I see the following disclosure in many Form 10-Ks:
The public may read and copy any materials we file with, or furnish to, the SEC at the SEC's Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549. The public may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC maintains an Internet site (www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC.
For me, this disclosure raises two questions.
First, why do registrants include it at all? Some might point to Item 101(e)(2) of Regulation S-K. However, this Item requires disclosure " in any registration statement you file under the Securities Act". Registrants that are accelerated filers or a large accelerated filers must disclose the information specified in Item 101(e)(3) and (e)(4) but not Item 101(e)(2).
My second question is more quotidian. Given the availability of fillings on EDGAR and other Internet resources, does anyone still visit the SEC's public reference room?
In 2016, Broc Romanek reported that the public reference room continued to linger on, albeit in a greatly diminished state. At the time, it consisted of little more than a file cabinet with hard copies of Form 144s.