TheCorporateCounsel.net

Yesterday, the SEC announced the release of its draft strategic plan for fiscal years 2022 – 2026. The agency requests public comment on the plan during a period ending 30 days after the request for comment is published in the Federal Register. The SEC notes in its announcement:

The draft strategic plan establishes three primary goals:

• Protecting working families against fraud, manipulation, and misconduct;
• Developing and implement a robust regulatory framework that keeps pace with evolving markets, business models, and technologies; and
• Supporting a skilled workforce that is diverse, equitable, inclusive, and is fully equipped to advance agency objectives.

Among the initiatives to meet these goals, the SEC intends to enhance the use of market and industry data to prevent, detect, and prosecute improper behavior. The SEC also seeks to modernize design, delivery, and content of disclosures to investors so they can access consistent, comparable, and material information while making investment decisions.

The agency aims to update existing SEC rules and approaches to reflect evolving technologies, business models, and capital markets. To support its diversity and inclusion efforts, the SEC will focus on recruiting, training, and retaining staff with the right mix of skills, experience, and expertise.

The draft strategic plan lays out an ambitious agenda for the SEC over the next four years, with a significant focus on the impact of technology on the Commission’s operations and the administration of the federal securities laws.

– Dave Lynn