Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 350l-3520), the Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) is soliciting comments on the collection of information summarized below. The Commission plans to submit this existing collection of information to the Office of Management and Budget for extension and approval.

Section 19(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Act”) (15 U.S.C. 80a-19(b)) authorizes the Commission to regulate registered investment company (“fund”) distributions of long-term capital gains made more frequently than once every twelve months. Accordingly, rule 19b-1 under the Act (17 CFR 270.19b-1) regulates the frequency of fund distributions of capital gains. Rule 19b-1(c) states that the rule does not apply to a unit investment trust (“UIT”) if it is engaged exclusively in the business of investing in certain eligible securities (generally, fixed-income securities), provided that: (i) the capital gains distribution falls within one of five categories specified in the rule ^[1] and (ii) the distribution is accompanied by a report to the unitholder that clearly describes the distribution as a capital gains distribution (the “notice requirement”).^[2] Rule 19b-1(e) permits a fund to apply to the Commission for permission to distribute long-term capital gains that would otherwise be prohibited by the rule if the fund did not foresee the circumstances that created the need for the distribution. The application must set forth the pertinent facts and explain the circumstances that justify the distribution.^[3] An application that meets those requirements is deemed to be granted unless the Commission denies the request within 15 days after the Commission receives the application.

Commission staff estimates that one fund will file an application under rule 19b-1(e) each year.^[4] The staff understands that if a fund files an application it generally uses outside counsel to prepare the application. The cost burden of using outside counsel is discussed in Item 13 below. The staff estimates that, on average, a fund's investment adviser would spend approximately 4 hours to review an application, including 3.5 hours by an assistant general counsel at a cost of $510 per hour and 0.5 hours by an administrative assistant at a cost of $89 per hour, and the fund's board of directors would spend an additional 1 hour at a cost of $4,770 per hour, for a total of 5 hours.^[5] Thus, the staff ( printed page 77907) estimates that the annual hour burden of the collection of information imposed by rule 19b-1(e) would be approximately five hours per fund, at a cost of $6,599.50.^[6] Because the staff estimates that, each year, one fund will file an application pursuant to rule 19b-1(e), the total burden for the information collection is 5 hours at a cost of $6,599.50.

Commission staff estimates that there is no hour burden associated with complying with the collection of information component of rule 19b-1(c). This estimate assumes that UITs using rule 19b-1(c) do not have their own employees or staff and that the mechanics of the notice requirement would be handled by a UIT sponsor or trustee as an accommodation for the UIT. As such, the costs related to this aspect of the collection of information are captured in the external cost estimates below.

As noted above, Commission staff understands that funds that file an application under rule 19b-1(e) generally use outside counsel to prepare the application.^[7] The staff estimates that, on average, outside counsel spends 10 hours preparing a rule 19b-1(e) application, including eight hours by an associate and two hours by a partner. Outside counsel billing arrangements and rates vary based on numerous factors, but the staff has estimated the average cost of outside counsel as $531 per hour, based on information received from funds, intermediaries, and their counsel. The staff therefore estimates that the average cost of outside counsel preparation of the rule 19b-1(e) exemptive application is $5,310.^[8] Because the staff estimates that, each year, one fund will file an application pursuant to rule 19b-1(e), the total annual cost burden imposed by the exemptive application requirements of rule 19b-1(e) is estimated to be $5,310.

The Commission staff estimates that there are approximately 1,779 UITs that may rely on rule 19b-1(c) to make capital gains distributions.^[9] The staff estimates that, on average, these UITs rely on rule 19b-1(c) once a year to make a capital gains distribution.^[10] In most cases, the trustee of the UIT is responsible for preparing and sending the notices that must accompany a capital gains distribution under rule 19b-1(c)(2). These notices require limited preparation, the cost of which accounts for only a small, indiscrete portion of the comprehensive fee charged by the trustee for its services to the UIT. The staff believes that as a matter of good business practice, and for tax preparation reasons, UITs would collect and distribute the capital gains information required to be sent to unitholders under rule 19b-1(c) even in the absence of the rule. The staff estimates that the cost of preparing and distributing a notice for a capital gains distribution under rule 19b-1(c)(2) is approximately $50.^[11] Thus, the staff estimates that the capital gains distribution notice requirement imposes an annual cost on UITs of approximately $88,950.^[12] The staff therefore estimates that the total cost imposed by rule 19b-1 is $94,260.^[13]

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 control number.

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 estimate of the burden of the 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 February 21, 2023.

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: David Bottom, Acting Director/Chief Information Officer, Securities and Exchange Commission, c/o John Pezzullo, 100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 20549 or send an email to: PRA_Mailbox@sec.gov.

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