Securities and Exchange Commission: Acceleration of Periodic Report Filing Dates and Disclosure Concerning Web Site Access to Reports
Highlights
GAO reviewed the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) new rule on periodic report filing dates. GAO found that (1) the rule would accelerate the filing of annual and quarterly reports by domestic reporting companies that have a common equity float of at least $75 million, and (2) SEC complied with applicable requirements in promulgating the rule.
Securities and Exchange Commission: Acceleration of Periodic Report Filing Dates and Disclosure Concerning Web Site Access to Reports, GAO-02-1108R, September 26, 2002
B-291306
September 26, 2002
The Honorable Paul S. Sarbanes
Chairman
The Honorable Phil Gramm
Ranking Minority Member
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
United States Senate
The Honorable Michael G. Oxley
Chairman
The Honorable John J. LaFalce
Ranking Minority Member
Committee on Financial Services
House of Representatives
Subject: Securities and Exchange Commission: Acceleration of Periodic Report Filing Dates and Disclosure Concerning Web Site Access to
Reports
Pursuant to section 801(a)(2)(A) of title 5, United States Code, this is our report on a major rule promulgated by the Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC), entitled Acceleration of Periodic Report Filing Dates and Disclosure Concerning Web Site Access to Reports (RIN: 3235-AI33). We received the rule on
September 6, 2002. It was published in the Federal Register as a final rule on September 16, 2002. 67 Fed. Reg. 58480.
The final rule accelerates the filing of annual and quarterly reports by domestic reporting companies that have a common public equity float of at least $75 million, that have been subject to
the Securities Exchange Act's reporting requirements for at least 12 months, and have filed at least one annual report. The changes in the filing deadlines will be phased in over 3
years.
Enclosed is our assessment of the SEC's compliance with the procedural steps required by section 801(a)(1)(B)(i) through (iv) of title 5 with respect to the rule. Our review indicates that
the SEC complied with the applicable requirements.
If you have any questions about this report, please contact James W. Vickers, Assistant General Counsel, at (202) 512-8210. The official responsible for GAO evaluation work relating to the
subject matter of the rule is Tom McCool, Managing Director, Financial Markets and Community Investments. Mr. McCool can be reached at (202) 512-8678.
signed
Kathleen E. Wannisky
Managing Associate General Counsel
Enclosure
cc: Margaret H. McFarland
Deputy Secretary
Securities and Exchange Commission
ENCLOSURE
ANALYSIS UNDER 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(B)(i)-(iv) OF A MAJOR RULE
ISSUED BY THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
ENTITLED
"ACCELERATION OF PERIODIC REPORT FILING DATES AND DISCLOSURE CONCERNING WEB SITE ACCESS TO REPORTS"
(RIN: 3235-AI33)
(i) Cost-benefit analysis
The Securities and Exchange Commission states that it has limited data on which to base the cost estimates of the final rule. However, using cost estimates from a survey based on the
original proposed rule conducted by the American Society of Corporate Secretaries, the SEC arrived at the following median costs of the final rule. The initial costs are estimated to be
$298,625,000, and the ongoing, annual costs are estimated to be $247,230,000.
The benefits are that the final rule will deliver information to investors and the capital markets faster thereby enabling them to make informed investment and valuation decisions more
quickly.
(ii) Agency actions relevant to the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 603-605, 607, and 609
The SEC prepared an Initial and Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis in connection with the proposed and final rules, respectively. The analyses meet the informational requirements of the
Act.
SEC notes that the public float requirement will have the effect of almost completely excluding all small entities from the final rule.
(iii) Agency actions relevant to sections 202-205 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995, 2 U.S.C. 1532-1535
As an independent regulatory agency, the SEC is not subject to title II of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
(iv) Other relevant information or requirements under acts and executive orders
Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. 551 et seq.
The final rule was issued using the notice and comment procedures contained at 5 U.S.C. 553. On April 23, 2002, the SEC published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal
Register. 67 Fed. Reg. 19896. SEC received 305 comments in response to the proposal, which are discussed in the preamble to the final rule.
Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520
The final rule contains information collections that are subject to the review and approval of the Office of Management and Budget under the Paperwork Reduction Act.
The preamble to the final rule contains the information regarding the collections required by the Act and responds to the comments received in connection with the proposed rule, which resulted
in revising the annual burden.
SEC estimates that Form 10-K results in a total annual compliance burden of 12,107,420 hours and an annual cost of $1,210,742,025 and Form 10-Q results in an total annual compliance burden of
2,728,092 hours and an annual cost of $272,809,200.
Statutory authorization for the rule
The final rule is promulgated pursuant to the authority contained in sections 3(b) and 19(a) of the Securities Act and Sections 12, 13, 15(d), and 23(a) of the Exchange Act.
Executive Order No. 12866
As the rule is promulgated by an independent regulatory agency, it is not subject to the review requirements of the order.