On June 2, 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) published a Draft Strategic Plan for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 (the “Plan”).  The Plan aims to return the Commission to its initial commitment to protect investors; maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets; and facilitate capital formation.  The Plan represents a deliberate repositioning of the Commission back to its core mission of providing regulatory clarity and American competitiveness.

The Plan sets out three goals.  The first goal focuses on renewing regulatory policy, focusing on supporting innovation, capital formation, market efficiency and investor protection.  By modernizing and simplifying disclosure practices, expanding access to private markets and enabling new capital-raising pathways, the Commission can ensure that entrepreneurs and small businesses can thrive.  A key objective is establishing a clear regulatory foundation for digital assets and distributed ledger technologies.

The second goal calls for a shift in regulatory practices toward increasing stakeholder engagement, facilitating compliance and realigning the Commission’s enforcement approach to Congress’ original intent.  Rather than expanding regulatory reach through ad hoc enforcement actions, the Commission will refocus its enforcement approach on clear policy violations (e.g., fraud and manipulation).  Other objectives include periodic, retrospective reviews of existing rules as well as an assessment of the agency’s administrative law framework.

The third goal targets operational efficiency through modernization of the Commission’s internal infrastructure, organizational structure and employee performance management.  The Plan calls for a comprehensive review of legacy systems (e.g., EDGAR) and the adoption of secure, scalable technology infrastructure that enhances data integrity and reduces operational risk.  The responsible use of AI and blockchain technologies is identified to further enhance oversight. The public comment period for the Plan closes on July 2, 2026.