[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 88 (Friday, May 6, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Page 27197]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-09719]



[[Page 27197]]

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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[SEC File No. 270-363, OMB Control No. 3235-0413]


Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Extension: Rule 17Ad-16

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

    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 17Ad-16 (17 CFR 
240.17Ad-16) 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 17Ad-16 requires a registered transfer agent to provide 
written notice to the appropriate qualified registered securities 
depository when assuming or terminating transfer agent services on 
behalf of an issuer or when changing its name or address. In addition, 
transfer agents that provide such notice shall maintain such notice for 
a period of at least two years in an easily accessible place. This rule 
addresses the problem of certificate transfer delays caused by transfer 
requests that are directed to the wrong transfer agent or the wrong 
address.
    We estimate that the transfer agent industry submits 15,917 Rule 
17Ad-16 notices to appropriate qualified registered securities 
depositories. The staff estimates that the average amount of time 
necessary to create and submit each notice is approximately 15 minutes 
per notice. Accordingly, the estimated total industry burden is 
3,979.25 hours per year (15 minutes multiplied by 15,917 notices filed 
annually).
    Because the information needed by transfer agents to properly 
notify the appropriate registered securities depository is readily 
available to them and the report is simple and straightforward, the 
cost is relatively minimal. The average internal compliance cost to 
prepare and send a notice is approximately $86 (15 minutes at $344 per 
hour).\1\ This yields an industry-wide internal compliance cost 
estimate of $1,368,862 (15,917 notices multiplied by $86 per notice).
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    \1\ The estimated hourly wages used in this analysis were 
derived from reports prepared by the Securities Industry and 
Financial Markets Association. See Securities Industry and Financial 
Markets Association, Office Salaries in the Securities Industry--
2022 (2022), modified to account for an 1800-hour work year and 
multiplied by 5.35 to account for bonuses, firm size, employee 
benefits and overhead.
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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 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 by July 5, 2022.
    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 John 
Pezzullo, 100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 20549, or send an email to: 
[email protected].

    Dated: May 2, 2022.
J. Matthew DeLesDernier,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-09719 Filed 5-5-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P