Notices. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

777 words·~4 min read·/register/2012/07/13/2012-17075

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BILLING CODE 8011-01-P SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request Upon Written Request, Copies Available From: Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of Investor Education and Advocacy, Washington, DC 20549-0213. Extension: Form N-4; SEC File No. 270-282; OMB Control No. 3235-0318. 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.

The collection of information is entitled: “Form N-4 (17 CFR 239.17b) under the Securities Act of 1933 and (17 CFR 274.11c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, registration statement of separate accounts organized as unit investment trust.” Form N-4 is the form used by insurance company separate accounts organized as unit investment trusts that offer variable annuity contracts to register as investment companies under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-1 *et seq.* ) and/or to register their securities under the Securities Act of 1933 (15 U.S.C. 77a *et seq.* ).

Section 5 of the Securities Act (15 U.S.C. 77e) requires the filing of a registration statement prior to the offer of securities to the public and that the registration statement be effective before any securities are sold, and Section 8 of the Investment Company Act (15 U.S.C. 80a-8) provides for the registration of investment companies. Pursuant to Form N-4, separate accounts organized as unit investment trusts that offer variable annuity contracts provide investors with a prospectus and a statement of additional information covering essential information about a separate account.

Section 5(b) of the Securities Act requires that investors be provided with a prospectus containing the information required in a registration statement prior to or at the time of sale or delivery of securities. The purpose of Form N-4 is to meet the filing and disclosure requirements of the Securities Act and the Investment Company Act and to enable filers to provide investors with information necessary to evaluate an investment in a security. The information required to be filed with the Commission permits verification of compliance with securities law requirements and assures the public availability and dissemination of the information.

The estimated annual number of filings on Form N-4 is 124 initial registration statements and 1,127 post-effective amendments. The estimated average number of portfolios per filing is one, both for initial registration statements and post-effective amendments on Form N-4. Accordingly, the estimated number of portfolios referenced in initial Form N-4 filings annually is 124 and the estimated number of portfolios referenced in post-effective amendment filings on Form N-4 annually is 1,127.

The estimate of the annual hour burden for Form N-4 is approximately 278.5 hours per initial registration statement and 197.25 hours per post-effective amendment, for a total of 256,834.75 hours ((124 initial registration statements × 278.5 hours) + (1,127 post-effective amendments × 197.25 hours)). The current estimated annual cost burden for preparing an initial Form N-4 filing is $22,319 per portfolio and the current estimated annual cost burden for preparing a post-effective amendment filing on Form N-4 is $21,155 per portfolio.

The Commission estimates that, on an annual basis, 124 portfolios will be referenced in initial Form N-4 filings and 1,127 portfolios will be referenced in post-effective amendment filings on Form N-4. Thus, the estimated total annual cost burden allocated to Form N 4 would be $26,609,241 ((124 × $22,319) + (1,127 × $21,155)). Providing the information required by Form N-4 is mandatory. Responses will not be kept confidential. Estimates of average 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 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. 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: July 9, 2012. Kevin M. O'Neill, Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. 2012-17075 Filed 7-12-12; 8:45 am]

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