The SEC is considering a proposal to rescind an exemption that would cause Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations to be included in the liability scheme for experts set forth in Section 11, as is currently the case for credit rating agencies that are not NRSROs.
NRSROs “have generally escaped accountability for their shoddy performance and poorly managed conflicts of interest, at least in part because of their statutory exemption from liability. Rule 436(g) shields only those few rating agencies designated as NRSROs from liability as experts for making untrue or misleading statements when their ratings are included in registration statements,” according to the Council of Institutional Investors.
CII believes effective reform of the credit ratings industry hinges on the following steps:
- Enhanced SEC oversight
- Reduced reliance on ratings by all market participants
- Strengthened internal controls of NRSROs
- Expanded transparency of credit ratings
- Heightened standards of accountability for NRSROs
See CII’s letter to the SEC in support of Concept Release on Possible Rescission of Rule 436(g) Under the Securities Act (File Number: S7-25-09) (see also Concept Release No. 33-9071A). SEC Fact Sheet. Speech by Commissioner Luis A. Aguilar.
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