[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 14 (Tuesday, January 24, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8248-8249]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-01566]
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
[SEC File No. 270-664, OMB Control No. 3235-0740]
Proposed Collection; Comment Request
Upon Written Request, Copies Available From: Securities and Exchange
Commission, Office of Investor Education and Advocacy, Washington, DC
20549-0213.
Revision:
Joint Standards for Assessing the Diversity Policies and
Practices of Entities Regulated by the Agencies.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The SEC, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork
and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal
agencies to take this opportunity to comment on a revised information
collection, as required by the PRA. The SEC may not conduct or sponsor,
and a respondent is not required to respond to, an information
collection unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The
SEC previously received OMB approval for a voluntary information
collection in the Joint Standards. The SEC now is soliciting comments
on a revised information collection which adds a Diversity Assessment
Report as an instrument to facilitate completion of the self-assessment
described in the Joint Standards.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before March 27, 2017.
ADDRESSES: Please direct your written comments to Pamela Dyson, 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], and include ``SEC File No. 270-664--OMWI
Diversity Assessment Report'' in the subject line of the message.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information about the
information collection discussed in this revised notice, please contact
Pamela A. Gibbs, Director, Office of Minority and Women Inclusion,
(202) 551-6046, or Audrey B. Little, Senior Counsel, Office of Minority
and Women Inclusion, (202) 551-6086, Securities and Exchange
Commission, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), certain
Federal agencies must obtain approval from OMB for each collection of
information that they conduct or sponsor. ``Collection of information''
is defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) (and 5 CFR 1320.3(c) of the PRA
implementing regulations) to include agency requests or requirements
that members of the public submit reports, keep records, or provide
information to a third party. The PRA (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)) directs
these Federal agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal
Register concerning each proposed collection of information before
submitting the collection to OMB for approval. To comply with this
requirement, the SEC
[[Page 8249]]
is publishing this notice of a proposed revision to the previously
approved collection of information.
Description: The SEC previously received OMB approval for a
voluntary information collection with respect to the Joint Standards,
pursuant to which entities regulated by the SEC voluntarily self-assess
their diversity policies and practices.\1\ This proposed revision to
the previously approved collection would add a form entitled
``Diversity Assessment Report for Entities Regulated by the SEC''
(Diversity Assessment Report) to assist with collection of information
regarding regulated entities' policies and practices relating to
diversity and inclusion. The Diversity Assessment Report (1) asks for
general information about a respondent; (2) includes a checklist and
questions relating to the standards set forth in the Joint Standards;
(3) seeks data related to workforce diversity and supplier diversity;
and (4) provides an opportunity for comments. The SEC estimates that
use of the Diversity Assessment Report would reduce the average
response time for this collection per respondent from 12 hours to 10
hours. A draft of this Diversity Assessment Report can be viewed at
https://www.sec.gov/omwi/sec-entity-diversity-assessment-report-draft.pdf.
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\1\ 80 FR 33016 (June 10, 2015).
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The SEC may use the information submitted by the entities it
regulates to monitor progress and trends in the financial services
industry with regard to diversity and inclusion in employment and
contracting activities and to identify and highlight those policies and
practices that have been successful. The SEC will continue to reach out
to the regulated entities and other interested parties to discuss
diversity and inclusion in the financial services industry and share
leading practices. The SEC may also publish information disclosed by
the entity, such as any identified leading practices, in any form that
does not identify a particular institution or disclose confidential
business information. The SEC will not publish diversity and inclusion
information that identifies any particular regulated entity unless the
regulated entity consents in writing to such use.
Type of Review: Revision.
Frequency of Response: Annually.
Burden Estimates:
Revised Number of Respondents: 1,300.\2\
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\2\ This number has been modified to account for the ever
changing number of entities regulated by the SEC. It still, however,
represents about 5% of regulated entities, as set forth in the
original PRA notice for the Joint Standards.
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Revised Annual Burden Per Respondent for the Diversity Assessment
Report and Joint Standards: 10 hours.
Revised Total Annual Burden: 13,000 hours.
Obligation to Respond: Voluntary.
Request for Comments: The comments submitted in response to this
notice will be summarized and included in the request for OMB approval.
All comments will become a matter of public record. Comments are
invited on:
(a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the
proper performance of the functions of the SEC, including whether the
information has practical utility;
(b) The accuracy of the SEC's estimate of the information
collection burden, including the validity of the methods and the
assumptions used;
(c) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information proposed to be collected;
(d) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection on respondents,
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other
forms of information technology; and
(e) Estimates of capital or start-up costs and costs of operation,
maintenance, and purchase of services to provide information.
Dated: January 18, 2017.
Eduardo A. Aleman,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-01566 Filed 1-23-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P