[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 121 (Thursday, June 23, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36940-36941]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-15664]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION


Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Upon written request, copies available from: U.S. Securities and 
Exchange Commission, Office of Investor Education and Advocacy, 
Washington, DC 20549-0213.
Extension:
    Rule 15g-9; SEC File No. 270-325; OMB Control No. 3235-0385.

    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'') is soliciting comment on the collection of 
information described below. The Commission plans to submit this 
existing collection of information to the Office of Management and 
Budget for extension and approval.
    Section 15(c)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 
78a et seq.) (the ``Exchange Act'') authorizes the Commission to 
promulgate rules that prescribe means reasonably designed to prevent 
fraudulent, deceptive, or manipulative practices in connection with 
over-the-counter (``OTC'') securities transactions. Pursuant to this 
authority, the Commission in 1989 adopted Rule 15a-6 which was 
subsequently redesignated as Rule 15g-9, 17 CFR 240.15g-9 (the 
``Rule''). The Rule requires broker-dealers to produce a written 
suitability determination for, and to obtain a written customer 
agreement to, certain recommended transactions in penny stocks that are 
not registered on a national securities exchange, and whose issuers do 
not meet certain minimum financial standards. The Rule is intended to 
prevent the indiscriminate use by broker-dealers of fraudulent, high 
pressure telephone sales campaigns to sell penny stocks to 
unsophisticated customers.
    The Commission staff estimates that there are approximately 253 
broker-dealers subject to the Rule. The burden of the Rule on a 
respondent varies widely depending on the frequency with which new 
customers are solicited. On the average for all respondents, the staff 
has estimated that respondents process three new customers per week, or 
approximately 156 new customer suitability determinations per year. We 
also estimate that a broker-dealer would expend approximately one-half 
hour per new customer in obtaining, reviewing, and processing 
(including transmitting to the customer) the information required by 
Rule 15g-9, and each respondent would consequently spend 78 hours 
annually (156 customers x .5 hours) obtaining the information required 
in the rule. We determined, based on the estimate of 253 broker-dealer 
respondents, that the current annual burden of Rule 15g-9 is 19,734 
hours (253 respondents x 78 hours).
    In addition, we estimate that if tangible communications alone are 
used to transmit the documents required by Rule 15g-9, each customer 
should take: (1) No more than eight minutes to review, sign and return 
the suitability determination document; and (2) no more than two 
minutes to either read and return or produce the customer agreement for 
a particular recommended transaction in penny stocks, listing the 
issuer and number of shares of the particular penny stock to be 
purchased, and send it to the broker-dealer. Thus, the total current 
customer respondent burden is approximately 10 minutes per response, 
for an aggregate total of 1,560 minutes for each broker-dealer 
respondent. Since there are 253 respondents, the annual burden for 
customer responses is 394,680 minutes (1,560 customer minutes per each 
of the 253 respondents) or 6,578 hours.
    In addition, we estimate that, if tangible means of communications 
alone are used, broker-dealers could incur a burden under Rule 15g-9 of 
approximately two minutes per response. Since there are approximately 
253 broker-dealer respondents and each respondent would have 
approximately 156 responses annually, respondents would incur an 
aggregate burden of 78,936 minutes (253 respondents x 156 responses x 2 
minutes per response), or 1,315 hours. Accordingly, the aggregate 
annual hour burden associated with Rule 15g-9 is 27,627 hours (19,734 
hours to prepare the suitability statement and agreement + 6,578 hours 
for customer review + 1,315 hours for processing).
    We recognize that under the amendments to Rule 15g-9, the burden 
hours may be slightly reduced if the transaction agreement required 
under the rule is provided through electronic means such as an e-mail 
from the customer to the broker-dealer (e.g., the customer may take 
only one minute, instead of the two minutes estimated above, to provide 
the transaction agreement by e-mail rather than regular mail). If each 
of the customer respondents estimated above communicates with his or 
her broker-dealer electronically, the total burden hours on the 
customers would be reduced from 10 minutes to 9 minutes per response, 
or an aggregate total of 1,404 minutes per respondent (156 customers x 
9 minutes for each customer). Since there are 253 respondents, the 
annual customer respondent burden, if electronic communications were 
used by all customers, would be approximately 355,212 minutes (253 
respondents x 1,404 minutes per each respondent), or 5,920 hours. We do 
not believe the hour burden on broker-dealers in obtaining, reviewing, 
and processing the suitability determination would change through use 
of electronic communications. In addition, we do not believe that, 
based on information currently available to us, recordkeeping burdens 
under Rule 15g-9 would change where the required documents were sent or 
received through means of electronic communication. Thus, if all 
broker-dealer respondents obtain and send the documents required under 
the rule electronically, the aggregate annual hour

[[Page 36941]]

burden associated with Rule 15g-9 would be 26,969 hours (19,734 hours 
to prepare the suitability statement and agreement + 5,920 hours for 
customer review + 1,315 hours for processing).
    We cannot estimate how many broker-dealers and customers will 
choose to communicate electronically. If we assume that 50 percent of 
respondents would continue to provide documents and obtain signatures 
in tangible form, and 50 percent would choose to communicate 
electronically in satisfaction of the requirements of Rule 15g-9, the 
total aggregate hour burden would be 27,297 burden hours ((27,627 
aggregate burden hours for documents and signatures in tangible form x 
0.50 of the respondents = 13,813 hours) + (26,969 aggregate burden 
hours for electronically signed and transmitted documents x 0.50 of the 
respondents = 13,484 hours)). We estimate that 50% of the burden 
associated with Rule 15g-9 is a recordkeeping type of burden, and the 
remaining 50% of the burden is a third party disclosure type of burden.
    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 shall 
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimates of 
the burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to 
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information on 
respondents; 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.
    The Commission may not conduct or sponsor a collection of 
information unless it displays a currently valid control number. No 
person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a 
collection of information subject to the PRA that does not display a 
valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.
    Please direct your written comments to: Thomas Bayer, Director/
Chief Information Officer, Securities and Exchange Commission, c/o Remi 
Pavlik-Simon, 6432 General Green Way, Alexandria, Virginia 22312; or 
comments may be sent by e-mail to: [email protected].

    Dated: June 17, 2011.
Cathy H. Ahn,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-15664 Filed 6-22-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P