Current Month (July 2026)
SEC’s 2026 Regulatory Agenda
By Karen Liu, Reid & Wise LLC
On July 7, 2026, the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs released the “2026 Regulatory Plan and the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions,” a government-wide rulemaking agenda published twice a year covering various agencies. The Securities and Exchange Commission’s 2026 regulatory agenda (“2026 Regulatory Agenda”) was one of the released unified agenda of federal agencies.
On the same day, SEC Chairman Paul Atkins made a statement on the 2026 Regulatory Agenda and emphasized in particular the importance of three areas of rulemaking in the SEC’s 2026 Regulatory Agenda, namely, crypto capital, public markets, and private markets.
The following are the specific planned rulemaking titles in those three areas:
1. Crypto Capital
- Crypto Assets
- Crypto Market Structure Amendments
- Transfer Agents
- Amendments to Broker-Dealer Financial Responsibility and Recordkeeping and Reporting Rules Regarding Crypto Assets
2. Public Markets
- Registered Offerings Reform
- Enhancement of Emerging Growth Company Accommodations and Simplification of Filer Status for Reporting Companies
- Rationalization of Disclosure Practices
- Shareholder Proposal Modernization
- Semiannual Reporting
- Executive Compensation Disclosure Reform
- Amendments to Certain Proxy Rules
- Asset-Backed Securities Registration and Disclosure Enhancements
- Publication or Submission of Quotations Without Specified Information
- Amendments to the Trade-Through Rule
- Amendments to Rule 10c-1a
3. Private Markets
- Updating the Exempt Offering Pathways
- Enhancing Retail Exposure to Private Markets
- Foreign Private Issuer Eligibility Enhancements
Relatedly, the 2026 Regulatory Agenda also mentioned the following rulemaking plans regulating investment companies and investment advisers:
- Amendments to Form N-PORT
- Amendments to Rule 17a-7 Under the Investment Company Act
- Amendments to the Custody Rules
- Form PF; Reporting Requirements for All Filers and Large Hedge Fund Advisers
- Pay-to-Play Reform
- Amendments to Investment Adviser Recordkeeping Rule
- Affiliated Securities Lending Agent Arrangements
- Updates to “Small Entity” Definitions for Purposes of the Regulatory Flexibility Act
In addition to the above areas, the 2026 Regulatory Agenda also listed the SEC’s rulemaking plans related to electronic delivery of information, Rule 144 Safe Harbor, definition of dealer, regulatory status of finders, “Business as Such” clarification, evaluating the Consolidated Audit Trail (“CAT”), amendments to Regulation SHO, and certain other rulemaking titles.
SEC Proposes Electronic Delivery Rules
By Noah B. Levin, WilmerHale
The SEC proposed Regulation E-Delivery, which would permit covered entities including companies, investment advisors, and broker-dealers to send required disclosures to investors and customers via e-delivery rather than physical copies through the mail, so long as recipients have given an electronic address, been informed they will receive information via e-delivery, and have not opted out of e-delivery. Under the proposal, information containing personal financial data would need to be delivered via a secure link rather than sent directly. The proposal would allow recipients to request paper copies free of charge at any time and includes a transition process requiring two advance paper notices explaining the change and opt-out mechanisms for recipients currently receiving paper disclosures.
For additional highlights, see the SEC’s Fact Sheet.
