Rule 17Ad-18

Year 2000 Reports to be Made by Certain Transfer Agents

(a) Each registered non-bank transfer agent must file Part I of Form TA-Y2K(Sec. 249.619 of this chapter) with the Commission describing the transfer agent's preparation for Year 2000 Problems. Part I of Form TA-Y2K shall be filed no later than August 31, 1998, and April 30, 1999. Part I of Form TA-Y2K shall reflect the transfer agent's preparation for the Year 2000 as of July 15, 1998, and March 15, 1999, respectively.

(b) Each registered non-bank transfer agent, except for those transfer agents that qualify for the exemption in paragraph (d) of Sec. 240.17Ad-13, must file with the Commission Part II of Form TA-Y2K (Sec. 249.619 of this chapter) in addition to Part I of Form TA-Y2K. Part II of Form TA-Y2K report shall address the following topics:

(1) Whether the board of directors (or similar body) of the transfer agent has approved and funded plans for preparing and testing its computer systems for Year 2000 Problems;

(2) Whether the plans of the transfer agent exist in writing and address all mission critical computer systems of the transfer agent wherever located throughout the world;

(3) Whether the transfer agent has assigned existing employees, has hired new employees, or has engaged third parties to provide assistance in addressing Year 2000 Problems; and if so, a description of the work that these groups of individuals have performed as of the date of each report;

(4) The current progress on each stage of preparation for potential problems caused by Year 2000 Problems. These stages are:

(i) Awareness of potential Year 2000 Problems;

(ii) Assessment of what steps the transfer agent must take to address Year 2000 Problems;

(iii) Implementation of the steps needed to address Year 2000 Problems;

(iv) Internal testing of software designed to address Year 2000 Problems, including the number and description of the material exceptions resulting from such testing that are unresolved as of the reporting date;

(v) Point-to point or industry-wide testing of software designed to address Year 2000 Problems (including testing with other transfer agents, other financial institutions, and customers), including the number and description of the material exceptions resulting from such testing that are unresolved as of the reporting date; and

(vi) Implementation of tested software that will address Year 2000 Problems;

(5) Whether the transfer agent has written contingency plans in the event that, after December 31, 1999, it has computer problems caused by Year 2000 Problems; and

(6) What levels of the transfer agent's management are responsible for addressing potential problems caused by Year 2000 Problems, including a description of the responsibilities for each level of management regarding the Year 2000 Problems;

(7) Any additional material information in both reports concerning its management of Year 2000 Problems that could help the Commission assess the transfer agent's readiness for the Year 2000.

(8) Part II of Form TA-Y2K (Sec. 249.619 of this chapter) shall be filed no later than August 31, 1998, and April 30, 1999. Part II of Form TA-Y2K shall reflect the transfer agent's preparation for the Year 2000 as of July 15, 1998, and March 15, 1999, respectively.

(c) Any non-bank transfer agent that registers between the adoption of the final rule and December 31, 1999, must file with the Commission Part I of Form TA-Y2K (Sec. 249.619 of this chapter) no later than 30 days after their registration becomes effective. New transfer agents whose registration with the Commission becomes effective between January 1, 1999, and April 30, 1999, would be required to file the second report due on April 30, 1999.

(d) For purposes of this section, the term Year 2000 Problem shall include problems arising from:

(1) Computer software incorrectly reading the date ''01/01/00'' as being the year 1900 or another incorrect year;

(2) Computer software incorrectly identifying a date in the Year 1999 or any year thereafter;

(3) Computer software failing to detect that the Year 2000 is a leap year; or

(4) Any other computer software error that is directly or indirectly caused by paragraph (d)(1), (2), or (d)(1) of this section.

(e) For purposes of this section, the term non-bank transfer agent means a transfer agent whose:

(1) Appropriate regulatory agency, as that term is defined by 15 U.S.C. 78(c)(34)(B), is the Securities and Exchange Commission; and

(2) Is not a savings association, as defined by Section 3 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, 12 U.S.C. 1813, which is regulated by the Office of Thrift Supervision.

(f) Nature and form of reports. No later than April 30, 1999, every non-bank transfer agent required to file Part II of Form TA-Y2K (Sec. 249.619 of this chapter) pursuant to paragraph (b)(8) of this section shall file with its Form TA-Y2K an original and two copies of a report prepared by an independent public accountant regarding the non-bank transfer agent's process, as of March 15, 1999, for addressing Year 2000 Problems with the Commission's principal office in Washington, DC. The independent public accountant's report shall be prepared in accordance with standards that have been reviewed by the Commission and that have been issued by a national organization that is responsible for promulgating authoritative accounting and auditing standards.