E5-3287. Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

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

Extension:

Rule 15c2-11, SEC File No. 270-196, OMB Control No. 3235-0202.

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”) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget request for extension of the previously approved collection of information discussed below.

The Commission adopted Rule 15c2-11 ^[1] (Rule 15c2-11 or Rule) in 1971 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ^[2] (Exchange Act) to regulate the initiation or resumption of quotations in a quotation medium by a broker-dealer for over-the-counter (OTC) securities. The Rule was designed primarily to prevent certain manipulative and fraudulent trading schemes that had arisen in connection with the distribution and trading of unregistered securities issued by shell companies or other companies having outstanding but infrequently traded securities. Subject to certain exceptions, the Rule prohibits brokers-dealers from publishing a quotation for a security, or submitting a quotation for publication, in a quotation medium unless they have reviewed specified information concerning the security and the issuer.

According to NASDR estimates, we also believe that approximately 1,200 new applications from broker-dealers to initiate or resume publication of covered OTC securities in the OTC Bulletin Board and/or the Pink Sheets or other quotation mediums were received by the NASDR for the 2004 calendar year. We estimate that 80% of the covered OTC securities were issued by reporting issuers, while the other 20% were issued by non-reporting issuers. We believe that it will take a broker-dealer about 4 hours to collect, review, record, retain, and supply to the NASDR the information pertaining to a reporting issuer, and about 8 hours to collect, review, record, retain, and supply to the NASDR the information pertaining to a non-reporting issuer.

We therefore estimate that broker-dealers who are the first to publish the first quote for a covered OTC security of a reporting issuer will require 3,840 hours (1,200 × 80% × 4) to collect, review, record, retain, and supply to the NASDR the information required by the Rule. We estimate that the broker-dealers who are the first to publish the first quote for a covered OTC security of a non-reporting issuer will require 1,920 hours (1,200 × 20% × 8) to collect, review, record, retain, and supply to the NASDR the information required by the Rule. We therefore estimate the total annual burden hours for the first broker-dealers to be 5,760 hours (3,840 + 1,920). The Commission estimates that the annual cost to comply with Rule 15c2-11 is $115,200 ($20 per hour times 5,760 hours).

Subject to certain exceptions, the Rule prohibits brokers-dealers from publishing a quotation for a security, or submitting a quotation for publication, in a quotation medium unless they have reviewed specified information concerning the security and the issuer. The broker-dealer just also make the information reasonably available upon request to any person expressing an interest in a proposed transaction in the security with such broker or dealer. The collection of information that is submitted to the NASDR for review and approval is currently not available to the public from the NASDR.

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

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 will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency'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.

Written comments regarding the above information should be directed to the following persons: (i) Desk Officer for the Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Room 10102, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503, or by sending an e-mail to [e-mail]; and (ii) R. Corey Booth, Director/Chief Information Officer, Office of Information Technology, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street, NE., Washington, DC 20549. Comments must be submitted to OMB within 30 days of this notice.

Dated: June 16, 2005.

Jill M. Peterson,

Assistant Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  17 CFR 240.15c2-11.

2.  15 U.S.C. 78a et seq.