[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 104 (Friday, May 29, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 32432]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-11595]


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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 FOIA Services, 100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 
20549-2736

Extension:
    Rule 8c-1, SEC File No. 270-455, OMB Control No. 3235-0514

    Notice is hereby given that pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995 (``PRA'') (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 
previously approved collection of information provided for in Rule 8c-1 
(17 CFR 240.8c-1), under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
(``Exchange Act'') (15 U.S.C. 78a et seq.).
    Rule 8c-1 generally prohibits a broker-dealer from using its 
customers' securities as collateral to finance its own trading, 
speculating, or underwriting transactions. More specifically, Rule 8c-1 
states three main principles: (1) A broker-dealer is prohibited from 
commingling the securities of different customers as collateral for a 
loan without the consent of each customer; (2) a broker-dealer cannot 
commingle customers' securities with its own securities under the same 
pledge; and (3) a broker-dealer can only pledge its customers' 
securities to the extent that customers are in debt to the broker-
dealer. Additionally, Rule 8c-1 requires broker-dealers to make certain 
written notifications to pledgees in connection with such use of 
customer securities as collateral.\1\
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    \1\ See Exchange Act Release No. 2690 (November 15, 1940); 
Exchange Act Release No. 9428 (December 29, 1971).
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    The information required by Rule 8c-1 is necessary for the 
execution of the Commission's mandate under the Exchange Act to prevent 
broker-dealers from hypothecating or arranging for the hypothecation of 
any securities carried for the account of any customer under certain 
circumstances. In addition, the information required by Rule 8c-1 
provides important investor protections.
    There are approximately 46 respondents as of year-end 2019 (i.e., 
broker-dealers that conducted business with the public, filed Part II 
of the FOCUS Report, did not claim an exemption from the Reserve 
Formula computation, and reported that they had a bank loan during at 
least one quarter of the current year). Each respondent makes an 
estimated 45 annual responses, for an aggregate total of 2,070 
responses per year.\2\ Each response takes approximately 0.5 hours to 
complete. Therefore, the total third-party disclosure burden per year 
is 1,035 hours.\3\
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    \2\ 46 respondents x 45 annual responses = 2,070 aggregate total 
of annual responses.
    \3\ 2,070 responses x 0.5 hours = 1,035 hours.
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    The retention period for the recordkeeping requirement under Rule 
8c-1 is three years. The recordkeeping requirement under Rule 8c-1 is 
mandatory to ensure that broker-dealers do not commingle their 
securities or use them to finance the broker-dealers' proprietary 
business. This rule does not involve the collection of confidential or 
personal identifiable information.
    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.
    The public may view background documentation for this information 
collection at the following website: www.reginfo.gov. Find this 
particular information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day 
Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function. 
Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to (i) www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain and (ii) David Bottom, 
Director/Chief Information Officer, Securities and Exchange Commission, 
c/o Cynthia Roscoe, 100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 20549, or by 
sending an email to: PRA_Mailbox@sec.gov.

    Dated: May 26 2020.
J. Matthew DeLesDernier,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-11595 Filed 5-28-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P


