Securities and Exchange Commission February 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are adopting rules requiring companies to provide financial statement information in a form that is intended to improve its usefulness to investors. In this format, financial statement information could be downloaded directly into spreadsheets, analyzed in a variety of ways using commercial off-the-shelf software, and used within investment models in other software formats. The rules will apply to public companies and foreign private issuers that prepare their financial statements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (U.S. GAAP), and foreign private issuers that prepare their financial statements using International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). Companies will provide their financial statements to the Commission and on their corporate Web sites in interactive data format using the eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL). The interactive data will be provided as an exhibit to periodic and current reports and registration statements, as well as to transition reports for a change in fiscal year. The new rules are intended not only to make financial information easier for investors to analyze, but also to assist in automating regulatory filings and business information processing. Interactive data has the potential to increase the speed, accuracy and usability of financial disclosure, and eventually reduce costs.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'') is extending the comment period for a release proposing a Roadmap for the potential use of financial statements prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (``IFRS'') as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board by U.S. issuers for purposes of their filings with the Commission and amendments to various regulations, rules and forms that would permit early use of IFRS by a limited number of U.S. issuers [Release No. 33-8982; 73 FR 70816 (Nov. 21, 2008)]. The original comment period for Release No. 33-8982 is scheduled to end on February 19, 2009. The Commission is extending the time period in which to provide the Commission with comments on that release for 60 days until Monday, April 20, 2009. This action will allow interested persons additional time to analyze the issues and prepare their comments.

In conjunction with the publication today, in a separate release, of the Commission's final rule amendments to its existing rules governing the conduct of nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (``NRSROs''), the Commission is proposing amendments which would require the public disclosure of credit rating histories for all outstanding credit ratings issued by an NRSRO on or after June 26, 2007 paid for by the obligor being rated or by the issuer, underwriter, or sponsor of the security being rated. The Commission also is soliciting detailed information about the issues surrounding the application of a disclosure requirement on subscriber-paid credit ratings. The Commission is re-proposing for comment an amendment to its conflict or interest rule that would prohibit an NRSRO from issuing a rating for a structured finance product paid for by the product's issuer, sponsor, or underwriter unless the information about the product provided to the NRSRO to determine the rating and, thereafter, to monitor the rating is made available to other persons. The Commission is proposing these rules to address concerns about the integrity of the credit rating procedures and methodologies at NRSROs.