Document ID: SEC-2018-0844-0001
Agency: sec
Document Type: Rule
Title: Technical Amendments to Rules of Practice and Rules of Organization; Conduct and Ethics; and Information and Requests
Posted Date: 2018-06-01T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 106 (Friday, June 1, 2018)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 25365-25366]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-11618]

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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

17 CFR Parts 200 and 201

[Release No. 34-83325]

Technical Amendments to Rules of Practice and Rules of 
Organization; Conduct and Ethics; and Information and Requests

AGENCY: Securities and Exchange Commission.

ACTION: Final rule; technical amendments.

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SUMMARY: The Securities and Exchange Commission (``SEC'' or 
``Commission'') is making technical amendments to certain rules of 
organization and rules of practice to indicate that Commission 
materials will no longer be compiled and published as the ``SEC 
Docket'' (``SEC Docket'' or ``Docket''), but will continue to be 
available on the SEC public website.

DATES: Effective Date: June 1, 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Hannah Riedel, Senior Counsel, (202) 
551-5150, Office of the General Counsel, Securities and Exchange 
Commission or J. Lynn Taylor, Assistant Secretary, (202) 551-5400, 
Office of the Secretary, 100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 20549-9150.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    In 1972, the Commission began compiling and publishing Commission 
orders and rulemaking releases in an SEC Docket for weekly 
dissemination to the public. The Commission has determined that 
publishing the SEC Docket is no longer a cost-efficient way to 
disseminate information to the public because all materials appearing 
in the SEC Docket have already been posted upon release on the SEC 
public website at www.sec.gov.
    In 2013, facing increases in publication costs and dwindling 
subscription numbers, the Commission began publishing the Docket 
electronically on the SEC website. Producing and posting the SEC Docket 
electronically continues to require significant staff resources. The 
Office of the Secretary estimates that approximately 600 staff hours 
are expended annually to prepare the Docket. Moreover, with Docket 
materials already posted elsewhere on the website several weeks before 
the Docket is completed and published, the Docket generally receives 
less than 0.01% of all SEC website traffic.
    Accordingly, the Commission plans to immediately discontinue 
publication of the SEC Docket but to continue posting these materials 
on the SEC website in real time. In light of this change, the 
Commission is adopting technical amendments to Title 17, Chapter II of 
the Code of Federal Regulations to eliminate references to the SEC 
Docket and, where appropriate, replace references to the SEC Docket 
with references to the SEC website.

II. Administrative Law Matters

    The Commission finds, in accordance with the Administrative 
Procedure Act (``APA''), that these revisions relate solely to agency 
organization, procedures, or practice and do not constitute a 
substantive rule. Accordingly, the APA's provisions regarding notice of 
rulemaking, opportunity for public comment, and advance publication of 
the amendments are not applicable.\1\ For the same reason, and because 
these amendments do not affect the rights or obligations of non-agency 
parties, the provisions of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement 
Fairness Act are not applicable.\2\ Additionally, the provisions of the 
Regulatory Flexibility Act, which apply only when notice and comment 
are required by the APA or other law, are not applicable.\3\ These 
amendments do not contain any collection of information requirements as 
defined by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.\4\ Further, because the 
amendments impose no new burdens on private parties, the Commission 
does not believe that the amendments will have any impact on 
competition for purposes of Section 23(a)(2) of the Exchange Act.\5\
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    \1\ 5 U.S.C. 553.
    \2\ 5 U.S.C. 804(3)(C).
    \3\ 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.
    \4\ 44 U.S.C. 3501 et. seq.
    \5\ 15 U.S.C. 78w.

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[[Page 25366]]

III. Statutory Authority

    These technical amendments are adopted pursuant to statutory 
authority granted to the Commission under Section 23(a) of the Exchange 
Act.

List of Subjects in 17 CFR Parts 200 and 201

    Administrative practice and procedure.

Text of Amendments

    For the reasons set out above, the Commission is amending Title 17, 
Chapter II of the Code of Federal Regulations as follows:

PART 200--ORGANIZATION; CONDUCT AND ETHICS; AND INFORMATION AND 
REQUESTS

Subpart D--Information and Requests

0
1. The authority citation for Part 200, Subpart D, continues to read in 
part as follows:

    Authority:  5 U.S.C. 552, as amended, 15 U.S.C. 77f(d), 77s, 
77ggg(a), 77sss, 78m(F)(3), 78w, 80a-37, 80a-44(a), 80a-44(b), 80b-
10(a), and 80b-11, unless otherwise noted.
* * * * *

0
2. Section 200.80 is amended by revising paragraphs (a)(2) introductory 
text, (c)(1)(ii), and (e)(8)(ii) to read as follows:

Sec.  200.80  Commission records and information.

    (a) * * *
    (2) Records available for public inspection and copying; documents 
published and indexed. Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this 
section, the following materials are available for public inspection 
and copying from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., E.T., at the public reference room 
located at 100 F Street NE, Washington, DC.
* * * * *
    (c)(1) * * *
    (ii) All regional offices of the Commission have available for 
public examination the materials set forth in paragraph (a)(2) of this 
section and the SEC News Digest and other SEC publications. Blank forms 
as well as other general information about the operations of the 
Commission described in paragraph (a)(1) of this section may also be 
available at particular regional offices.
* * * * *
    (e) * * *
    (8) * * *
    (ii) The Commission publishes daily the SEC News Digest, which 
summarizes the releases published by the Commission each day, contains 
Commission announcements, and lists certain filings with the 
Commission.
* * * * *

0
3. Section 200.80b is revised to read as follows:

Sec.  200.80b  Appendix B--SEC releases.

    Free mailing list distribution of releases has been discontinued by 
the Commission because of rising costs and staff limitations. However, 
the texts of all releases under the various Acts, the corporate 
reorganization releases, and the litigation releases are available on 
the SEC website. Statistical series releases are contained in the SEC 
Monthly Statistical Review, which may be purchased through the 
Superintendent of Documents as described in Sec.  200.80c.

PART 201--RULES OF PRACTICE

Subpart D--Rules of Practice

0
4. The authority citation for Part 201, Subpart D, continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority:  15 U.S.C. 77f, 77g, 77h, 77h-1, 77j, 77s, 77u, 
77sss, 77ttt, 78c(b), 78d-1, 78d-2, 78l, 78m, 78n, 78o(d), 78o-3, 
78s, 78u-2, 78u-3, 78v, 78w, 80a-8, 80a-9, 80a-37, 80a-38, 80a-39, 
80a-40, 80a-41, 80a-44, 80b-3, 80b-9, 80b-11, 80b-12, 7202, 7215, 
and 7217.

0
5. Section 201.360 is amended by revising paragraphs (c) and (d)(2) to 
read as follows:

Sec.  201.360.  Initial decision of hearing officer and timing of 
hearing.

* * * * *
    (c) Filing, service and publication. The Secretary shall promptly 
serve the initial decision upon the parties and shall promptly publish 
notice of the filing thereof on the SEC website; provided, however, 
that in nonpublic proceedings no notice shall be published unless the 
Commission otherwise directs.
    (d) * * *
    (2) If a party or aggrieved person entitled to review fails to file 
timely a petition for review or a motion to correct a manifest error of 
fact in the initial decision, and if the Commission does not order 
review of a decision on its own initiative, the Commission will issue 
an order that the decision has become final as to that party. The 
decision becomes final upon issuance of the order. The order of 
finality shall state the date on which sanctions, if any, take effect. 
Notice of the order shall be published on the SEC website.

Subpart F--Fair Fund and Disgorgement Plans

0
6. The authority citation for Part 201, Subpart F, continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority:  15 U.S.C. 77h-1, 77s, 77u, 78c(b), 78d-1, 78d-2, 
78u-2, 78u-3, 78v, 78w, 80a-9, 80a-37, 80a-39, 80a-40, 80b-3, 80b-
11, 80b-12, and 7246.

0
7. Section 201.1103 is revised to read as follows:

Sec.  201.1103  Notice of proposed plan and opportunity for comment by 
non-parties.

    Notice of a proposed plan of disgorgement or a proposed Fair Fund 
plan shall be published on the SEC website and in such other 
publications as the Commission or the hearing officer may require. The 
notice shall specify how copies of the proposed plan may be obtained 
and shall state that persons desiring to comment on the proposed plan 
may submit their views, in writing, to the Commission.

    By the Commission.

    Dated: May 24, 2018.
Brent J. Fields,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-11618 Filed 5-31-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 8011-01-P