Document Headings

                    Document headings vary by document type but may contain                    the following:                  
                -                       the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document                    
                -                       the number of the CFR title and the number of each part                      the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly                      related to                    
                -                       the agency docket number / agency internal file number                    
                -                       the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in                      the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory                      Actions                    

                    See the                                          Document Drafting Handbook                                        for more details.                  

###### Securities and Exchange Commission

          - [Release No. 34-102179; File Nos. PCAOB-2024-06, PCAOB-2024-07]

                    On November 22, 2024, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”), pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Act”) [1]                                          and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,[2]                                          proposed rules on (1) Firm Reporting (“Firm Reporting”) and (2) Firm and Engagement Metrics and Related Amendments to PCAOB Standards (“Firm and Engagement Metrics”). The proposed rules on Firm Reporting were published for comment in the                     **Federal Register**                     on December 5, 2024,[3]                                          and the proposed rules on Firm and Engagement Metrics were published for comment in the                     **Federal Register**                     on December 11, 2024.[4]                                          The Commission provided a 21-day public comment period for the proposed rules,[5]                                          which ended on December 26, 2024 for Firm Reporting and on January 2, 2025 for Firm and Engagement Metrics.                

                    Section 19(b)(2) of the Act [6]                                          provides that no later than 45 days after the date of the publication of notice of the filing of a proposed rule change, or within such longer period up to 90 days as the Commission may designate if it finds such longer period to be appropriate and publishes its reasons for so finding or as to which the self-regulatory organization [7]                                          consents, the Commission shall either approve or disapprove the proposed rule change, or institute proceedings to determine whether the proposed rule change should be disapproved. The 45th day after publication of the notice for the proposed rules on Firm Reporting is January 19, 2025. The 45th day after publication of the notice for the proposed rules on Firm and Engagement Metrics is January 25, 2025.                

To provide additional time for public comment on the proposed rules and the issues raised therein, the Commission has determined to extend the comment periods for the proposed rules for an additional 21 days from the date of the issuance of this notice. To accommodate the longer comment periods and consideration of such comments, the Commission finds it appropriate to also extend the time periods within which the Commission must take action on the proposed rules for up to 45 days.

                    Accordingly, the Commission is extending the public comment periods for the proposed rules on Firm Reporting and Firm and Engagement Metrics until February 4, 2025, and, pursuant to Section 19(b)(2) of the Act,[8]                                          extends the date by which the Commission shall either approve or disapprove, or institute proceedings to determine whether to disapprove, the proposed rules on Firm Reporting to March 5, 2025 (File No. PCAOB-2024-07) and the proposed rules on Firm and Engagement Metrics to March 11, 2025 (File No. PCAOB-2024-06). Please note that comments previously received on the proposed rules will be considered together with comments submitted in response to this notice. Therefore, while commenters are free to submit additional comments at this time, they need not re-submit earlier comments.                

                        For the Commission, by the Office of the Chief Accountant, pursuant to delegated authority.9

Vanessa A. Countryman,

Secretary.

# Footnotes

1.                             15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).                    
        Back to Citation      

2.                             17 CFR 240.19b-4.                    
        Back to Citation      

3.                                                     *See*                         Public Company Accounting Oversight Board; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rules on Firm Reporting, Release No. 34-101723 (Nov. 25, 2024) [89 FR 96712 (Dec. 5, 2024)].                    
        Back to Citation      

4.                                                     *See*                         Public Company Accounting Oversight Board; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rules on Firm and Engagement Metrics and Related Amendments to PCAOB Standards, Release No. 34-101724 (Nov. 25, 2024) [89 FR 99968 (Dec. 11, 2024)].                    
        Back to Citation      

5.                                                     *See supra*                         notes 3 and 4.                    
        Back to Citation      

6.                             15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).                    
        Back to Citation      

7.                             The term “self-regulatory organization” includes a “registered securities association.”                         *See*                         Section 3(a)(26) of the Act. Section 107(b)(4) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 states that the provisions of Sections 19(b)(1) through (3) of the Act shall govern the proposed rules of the PCAOB as fully as if the PCAOB were a “registered securities association” for purposes of that Section.                    
        Back to Citation      

8.                             15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).                    

9.                             17 CFR 200.30-11(b)(3).                    
        Back to Citation      

[FR Doc. 2025-01160 Filed 1-16-25; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8011-01-P