We wrote previously about the United States District Court for the District of Columbia vacating Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 13q-1, which required certain companies to disclose payments made to foreign governments in connection with the commercial development of oil, natural gas or minerals. The SEC announced Sept. 3, 2013 that it would not appeal the court’s decision and would instead redraft the rule, taking into account the court’s concerns, and restart the rulemaking process.
The court had found that:
- The SEC erroneously read the statutory language as requiring public disclosure of these payments; and
- The SEC’s decision to deny any exemption to the disclosure requirements, specifically in the case of countries that prohibit disclosure of these payments, was arbitrary and capricious.
The SEC has not provided a timetable for the redraft of the rule.