2011-8363. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Extension of Employee Retirement Income Security Act Class Exemption 77-4 for Certain Transactions Between Investment Companies and Employee Benefit ...

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) sponsored information collection request (ICR) titled, “Employee Retirement Income Security Act Class Exemption 77-4 for Certain Transactions between Investment Companies and Employee Benefit Plans,” to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for continued use in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. chapter 35).

DATES:

Submit comments on or before May 9, 2011.

ADDRESSES:

A copy of this ICR, with applicable supporting documentation; including a description of the likely respondents, proposed frequency of response, and estimated total burden may be obtained from the RegInfo.gov Web site, http://www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain,, on the day following publication of this notice or by contacting Michel Smyth by telephone at 202-693-4129 (this is not a toll-free number) or sending an e-mail to [e-mail].

Submit comments about this request to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attn: OMB Desk Officer for the Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), Office of Management and Budget, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503, Telephone: [phone]/Fax: [phone] (these are not toll-free numbers), e-mail: [e-mail].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Contact Michel Smyth by telephone at 202-693-4129 (this is not a toll-free number) or by e-mail at [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Employee Retirement Income Security Act Class Exemption 77-4 permits an employee benefit plan to purchase and sell shares of an open-end investment company (mutual fund) when a fiduciary with respect to the plan is also the investment advisor for the mutual fund. In order to ensure that the exemption is not abused and that the rights of participants and beneficiaries are protected, the DOL has included in the exemption three basic disclosure requirements. The first requires at the time of the purchase or sale of such mutual fund shares that the independent fiduciary of the plan receive a copy of the current prospectus issued by the open-end mutual fund and a full and detailed written statement of the investment advisory fees charged to or paid by the plan and the open-end mutual fund to the investment advisor. The second requires that the independent fiduciary approve in writing such purchases and sales. The third requires that the independent fiduciary, once notified of changes in the fees, re-approve in writing the purchase and sale of mutual fund shares.

This information collection is subject to the PRA. A Federal agency generally cannot conduct or sponsor a collection of information, and the public is generally not required to respond to an information collection, unless it is approved by the OMB under the PRA and displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. In addition, notwithstanding any other provisions of law, no person shall generally be subject to penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if the collection of information does not display a valid OMB Control number. See 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 1320.6. The DOL obtains OMB approval for this information collection under OMB Control Number 1210-0049. The current OMB approval is scheduled to expire on April 30, 2011; however, it should be noted that information collections submitted to the OMB receive a month-to-month extension while they undergo review. For additional information, see the related notice published in the Federal Register on November 10, 2010 (75 FR 69131).

Interested parties are encouraged to send comments to the OMB, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at the address shown in the ADDRESSES section within 30 days of publication of this notice in the Federal Register. In order to ensure appropriate consideration, comments should reference OMB Control Number 1210-0049. The OMB is particularly interested in comments that:

• Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility;
• Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
• Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and
• Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses.

Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA).

Title of Collection: Employee Retirement Income Security Act Class Exemption 77-4 for Certain Transactions between Investment Companies and Employee Benefit Plans.

OMB Control Number: 1210-0049.

Affected Public: Private Sector—Businesses or other for-profits.

Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 700.

Total Estimated Number of Responses: 366,000.

Total Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 31,350.

Total Estimated Annual Costs Burden: $442,000.

Dated: April 4, 2011.

Michel Smyth,

Departmental Clearance Officer.