To improve the access of investors to regulatory records with respect to securities brokers, dealers, and investment advisers.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Realtime Investor Protection Act''.

SEC. 2. CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY.

    The constitutional authority on which this Act rests is the power 
of Congress to regulate commerce as enumerated in article I, section 8 
of the United States Constitution.

SEC. 3. METHOD OF MAINTAINING BROKER/DEALER REGISTRATION, DISCIPLINARY, 
              AND OTHER DATA.

    Subsection (i) of section 15A of the Securities Exchange Act of 
1934 (15 U.S.C. 78o-3(i)) is amended to read as follows:
    ``(i) Obligation to Maintain Registration, Disciplinary and Other 
Data.--
            ``(1) Maintenance of system to respond to inquiries.--A 
        registered securities association shall--
                    ``(A) establish and maintain a system for 
                collecting and retaining registration information;
                    ``(B) establish and maintain a toll-free telephone 
                listing, and a readily accessible electronic or other 
                process, to receive and promptly respond to inquiries 
                regarding--
                            ``(i) registration information on its 
                        members and their associated persons; and
                            ``(ii) registration information on the 
                        members and their associated persons of any 
                        registered national securities exchange that 
                        uses the system described in subparagraph (A) 
                        for the registration of its members and their 
                        associated persons; and
                    ``(C) adopt rules governing the process for making 
                inquiries and the type, scope, and presentation of 
                information to be provided in response to such 
                inquiries in consultation with any registered national 
                securities exchange providing information pursuant to 
                subparagraph (B)(ii).
            ``(2) Recovery of costs.--Such an association may charge 
        persons making inquiries, other than individual investors, 
        reasonable fees for responses to such inquiries.
            ``(3) Process for disputed information.--Such an 
        association shall adopt rules establishing an administrative 
        process for disputing the accuracy of information provided in 
        response to inquiries under this subsection in consultation 
        with any registered national securities exchange providing 
        information pursuant to paragraph (1)(B)(ii).
            ``(4) Limitation of liability.--Such an association, or 
        exchange reporting information to such an association, shall 
        not have any liability to any person for any actions taken or 
        omitted in good faith under this subsection.
            ``(5) Definition.--For purposes of this subsection, the 
        term `registration information' means the information reported 
        in connection with the registration or licensing of brokers and 
        dealers and their associated persons, including disciplinary 
        actions, regulatory, judicial, and arbitration proceedings, and 
        other information required by law, or exchange or association 
        rule, and the source and status of such information.''.

SEC. 4. FILING DEPOSITORIES FOR INVESTMENT ADVISERS.

    (a) Amendment.--Section 204 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 
(15 U.S.C. 80b-4) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``Every investment'' and inserting the 
        following:
    ``(a) In General.--Every investment''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(b) Filing Depositories.--The Commission may, by rule, require an 
investment adviser--
            ``(1) to file with the Commission any fee, application, 
        report, or notice required to be filed by this title or the 
        rules issued under this title through any entity designated by 
        the Commission for that purpose; and
            ``(2) to pay the reasonable costs associated with such 
        filing and the establishment and maintenance of the systems 
        required by subsection (c).
    ``(c) Access to Disciplinary and Other Information.--
            ``(1) Maintenance of system to respond to inquiries.--The 
        Commission shall require the entity designated by the 
        Commission under subsection (b)(1) to establish and maintain a 
        toll-free telephone listing, and a readily accessible 
        electronic or other process, to receive and promptly respond to 
        inquiries regarding registration information (including 
        disciplinary actions, regulatory, judicial, and arbitration 
        proceedings, and other information required by law or rule to 
        be reported) involving investment advisers and persons 
        associated with investment advisers.
            ``(2) Recovery of costs.--An entity designated by the 
        Commission under subsection (b)(1) may charge persons making 
        inquiries, other than individual investors, reasonable fees for 
        responses to inquiries made under paragraph (1).
            ``(3) Limitation on liability.--An entity designated by the 
        Commission under subsection (b)(1) shall not have any liability 
        to any person for any actions taken or omitted in good faith 
        under this subsection.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) Section 203A of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (15 
        U.S.C. 80b-3a) is amended--
                    (A) by striking subsection (d); and
                    (B) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection 
                (d).
            (2) Section 306 of the National Securities Markets 
        Improvement Act of 1996 (15 U.S.C. 80b-10, note; Public Law 
        104-290; 110 Stat. 3439) is repealed.

Summary: Realtime Investor Protection Act - Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require a registered securities association to: (1) establish and maintain a registration information system on its members and their associated persons; and (2) establish and maintain a toll-free telephone listing, and a readily accessible electronic or other process, to receive and promptly respond to inquiries regarding that information. (Currently such an association is required to maintain a toll-free telephone listing to receive inquiries regarding disciplinary actions involving its members and their associated persons.)

Amends the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 to authorize the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to require an investment adviser to: (1) file with the SEC any fee, application, report, or notice required to be filed through any entity designated by the SEC for that purpose; and (2) pay the reasonable costs associated with such filing and the establishment and maintenance of the telephone and electronic systems required by this Act.

Directs the SEC to require the designated entity to establish and maintain a toll-free telephone listing, and a readily accessible electronic or other process, to receive and promptly respond to inquiries regarding registration information (including disciplinary actions, regulatory, judicial, and arbitration proceedings, involving investment advisers and persons associated with investment advisers).