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###### Securities and Exchange Commission

          - [SEC File No. 270-574, OMB Control No. 3235-0648]

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

*Extension:*

Rule 498

                    Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501*et seq.*) (“Paperwork Reduction Act”), the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) is soliciting comments on the collection of information summarized below. The Commission plans to submit this existing collection of information to the Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) for extension and approval.                

                    Rule 498 (17 CFR 230.498) under the Securities Act of 1933 (15 U.S.C. 77a*et seq.*) (“Securities Act”) permits open-end management investment companies (“funds”) to satisfy their prospectus delivery obligations under the Securities Act by sending or giving key information directly to investors in the form of a summary prospectus (“Summary Prospectus”) and providing the statutory prospectus on a website. Upon an investor's request, funds are also required to send the statutory prospectus to the investor. In addition, under rule 498, a fund that relies on the rule to meet its statutory prospectus delivery obligations must make available, free of charge, the fund's current Summary Prospectus, statutory prospectus, statement of additional information, and most recent annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders at the website address specified in the required Summary Prospectus legend (17 CFR 270.498(e)(1)). A Summary Prospectus that complies with rule 498 is deemed to be a prospectus that is authorized under Section 10(b) of the Securities Act and Section 24(g) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-1*et seq.*).                

The purpose of rule 498 is to enable a fund to provide investors with a Summary Prospectus containing key information necessary to evaluate an investment in the fund. Unlike many other federal information collections, which are primarily for the use and benefit of the collecting agency, this information collection is primarily for the use and benefit of investors. The information filed with the Commission also permits the verification of compliance with securities law requirements and assures the public availability and dissemination of the information.

                    Based on an analysis of fund filings, the Commission estimates that approximately 10,536 funds are using a Summary Prospectus. The Commission estimates that the annual hourly burden per fund associated with the compilation of the information required on the cover page or the beginning of the Summary Prospectus is 0.5 hours, and estimates that the annual hourly burden per fund to comply with the website posting requirement is approximately 1 hour, requiring a total of 1.5 hours per fund per year.[1]                                          Thus the total annual hour burden associated with these requirements of the rule is approximately 15,804.[2]                                          The                           ( print page 355)                        Commission estimates that the annual cost burden is approximately $18,105 per fund, for a total annual cost burden of approximately $190,754,280.[3] 

Estimates of average burden hours are made solely for the purposes of the Paperwork Reduction Act and are not derived from a comprehensive or even a representative survey or study of the costs of Commission rules and forms. Under rule 498, use of the Summary Prospectus is voluntary, but the rule's requirements regarding provision of the statutory prospectus upon investor request are mandatory for funds that elect to send or give a Summary Prospectus in reliance upon rule 498. The information provided under rule 498 will not be kept confidential. 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 OMB control number.

Written comments are invited on: (a) Whether the collections of information are necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information has practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Commission's estimate of the burdens of the collections of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burdens of the collections 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.

                    Please direct your written comments to David Bottom, Director/Chief Information Officer, Securities and Exchange Commission, C/O Cynthia Roscoe, 100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 20549; or send an email to:                     *PRA_Mailbox@sec.gov.*

December 29, 2020.

J. Matthew DeLesDernier,

Assistant Secretary.

# Footnotes

1.                             0.5 hours per fund + 1 hour per fund = 1.5 hours per fund.                    
        Back to Citation      

2.                             1.5 hours per fund × 10,536 fund = 15,804 hours.                    
        Back to Citation      

3.                             $18,105 per fund × 10,536 fund = $190,754,280.                    
        Back to Citation      

[FR Doc. 2020-29155 Filed 1-4-21; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8011-01-P