 of the Act (15 U.S.C. 80a-
30) and of the auditor's certificates relating thereto. The rule lists 
specific records to be maintained by funds. The rule also requires 
certain underwriters, brokers, dealers, depositors, and investment 
advisers to maintain the records that they are required to maintain 
under federal securities laws.
    There are approximately 4,029 investment companies registered with 
the Commission, all of which are required to comply with rule 31a-1. 
For purposes of determining the burden imposed by rule 31a-1, the 
Commission staff estimates that each fund is divided into approximately 
four series, on average, and that each series is required to comply 
with the recordkeeping requirements of rule 31a-1. Based on 
conversations with fund representatives, it is estimated that rule 31a-
1 imposes an average burden of approximately 1,750 hours annually per 
series for a total of 7,000 annual hours per fund.

[[Page 53538]]

The estimated total annual burden for all 4,029 funds subject to the 
rule therefore is approximately 28,203,000 hours. Based on 
conversations with fund representatives, however, the Commission staff 
estimates that even absent the requirements of rule 31a-1, 90 percent 
of the records created pursuant to the rule are the type that generally 
would be created as a matter of normal business practice and to prepare 
financial statements. Thus, the Commission staff estimates that the 
total annual burden associated with rule 31a-1 is 2,820,300 hours.
    The estimate of average burden hours is made solely for the 
purposes of the Paperwork Reduction Act, and is not derived from a 
comprehensive or even a representative survey or study. 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.
    Written comments are requested on: (a) Whether the collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the Commission, including whether the information has practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the Commission's estimate of the burden(s) 
of the collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (d) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology. Consideration will be given to 
comments and suggestions submitted in writing within 60 days of this 
publication.
    Please direct your written comments to 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.

    Dated: November 9, 2017.
Eduardo A. Aleman,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-24751 Filed 11-15-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P

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