The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is seeking comment on ways to improve regulation for small issuers.

The SEC’s Advisory Committee on Smaller Public Companies is soliciting input from investors and companies on ways to improve the current regulatory system for smaller companies and to examine the impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

The SEC established the Advisory Committee in December 2004 to examine the impact of federal securities laws on smaller public companies, with a view to assuring that the costs and burdens of regulation are commensurate with the benefits to investors and the public. The co-chairs of the committee are Herbert Wander and James Thyen. The committee will develop recommendations for the SEC and issue a final report by April 2006. It is seeking comments by Aug. 31.

At the committee’s request, the SEC is posting publishing a list of questions on the SEC Web site at http://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/acspc-questions that address these issues.

“The committee has done an outstanding job identifying vital areas for discussion and potential enhancement of the regulatory framework for smaller public companies,” said SEC acting chairman Cynthia Glassman. “While these are the committee’s questions to assist their work, the commission strongly supports the committee’s efforts.”

“The committee is committed to enhancing the regulatory environment for smaller public companies. Seeking public input from all interested participants is an important step in that process,” added Alan Beller, director fo the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance.