
[Federal Register: March 12, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 49)]
[Notices]               
[Page 13262-13263]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12mr08-118]                         

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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

 
Submission for OMB Review; 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 19b-7 and Form 19b-7; OMB Control No. 3235-0553; SEC File 
No. 270-495.

    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 a request for approval of extension of the existing 
collection of information provided for in the following rule: Rule 19b-
7 (17 CFR 240.19b-7).
    The Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78a et seq.) 
(``Exchange Act'') provides a framework for self-regulation under which 
various entities involved in the securities business, including 
national securities exchanges and national securities associations 
(collectively, self-regulatory organizations or ``SROs''), have primary 
responsibility for regulating their members or participants. The role 
of the Commission in this framework is primarily one of oversight: the 
Exchange Act charges the Commission with supervising the SROs and 
assuring that each complies with and advances the policies of the 
Exchange Act.
    The Exchange Act was amended by the Commodity Futures Modernization 
Act of 2000 (``CFMA''). Prior to the CFMA, federal law did not allow 
the trading of futures on individual stocks or on narrow-based stock 
indexes (collectively, ``security futures products''). The CFMA removed 
this restriction and provides that trading in security futures products 
would be regulated jointly by the Commission and the Commodity Futures 
Trading Commission (``CFTC'').
    The Exchange Act requires all SROs to submit to the SEC any 
proposals to amend, add, or delete any of their rules. Certain entities 
(Security Futures Product Exchanges) would be national securities 
exchanges only because they trade security futures products. Similarly, 
certain entities (Limited Purpose National Securities Associations) 
would be national securities associations only because their members 
trade security futures products. The Exchange Act, as amended by the 
CFMA, established a procedure for Security Futures Product Exchanges 
and Limited Purpose National Securities Associations to provide notice 
of proposed rule changes relating to certain matters.\1\ Rule 19b-7 and 
Form 19b-7 (17 CFR 249.822) implemented this procedure.
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    \1\These matters are higher margin levels, fraud or 
manipulation, recordkeeping, reporting, listing standards, or 
decimal pricing for security futures products; sales practices for 
security futures products for persons who effect transactions in 
security futures products; or rules effectuating the obligation of 
Security Futures Product Exchanges and Limited Purpose National 
Securities Associations to enforce the securities laws. See 15 
U.S.C. 78s(b)(7)(A).
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    The collection of information is designed to provide the Commission 
with the information necessary to determine, as required by the Act, 
whether the proposed rule change is consistent with the Act and the 
rules thereunder. The information is used to determine if the proposed 
rule change should remain in affect or be abrogated.
    The respondents to the collection of information are SROs. Five 
respondents file an average total of 12 responses per year. Each 
response takes approximately 17.25 hours to complete, which corresponds 
to an estimated annual response burden of 207 (12 responses x 17.25 
hours) hours. The average cost per response is approximately $4,607.25 
(17.25 hours multiplied by an average hourly rate of $267.09). The 
resultant total related cost of compliance for these respondents is 
approximately $55,287 per year (12 responses x $4,607.25 per response).

[[Page 13263]]

    Compliance with Rule 19b-7 is mandatory. Information received in 
response to Rule 19b-7 shall not be kept confidential; the information 
collected is public information.
    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: Alexander--
T._Hunt@omb.eop.gov; and (ii) R. Corey Booth, 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: PRA_Mailbox@sec.gov. Comments must be submitted within 30 
days of this notice.

     Dated: March 4, 2007.
Florence E. Harmon,
Deputy Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E8-4823 Filed 3-11-08; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8011-01-P
