2019-04007. Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Upon Written Request, Copies Available From: Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of FOIA Services, 100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 20549-2736.

Extension:

Rules 6a-1 and 6a-2, Form 1

Notice is hereby given that pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (“PRA”) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), the Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) a request for approval of extension of the previously approved collection of information provided for in Rule 6a-1 (17 CFR 240.6a-1), Rule 6a-2 (17 CFR 240.6a-2), and Form 1 (17 CFR 249.1) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act” or “Act”) (15 U.S.C. 78a et seq.).

The Exchange Act sets forth a regulatory scheme for national securities exchanges. Rule 6a-1 under the Act generally requires an applicant for initial registration as a national securities exchange to file an application with the Commission on Form 1. An exchange that seeks an exemption from registration based on limited trading volume also must apply for such exemption on Form 1. Rule 6a-2 under the Act requires registered and exempt exchanges: (1) To amend the Form 1 if there are any material changes to the information provided in the initial Form 1; and (2) to submit periodic updates of certain information provided in the initial Form 1, whether such information has changed or not. The information required pursuant to Rules 6a-1 and 6a-2 is necessary to enable the Commission to maintain accurate files regarding the exchange and to exercise its statutory oversight functions. Without the information submitted pursuant to Rule 6a-1 on Form 1, the Commission would not be able to determine whether the respondent has met the criteria for registration (or an exemption from registration) set forth in Section 6 of the Exchange Act. The amendments and periodic updates of information submitted pursuant to Rule 6a-2 are necessary to assist the Commission in determining whether a national securities exchange or exempt exchange is continuing to operate in compliance with the Exchange Act.

Initial filings on Form 1 by new exchanges are made on a one-time basis. The Commission estimates that it will receive approximately one initial Form 1 filing per year and that each respondent would incur an average burden of 880 hours to file an initial Form 1 at an average internal compliance cost per response of approximately $335,984. Therefore, the Commission estimates that the annual burden for all respondents to file the initial Form 1 would be 880 hours (one response/respondent × one respondent × 880 hours/response) and an internal compliance cost of $335,984 (one response/respondent × one respondent × $335,984/response).

There currently are 21 entities registered as national securities exchanges. The Commission estimates that each registered or exempt exchange files nine amendments or periodic updates to Form 1 per year, incurring an average burden of 25 hours to comply with Rule 6a-2. The SEC estimates that the average internal compliance cost for a national securities exchange per response would be approximately $8,365. The Commission estimates that the annual burden for all respondents to file amendments and periodic updates to the Form 1 pursuant to Rule 6a-2 is 4,725 hours (21 respondents × 25 hours/response × 9 responses/respondent per year) and an internal compliance cost of $1,580,985 (21 respondents × $8,365/response × 9 responses/respondent per year).

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

The public may view background documentation for this information collection at the following website: www.reginfo.gov. 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 email to: [e-mail]; and (ii) Charles Riddle, Acting Director/Chief Information Officer, Securities and Exchange Commission, c/o Candace Kenner, 100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 20549, or by sending an email to: [e-mail]. Comments must be submitted to OMB within 30 days of this notice.

Dated: February 27, 2019.

Eduardo A. Aleman,

Deputy Secretary.