Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Extension: Rule 17f-2(d)

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

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”) is soliciting comments on the existing collection of information provided for in Rule 17f-2(d) (17 CFR 240.17f-2(d)), under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78a et seq.). The Commission plans to submit this existing collection of information to the Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) for extension and approval.

Rule 17f-2(d) requires that records created pursuant to the fingerprinting requirements of Section 17(f)(2) of the Act be maintained and preserved by every member of a national securities exchange, broker, dealer, registered transfer agent and registered clearing agency (“covered entities” or “respondents”); permits, under certain circumstances, the records required to be maintained and preserved by a member of a national securities exchange, broker, or dealer to be maintained and preserved by a self-regulatory organization that is also the designated examining authority for that member, broker or dealer; and permits the required records to be preserved on microfilm. The general purpose for Rule 17f-2 is to: (i) identify security risk personnel; (ii) provide criminal record information so that employers can make fully informed employment decisions; and (iii) deter persons with criminal records from seeking employment or association with covered entities. The rule enables the Commission or other examining authority to ascertain whether all required persons are being fingerprinted and whether proper procedures regarding fingerprinting are being followed. Retention of these records for a period of not less than three years after termination of a covered person's employment or relationship with a covered entity ensures that law enforcement officials will have easy access to fingerprint cards on a timely basis. This in turn acts as an effective deterrent to employee misconduct.

Approximately 3,800 respondents are subject to the recordkeeping requirements of the rule. Each respondent maintains approximately 68 new records per year, each of which takes approximately 2 minutes per record to maintain, for an annual burden of approximately 2.2666667 hours (68 records times 2 minutes). The total annual time burden for all respondents is approximately 8,613 hours (3,800 respondents times 2.2666667 hours). As noted above, all records maintained subject to the rule must be retained for a period of not less than three years after termination of a covered person's employment or relationship with a covered entity. In addition, we estimate the total annual cost burden to respondents is approximately $38,000 in third party storage costs.

Written comments are invited on: (a) whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Commission's estimates of the burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Consideration will be given to comments and suggestions submitted by September 23, 2024.

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.

Please direct your written comments to: Austin Gerig, Director/Chief Data Officer, Securities and Exchange Commission, c/o Oluwaseun Ajayi, 100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 20549, or send an email to: PRA_Mailbox@sec.gov.