[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 162 (Monday, August 21, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50725-50726]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-21183]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION


Proposed Collection; Comment Request

    Upon Written Request, Copies Available From: Securities and 
Exchange Commission, Office of Filings and Information Services, 
Washington, DC 20549.

[SEC Investor Compliant Forms; SEC File No. 270-485; OMB Control No. 
3235-new]

    Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), the Securities and Exchange 
Commission (SEC) is soliciting comments on the collection of 
information summarized below. The SEC plans to submit three proposed 
forms to the Office of Management and Budget for approval. The titles 
of the forms are SEC Investor Complaint Form (two versions) and SEC 
Investor Question Form.
    The SEC receives annually over 150,000 letters, e-mails, faxes, and 
phone calls from investors who have complaints and questions on a wide 
range of investment related issues. The SEC proposes to place on its 
website two online forms, and to make available a hard-copy complaint 
form, to be used by investors to submit complaints and questions to the 
SEC through the Internet, by mail, or by fax. The SEC will use the 
information supplied on the forms to respond to general investor 
queries, process investor complaints, or initiate enforcement 
investigations in appropriate matters. The information that is captured 
automatically in the online forms and through manual data entry of the 
hard-copy form will allow the SEC to employ automation to direct a 
complaint or question to the appropriate division or office at the SEC 
(primarily the Division of Enforcement of the Office of Investor 
Education and Assistance) for review and processing, to maintain a 
record of the complaint or question, and to track the volume of 
complaints and questions received. Investors are not required to use 
the online or hard-copy Investor Complaint Form or the Investor 
Question Form and may continue to submit written complaints and 
questions in letters (sent by mail or fax), e-mail messages, and 
telephone calls. However, investors who complete the forms enable to 
SEC to process their complaints and questions more quickly and 
efficiently.
    The respondents to the Investors Complaint Forms and the Investor 
Question Form will be investors who want the SEC's assistance with 
their complaints against entities that the SEC regulates, who want to 
report companies or individuals who may be violating the federal 
securities, laws, or who want to ask questions or request information 
about the statutes and rules the SEC administers or about specific 
companies the SEC regulates.
    Investors will use the Investor Complaint Forms to send complaints 
to the SEC about entities that are regulated

[[Page 50726]]

by the SEC, about issuers of securities, and about individuals and 
companies whose activities may violate the federal securities laws. 
Investors who submit the Investor Complaint Form are asked to provide 
information on, among other things, their names, how they can be 
contacted, the names of the financial institutions, companies, or 
individuals they are complaining about, the nature of their complaints, 
what documents can be provided, and what legal actions they have taken. 
The online version asks for general information about the investor's 
complaint and then poses follow-up questions based on previous answers. 
Most questions on the Investor Complaint Form are asked in a multiple-
choice style that allows the investor to provide an answer simply by 
checking a box. Some questions require the investor to provide more 
detailed full-text responses about the facts of his complaint.
    Investors will use the Investor Question Form to ask general 
questions about the SEC's programs, rules, and other matters that are 
not appropriate for the Investor Complaint Form. Investors who submit 
the Investor Question Form are asked to provide their names, how they 
can be contacted, and their questions.
    The total reporting burden of using the Investor Complaint Forms or 
Investor Question Form is estimated to be 23,750 hours. This was 
calculated by multiplying the total number of investors whom the SEC 
expects to use the forms times how long it will take to complete each 
form (95,000 respondents  x  15 minutes = 23,750 burden hours).
    Use of Investor Complaint and Questions Forms is voluntary. The SEC 
will continue to accept questions and complaints submitted in letters 
(sent by mail or fax), e-mail messages, and telephone calls. However, 
if an investor chooses to submit an Investor Complaint Form or Investor 
Question Form through the Internet, the investor must respond to 
certain questions about the nature of the complaint or the form will 
not be accepted electronically.
    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 will 
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of 
the burden 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 Michael E. Bartell, 
Associate Executive Director, Office of Information Technology, 
Securities and Exchange Commission, 450 5th Street, NW., Washington, DC 
20549.

    Dated: August 14, 2000.
Margaret H. McFarland,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 00-21183 Filed 8-18-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010-01-M