06-7997. 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:

Rules 17h-1T and 17h-2T, SEC File No. 270-359, OMB Control No. 3235-0410.

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 requests for extension of the previously approved collections of information discussed below.

Rule 17h-1T (17 CFR 240.17h-1T) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78a et seq.) (the “Act”) requires a broker-dealer to maintain and preserve records and other information concerning certain entities that are associated with the broker-dealer. This requirement extends to the financial and securities activities of the holding company, affiliates and subsidiaries of the broker-dealer that are reasonably likely to have a material impact on the financial or operational condition of the broker-dealer. Rule 17h-2T (17 CFR 240.17h-2T) under the Act requires a broker-dealer to file with the Commission quarterly reports and a cumulative year-end report concerning the information required to be maintained and preserved under Rule 17h-1T.

The collection of information required by Rules 17h-1T and 17h-2T is necessary to enable the Commission to monitor the activities of a broker-dealer affiliate whose business activities is reasonably likely to have a material impact on the financial and operational condition of the broker-dealer. Without this information, the Commission would be unable to assess the potentially damaging impact of the affiliate's activities on the broker-dealer.

There are currently 200 respondents that must comply with Rules 17h-1T and 17h-2T. Each of these 200 respondents require approximately 10 hours per year, or 2.5 hours per quarter, to maintain the records required under Rule 17h-1T, for an aggregate annual burden of 2,000 hours (200 respondents × 10 hours). In addition, each of these 200 respondents must make five annual responses under Rule 17h-2T. These five responses require approximately 14 hours per respondent per year, or 3.5 hours per quarter, for an aggregate annual burden of 2,800 hours (200 respondents × 14 hours). In addition, there are approximately five new respondents per year ^[1] that must draft an organizational chart required under Rule 17h-1T and establish a system for complying with the Rules. The staff estimates that drafting the required organizational chart requires one hour and establishing a system for complying with the Rules requires three hours, thus requiring an aggregate of 20 hours (5 new respondents × 4 hours). Thus, the total compliance burden per year is approximately 4,820 burden hours (2,000 + 2,800 + 20).

Rule 17h-1T specifies that the records required to be maintained under the Rule must be preserved for a period of not less than three years. There is no specific retention period or record keeping requirement for Rule 17h-2T. The collection of information is mandatory and the information required to be provided to the Commission pursuant to these Rules are deemed confidential, notwithstanding any other provision of law under section 17(h)(5) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78q(h)(5)) and section 552(b)(3)(B) of the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552(b)(3)(B)).

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.

Comments should be directed to (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, Securities and Exchange Commission, c/o Shirley Martinson, 6432 General Green Way, Alexandria, Virginia 22312 or send an e-mail to: [e-mail]. Comments must be submitted to OMB within 30 days of this notice.

Dated: September 11, 2006.

Jill M. Peterson,

Assistant Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  However, the staff further estimates that the number of respondents decreases by at least that many firms per year as a result of mergers and other business factors.