Office of Municipal Securities

About the Office

The Office of Municipal Securities coordinates the SEC’s municipal securities activities and administers the Commission’s rules pertaining to municipal securities brokers and dealers, municipal advisors, investors in municipal securities, and municipal issuers. OMS advises the Commission on policy matters relating to the municipal securities market and is responsible for policy development, coordination, and implementation of Commission initiatives to improve the municipal securities market, as well as providing technical assistance to the Division of Enforcement and the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations. OMS also coordinates with the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board on rulemaking and enforcement actions. In addition, OMS reviews and processes MSRB rule filings. OMS works closely with the municipal securities industry to educate state and local officials and conduit borrowers about the Commission’s rules. OMS also acts as the Commission’s liaison to the MSRB, FINRA, the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of the Treasury, a variety of investor and industry groups, and regulators on municipal securities issues.

The Municipal Securities Market

Following an SEC staff review of the municipal securities market, which included examination of a wide range of issues, such as disclosure and transparency, financial reporting and accounting, and investor protection and education, the Commission issued a comprehensive report on the municipal securities market in July 2012. This report includes recommendations to help improve the structure of the $3.9 trillion municipal securities market and enhance the disclosures provided to investors. The recommendations address concerns raised by market participants and others in public field hearings and meetings as well as the public comment process during the agency's review.

Protecting investors in the municipal securities market is a core function of the Commission, and the SEC staff remains dedicated to gathering further information about the market to help implement these recommendations to improve the state of the municipal securities market and help investors.