The SEC published a draft of its strategic plan for the fiscal years 2022 to 2026 on Wednesday, releasing the plan for public comment.
"Technology and business models always are changing, and it is important for our agency to evolve in kind," SEC Chairman Gary Gensler said in a news release. "Through the goals we've laid out in this strategic plan, we will continue to bring a skilled and steady hand to the capital markets of a changing world. We look forward to reviewing public comments."
The plan lays out three main goals for the agency: protect workers against fraud, manipulation and misconduct; establish a regulatory framework that keeps up with changing markets, business models and technologies; and support a skilled and diverse workforce that can advance the agency's objectives.
The SEC plans to enhance its use of market and industry data to protect against improper behavior, as well as update its design, delivery and content of disclosures to investors so they can make more informed decisions, the news release said.
The agency also calls for updating SEC rules and approaches to reflect market changes, including "the ongoing movement of assets into private or unregulated markets, the continual creation of new financial instruments and technologies, and the challenges of increased globalization," the draft plan states.
Finally, the SEC said it will focus its efforts on recruiting, training and retaining staff that reflect the needed skills and expertise for the agency, while promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.
The draft plan was prepared as required by the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010, which calls for federal agencies to outline their plans and goals every four years. The GPRA Modernization Act was an update to the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993.
