On May 23, 2018, as directed by Congress pursuant to the Fair Access to Investment Research Act of 2017, the SEC proposed a new rule under the Securities Act of 1933.
If adopted, the proposal would establish a safe harbor for an unaffiliated broker or dealer participating in a securities offering of a “covered investment fund” to publish or distribute a “covered investment fund research report.” If the conditions for the safe harbor are satisfied, this publication or distribution would be deemed not to be an offer for sale or offer to sell the covered investment fund’s securities for purposes of sections 2(a)(10) and 5(c) of the Securities Act of 1933.
The SEC also proposed a new rule under the Investment Company Act of 1940. This proposal would exclude a covered investment fund research report from the coverage of section 24(b) of the Investment Company Act (or the rules and regulations thereunder), except to the extent the research report is otherwise not subject to the content standards in self-regulatory
organization rules related to research reports, including those contained in the rules governing communications with the public regarding investment companies or substantially similar standards.
Public comments on the proposal were required to be submitted to the SEC on July 9, 2018.
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See Mr. Woessner’s biography at the link here.