
[Federal Register: December 7, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 233)]
[Notices]               
[Page 64101]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07de09-928]                         

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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

 
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Upon Written Request, Copies Available From: Securities and Exchange 
Commission, Office of Investor Education and Advocacy, Washington, DC 
20549-0213.

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

    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 (``OMB'') a request for approval of extension of the 
existing collection of information provided for in the following rule: 
Rule 17a-25 (17 CFR 240.17a-25) under the Securities Exchange Act of 
1934 (15 U.S.C. 78a et seq.) (``Exchange Act'').
    Paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 17a-25 requires registered broker-dealers 
to electronically submit securities transaction information, including 
identifiers for prime brokerage 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 5168 
electronic blue sheet requests per year to clearing broker-dealers, who 
in turn submit an average 79,992 responses.\1\ It is estimated that 
each broker-dealer who responds electronically will take 8 minutes, and 
each broker-dealer who 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 10,786 (79,992 x 8 / 60 = 10,666 
hours) + (80 x 1.5 = 120 hours), respectively.\2\ In addition, the 
Commission estimates that it will request 500 broker-dealers to supply 
the contact information identified in Rule 17a-25(c) and estimates the 
total aggregate burden hours to be 125. Thus, the annual aggregate 
burden for all respondents to the collection of information 
requirements of Rule 17a-25 is estimated at 10,911 hours (10,786 + 
125).
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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 hundred. 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.
    \2\ Few respondents submit manual EBS responses. The small 
percentage of respondents that submit manual responses do so by 
hand, via e-mail, 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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    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: Shagufta_
Ahmed@comb.eop.gov; and (ii) Charles Boucher, Director/Chief 
Information Officer, Securities and Exchange Commission, c/o Shirley 
Martinson, 6432 General Green Way, Alexandria, Virginia 22312 or send 
an e-mail to PRA_Mailbox@sec.gov. Comments must be submitted to OMB 
within 30 days of this notice.

    November 30, 2009.
Florence E. Harmon,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9-29044 Filed 12-4-09; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8011-01-P
