SEC Withdraws 14 Rule Proposals
On June 12, 2025, the SEC withdrew fourteen (14) rule proposals, backtracking many Biden-era regulations including several in the environmental, social and governance (ESG) arena. This move clears the slate for what should be a very different spring regulatory agenda, expected to be published in early July. Each of these rules were discussed to some extent in my last Regulatory Agenda update – which can be reviewed here – HERE.
Withdrawn Rule Proposals
Shareholder Proposals – Rule 14a-8
The SEC has withdrawn certain proposed amendments Exchange Act Rule 14a-8. The withdrawn rule proposal was first published in July 2022. Rule 14a-8 allows a qualifying shareholder to submit proposals that, subject to substantive and procedural requirements, must be included in the company’s proxy materials for annual and special meetings, and provides a method for companies to either accept or attempt to exclude such proposals. The rule has been subject to many changes, including via updated Staff Legal Bulletins, over the
SEC Fall 2019 Regulatory Agenda
In late 2019, the SEC published its latest version of its semiannual regulatory agenda and plans for rulemaking with the U.S. Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, which is an executive office of the President, publishes a Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions (“Agenda”) with actions that 60 departments, administrative agencies and commissions plan to issue in the near and long term. The Agenda is published twice a year, and for several years I have blogged about each publication.
Like the prior Agendas, the spring 2019 Agenda is broken down by (i) “Pre-rule Stage”; (ii) Proposed Rule Stage; (iii) Final Rule Stage; and (iv) Long-term Actions. The Proposed and Final Rule Stages are intended to be completed within the next 12 months and Long-term Actions are anything beyond that. The number of items to be completed in a 12-month time frame has increased with 47 items as compared to 40 on the
