[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 185 (Wednesday, September 23, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59844-59845]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-20929]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[SEC File No. 270-420, OMB Control No. 3235-0479]


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 15c2-7

    Notice is hereby given that pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995

[[Page 59845]]

(``PRA'') (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), the Securities and Exchange 
Commission (``Commission'') is soliciting comments on the existing 
collection of information provided for in Rule 15c2-7 (17 CFR 240.15c2-
7) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78a et seq.). 
The Commission plans to submit this existing collection of information 
to the Office of Management and Budget (``OMB'') for extension and 
approval.
    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 3,647 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 figure to represent 
the number of respondents. Rule 15c2-7 applies only to quotations 
entered into an inter-dealer quotation system, such as the OTC Bulletin 
Board (``OTCBB''), or OTC Link, operated by OTC Markets Group Inc. 
(``OTC Link'') or the electronic trading platform operated by Global 
OTC. According to representatives of OTC Link, Global OTC and the 
OTCBB, none of those entities 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).
    Written comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the Commission, including whether the information 
shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Commission's 
estimates of the burden of the proposed 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.
    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: David Bottom, Director/
Chief Information Officer, Securities and Exchange Commission, c/o 
Cynthia Roscoe, 100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 20549, or send an email 
to: [email protected].

    Dated: September 17, 2020.
J. Matthew DeLesDernier,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-20929 Filed 9-22-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P