Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Extension: Form N-PX, 30377-30379 [2023-10002]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 91 / Thursday, May 11, 2023 / Notices ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1 designation of a physical location as a clearing office); and (iii) expand requirements with regard to members’ operational capability, personnel, and reporting, as well as testing (e.g., participation in business continuity testing). The Commission believes that such enhancements to OCC’s financial and operational standards for Clearing Members should help to ensure that OCC’s Clearing Members are capable of meeting their obligations to OCC, which in turn will help ensure that OCC continues to promote the prompt and accurate clearance and settlement of securities transactions. Further, OCC proposes to consolidate its admission procedures and requirements and modify such admission procedures and requirements to help streamline the application review process. The Commission believes that such streamlining should promote consistent application across membership types, which, in turn may reduce the likelihood of unfair discrimination in the admission of OCC’s Clearing Members. OCC also proposes to amend its conditions for member admission (e.g., an applicant must notify OCC in writing if it is or becomes subject to Statutory Disqualification), and directly address voluntary membership termination. The Commission believes, therefore, that the proposal is consistent with the requirements of section 17A(b)(3)(F) of the Exchange Act. C. Consistency With Section 17A(b)(3)(G) of the Exchange Act Section 17A(b)(3)(G) of the Exchange Act requires, among other things, that the rules of a clearing agency provide that its participants shall be appropriately disciplined for violation of any provision of the rules of that clearing agency by expulsion, suspension, limitation of activities, functions, and operations, fine, censure, or any other fitting sanction.46 As described above, OCC proposes to broaden its authority to impose protective measures on Clearing Members who may pose a risk to OCC. Such measures include the imposition of financial obligations, such as additional margin requirements, as well as activity restrictions. OCC also proposes to raise fines, reduce the threshold for instituting a disciplinary proceeding, define when fines for uncontested violations become due, and make other strengthening changes to the way it enforces and addresses minor rule violations. The Commission believes that strengthening OCC’s ability to respond to risks and violations in this way is consistent with the requirements of section 17A(b)(3)(G) of the Exchange Act. D. Consistency With Rule 17Ad– 22(e)(2)(i) of the Exchange Act Rule 17Ad–22(e)(2)(i) requires that a covered clearing agency establish, implement, maintain, and enforce written policies and procedures reasonably designed to provide for governance arrangements that are clear and transparent.47 OCC’s existing membership eligibility requirements, admissions criteria, and ongoing standards are scattered across OCC’s By-Laws and Rules. As described above, OCC proposes to reorganize, relocate, or consolidate such rule text into chapters 2 and 3 of OCC’s Rules (along with supporting definitional changes to chapter 1 of OCC’s rules). Further, OCC proposes other nonsubstantive wording changes throughout its rules (e.g., changing ‘‘will’’ to ‘‘shall’’). Because such changes would improve the readability of OCC’s publically available rules, which, in turn, would make such rules clearer and more transparent to members and the public, the Commission believes that such changes are consistent with Rule 17Ad–22(e)(2)(i).48 E. Consistency With Rule 17Ad– 22(e)(18) of the Exchange Act Rule 17Ad–22(e)(18) requires a covered clearing agency to establish, implement, maintain, and enforce policies and procedures reasonably designed to, among other things, establish objective, risk-based, and publically disclosed criteria for participation, which permit fair and open access by direct participants, require participants to have sufficient financial resources and robust operational capacity to meet obligations arising from participation in the clearing agency, and to monitor compliance with such participation requirements on an ongoing basis.49 As stated above, OCC proposes to align and strengthen its financial responsibility standards for members. OCC also proposes to modify its operational requirements for members to (i) reflect changes in technology (e.g., allowing for reliance on electronic signatures); (ii) remove provisions no longer applicable to current practice (e.g., the use of authorization stamps or designation of a physical location as a clearing office); and (iii) expand 47 17 CFR 240.17Ad–22(e)(2)(i). CFR 240.17Ad–22(e)(2)(i). 49 17 CFR 240.17Ad–22(e)(18). 48 17 46 15 U.S.C. 78q–1(b)(3)(G). VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:07 May 10, 2023 Jkt 259001 PO 00000 Frm 00102 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 30377 requirements with regard to members’ operational capability, personnel, and reporting, as well as testing (e.g., participation in business continuity testing). The Commission believes that such enhancements to OCC’s financial and operational standards should help to ensure that OCC’s membership has sufficient financial resources and robust operational capacity to meet obligations for participation in OCC. Further, OCC proposes to modify and consolidate its admission procedures and requirements to help streamline the application review process. The Commission believes that such streamlining should promote consistent application across membership types, which, in turn, would permit fair and open access by direct participants. Therefore, the Commission believes, therefore, that the proposal is consistent with the requirements of Rule 17Ad– 22(e)(18) of the Exchange Act.50 VI. Conclusion On the basis of the foregoing, the Commission finds that the proposed rule change is consistent with the requirements of the Exchange Act, and in particular the requirements of section 17A of the Exchange Act 51 and the rules and regulations thereunder. It is therefore ordered, pursuant to section 19(b)(2) of the Exchange Act,52 that the proposed rule change (SR– OCC–2023–002) be, and hereby is, approved. For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated authority.53 J. Matthew DeLesDernier, Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. 2023–10029 Filed 5–10–23; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8011–01–P SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION [SEC File No. 270–524, OMB Control No. 3235–0582] Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Extension: Form N–PX Upon Written Request, Copies Available From: Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of FOIA Services, 100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 20549–2736. Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 50 17 CFR 240.17Ad–22(e)(18). approving this proposed rule change, the Commission has considered the proposed rules’ impact on efficiency, competition, and capital formation. See 15 U.S.C. 78c(f). 52 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2). 53 17 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12). 51 In E:\FR\FM\11MYN1.SGM 11MYN1 30378 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 91 / Thursday, May 11, 2023 / Notices (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) (‘‘Paperwork Reduction Act’’), the Securities and Exchange Commission (the ‘‘Commission’’) is soliciting comments on the collection of information summarized below. The Commission plans to submit this existing collection of information to the Office of Management and Budget (‘‘OMB’’) for extension and approval. On November 2, 2022, the Commission adopted rule and form amendments (‘‘Amendments’’) that would enhance the information funds report on Form N–PX and make that information easier to analyze.1 The Commission also adopted a new rule that would require an institutional investment manager subject to section 13(f) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (‘‘Exchange Act’’) to report annually on Form N–PX how it voted proxies relating to executive compensation matters, as required by section 14A of the Exchange Act. The Amendments require funds (and, for executive compensation matters, institutional investment managers) to (i) identify voting matters using language from the issuer’s form of proxy (with certain exceptions for issuers who are not subject to the Commission’s proxy rules) and categorize their votes from a list of categories; (ii) disclose quantitative information regarding the number of votes cast (or instructed to be cast) and the number of shares not voted because they are out on loan; and (iii) file reports in an XML structured data language using a standardized format. In addition, the Amendments included changes to Forms N–1A, N–2, and N–3 that require funds, if they have a website, to disclose that their proxy voting records are publicly available on or through their websites, free of charge, and to make this information available on or through its website as soon as reasonably practicable after filing a report on Form N–PX with the Commission. The purpose of Form N–PX is to meet the filing and disclosure requirements of rules under the Act and also to enable funds to provide investors with information necessary to evaluate overall patterns in the manager’s voting behavior. This information collection is primarily for the use and benefit of investors. The information filed with the Commission also permits the verification of compliance with securities law requirements and assures the public availability and dissemination of the information. Due to the Amendments, Form N–PX will also be used by institutional investment managers to meet the filing and disclosure requirements of section 14A under the Exchange Act. The table below summarizes our estimates associated with the amendments to Form N–PX that the Amendments address: FORM N–PX PRA ESTIMATES Internal initial burden hours Internal annual burden hours 1 Internal time costs Wage rate 2 Annual external cost burden Funds Holding Equity Securities Estimated annual burden of current Form N–PX per response .............................. Estimated initial burden to accommodate new reporting requirements ................. Additional estimated annual burden associated with amendments to Form N– PX ......................................................... Website availability requirement 6 ............ Estimated number of annual responses 8 Total annual burden .......................... ........................ 7.2 × 3 $400 $2,880 $1,000 36 12 × 4 349 $4,188 $500 ........................ ........................ ........................ 12 0.5 × 5,496 × × 5 349 ........................ $4,188 $136 × 5,496 $1,000 ........................ × 5,496 ........................ 188,490 ........................ ........................ $67,737,479 $14,865,142 3 400 $68 ........................ ........................ ........................ ........................ × 2,588 ........................ ........................ ........................ $176,005 ........................ 7 272 Funds Not Holding Equity Securities Estimated annual burden of current Form N–PX per response .............................. Additional estimated annual burden associated with amendments to Form N– PX ......................................................... Estimated number of annual responses 8 ........................ 0.17 ........................ ........................ ........................ × 2,588 Total annual burden .......................... ........................ 440 × ........................ ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1 Funds of Funds Estimated annual burden of current Form N–PX per response .............................. Additional estimated annual burden associated with amendments to Form N– PX ......................................................... Website availability requirement 6 ............ Estimated number of annual responses 8 ........................ 1 × 3 400 $400 $100 ........................ ........................ ........................ 0.5 0.5 × 1,619 × × 3 400 ........................ $200 $136 × 1,619 $100 ........................ × 1,619 Total annual burden .......................... ........................ 3,238 ........................ $1,191,584 $323,800 1 Enhanced Reporting of Proxy Votes by Registered Management Investment Companies; VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:07 May 10, 2023 Jkt 259001 ........................ Reporting of Executive Compensation Votes by Institutional Investment Managers, Investment PO 00000 Frm 00103 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 6 272 Company Release No. 34745 (November 2, 2022) [87 FR 78770 (Dec. 22, 2022)] (‘‘Adopting Release’’). E:\FR\FM\11MYN1.SGM 11MYN1 30379 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 91 / Thursday, May 11, 2023 / Notices FORM N–PX PRA ESTIMATES—Continued Internal initial burden hours Internal annual burden hours 1 Internal time costs Wage rate 2 Annual external cost burden Institutional Investment Managers Changes to systems to accommodate new reporting requirements ................. Estimated annual burden associated with Form N–PX filing requirement .............. Estimated number of annual responses .. 45 15 × 9 349 $5,235 $500 ........................ ........................ 7.5 × 8,381 × 10 343 ........................ $2,573 × 8,381 $2,000 × 8,381 Total annual burden .......................... ........................ 188,572 ........................ ........................ $65,438,848 $20,952,500 Total Burden Currently Approved Burden ..................... Additional Burden Associated with Amendments ........................................ ........................ 47,984 ........................ ........................ $17,657,958 ........................ 332,757 ........................ ........................ $18,483,484 Total Burden ..................................... ........................ 380,741 ........................ ........................ $36,141,445 ........................ ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1 Certain products and sums do not tie due to rounding. 1 Includes initial burden estimates amortized over a three-year period. 2 The Commission’s estimates of the relevant wage rates are based on salary information for the securities industry compiled by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association’s Office Salaries in the Securities Industry 2013. The estimated figures are modified by firm size, employee benefits, overhead, and adjusted annually to account for the effects of inflation, with the last adjustment before the adoption of the Amendments occurring in early 2022. See Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, Report on Management & Professional Earnings in the Securities Industry 2013. 3 Represents the estimated hourly wage rate of a compliance attorney. 4 Represents the blended estimated hourly wage rates of a programmer and a compliance attorney and includes, inter alia, the costs of obtaining from service providers data on the number of shares on loan but not recalled. In the case of the final estimates, the blended hourly rate is based on 18 hours for a programmer at $297 per hour and 18 hours for a compliance attorney at $400 per hour. 5 Represents the blended estimated hourly wage rates of a programmer and a compliance attorney. In the case of the final estimates, the blended hourly rate is based on 6 hours for a programmer at $297 per hour and 6 hours for a compliance attorney at $400 per hour. 6 While the Amendments will require funds to disclose that their proxy voting records both are available on fund websites and will be delivered to investors upon request, the Form N–PX PRA estimates includes only the burdens associated with website posting. Funds’ registration forms currently require them to disclose that they either make their proxy voting records available on their websites or deliver them upon request. We understand most funds deliver proxy voting records upon request and, therefore, the burdens of delivery upon request are already included in the information collection burdens of each relevant registration form. 7 Represents the estimated hourly wage rate of a webmaster. 8 These estimates are conducted for each fund portfolio, not for each filing, and are an average estimate across all Form N–PX reporting persons. In certain cases, a single Form N–PX filing will report the proxy voting records of multiple fund portfolios. In those circumstances, the reporting person will bear the burden associated with each fund portfolio it reported. This average estimate takes into account higher costs for funds filing reports for multiple portfolios without assuming any economies of scale that multiple-portfolio fund complexes may be able to achieve. 9 Represents the blended estimated hourly wage rates of a programmer and a compliance attorney. In the case of the final estimates,the blended hourly rate is based on 22.5 hours for a programmer at $297 per hour and 22.5 hours for a compliance attorney at $400 per hour. 10 Represents the blended estimated hourly wage rates of a programmer and a compliance attorney. In the case of the final estimates, the blended hourly rate is based on 3 hours for a programmer at $297 per hour and 4.5 hours for a compliance attorney at $400 per hour. The table above summarizes our PRA initial and ongoing annual burden estimates associated with Form N–PX, as amended. In the aggregate, we estimate the total annual burden to comply with amended Form N–PX to be 380,741 hours, with an average external cost of $36,141,445. Compliance with Form N–PX is mandatory. Responses to the collection of information requirements will not be kept confidential. 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 of the costs of Commission rules and forms. 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. VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:07 May 10, 2023 Jkt 259001 Written comments are invited on: (a) whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Commission’s estimate of the burden 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 by July 10, 2023. 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. PO 00000 Frm 00104 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Please direct your written comments to: David Bottom, Director/Chief Information Officer, Securities and Exchange Commission, c/o John Pezzullo, 100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 20549 or send an email to: PRA_ Mailbox@sec.gov. Dated: May 5, 2023. J. Matthew DeLesDernier, Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. 2023–10002 Filed 5–10–23; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8011–01–P SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION [Docket No.: SBA–2023–0005] Development Company Loan Program—Job Creation and Retention Requirements; Additional Areas for Higher Portfolio Average AGENCY: E:\FR\FM\11MYN1.SGM Small Business Administration. 11MYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 91 (Thursday, May 11, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30377-30379]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-10002]


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

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[SEC File No. 270-524, OMB Control No. 3235-0582]


Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Extension: Form N-PX

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

    Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995

[[Page 30378]]

(44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) (``Paperwork Reduction Act''), the Securities 
and Exchange Commission (the ``Commission'') is soliciting comments on 
the collection of information summarized below. The Commission plans to 
submit this existing collection of information to the Office of 
Management and Budget (``OMB'') for extension and approval.
    On November 2, 2022, the Commission adopted rule and form 
amendments (``Amendments'') that would enhance the information funds 
report on Form N-PX and make that information easier to analyze.\1\ The 
Commission also adopted a new rule that would require an institutional 
investment manager subject to section 13(f) of the Securities Exchange 
Act of 1934 (``Exchange Act'') to report annually on Form N-PX how it 
voted proxies relating to executive compensation matters, as required 
by section 14A of the Exchange Act. The Amendments require funds (and, 
for executive compensation matters, institutional investment managers) 
to (i) identify voting matters using language from the issuer's form of 
proxy (with certain exceptions for issuers who are not subject to the 
Commission's proxy rules) and categorize their votes from a list of 
categories; (ii) disclose quantitative information regarding the number 
of votes cast (or instructed to be cast) and the number of shares not 
voted because they are out on loan; and (iii) file reports in an XML 
structured data language using a standardized format. In addition, the 
Amendments included changes to Forms N-1A, N-2, and N-3 that require 
funds, if they have a website, to disclose that their proxy voting 
records are publicly available on or through their websites, free of 
charge, and to make this information available on or through its 
website as soon as reasonably practicable after filing a report on Form 
N-PX with the Commission.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Enhanced Reporting of Proxy Votes by Registered Management 
Investment Companies; Reporting of Executive Compensation Votes by 
Institutional Investment Managers, Investment Company Release No. 
34745 (November 2, 2022) [87 FR 78770 (Dec. 22, 2022)] (``Adopting 
Release'').
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The purpose of Form N-PX is to meet the filing and disclosure 
requirements of rules under the Act and also to enable funds to provide 
investors with information necessary to evaluate overall patterns in 
the manager's voting behavior. This information collection is primarily 
for the use and benefit of investors. The information filed with the 
Commission also permits the verification of compliance with securities 
law requirements and assures the public availability and dissemination 
of the information. Due to the Amendments, Form N-PX will also be used 
by institutional investment managers to meet the filing and disclosure 
requirements of section 14A under the Exchange Act.
    The table below summarizes our estimates associated with the 
amendments to Form N-PX that the Amendments address:

                                                                 Form N-PX PRA Estimates
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            Internal        Internal                                                          Annual
                                                             initial     annual  burden                    Wage rate \2\  Internal  time  external  cost
                                                          burden hours      hours \1\                                          costs          burden
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                             Funds Holding Equity Securities
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated annual burden of current Form N-PX per         ..............             7.2               x         \3\ $400          $2,880          $1,000
 response..............................................
Estimated initial burden to accommodate new reporting                36              12               x          \4\ 349          $4,188            $500
 requirements..........................................
Additional estimated annual burden associated with       ..............              12               x          \5\ 349          $4,188          $1,000
 amendments to Form N-PX...............................
Website availability requirement \6\...................  ..............             0.5               x          \7\ 272            $136  ..............
Estimated number of annual responses \8\...............  ..............         x 5,496                   ..............         x 5,496         x 5,496
                                                        ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total annual burden................................  ..............         188,490  ...............  ..............     $67,737,479     $14,865,142
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           Funds Not Holding Equity Securities
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated annual burden of current Form N-PX per         ..............            0.17               x          \3\ 400             $68  ..............
 response..............................................
Additional estimated annual burden associated with       ..............  ..............                   ..............  ..............  ..............
 amendments to Form N-PX...............................
Estimated number of annual responses \8\...............  ..............         x 2,588                   ..............         x 2,588  ..............
                                                        ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total annual burden................................  ..............             440  ...............  ..............        $176,005  ..............
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Funds of Funds
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated annual burden of current Form N-PX per         ..............               1               x          \3\ 400            $400            $100
 response..............................................
Additional estimated annual burden associated with       ..............             0.5               x          \3\ 400            $200            $100
 amendments to Form N-PX...............................
Website availability requirement \6\...................  ..............             0.5               x          \6\ 272            $136  ..............
Estimated number of annual responses \8\...............  ..............         x 1,619                   ..............         x 1,619         x 1,619
                                                        ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total annual burden................................  ..............           3,238  ...............  ..............      $1,191,584        $323,800
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 30379]]

 
                                                            Institutional Investment Managers
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Changes to systems to accommodate new reporting                      45              15               x          \9\ 349          $5,235            $500
 requirements..........................................
Estimated annual burden associated with Form N-PX        ..............             7.5               x         \10\ 343          $2,573          $2,000
 filing requirement....................................
Estimated number of annual responses...................  ..............         x 8,381                   ..............         x 8,381         x 8,381
                                                        ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total annual burden................................  ..............         188,572  ...............  ..............     $65,438,848     $20,952,500
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Total Burden
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Currently Approved Burden..............................  ..............          47,984                   ..............  ..............     $17,657,958
Additional Burden Associated with Amendments...........  ..............         332,757                   ..............  ..............     $18,483,484
                                                        ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total Burden.......................................  ..............         380,741  ...............  ..............  ..............     $36,141,445
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Certain products and sums do not tie due to rounding.
\1\ Includes initial burden estimates amortized over a three-year period.
\2\ The Commission's estimates of the relevant wage rates are based on salary information for the securities industry compiled by the Securities
  Industry and Financial Markets Association's Office Salaries in the Securities Industry 2013. The estimated figures are modified by firm size,
  employee benefits, overhead, and adjusted annually to account for the effects of inflation, with the last adjustment before the adoption of the
  Amendments occurring in early 2022. See Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, Report on Management & Professional Earnings in the
  Securities Industry 2013.
\3\ Represents the estimated hourly wage rate of a compliance attorney.
\4\ Represents the blended estimated hourly wage rates of a programmer and a compliance attorney and includes, inter alia, the costs of obtaining from
  service providers data on the number of shares on loan but not recalled. In the case of the final estimates, the blended hourly rate is based on 18
  hours for a programmer at $297 per hour and 18 hours for a compliance attorney at $400 per hour.
\5\ Represents the blended estimated hourly wage rates of a programmer and a compliance attorney. In the case of the final estimates, the blended hourly
  rate is based on 6 hours for a programmer at $297 per hour and 6 hours for a compliance attorney at $400 per hour.
\6\ While the Amendments will require funds to disclose that their proxy voting records both are available on fund websites and will be delivered to
  investors upon request, the Form N-PX PRA estimates includes only the burdens associated with website posting. Funds' registration forms currently
  require them to disclose that they either make their proxy voting records available on their websites or deliver them upon request. We understand most
  funds deliver proxy voting records upon request and, therefore, the burdens of delivery upon request are already included in the information
  collection burdens of each relevant registration form.
\7\ Represents the estimated hourly wage rate of a webmaster.
\8\ These estimates are conducted for each fund portfolio, not for each filing, and are an average estimate across all Form N-PX reporting persons. In
  certain cases, a single Form N-PX filing will report the proxy voting records of multiple fund portfolios. In those circumstances, the reporting
  person will bear the burden associated with each fund portfolio it reported. This average estimate takes into account higher costs for funds filing
  reports for multiple portfolios without assuming any economies of scale that multiple-portfolio fund complexes may be able to achieve.
\9\ Represents the blended estimated hourly wage rates of a programmer and a compliance attorney. In the case of the final estimates,the blended hourly
  rate is based on 22.5 hours for a programmer at $297 per hour and 22.5 hours for a compliance attorney at $400 per hour.
\10\ Represents the blended estimated hourly wage rates of a programmer and a compliance attorney. In the case of the final estimates, the blended
  hourly rate is based on 3 hours for a programmer at $297 per hour and 4.5 hours for a compliance attorney at $400 per hour.

    The table above summarizes our PRA initial and ongoing annual 
burden estimates associated with Form N-PX, as amended. In the 
aggregate, we estimate the total annual burden to comply with amended 
Form N-PX to be 380,741 hours, with an average external cost of 
$36,141,445.
    Compliance with Form N-PX is mandatory. Responses to the collection 
of information requirements will not be kept confidential.
    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 of the costs of 
Commission rules and forms. 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 invited on: (a) whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the Commission, including whether the information 
shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Commission's 
estimate of the burden 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 by July 10, 2023.
    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.
    Please direct your written comments to: David Bottom, Director/
Chief Information Officer, Securities and Exchange Commission, c/o John 
Pezzullo, 100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 20549 or send an email to: 
[email protected].

    Dated: May 5, 2023.
J. Matthew DeLesDernier,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-10002 Filed 5-10-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P


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