TheCorporateCounsel.net

September 20, 2016

The “Other” Reg Flex Agenda: Piwowar Tries to Make It “Real”

As I have blogged many times (here’s one), the SEC’s Reg Flex Agendas tend to be “aspirational” – and experience bears that out as the SEC often misses its “target” deadlines. I actually loathe blogging when a new Reg Flex Agenda comes out – because some folks read too much into it. In fact, I’m only blogging about it now to try to stave off more misinformation (until just the last few years, the Reg Flex Agenda was completely ignored by everyone)!

Last week, the SEC issued this Reg Flex Agenda, which is a different type of one than the ones that folks normally pay attention to – the new one is under Section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act & requires federal agencies “to review its rules that have a significant economic impact upon a substantial number of small entities within ten years of the publication of such rules as final rules.” The other type of Reg Flex Agenda is like this one that foretells possible new rulemaking. One is forward-looking/future action; the other is to review old rules already on the books to see if they are still “state of the art.”

Anyway, in tandem with this new Reg Flex Agenda, SEC Commissioner Piwowar issued this statement – begging people to comment on the newly posted Reg Flex Agenda (particularly Reg NMS). As Piwowar notes in his statement: “the annual Rule List has prompted, on average, only one comment.” It’s likely that Piwowar asked that Reg NMS be included in the list – the inclusion of that item doesn’t necessarily mean that Chair White thinks it should be. Because the list has little meaning – because it’s aspirational…

I’ll leave you with three thoughts:

1. The SEC Chair primarily sets the agenda for the agency’s rulemaking (see the transcript from our webcast: “How the SEC Really Works”). For the most part, it doesn’t matter how many people seek a rulemaking change. Remember that the political contribution rulemaking petition has garnered over 1 million comments in support – and the SEC hasn’t proposed anything there.

2. This year’s Reg Flex Agenda is even more aspirational than normal – because there is a high likelihood that the SEC Chair (and some of the Division Directors) will be gone soon after the upcoming Presidential election. A new SEC Chair will then eventually be appointed – and that Chair will be driving the bus in 2017.

3. Our community has more than enough things to comment on these days. The pace of change is breathtaking. We don’t need to be commenting on topics that aren’t even proposed yet…

The “Lookback” Reg Flex Agenda: What’s On The List?

Anyway, here are a few notables from the newly posted Reg Flex Agenda:

– Securities offering reform
– Section 16, including Item 405 disclosures
– Accelerated filer definition & deadlines
– XBRL
– IFRS
– Penny stock
– Shell companies
– Deregistration under Section 12(d)

Poll: When Will SEC Chair White Serve Her Last Day?

Take an anonymous guess as to when SEC Chair White will serve her last day in that position:

polls

Broc Romanek