E5-7591. Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Upon Written Request, Copies Available from: Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of Filings and Information Services, Washington, DC 20549.

Extension:

Rule 12a-5; SEC File No. 270-85; OMB Control No. 3235-0079.

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 (“Commission”) is soliciting comments on the collection of information summarized below. The Commission plans to submit the existing collection of information to the Office of Management and Budget for extension and approval.

Rule 12a-5—Temporary Exemption of Substituted or Additional Securities

Section 12(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Act”) generally makes it unlawful for any security to be traded on a national securities exchange unless such security is registered on the exchange in accordance with the provisions of the Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.

Rule 12a-5 (the “Rule”) under the Act and Form 26 (the “Form”) were adopted by the Commission in 1936 and 1955, respectively, pursuant to Sections 3(a)(12), 10(b), and 23(a) of the Act. Subject to certain conditions, Rule 12a-5 affords a temporary exemption (generally for up to 120 days) from the registration requirements of Section 12(a) of the Act for a new security when the holders of a security admitted to trading on a national securities exchange obtain the right (by operation of law or otherwise) to acquire all or any part of a class of another or substitute security of the same or another issuer, or an additional amount of the original security. The purpose of the exemption is to avoid an interruption of exchange trading to afford time for the issuer of the new security to list and register it, or for the exchange to apply for unlisted trading privileges.

Under paragraph (d) of Rule 12a-5, after an exchange has taken action to admit any security to trading pursuant to the provisions of the Rule, the exchange is required to file with the Commission a notification on Form 26. Form 26 provides the Commission with certain information regarding a security admitted to trading on an exchange pursuant to Rule 12a-5, including: (1) The name of the exchange, (2) the name of the issuer, (3) a description of the security, (4) the date(s) on which the security was or will be admitted to when-issued and/or regular trading, and (5) a brief description of the transaction pursuant to which the security was or will be issued.

The Commission generally oversees the national securities exchanges. This mission requires that, under Section 12(a) of the Act specifically, the Commission receive notification of any securities that are permitted to trade on an exchange pursuant to the temporary exemption under Rule 12a-5. Without the Rule and the Form, the Commission would be unable fully to implement these statutory responsibilities.

There are currently eight national securities exchanges subject to Rule 12a-5. While the Commission staff estimates that there could be as many as 40 Forms 26 filed annually, the reporting burdens are not typically spread evenly among the exchanges.^[1] For purposes of this analysis of burden, however, the staff has assumed that each exchange files an equal number (five) of Form 26 notifications. Each notification requires approximately 20 minutes to complete. Each respondent's compliance burden, then, in a given year would be approximately 100 minutes (20 minutes/report × 5 reports = 100 minutes), which translates to just over 13 hours in the aggregate for all respondents (8 respondents × 100 minutes/respondent = 800 minutes, or 131/3 hours).

Based on the most recent available information, the Commission staff estimates that the cost to respondents of completing a notification on Form 26 is, on average, $14.35 per response. The staff estimates that the total annual related reporting cost per respondent is $71.75 (5 responses/respondent × $14.35 cost/response), for a total annual related cost to all respondents of $574 ($71.75 cost/respondent × 8 respondents).

Written comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Commission's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be 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 in writing within 60 days of this publication.

Direct your written comments to R. Corey Booth, Director/Chief Information Officer, Office of Information Technology, Securities and Exchange Commission, Station Place, 100 F Street, NE., Washington, DC 20549.

Dated: December 14, 2005.

Jonathan G. Katz,

Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  In fact, some exchanges do not file any notifications on Form 26 with the Commission in a given year.