Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

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Federal RegisterOct 12, 2012
77 Fed. Reg. 62272 (Oct. 12, 2012)

Upon Written Request Copies Available From: Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of Investor Education and Advocacy, Washington, DC 20549-0213.

Extension:

Form N-5, SEC File No. 270-172, OMB Control No. 3235-0169.

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 (the “Commission”) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) a request for extension of the previously approved collection of information discussed below.

Form N-5 (17 CFR 239.24 and 274.5)—Registration Statement of Small Business Investment Companies Under the Securities Act of 1933 (15 U.S.C. 77a et seq.) and the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-1 et seq.) Form N-5 is the integrated registration statement form adopted by the Commission for use by a small business investment company which has been licensed as such under the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 and has been notified by the Small Business Administration that the company may submit a license application, to register its securities under the Securities Act of 1933 (“Securities Act”), and to register as an investment company under section 8 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“Investment Company Act”). The purpose of registration under the Securities Act is to ensure that investors are provided with material information concerning securities offered for public sale that will permit investors to make informed decisions regarding such securities. The Commission staff reviews the registration statements for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure contained therein. Without Form N-5, the Commission would be unable to carry out the requirements to the Securities Act and Investment Company Act for registration of small business investment companies. The respondents to the collection of information are small business investment companies seeking to register under the Investment Company Act and to register their securities for sale to the public under the Securities Act.

Based on discussions with fund representatives and the Commission's experience with the filing of Form N-5 and with disclosure documents generally, we estimate that the reporting burden of compliance with Form N-5 is approximately 352 hours per respondent. The Commission has received one Form N-5 filing in the last three years, for an average annual hourly burden of 117 hours. The cost of compliance varies considerably depending on factors such as whether a filing is a new registration statement or an update to a previously effective registration statement; whether the fund being registered presents novel or complex legal issues or is similar to other funds; whether amendments are required in response to staff comments; and whether outside counsel and accountants are necessary for preparation of the filing. Based on discussions with fund representatives and the Commission's experience with the filing of Form N-5 and with comparable disclosure documents, we estimate that the cost of compliance may range from less than $15,000 (for a routine filing) to over $60,000 (for a registration statement presenting significant legal issues per response) with an average cost per filing of $30,000. There has been one Form N-5 filing in the last three years. We therefore estimate that the average annual cost burden to the industry is $10,000.

Providing the information on Form N-5 is mandatory. Responses will not be kept confidential. Estimates of the burden hours are made solely for the purposes of the Paperwork Reduction Act, and are not derived from a comprehensive or even a representative survey or study of the costs of SEC rules and forms. 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 OMB control number.

The public may view the background documentation for this information collection at the following Web site, 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: Shagufta_Ahmed@omb.eop.gov; and (ii) Thomas Bayer, Director/Chief Information Officer, Securities and Exchange Commission, c/o Remi Pavlik-Simon, 6432 General Green Way, Alexandria, VA 22312 or send an email to: PRA_Mailbox@sec.gov. Comments must be submitted to OMB within 30 days of this notice.

Dated: October 5, 2012.

Kevin M. O'Neill,

Deputy Secretary.

[FR Doc. 2012-25090 Filed 10-11-12; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8011-01-P