[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 34 (Monday, February 22, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 8766]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-03520]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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 0-2, SEC File No. 270-572, OMB Control No. 3235-0636.
Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the ``Commission'') is soliciting comments on the
collections of information summarized below. The Commission plans to
submit this existing collection of information to the Office of
Management and Budget for extension and approval.
Several sections of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (``Act'' or
``Investment Company Act'') \1\ give the Commission the authority to
issue orders granting exemptions from the Act's provisions. The section
that grants broadest authority is section 6(c), which provides the
Commission with authority to conditionally or unconditionally exempt
persons, securities or transactions from any provision of the
Investment Company Act, or the rules or regulations thereunder, if and
to the extent that such exemption is necessary or appropriate in the
public interest and consistent with the protection of investors and the
purposes fairly intended by the policy and provisions of the Act.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ 15 U.S.C. 80a-1 et seq.
\2\ 15 U.S.C. 80a-6(c).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rule 0-2 under the Investment Company Act,\3\ entitled ``General
Requirements of Papers and Applications,'' prescribes general
instructions for filing an application seeking exemptive relief with
the Commission for which a form is not specifically prescribed. Rule 0-
2 requires that each application filed with the commission have (a) a
statement of authorization to file and sign the application on behalf
of the applicant, (b) a verification of application and statements of
fact, (c) a brief statement of the grounds for application, and (d) the
name and address of each applicant and of any person to whom questions
should be directed. The Commission uses the information required by
rule 0-2 to decide whether the applicant should be deemed to be
entitled to the action requested by the application.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ 17 CFR 270.0-2.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Applicants for orders can include registered investment companies,
affiliated persons of registered investment companies, and issuers
seeking to avoid investment company status, among other entities.
Commission staff estimates that it receives approximately 184
applications per year under the Act. Although each application
typically is submitted on behalf of multiple entities, the entities in
the vast majority of cases are related companies and are treated as a
single respondent for purposes of this analysis.
The time to prepare an application depends on the complexity and/or
novelty of the issues covered by the application. We estimate that the
Commission receives 25 of the most time-consuming applications
annually, 125 applications of medium difficulty, and 34 of the least
difficult applications. Based on conversations with applicants, we
estimate that in-house counsel would spend from ten to fifty hours
helping to draft and review an application. We estimate a total annual
hour burden to all respondents of 5,340 hours [(50 hours x 25
applications) + (30 hours x 125 applications) + (10 hours x 34
applications)].
Much of the work of preparing an application is performed by
outside counsel. The cost outside counsel charges applicants depends on
the complexity of the issues covered by the application and the time
required for preparation. Based on conversations with attorneys who
serve as outside counsel, the cost ranges from approximately $10,000
for preparing a well-precedented, routine application to approximately
$150,000 to prepare a complex and/or novel application. This
distribution gives a total estimated annual cost burden to applicants
of filing all applications of $14,090,000 [(25 x $150,000) + (125 x
$80,000) + (34 x $10,000)].
We request written comment on: (a) Whether the collections of
information are 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 burdens
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: [email protected].
Dated: February 16, 2016.
Brent J. Fields,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-03520 Filed 2-19-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P