2023-25477. Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Extension: Rule 11a-2

Upon Written Request, Copies Available From: Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of FOIA Services, 100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 20549–2736.

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 11a–2 (17 CFR 270.11a–2) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a–1 et seq.) permits certain registered insurance company separate accounts, subject to certain conditions, to make exchange offers without prior approval by the Commission of the terms of those offers. Rule 11a–2 requires disclosure, in certain registration statements filed pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933 (15 U.S.C. 77a et seq.) of any administrative fee or sales load imposed in connection with an exchange offer.

The Commission staff estimates that 657 registrants are governed by Rule 11a–2. Based on this estimate, the total annual burden hours associated with the rule is estimated to be 657 hours. The estimated burden hours associated with rule 11a–2 has decreased by 19 hours from the current allocation of 676 hours. The decrease is due to a decrease in the number of registrants. The estimated external cost associated with this collection of information continues to be $0. The Commission includes the estimated burden of complying with the information collection required by Rule 11a–2 in the total number of burden hours estimated for completing the relevant registration statements and reports the burden of Rule 11a–2 in the separate Paperwork Reduction Act (“PRA”) submissions for those registration statements (see the separate PRA submissions for Form N–3 (17 CFR 274.11b), Form N–4 (17 CFR 274.11c) and Form N–6 (17 CFR 274.11d). The Commission is requesting a burden of one hour for Rule 11a–2 for administrative purposes.

The estimate of average burden hours is made solely for the purposes of the PRA and is not derived from a comprehensive or even a representative survey or study of the costs of Commission rules or forms. The information collection requirements imposed by Rule 11a–2 are mandatory. Responses to the collection of information will not be kept confidential.

Written comments are invited on: (a) whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have 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 by January 16, 2024.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information under the PRA unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

Please direct your written comments to: David Bottom, Acting Director/Chief Information Officer, Securities and Exchange Commission, c/o John Pezzullo, 100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 20549 or send an email to: [e-mail].

Dated: November 14, 2023.

Sherry R. Haywood,

Assistant Secretary.