SEC Wants to Keep Its Dictionary Words Updated
Published Date: 7/6/2026
Notice
Summary
The SEC is asking for comments to extend a rule that defines important terms used in regulating investment funds. This rule helps fund boards and advisers understand key words, especially about when they can use special exemptions. It mainly affects investment companies and aims to keep things clear without adding new costs or deadlines.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Rule 0-1 Defines Fund Terms
If you operate an investment company (a fund), Rule 0-1 provides the official definitions the SEC uses for rules under the Investment Company Act, including the term "independent legal counsel." These definitions serve as conditions for relying on ten exemptive rules under the Act, so meeting the definitions is required to obtain or retain those exemptions.
Board Duties on Counsel Independence
If your board's counsel represented the fund's management organizations or their control persons during the past two years, a majority of the fund's independent directors must reasonably determine that those representations were sufficiently limited so they won't adversely affect the counsel's impartiality. The board must record the basis for that determination in the directors' meeting minutes, obtain an undertaking from counsel to provide and update necessary information, and re-evaluate the determination no less frequently than annually.
Estimated Recordkeeping Burden
The SEC estimates that about 920 funds would need to make the required determination under Rule 0-1 and that the recordkeeping burden is about 1 hour per respondent, for a total estimated annual internal burden of approximately 920 hours; the SEC estimates total annual external cost of $0.
Personalized for You
How does this regulation affect your finances?
Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this federal register document means for your household, plus every other regulation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Key Dates
Department and Agencies
Related Federal Register Documents
2026-20466, Adviser and Regulated Fund Custody Rules; Crypto Custody Rules
The SEC is updating rules for how investment advisers and funds handle crypto assets, making sure they keep these digital investments safe and properly reported. These changes affect advisers, funds, and anyone managing crypto securities, aiming to modernize rules and improve transparency. Comments on the proposal are open until December 7, 2026, so get ready to weigh in!
2026-19260, Rescission of Rule 14a-8's Federal Regulation of Shareholder Proposals and Amendments to Rule 14a-4
The SEC wants to stop its federal rule that controls how shareholders can make proposals at company meetings, letting state laws and company rules take over instead. They’re also changing rules so companies can sometimes vote on proposals not in their official materials—but shareholders can opt out if they want. This affects investors and companies, with comments open until November 20, 2026, and could shake up how shareholder voices are heard and counted.
2026-18424, Political Contributions by Certain Investment Advisers
The Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission" or the "SEC") is proposing to rescind the political contribution rule under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the "Advisers Act"), which prohibits investment advisers from providing investment advisory services for compensation to a government client for two years after an adviser or any covered associate of the adviser makes a contribution to certain categories of elected officials or candidates, among other prohibitions. In the more than fifteen years since the rule was adopted, implementation challenges associated with the political contribution rule have resulted in a range of significant unintended consequences, including compliance practices among some investment advisers that may have had the effect of restricting all political contributions by the investment advisers and their employees. Market participants also have stated that the political contribution rule is burdensome, complex, and both lacks clarity and creates a de facto strict liability standard. The Commission is of the view that other existing requirements of the Advisers Act and its associated rules, including prohibitions on fraud, fiduciary duty requirements, the compliance rule, and the code of ethics rule (defined below), are likely sufficient to address pay-to-play practices while allowing an adviser the flexibility to implement an approach that is more appropriately tailored to its particular risks, rendering the political contribution rule unnecessary. The Commission also is proposing to amend the rule under the Advisers Act pertaining to books and records consistent with the proposed rescission.
2026-18190, Transfer Agent Rules
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC" or "Commission") is proposing to adopt new rules, amend existing rules, amend the existing form for registration with the Commission as a transfer agent (Form TA-1) and the existing form for reporting activities of transfer agents (Form TA-2), and rescind an existing rule governing registered transfer agents. The proposals are designed to modernize the rules governing registered transfer agents.
2026-17183, Regulation Crypto Assets
The Securities and Exchange Commission ("Commission") is proposing new rules to create a tailored offering regime for certain investment contracts involving crypto assets. The proposed offering regime is intended to facilitate capital formation and accommodate innovation within the crypto asset markets while, at the same time, ensuring that investors are adequately protected and provided with the information they need to make informed investment decisions. The proposed rules would be set forth in a new regulation titled "Regulation Crypto Assets" and would include two exemptions from the registration requirements of section 5 of the Securities Act of 1933. The first exemption would permit offerings of up to $5 million during a four-year period. The second exemption would permit offerings of up to $75 million during each 12-month period. Under both exemptions, issuers would be required to make certain principles-based narrative disclosures available to their investors. In addition, issuers under the second exemption would be required to provide financial statements and would be subject to ongoing reporting requirements. Issuers that rely on these exemptions would remain subject to the antifraud and antimanipulation provisions of the Federal securities laws. The proposed rules also would include a conditional safe harbor from the term "investment contract" in the definitions of "security" in the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. If the conditions of that proposed safe harbor are satisfied, then a crypto asset would be deemed not to be subject to an investment contract for purposes of those definitions of "security."
2026-12163, The Trade-Through Rule and Locked and Crossed Markets Provisions of Regulation NMS
The SEC wants to scrap some old rules that stop stocks from being traded at worse prices and prevent confusing market quotes. This change affects stock traders and exchanges, aiming to simplify trading and possibly speed things up. If you want to share your thoughts, you’ve got until August 17, 2026, so don’t miss out!
Previous / Next Documents
Previous: 2026-13494, Notice of OFAC Sanctions Actions
The U.S. Treasury’s OFAC just blocked the property of Oscar Guillermo Juraidini Silva from Mexico for his role in illegal drug trade and terrorism. This means U.S. people can’t do business with him, and any money or assets he has under U.S. control are frozen. These sanctions took effect on June 30, 2026, tightening the squeeze on global crime and terrorism funding.
Next: 2026-13496, Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Extension: Rule 6e-2 and Form N-6EI-1
The SEC is asking for comments to keep a rule and form that help life insurance companies manage special accounts for variable life insurance. No one has used this form since 2008, so there’s almost no cost or paperwork involved. They want to keep the rule ready just in case, and they’re inviting feedback by a certain deadline.