2014-16040. Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Upon Written Request, Copy Available From: Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of Investor Education and Advocacy, Washington, DC 20549-0213.

Extension:

Form N-PX, OMB Control No. 3235-0582, SEC File No. 270-524

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.

The title for the collection of information is “Form N-PX (17 CFR 274.129) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, Annual Report of Proxy Voting Record.” Rule 30b1-4 (17 CFR 270.30b1-4) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-1 et seq.) requires every registered management investment company, other than a small business investment company registered on Form N-5 (“Funds”), to file Form N-PX not later than August 31 of each year. Funds use Form N-PX to file annual reports with the Commission containing their complete proxy voting record for the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30.

The Commission estimates that there are approximately 2,500 Funds registered with the Commission, representing approximately 10,000 Fund portfolios, which are required to file Form N-PX.^[1] The 10,000 portfolios are comprised of 6,200 portfolios holding equity securities and 3,800 portfolios holding no equity securities. The staff estimates that portfolios holding no equity securities require approximately a 0.17 hour burden per response and those holding equity securities require 7.2 hours per response. The overall estimated annual burden is therefore approximately 45,300 hours ((6,200 responses × 7.2 hours per response for equity holding portfolios) + (3,800 responses × 0.17 hours per response for non-equity holding portfolios)). Based on the estimated wage rate, the total cost to the industry of the hour burden for complying with Form N-PX would be approximately $14.5 million.

The Commission also estimates that portfolios holding equity securities will bear an external cost burden of $1,000 per portfolio to prepare and update Form N-PX. Based on this estimate, the Commission estimates that the total annualized cost burden for Form N-PX is $6.2 million (6,200 responses × $1,000 per response = $6,200,000).

The collection of information under Form N-PX is mandatory. The information provided under the form is not kept confidential. 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 OMB 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. Consideration will be given to comments and suggestions submitted in writing within 60 days of this publication.

Please direct your written comments to Thomas Bayer, Chief Information Officer, Securities and Exchange Commission, C/O Remi Pavlik-Simon, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549; or send an email to: [e-mail].

Dated: July 3, 2014.

Jill M. Peterson,

Assistant Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  The estimate of 2,500 Funds is based on the number of management investment companies currently registered with the Commission. We estimate, based on data from the Investment Company Institute and other sources, that there are approximately 5,700 Fund portfolios that invest primarily in equity securities, 500 “hybrid” or bond portfolios that may hold some equity securities, 3,200 bond Funds that hold no equity securities, and 600 money market Funds, for a total of 10,000 portfolios required to file Form N-PX.