SEC Proposes Amendments to Shareholder Proposal Rule

The Securities and Exchange Commission today proposed amendments to the rule that governs the process for including shareholder proposals in a company’s proxy statement. Under Rule 14a-8, companies generally must include shareholder proposals in their proxy statements. The rule, however, provides several bases for exclusion, including several substantive requirements that proposals must comply with to avoid exclusion. The proposed amendments would revise three of the bases for exclusion to promote more consistency and predictability in application. “When shareholders buy stock in a public company, they own a piece of the company, which comes with certain rights under state law. That includes the right to elect directors to the company’s board and the right to make proposals to the management team for consideration by fellow shareholders,” said SEC Chair Gary Gensler.