MSRB Creates Supervision and Compliance Requirements for Municipal Advisors

On October 23, the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board received approval from the SEC to create the first new rule for municipal advisors since the SEC released its final registration rule for these professionals in September 2013.

The new supervision requirements take effect April 23, 2015, providing firms six months to implement the required policies and procedures. By April 23, 2016, the chief executive officers (or the equivalent) of municipal advisor firms must make the first of their annual certifications in writing that the municipal advisor has in place processes to establish, maintain, review, test and modify written compliance procedures and written supervisory procedures reasonably designed to achieve compliance with applicable rules.  MSRB Rule.