[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 60 (Wednesday, March 27, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 13544]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-7336]



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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
[Release No. 34-36997]


EDGAR Phase-in Complete on May 6, 1996

March 21, 1996.
    The Division of Corporation Finance today is publishing a notice to 
all domestic registrants whose filings are subject to its review to 
remind them that the phase-in to mandated electronic filing on the 
Commission's Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval 
(``EDGAR'') system will be complete on May 6, 1996. Beginning on that 
date, all domestic registrants not previously phased in, and third 
parties filing with respect to such registrants, will become subject to 
mandated electronic filing requirements, as outlined in Regulation S-T 
(17 CFR Part 232). This applies to companies assigned to Group CF-10, 
as well as to those that previously have not been assigned a phase-in 
group. Beginning May 6, registration statements for initial public 
offerings also must be filed electronically, unless the filing is made 
at one of the Commission's regional offices.
    Domestic registrants that will be phased in May 6 may begin filing 
electronically before that date if they wish, once they have filed a 
Form ID with the Commission and received EDGAR access and 
identification codes. It is no longer necessary for them to contact the 
staff to request a change in their phase-in group. Registrants may 
begin testing on the system once access codes have been issued. Early 
compliance with electronic filing requirements is encouraged once 
registrants become comfortable with the system.
    Once a company becomes a mandated electronic filer, all filings 
made with respect to it by third parties (for example, Schedules 13D 
and 13G) must be made electronically. Third parties will not be 
required to file electronically with respect to companies whose phase-
in date is May 6 until that date. If third parties wish to file 
electronically, however, they may do so at any time, whether or not the 
subject company has begun to make its own filings via EDGAR. Persons 
filing Forms 3, 4 and 5 pursuant to Section 16 of the Securities 
Exchange Act of 1934, and those filing Forms 144 pursuant to Rule 144 
of the Securities Act of 1933, may file these documents in paper or 
electronic format, since electronic filing of these forms will continue 
to be optional after May 6.
    Foreign private issuers and foreign governments will not be 
required to file electronically (unless acting as a third party filer 
with respect to an electronic domestic company or engaging in a 
business transaction with a phased-in domestic company), but they may 
choose to do so. Such entities can gain access to the EDGAR system by 
filing a Form ID to receive EDGAR access and identification codes. 
EDGAR currently recognizes many of the types of forms that may be filed 
by foreign registrants, but some form types, such as those associated 
with the multijurisdictional disclosure system, are not yet available; 
as a consequence, filings not supported by EDGAR must be made in paper. 
The EDGAR system will be enhanced in the future to allow electronic 
filing of these documents.
    As is true with all rules promulgated by the Commission, persons 
making filings with the Commission are responsible for apprising 
themselves of their new obligations associated with filing on the EDGAR 
system. While the Commission has attempted to contact registrants in 
this last phase-in group by furnishing a copy of the current version of 
the EDGAR Filer Manual and EDGARLink software (with mailing having 
taken place the week of March 11), registrants will not be relieved of 
their electronic filing obligations in the absence of such 
notification.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sylvia J. Reis, Assistant Director, CF 
EDGAR Policy, Division of Corporation Finance, at (202) 942-2940.
Margaret H. McFarland,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-7336 Filed 3-26-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010-01-M