88436 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 244 / Thursday, December 21, 2023 / Notices 

16 17 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12). 

1Based on a review of fund filings for the threeyear period from January 1, 2020 to December 2022, 

Commission staff calculates there are 2,186 funds 

(registered open- and closed-end funds, and 

business development companies) that must 

comply with the collections of information under 

rule 17g–1, and which collectively submit an 

estimated 2,543 filings on Form 17G annually. 

submissions should refer to file number 

SR–MRX–2023–25 and should be 

submitted on or before January 11, 2024. 

For the Commission, by the Division of 

Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated 

authority.16

Sherry R. Haywood, 

Assistant Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2023–28040 Filed 12–20–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8011–01–P 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE 

COMMISSION 

[SEC File No. 270–208, OMB Control No. 

3235–0213] 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request; Extension: Rule 

17g–1 

Upon Written Request, Copies Available 

From: Securities and Exchange 

Commission, Office of FOIA Services, 

100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 

20549–2736 

Notice is hereby given that, pursuant 

to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 

(44 U.S.C. 350l–3520), the Securities 

and Exchange Commission (the 

‘‘Commission’’) has submitted to the 

Office of Management and Budget a 

request for extension of the previously 

approved collection of information 

discussed below. 

Rule 17g–1 (17 CFR 270.17g–1) under 

the Investment Company Act of 1940 

(the ‘‘Act’’) (15 U.S.C. 80a–17(g)) 

governs the fidelity bonding of officers 

and employees of registered 

management investment companies 

(‘‘funds’’) and their advisers. Rule 17g– 

1 requires, in part, the following: 

Independent Directors’ Approval 

The form and amount of the fidelity 

bond must be approved by a majority of 

the fund’s independent directors at least 

once annually, and the amount of any 

premium paid by the fund for any ‘‘joint 

insured bond,’’ covering multiple funds 

or certain affiliates, must be approved 

by a majority of the fund’s independent 

directors. 

Terms and Provisions of the Bond 

The amount of the bond may not be 

less than the minimum amounts of 

coverage set forth in a schedule based 

on the fund’s gross assets. The bond 

must provide that it shall not be 

cancelled, terminated, or modified 

except upon 60-days written notice to 

the affected party and to the 

Commission. In the case of a joint 

insured bond, 60-days written notice 

must also be given to each fund covered 

by the bond. A joint insured bond must 

provide that the fidelity insurance 

company will provide all funds covered 

by the bond with a copy of the 

agreement, a copy of any claim on the 

bond, and notification of the terms of 

the settlement of any claim prior to 

execution of that settlement. Finally, a 

fund that is insured by a joint bond 

must enter into an agreement with all 

other parties insured by the joint bond 

regarding recovery under the bond. 

Filings With the Commission 

Upon the execution of a fidelity bond 

or any amendment thereto, a fund must 

file with the Commission within 10 

days: (i) a copy of the executed bond or 

any amendment to the bond, (ii) the 

independent directors’ resolution 

approving the bond, and (iii) a 

statement as to the period for which 

premiums have been paid on the bond. 

In the case of a joint insured bond, a 

fund must also file: (i) a statement 

showing the amount the fund would 

have been required to maintain under 

the rule if it were insured under a single 

insured bond; and (ii) the agreement 

between the fund and all other insured 

parties regarding recovery under the 

bond. A fund must also notify the 

Commission in writing within five days 

of any claim or settlement on a claim 

under the fidelity bond. 

Notices to Directors 

A fund must notify by registered mail 

each member of its board of directors of: 

(i) any cancellation, termination, or 

modification of the fidelity bond at least 

45 days prior to the effective date; and 

(ii) the filing or settlement of any claim 

under the fidelity bond when 

notification is filed with the 

Commission. 

Rule 17g–1’s independent directors’ 

annual review requirements, fidelity 

bond content requirements, joint bond 

agreement requirement, and the 

required notices to directors are 

designed to ensure the safety of fund 

assets against losses due to the conduct 

of persons who may obtain access to 

those assets. These requirements also 

seek to facilitate oversight of a fund’s 

fidelity bond. The rule’s required filings 

with the Commission are designed to 

assist the Commission in monitoring 

funds’ compliance with the fidelity 

bond requirements. 

Based on conversations with 

representatives in the fund industry, the 

Commission staff calculates that for 

each of the estimated 2,543 active funds 

(respondents),1 the average annual 

paperwork burden associated with rule 

17g–1’s requirements is two hours, one 

hour each for a compliance attorney and 

the board of directors as a whole. The 

time spent by a compliance attorney 

includes time spent filing reports with 

the Commission for fidelity losses (if 

any) as well as paperwork associated 

with any notices to directors, and 

managing any updates to the bond and 

the joint agreement (if one exists). The 

time spent by the board of directors as 

a whole includes any time spent 

initially establishing the bond, as well 

as time spent on annual updates and 

approvals. The Commission staff 

therefore estimates the total ongoing 

paperwork burden hours per year for all 

funds required by rule 17g–1 to be 5,086 

hours (2,543 funds × 2 hours = 5,086 

hours). Commission staff continues to 

estimate that the filing and reporting 

requirements of rule 17g–1 do not entail 

any external cost burdens. 

These estimates of average burden 

hours are made solely for the purposes 

of the Paperwork Reduction Act. These 

estimates are not derived from a 

comprehensive or even a representative 

survey or study of Commission rules. 

The collection of information required 

by Rule 17g–1 is mandatory and 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 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 by January 22, 2024 to (i) 

MBX.OMB.OIRA.SEC_desk_officer@

omb.eop.gov and (ii) David Bottom, 

Director/Chief Information Officer, 

Securities and Exchange Commission, c/ 

o John Pezzullo, 100 F Street NE, 

Washington, DC 20549, or by sending an 

email to: PRA_Mailbox@sec.gov. 

Dated: December 18, 2023. 

Sherry R. Haywood, 

Assistant Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2023–28119 Filed 12–20–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8011–01–P 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES