[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 245 (Tuesday, December 22, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79644-79645]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-32053]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION


Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Upon Written Request Copies Available From: Securities and Exchange 
Commission, Office of FOIA Services, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 
20549-2736.

Extension: Rule 17a-25,
    SEC File No. 270-482, OMB Control No. 3235-0540.

    Notice is hereby given that pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et. seq.) (``PRA''), the Securities and 
Exchange Commission (``Commission'') is soliciting comments on the 
existing collection of information provided for in Rule 17a-25 (17 CFR 
204.17a-25) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78a 
et. seq.).
    Paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 17a-25 requires registered broker-dealers 
to electronically submit securities transaction information, including 
identifiers for prime brokerage

[[Page 79645]]

arrangements, average price accounts, and depository institutions, in a 
standardized format when requested by the Commission staff. In 
addition, Paragraph (a)(3)(c) of Rule 17a-25 requires broker-dealers to 
submit, and keep current, contact person information for electronic 
blue sheets (``EBS'') requests. The Commission uses the information for 
enforcement inquiries or investigations and trading reconstructions, as 
well as for inspections and examinations.
    The Commission estimates that it sends approximately 7,697 
electronic blue sheet requests per year to clearing broker-dealers that 
in turn submit an average 124,912 responses.\1\ It is estimated that 
each broker-dealer that responds electronically will take 8 minutes, 
and each broker-dealer that responds manually will take 1\1/2\ hours to 
prepare and submit the securities trading data requested by the 
Commission. The annual aggregate hour burden for electronic and manual 
response firms is estimated to be 8,114 (59,958 x 8 / 60 = 7,994 hours) 
+ (80 x 1.5 = 120 hours), respectively.\2\ In addition, the Commission 
estimates that it will request 8 broker-dealers to supply the contact 
information identified in Rule 17a-25(c) and estimates the total 
aggregate burden hours to be 2. Thus, the annual aggregate burden for 
all respondents to the collection of information requirements of Rule 
17a-25 is estimated at 8,116 hours (7,994 + 120 + 2).
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    \1\ A single EBS request has a unique number assigned to each 
request (e.g. ``0900001''). However, the number of broker-dealer 
responses generated from one EBS request can range from one to 
several thousand. EBS requests are sent directly to clearing firms, 
as the clearing firm is the repository for trading data for 
securities transactions information provided by itself and 
correspondent firms. Clearing brokers respond for themselves and 
other firms they clear for. There were 124,912 responses during the 
25 month period for an average of 4,996.5 responses per month or an 
average of 59,958 annual responses.
    \2\ Few of respondents submit manual EBS responses. The small 
percentage of respondents that submit manual responses do so by 
hand, via email, spreadsheet, disk, or other electronic media. Thus, 
the number of manual submissions (80) has minimal effect on the 
total annual burden hours.
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    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 estimate of 
the burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to 
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be 
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.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required 
to respond to, a collection of information under the PRA unless it 
displays a currently valid OMB control number.
    Please direct your written comments to: Pamela Dyson, Director/
Chief Information Office, Securities and Exchange Commission, c/o Remi 
Pavlik-Simon, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549 or send an email 
to: [email protected].

    Dated: December 16, 2015.
Robert W. Errett,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-32053 Filed 12-21-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P