Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 57 / Thursday, March 26, 2009 / Notices 13275 

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 7770 

hours (3885 funds × 2 hours = 7770 

hours). 

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. 

Written comments are requested on: 

(a) Whether the collection of 

information is 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 burden of the collection of 

information; (c) ways to enhance the 

quality, utility and clarity of the 

information 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. 

Please direct your written comments 

to Charles Boucher, Director/CIO, 

Securities and Exchange Commission, 

C/O Shirley Martinson, 6432 General 

Green Way, Alexandria, VA 22312; or 

send an e-mail to: 

PRA_Mailbox@sec.gov. 

Dated: March 18, 2009. 

Florence E. Harmon, 

Deputy Secretary. 

[FR Doc. E9–6657 Filed 3–25–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8010–01–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 20a–1, SEC File No. 270–132, OMB 

Control No. 3235–0158. 

Notice is hereby given that pursuant 

to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 

(44 U.S.C. 3501–3520) 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 for extension 

and approval. 

Rule 20a–1 (17 CFR 270.20a–1) under 

the Investment Company Act of 1940 

(15 U.S.C. 80a–1 et seq.) requires that 

the solicitation of a proxy, consent, or 

authorization with respect to a security 

issued by a registered investment 

company (‘‘fund’’) be in compliance 

with Regulation 14A (17 CFR 240.14a– 

1 et seq.), Schedule 14A (17 CFR 

240.14a–101), and all other rules and 

regulations adopted under section 14(a) 

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 

(15 U.S.C. 78n(a)). It also requires a 

fund’s investment adviser, or a 

prospective adviser, to transmit to the 

person making a proxy solicitation the 

information necessary to enable that 

person to comply with the rules and 

regulations applicable to the 

solicitation. In addition, rule 20a–1 

instructs registered investment 

companies, that have made a public 

offering of securities and that hold 

security holder votes for which proxies, 

consents, or authorizations are not being 

solicited, to refer to the Commission’s 

rules governing information statements. 

Regulation 14A and Schedule 14A 

establish the disclosure requirements 

applicable to the solicitation of proxies, 

consents and authorizations. In 

particular, Item 22 of Schedule 14A 

contains extensive disclosure 

requirements for fund proxy statements. 

Among other things, it requires the 

disclosure of information about fund fee 

or expense increases, the election of 

directors, the approval of an investment 

advisory contract and the approval of a 

distribution plan. 

The Commission requires the 

dissemination of this information to 

assist investors in understanding their 

fund investments and the choices they 

may be asked to make regarding fund 

operations. The Commission does not 

use the information in proxies directly, 

but reviews proxy statement filings for 

compliance with applicable rules. 

It is estimated that funds file 

approximately 1,225 proxy solicitations 

annually with the Commission. That 

figure includes multiple filings by some 

funds. The total annual reporting and 

recordkeeping burden of the collection 

of information is estimated to be 

approximately 130,095 hours (1,225 

responses × 106.2 hours per response). 

Written comments are invited on: (a) 

Whether the proposed collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

agency, including whether the 

information will have practical utility; 

(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate 

of the burden of the collection of 

information; (c) ways to enhance the 

quality, utility, and clarity of the 

information 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. 

Please direct your written comments 

to Charles Boucher, Director/CIO, 

Securities and Exchange Commission, 

C/O Shirley Martinson, 6432 General 

Green Way, Alexandria, VA 22312; or 

send an e-mail to: 

PRA_Mailbox@sec.gov. 

Dated: March 18, 2009. 

Florence E. Harmon, 

Deputy Secretary. 

[FR Doc. E9–6658 Filed 3–25–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8010–01–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 6c–7, SEC File No. 270–269, OMB 

Control No. 3235–0276. 

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 (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 for extension 

and approval. 

Rule 6c–7 (17 CFR 270.6c–7) under 

the Investment Company Act of 1940 

(15 U.S.C. 80a–1 et seq.) (‘‘1940 Act’’) 

provides exemption from certain 

provisions of Sections 22(e) and 27 of 

the 1940 Act for registered separate 

accounts offering variable annuity