SEC Adopts Final Rules for the Disclosure of Payments by Resource Extraction Issuers

The Securities and Exchange Commission today voted to adopt final rules that will require resource extraction issuers that are required to file reports under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to disclose payments made to the U.S. federal government or foreign governments for the commercial development of oil, natural gas, or minerals. The rules implement Section 13(q) of the Exchange Act, which was added by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”). The rules are intended both (1) to achieve the statutory objective of increasing the transparency of payments to governments for the purpose of the commercial development of their oil, natural gas, and minerals and (2) to comply with the Congressional Review Act (CRA).