Acting SEC Chair Mike Piwowar is on a tear!
On February 6, he issued yet another statement directing the Corp Fin Staff to revisit another set of existing rules – the pay-ratio disclosure rules. Last week, Piwowar did the same thing with the conflict minerals rules.
The stated rationale for the reconsideration is that some companies are experiencing “unanticipated compliance difficulties that may hinder them in meeting the reporting deadline.” No mention of employee morale – or the desire to avoid negative publicity with the general public. Comments should be submitted on the pay ratio rules within the next 45 days.
Although this statement doesn’t repeal – or even suspend – the looming deadline for the effectiveness of the pay ratio rule, it evidences a clear intent to re-visit the rule. It also gives a strong indication that the rule is going to be under scrutiny from both regulators and Capitol Hill over the next few months. Since pay ratio disclosures aren’t mandated until next proxy season, there is some time for this to play out - but not a whole lot of time…
How Fast – Or Slow – Can the SEC Act?
That is the “$64,000 question” of the day.
Republicans on the SEC could be stymied by the commission’s own procedures on the pay-ratio rule because undoing a regulation is handled by an often lengthy process that is similar to creating one. It also is difficult for the SEC to delay it outright, because of the commission’s depleted ranks. There are just two sitting commissioners—Mr. Piwowar and Kara Stein, a Democrat—meaning the SEC is politically deadlocked on most matters. Ms. Stein on Monday signaled opposition to efforts to ease the pay rule. “It’s problematic for a chair to create uncertainty about which laws will be enforced,” she said.
Perhaps Congress Will Act Much Faster Than We Think…
Our colleague Mark Borges notes that this Bloomberg/BNA article reports that a new version of the “Financial Choice Act” will be introduced in Congress later this month. Not only is this bill likely to include a provision that would repeal of the pay ratio rule, it appears that it will also contain a version of the “Proxy Advisory Firm Reform Act of 2016.” As you will recall, that’s the bill that was introduced last year that would require the major proxy advisory firms register with the SEC and, among other things, disclose potential conflicts of interest. Stay tuned…the gears on The Hill are definitely turning….turning quickly indeed.
