02-29484. 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.

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 a request for extension of the previously approved collection of information discussed below.

The title of the collection of information is “Rule 20a-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, Solicitation of Proxies, Consents and Authorizations.” Rule 20a-1(a) requires that the solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to a security issued by a registered fund be in compliance with Regulation 14A (17 CFR 240.14a-1 to 14a-104), Schedule 14A (17 CFR 240.14a-101), and all other rules and regulations adopted under section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78n(a)). Rule 20a-1(b) requires a fund's investment adviser, or a prospective adviser, to transmit to the person making a proxy solicitation the information necessary to enable that person to comply with the rules and regulations applicable to the solicitation.

Regulation 14A and Schedule 14A establish the disclosure requirements applicable to the solicitation of proxies, consents and authorizations. In particular, Item 22 of Schedule 14A contains extensive disclosure requirements for registered investment company proxy statements. Among other things, it requires the disclosure of information about fund fee or expense increases, the election of directors, the approval of an investment advisory contract and the approval of a distribution plan.

The Commission requires the dissemination of this information to assist investors in understanding their fund investments and the choices they may be asked to make regarding fund operations. The Commission does not use the information in proxies directly, but reviews proxy statement filings for compliance with applicable rules.

It is estimated that approximately 1,000 registered investment companies are required to file one proxy statement annually. The total annual reporting and recordkeeping burden of the collection of information is estimated to be approximately 106,200 hours (1,000 responses × 106.2 hours per response).

Rule 20a-1 does not involve any recordkeeping requirements. Providing the information required by the rule is mandatory and information provided under the rule will not be 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 control number.

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 10202, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503; and (ii) Kenneth A. Fogash, Acting Associate Executive Director/CIO, Office of Information Technology, Securities and Exchange Commission, 450 Fifth Street, NW., Washington, DC 20549. Comments must be submitted to OMB within 30 days of this notice.

Dated: November 13, 2002.

J. Lynn Taylor,

Assistant Secretary.