[Federal Register: February 26, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 38)]
[Notices]               
[Page 11611-11612]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr26fe01-103]                         

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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Form U-6B-2; SEC File No. 270-169; OMB Control No. 3235-0163]

 
Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Extension

    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 
(``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.
    The Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 [15 U.S.C. Section 
79A et seq.] requires the filing of an application

[[Page 11612]]

and/or declaration on Form U-1 for prior Commission approval both for 
the issue and sale of a security and its acquisition by a company in a 
registered holding company system.\1\ Section 6(b) provides that the 
Commission shall exempt from the requirement of filing a declaration on 
Form U-1, by rules and regulations or orders and subject to such terms 
and conditions, as it deems appropriate in the public interest or for 
the protection of investors or consumers, certain security issuances 
and sales.
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    \1\ See section 6(a)(requiring prior Commission approval under 
the standards of section 7 for the issue and sale of securities) and 
section 9(a)(1)(requiring prior Commission approval under the 
standards of section 10 for the acquisition of securities).
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    Section 6(b) also contains a reporting requirement. It directs the 
issuer of securities exempted under section 6(b) to file with the 
Commission within ten days of the issue or sale of a certificate 
notification and directs the Commission to prescribe the form of and 
information required in this certificate. Rule 20(d) prescribes Form U-
6B-2 as the form of certificate of notification to be filed pursuant to 
section 6(b). Form U-6B-2 is also prescribed by Rule 52(c)(17 CFR 
250.52(c)) and rule 47(b)(17 CFR 250.47(b)) as the form of certificate 
of notification to be filed by a public utility subsidiary company of a 
registered holding company to notify the Commission of exempt issuances 
and sales of securities under Rule 52 Exemption of Issue and Sale of 
Certain Securities approved by state commissions and Rule 47 Exemption 
of Public Utility Subsidiaries as to Certain Securities Issued to the 
Rural Electrification Administration. The Commission receives about 89 
Form U-6B-2s per year from 89 respondents who each file once, which 
imposes an annual burden of about 89 hours.
    The estimates of the average burden hours are made solely for the 
purposes of the Paperwork Reduction Act and are not derived from a 
comprehensive or even representative survey or study of the costs of 
Commission 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 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 agency, including whether the information will 
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency'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 in writing within 60 
days of this publication.
    Please direct your written comments to Michael E. Bartell, 
Associate Executive Director, Office of Information Technology, 
Securities and Exchange Commission, 450 5th Street, NW., Washington, DC 
20549.

    Dated: February 14, 2001.
Margaret H. McFarland,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 01-4649 Filed 2-23-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010-01-M