[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 3 (Tuesday, January 6, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 476-477]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-31358]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Upon written request, copies available from: Securities and Exchange 
Commission, Office of Investor Education and Advocacy, Washington, DC 
20549-0213.

Extension:
    Rule 15c2-7; OMB Control No. 3235-0479; SEC File No. 270-420.

    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 (``Commission'') has submitted to the Office of Management 
and Budget (``OMB'') a request for approval of extension of the 
existing collection of information provided for in the following rule: 
Rule 15c2-7 (17 CFR 240.15c2-7).
    Rule 15c2-7 places disclosure requirements on broker-dealers who 
have correspondent relationships, or agreements identified in the rule, 
with other broker-dealers. Whenever any such broker-dealer enters a 
quotation for a security through an inter-dealer quotation system, Rule 
15c2-7 requires the broker-dealer to disclose these relationships and 
agreements in the manner required by the rule. The inter-dealer 
quotation system must also be able to make these disclosures public in 
association with the quotation the broker-dealer is making.
    When Rule 15c2-7 was adopted in 1964, the information it requires 
was necessary for execution of the Commission's mandate under the 
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to prevent fraudulent, manipulative and 
deceptive acts by broker-dealers. In the absence of the information 
collection required under Rule 15c2-7, investors and broker-dealers 
would have been unable to accurately determine the market depth of, and 
demand for, securities in an inter-dealer quotation system.
    There are approximately 5,808 broker-dealers registered with the 
Commission. Any of these broker-dealers could be potential respondents 
for Rule 15c2-7, so the Commission is using that number as the number 
of respondents. Rule 15c2-7 applies only to quotations entered into an 
inter-dealer quotation

[[Page 477]]

system, such as the OTC Bulletin Board (``OTCBB'') or the Pink Sheets, 
operated by Pink OTC Markets, Inc. According to representatives of both 
Pink Sheets and the OTCBB, neither entity has recently received, or 
anticipates receiving any Rule 15c2-7 notices. However, because such 
notices could be made, the Commission estimates that one filing is made 
annually pursuant to Rule 15c2-7.
    Based on prior industry reports, the Commission estimates that the 
average time required to enter a disclosure pursuant to the rule is .75 
minutes, or 45 seconds. The Commission sees no reason to change this 
estimate. We estimate that impacted respondents spend a total of .0125 
hours per year to comply with the requirements of Rule 15c2-7 (1 notice 
(x) 45 seconds/notice). The Commission estimates that a typical 
employee of a broker-dealer charged to ensure compliance with 
Commission regulations receives annual compensation of $128,960. This 
compensation is the equivalent of $62.00 per hour ($128,960 divided by 
2,080 payroll hours per year). Thus, the Commission estimates that the 
annual cost burden of compliance with Rule 15c2-7 is $0.78 ($62.00/hour 
multiplied by 0.0125 hours).
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required 
to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid control number.
    Comments should be directed to: (i) Desk Officer for the Securities 
and Exchange Commission, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Office of Management and Budget, Room 10102, New Executive Office 
Building, Washington, DC 20503 or by sending an e-mail to: [email protected]; and (ii) Charles Boucher, Director/Chief Information 
Officer, Securities and Exchange Commission, c/o Shirley Martinson, 
6432 General Green Way, Alexandria, VA 22312 or send an e-mail to: 
[email protected]. Comments must be submitted within 30 days of this 
notice.

    Dated: December 29, 2008.
Florence E. Harmon,
Acting Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E8-31358 Filed 1-5-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P