Securities and Exchange Commission 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Securities and Exchange Commission is seeking public comment on the framework under which intermediaries may charge fees for distributing certain non-proxy disclosure materials to fund investors, such as shareholder reports and prospectuses (``Fund Materials''), particularly where those fees may be borne by the fund and, in turn, its investors.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is publishing the Chairman's agenda of rulemaking actions pursuant to the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) (Pub. L. 96-354, 94 Stat. 1164) (Sept. 19, 1980). The items listed in the Regulatory Flexibility Agenda for spring 2018 reflect only the priorities of the Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and do not necessarily reflect the view and priorities of any individual Commissioner. Information in the agenda was accurate on March 13, 2018, the date on which the Commission's staff completed compilation of the data. To the extent possible, rulemaking actions by the Commission since that date have been reflected in the agenda. The Commission invites questions and public comment on the agenda and on the individual agenda entries. The Commission is now printing in the Federal Register, along with our preamble, only those agenda entries for which we have indicated that preparation of an RFA analysis is required. The Commission's complete RFA agenda will be available online at www.reginfo.gov.

As directed by Congress pursuant to the Fair Access to Investment Research Act of 2017, the Commission is proposing a new rule under the Securities Act of 1933. If adopted, the proposal would establish a safe harbor for an unaffiliated broker or dealer participating in a securities offering of a ``covered investment fund'' to publish or distribute a ``covered investment fund research report.'' If the conditions for the safe harbor are satisfied, this publication or distribution would be deemed not to be an offer for sale or offer to sell the covered investment fund's securities for purposes of sections 2(a)(10) and 5(c) of the Securities Act of 1933. The Commission is also proposing a new rule under the Investment Company Act of 1940. This proposal would exclude a covered investment fund research report from the coverage of section 24(b) of the Investment Company Act (or the rules and regulations thereunder), except to the extent the research report is otherwise not subject to the content standards in self- regulatory organization rules related to research reports, including those contained in the rules governing communications with the public regarding investment companies or substantially similar standards. We are also proposing a conforming amendment.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (``SEC'' or ``Commission'') is making technical amendments to certain rules of organization and rules of practice to indicate that Commission materials will no longer be compiled and published as the ``SEC Docket'' (``SEC Docket'' or ``Docket''), but will continue to be available on the SEC public website.