Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 63 / Friday, April 1, 2011 / Notices 18263 

professional (ST) rate range remains at 

$119,554 in 2011. The applicable 

maximum rate of the SL/ST rate range 

continues to be $179,700 (level II of the 

Executive Schedule) for SL or ST 

employees covered by a certified SL/ST 

performance appraisal system and 

$165,300 (level III of the Executive 

Schedule) for SL or ST employees 

covered by an SL/ST performance 

appraisal system that has not been 

certified. Agencies with certified 

performance appraisal systems in 2011 

for SES members and employees in SL 

and ST positions also must apply a 

higher aggregate limitation on pay—up 

to the Vice President’s salary ($230,700 

in 2011, the same level as in 2010). 

By law, SES members and employees 

in SL and ST positions are not 

authorized to receive locality payments. 

Note: An exception applies to SES, SL, 

and ST employees stationed in a 

nonforeign area on January 2, 2010, 

which is explained in an OPM 

memorandum, CPM 2009–27. (See 

http://www.opm.gov/oca/compmemo/ 

index.asp.) 

Executive Order 13561 provides that 

the rates of basic pay for administrative 

law judges (ALJs) under 5 U.S.C. 5372 

are not increased in 2011. The rate of 

basic pay for AL–1 remains at $155,500 

(equivalent to the rate for EX–IV). The 

rate of basic pay for AL–2 remains at 

$151,800. The rates of basic pay for AL– 

3/A through 3/F continue to range from 

$103,900 to $143,700. 

The rates of basic pay for members of 

Contract Appeals Boards are calculated 

as a percentage of the rate for level IV 

of the Executive Schedule. (See 5 U.S.C. 

5372a.) Therefore, these rates of basic 

pay are not increased in 2011. 

On December 13, 2010, the 

President’s Pay Agent extended localitybased comparability payments to certain 

categories of non-GS employees again in 

2011. The Governmentwide categories 

include ALJs and Contract Appeals 

Board members. The maximum locality 

rate of pay for these employees is the 

rate for level III of the Executive 

Schedule ($165,300 in 2011, the same 

level as in 2010). 

On December 27, 2010, OPM issued a 

memorandum (CPM 2010–20) on the 

Executive order for the 2011 pay 

schedules. (See http://www.opm.gov/ 

oca/compmemo/index.asp.) The 

memorandum transmitted Executive 

Order 13561 and provided the 2011 

salary tables, locality pay areas and 

percentages, and information on general 

pay administration matters and other 

related information. The ‘‘2011 Salary 

Tables’’ posted on OPM’s Web site at 

http://www.opm.gov/oca/11tables/ 

index.asp are the official rates of pay for 

affected employees and are hereby 

incorporated as part of this notice. 

U.S. Office of Personnel Management. 

John Berry, 

Director. 

[FR Doc. 2011–7672 Filed 3–31–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6325–39–P 

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL 

MANAGEMENT 

Hispanic Council on Federal 

Employment 

AGENCY: Office of Personnel 

Management. 

ACTION: Scheduling of council meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Hispanic Council on 

Federal Employment will hold its 

second meeting on April 15, 2011, at the 

time and location shown below. The 

Council is an advisory committee 

composed of representatives from 

Hispanic organizations and senior 

government officials. Along with its 

other responsibilities, the Council shall 

advise the Director of the Office of 

Personnel Management on matters 

involving the recruitment, hiring, and 

advancement of Hispanics in the 

Federal workforce. The Council is cochaired by the Chief of Staff of the 

Office of Personnel Management and the 

Assistant Secretary for Human 

Resources and Administration at the 

Department of Veterans Affairs. 

The meeting is open to the public. 

Please contact the Office of Personnel 

Management at the address shown 

below if you wish to present material to 

the Council at the meeting. The manner 

and time prescribed for presentations 

may be limited, depending upon the 

number of parties that express interest 

in presenting information. 

DATES: April 15, 2011 from 2–4 p.m. 

Location: U.S. Office of Personnel 

Management, Room 1416, 1st Floor, 

Theodore Roosevelt Building, 1900 E 

St., NW., Washington, DC 20415. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Veronica E. Villalobos, Director for the 

Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Office 

of Personnel Management, 1900 E St., 

NW., Suite 5305, Washington, DC 

20415. Phone (202) 606–2984 FAX (202) 

606–2183 or e-mail at 

Edgar.Gonzalez@opm.gov. 

U.S. Office of Personnel Management. 

John Berry, 

Director. 

[FR Doc. 2011–7830 Filed 3–31–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6325–46–P 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE 

COMMISSION 

Proposed Collection; 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 17Ac3–1(a); SEC File No. 270–96; 

OMB Control No. 3235–0151. 

Form TA–W(1669); SEC File No. 270–96; 

OMB Control No. 3235–0151. 

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’’) is soliciting comments 

on the existing collection of information 

provided for in the following rule: Rule 

17Ac3–1(a) under the Securities 

Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78a et 

seq.) (‘‘Exchange Act’’). The Commission 

plans to submit this existing collection 

of information to the Office of 

Management and Budget for extension 

and approval. 

Section 17A(c)(4)(B) of the Exchange 

Act authorizes transfer agents registered 

with an appropriate regulatory agency 

(‘‘ARA’’) to withdraw from registration 

by filing with the ARA a written notice 

of withdrawal and by agreeing to such 

terms and conditions as the ARA deems 

necessary or appropriate in the public 

interest, for the protection of investors, 

or in the furtherance of the purposes of 

Section 17A. 

In order to implement Section 

17A(c)(4)(B) of the Exchange Act the 

Commission, on September 1, 1977, 

promulgated Rule 17Ac3–1(a) (17 CFR 

240.17Ac3–1(a)) and accompanying 

Form TA–W (17 CFR 249b.101). Rule 

17Ac3–1(a) provides that notice of 

withdrawal from registration as a 

transfer agent with the Commission 

shall be filed on Form TA–W. Form 

TA–W requires the withdrawing transfer 

agent to provide the Commission with 

certain information, including: (1) The 

locations where transfer agent activities 

are or were performed; (2) the reasons 

for ceasing the performance of such 

activities; (3) disclosure of unsatisfied 

judgments or liens; and (4) information 

regarding successor transfer agents. 

The Commission uses the information 

disclosed on Form TA–W to determine 

whether the registered transfer agent 

applying for withdrawal from 

registration as a transfer agent should be 

allowed to deregister and, if so, whether 

the Commission should attach to the 

granting of the application any terms or 

conditions necessary or appropriate in 

mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES

18264 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 63 / Friday, April 1, 2011 / Notices 

1See Appendix C, SIFMA Office Salaries Data— 

Sept. 2007 for General Clerk national hourly rate. 

the public interest, for the protection of 

investors, or in furtherance of the 

purposes of Section 17A of the 

Exchange Act. Without Rule 17Ac3–1(a) 

and Form TA–W, transfer agents 

registered with the Commission would 

not have a means to voluntarily 

deregister when necessary or 

appropriate to do so. 

Respondents file approximately 50 

TA–Ws with the Commission annually. 

A Form TA–W filing occurs only once, 

when a transfer agent is seeing 

deregistration. Approximately 80 

percent of Form TA–Ws are completed 

by the transfer agent or its employees 

and approximately 20 percent of Forms 

TA–W are completed by an outside 

filing agent that is hired by the 

registrant to prepare the form and file it 

electronically. In view of the readilyavailable information requested by Form 

TA–W, its short and simple 

presentation, and the Commission’s 

experience with the filers, we estimate 

that approximately 30 minutes is 

required to complete and file Form 

TA–W, which consists primarily of 

external labor costs plus a nominal and 

unquantifiable amount of computer 

operations/maintenance cost (because 

the Form must be filed electronically 

through the Commission’s EDGAR 

system). For transfer agents that 

complete Form TA–W themselves, we 

estimate the cost per filing is $25 (.5 

hours times $50 average hourly rate for 

clerical staff time), which is an internal 

labor cost. We estimate that outside 

filing agents charge $100 to complete 

and file a TA–W on behalf of a 

registrant, reflecting an external cost to 

respondents. 

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 to be 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. 

The Commission may not conduct or 

sponsor a collection of information 

unless it displays a currently valid 

control number. No person shall be 

subject to any penalty for failing to 

comply with a collection of information 

subject to the PRA that does not display 

a valid Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) control number. 

Please direct your written comments 

to: Thomas Bayer, Chief Information 

Officer, Securities and Exchange 

Commission, c/o Remi Pavlik-Simon, 

6432 General Green Way, Alexandria, 

VA 22312 or send an e-mail to: 

PRA_Mailbox@sec.gov. 

Dated: March 28, 2011. 

Cathy H. Ahn, 

Deputy Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2011–7690 Filed 3–31–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8011–01–P 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE 

COMMISSION 

Proposed Collection; Comment 

Request 

Upon Written Request, Copies Available 

From: Securities and Exchange 

Commission, Office of Investor 

Education and Advocacy, 

Washington, DC 20549–0213. 

Extension: 

Rule 15c2–11; SEC File No. 270–196; 

OMB Control No. 3235–0202. 

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’’) is soliciting comments 

on the existing collection of information 

provided for in Rule 15c2–11, (17 CFR 

240.15c2–11), 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 

for extension and approval. 

On September 13, 1971, effective 

December 13, 1971 (see 36 FR 18641, 

September 18, 1971), the Commission 

adopted Rule 15c2–11 (‘‘Rule 15c2–11’’ 

or ‘‘Rule’’) under the Securities 

Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78a et 

seq.) to regulate the initiation or 

resumption of quotations in a quotation 

medium by a broker-dealer for over-thecounter (‘‘OTC’’) securities. The Rule 

was designed primarily to prevent 

certain manipulative and fraudulent 

trading schemes that had arisen in 

connection with the distribution and 

trading of unregistered securities issued 

by shell companies or other companies 

having outstanding but infrequently 

traded securities. Subject to certain 

exceptions, the Rule prohibits brokersdealers from publishing a quotation for 

a security, or submitting a quotation for 

publication, in a quotation medium 

unless they have reviewed specified 

information concerning the security and 

the issuer. 

Based on information provided by 

Financial Industry Regulatory 

Authority, Inc. (‘‘FINRA’’), in the 2010 

calendar year, FINRA received 

approximately 1,798 applications from 

broker-dealers to initiate or resume 

publication of covered OTC securities in 

the OTC Bulletin Board and/or the Pink 

Sheets or other quotation mediums. We 

estimate that (i) 41% of the covered 

OTC securities were issued by reporting 

issuers, while the other 59% were 

issued by non-reporting issuers, and (ii) 

it will take a broker-dealer about 4 hours 

to review, record and retain the 

information pertaining to a reporting 

issuer, and about 8 hours to review, 

record and retain the information 

pertaining to a non-reporting issuer. 

We therefore estimate that brokerdealers who initiate or resume 

publication of quotations for covered 

OTC securities of reporting issuers will 

require 2,949 hours (1,798 × 41% × 4) 

to review, record and retain the 

information required by the Rule. We 

estimate that broker-dealers who initiate 

or resume publication of quotations for 

covered OTC securities of non-reporting 

issuers will require 8,487 hours (1,798 

× 59% × 8) to review, record and retain 

the information required by the Rule. 

Thus, we estimate the total annual 

burden hours for broker-dealers to 

initiate or resume publication of 

quotations of covered OTC securities to 

be 11,436 hours (2,949 + 8,487). The 

Commission believes that these 11,436 

hours would be completed by staff 

working at a rate of $40 per hour.1

Subject to certain exceptions, the Rule 

prohibits brokers-dealers from 

publishing a quotation for a security, or 

submitting a quotation for publication, 

in a quotation medium unless they have 

reviewed specified information 

concerning the security and the issuer. 

The broker-dealer must also make the 

information reasonably available upon 

request to any person expressing an 

interest in a proposed transaction in the 

security with such broker or dealer. The 

collection of information that is 

submitted to FINRA for review and 

approval is currently not available to the 

public from FINRA. 

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 

mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES