SEC Extends Easy Stock Perks for Company Employees
Published Date: 9/5/2025
Notice
Summary
The SEC is extending the approval for Rule 701, which helps companies give stock or securities to employees without lots of paperwork. About 3,700 companies use this rule each year, spending time and money to follow it—mostly on outside experts. This extension keeps things running smoothly with no big changes, so companies can keep rewarding their teams without extra hassle.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Paperwork Costs for Issuers Continue
About 3,725 issuers annually use Rule 701 and it takes about 2 hours per response. Issuers themselves prepare 0.5 hours per response (total annual burden 1,863 hours), and outside professionals perform 1.5 hours per response at about $600 per hour, for a total annual outside cost of $3,352,500.
Companies Keep Rule 701 Exemption
Rule 701 continues to let companies give stock or securities under compensatory plans without registering the offer. About 3,725 issuers rely on Rule 701, and this extension keeps the existing exemption and information requirements in place with no big changes.
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Key Dates
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Previous / Next Documents
Previous: 2025-17027, Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Extension: Rule 17a-25
The SEC is extending a rule that makes broker-dealers send important trading info electronically when asked. This helps the SEC investigate and keep markets fair. Some folks said this rule overlaps with others, but the SEC says it’s still needed—no changes in costs or deadlines right now.
Next: 2025-17031, Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Revision: Rule 14f-1-Change in Majority of Directors
The SEC is updating its paperwork rules for companies when there's a change in who controls the majority of their board of directors. This update makes the form a 'common form' so other agencies, like the Federal Reserve, can use it too, saving time and effort. No big cost changes, but companies and agencies should get ready for smoother info sharing starting soon.