MONTH-IN-BRIEF (Mar 2019)
Securities Regulation
SEC Adopts Rules under FAST Act to Modernize and Simplify Certain Reg S-K Disclosures
By Rani Doyle, EY
On March 20, 2019, the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC or Commission) adopted amendments to modernize and simplify certain disclosure requirements in Regulation S-K, and related rules and forms, in a manner that reduces the costs and burdens on registrants while continuing to provide all material information to investors. The amendments are also intended to improve the readability and navigability of disclosure documents and discourage repetition and disclosure of immaterial information.
Among other things, the amendments:
- Simplify disclosure or the disclosure process, including changes that would allow registrants to omit confidential information from most exhibits without filing a confidential treatment request, and changes to Management’s Discussion and Analysis that allow for flexibility in discussing historical periods;
- Revise rules or forms to update, streamline or otherwise improve the Commission’s disclosure framework by eliminating the risk factor examples listed in the disclosure requirement and revising the description of property requirement to emphasize the materiality threshold;
- Update rules to account for developments since their adoption or last amendment by eliminating certain requirements for undertakings in registration statements; and
- Incorporate technology to improve access to information by requiring data tagging for items on the cover page of certain filings and the use of hyperlinks for information that is incorporated by reference and available on EDGAR.
