TITLE I - PUBLIC COMPANY ACCOUNTING OVERSIGHT BOARD
SEC. 107. COMMISSION OVERSIGHT OF THE BOARD.
(a) GENERAL OVERSIGHT RESPONSIBILITY. - The Commission shall have oversight
and enforcement authority over the Board, as provided in this Act. The provisions
of section 17(a)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78q(a)(1)),
and of section 17(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78q(b)(1))
shall apply to the Board as fully as if the Board were a "registered securities
association" for purposes of those sections 17(a)(1) and 17(b)(1).
(b) RULES OF THE BOARD. -
(1) DEFINITION. - In this section, the term "proposed
rule" means any proposed rule of the Board, and any modification of any
such rule.
(2) PRIOR APPROVAL REQUIRED. - No rule of the Board shall
become effective without prior approval of the Commission in accordance with
this section, other than as provided in section 103(a)(3)(B) with respect to
initial or transitional standards.
(3) APPROVAL CRITERIA. - The Commission shall approve a proposed
rule, if it finds that the rule is consistent with the requirements of this
Act and the securities laws, or is necessary or appropriate in the public interest
or for the protection of investors.
(4) PROPOSED RULE PROCEDURES. - The provisions of paragraphs
(1) through (3) of section 19(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15
U.S.C. 78s(b)) shall govern the proposed rules of the Board, as fully as if
the Board were a ‘‘registered securities association’’
for purposes of that section 19(b), except that, for purposes of this paragraph
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(A) the phrase ‘‘consistent with the requirements
of this title and the rules and regulations thereunder applicable to such organization’’
in section 19(b)(2) of that Act shall be deemed to read ‘‘consistent
with the requirements of title I of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and the
rules and regulations issued thereunder applicable to such organization, or
as necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of
investors’’; and
(B) the phrase "otherwise in furtherance of the purposes
of this title" in section 19(b)(3)(C) of that Act shall be deemed to read
‘‘otherwise in furtherance of the purposes of title I of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002’’.
(5) COMMISSION AUTHORITY TO AMEND RULES OF THE BOARD. - The
provisions of section 19(c) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C.
78s(c)) shall govern the abrogation, deletion, or addition to portions of the
rules of the Board by the Commission as fully as if the Board were a "registered
securities association" for purposes of that section 19(c), except that
the phrase "to conform its rules to the requirements of this title and
the rules and regulations thereunder applicable to such organization, or otherwise
in furtherance of the purposes of this title" in section 19(c) of that
Act shall, for purposes of this paragraph, be deemed to read "to assure
the fair administration of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, conform
the rules promulgated by that Board to the requirements of title I of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002, or otherwise further the purposes of that Act, the securities laws,
and the rules and regulations thereunder applicable to that Board".
(c) COMMISSION REVIEW OF DISCIPLINARY ACTION TAKEN BY THE BOARD. -
(1) NOTICE OF SANCTION. - The Board shall promptly file notice
with the Commission of any final sanction on any registered public accounting
firm or on any associated person thereof, in such form and containing such information
as the Commission, by rule, may prescribe.
(2) REVIEW OF SANCTIONS. - The provisions of sections 19(d)(2)
and 19(e)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78s (d)(2) and
(e)(1)) shall govern the review by the Commission of final disciplinary sanctions
imposed by the Board (including sanctions imposed under section 105(b)(3) of
this Act for noncooperation in an investigation of the Board), as fully as if
the Board were a self-regulatory organization and the Commission were the appropriate
regulatory agency for such organization for purposes of those sections 19(d)(2)
and 19(e)(1), except that, for purposes of this paragraph -
(A) section 105(e) of this Act (rather than that section 19(d)(2))
shall govern the extent to which application for, or institution by the Commission
on its own motion of, review of any disciplinary action of the Board operates
as a stay of such action;
(B) references in that section 19(e)(1) to "members"
of such an organization shall be deemed to be references to registered public
accounting firms;
(C) the phrase "consistent with the purposes of this
title" in that section 19(e)(1) shall be deemed to read "consistent
with the purposes of this title and title I of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002";
(D) references to rules of the Municipal Securities Rulemaking
Board in that section 19(e)(1) shall not apply; and
(E) the reference to section 19(e)(2) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 shall refer instead to section 107(c)(3) of this Act.
(3) COMMISSION MODIFICATION AUTHORITY. - The Commission may
enhance, modify, cancel, reduce, or require the remission of a sanction imposed
by the Board upon a registered public accounting firm or associated person thereof,
if the Commission, having due regard for the public interest and the protection
of investors, finds, after a proceeding in accordance with this subsection,
that the sanction -
(A) is not necessary or appropriate in furtherance of this
Act or the securities laws; or
(B) is excessive, oppressive, inadequate, or otherwise not
appropriate to the finding or the basis on which the sanction was imposed.
(d) CENSURE OF THE BOARD; OTHER SANCTIONS. -
(1) RESCISSION OF BOARD AUTHORITY. - The Commission, by rule,
consistent with the public interest, the protection of investors, and the other
purposes of this Act and the securities laws, may relieve the Board of any responsibility
to enforce compliance with any provision of this Act, the securities laws, the
rules of the Board, or professional standards.
(2) CENSURE OF THE BOARD; LIMITATIONS. - The Commission may,
by order, as it determines necessary or appropriate in the public interest,
for the protection of investors, or otherwise in furtherance of the purposes
of this Act or the securities laws, censure or impose limitations upon the activities,
functions, and operations of the Board, if the Commission finds, on the record,
after notice and opportunity for a hearing, that the Board -
(A) has violated or is unable to comply with any provision
of this Act, the rules of the Board, or the securities laws; or
(B) without reasonable justification or excuse, has failed
to enforce compliance with any such provision or rule, or any professional standard
by a registered public accounting firm or an associated person thereof.
(3) CENSURE OF BOARD MEMBERS; REMOVAL FROM OFFICE. - The Commission
may, as necessary or appropriate in the public interest, for the protection
of investors, or otherwise in furtherance of the purposes of this Act or the
securities laws, remove from office or censure any member of the Board, if the
Commission finds, on the record, after notice and opportunity for a hearing,
that such member -
(A) has willfully violated any provision of this Act, the
rules of the Board, or the securities laws;
(B) has willfully abused the authority of that member; or
(C) without reasonable justification or excuse, has failed
to enforce compliance with any such provision or rule, or any professional standard
by any registered public accounting firm or any associated person thereof.
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