[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 245 (Tuesday, December 22, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79644-79645]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-32053]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
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 17a-25,
SEC File No. 270-482, OMB Control No. 3235-0540.
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'') is soliciting comments on the
existing collection of information provided for in Rule 17a-25 (17 CFR
204.17a-25) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78a
et. seq.).
Paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 17a-25 requires registered broker-dealers
to electronically submit securities transaction information, including
identifiers for prime brokerage
[[Page 79645]]
arrangements, average price accounts, and depository institutions, in a
standardized format when requested by the Commission staff. In
addition, Paragraph (a)(3)(c) of Rule 17a-25 requires broker-dealers to
submit, and keep current, contact person information for electronic
blue sheets (``EBS'') requests. The Commission uses the information for
enforcement inquiries or investigations and trading reconstructions, as
well as for inspections and examinations.
The Commission estimates that it sends approximately 7,697
electronic blue sheet requests per year to clearing broker-dealers that
in turn submit an average 124,912 responses.\1\ It is estimated that
each broker-dealer that responds electronically will take 8 minutes,
and each broker-dealer that responds manually will take 1\1/2\ hours to
prepare and submit the securities trading data requested by the
Commission. The annual aggregate hour burden for electronic and manual
response firms is estimated to be 8,114 (59,958 x 8 / 60 = 7,994 hours)
+ (80 x 1.5 = 120 hours), respectively.\2\ In addition, the Commission
estimates that it will request 8 broker-dealers to supply the contact
information identified in Rule 17a-25(c) and estimates the total
aggregate burden hours to be 2. Thus, the annual aggregate burden for
all respondents to the collection of information requirements of Rule
17a-25 is estimated at 8,116 hours (7,994 + 120 + 2).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ A single EBS request has a unique number assigned to each
request (e.g. ``0900001''). However, the number of broker-dealer
responses generated from one EBS request can range from one to
several thousand. EBS requests are sent directly to clearing firms,
as the clearing firm is the repository for trading data for
securities transactions information provided by itself and
correspondent firms. Clearing brokers respond for themselves and
other firms they clear for. There were 124,912 responses during the
25 month period for an average of 4,996.5 responses per month or an
average of 59,958 annual responses.
\2\ Few of respondents submit manual EBS responses. The small
percentage of respondents that submit manual responses do so by
hand, via email, spreadsheet, disk, or other electronic media. Thus,
the number of manual submissions (80) has minimal effect on the
total annual burden hours.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Written comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of
the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of
the burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be
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.
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: Pamela Dyson, Director/
Chief Information Office, Securities and Exchange Commission, c/o Remi
Pavlik-Simon, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549 or send an email
to: [email protected].
Dated: December 16, 2015.
Robert W. Errett,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-32053 Filed 12-21-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P