Whatever Happened to the Conflict Minerals Rules?

By Cydney Posner

If you've been wondering what happened to the conflict minerals rules, rest assured that they have not magically disappeared from the SEC's agenda. As Bloomberg reports, SEC Chair Mary Schapiro, testifying yesterday before Congress, indicated that the final rules may not be finished until the middle of the year, over a year after their Dodd-Frank due date. The delay is attributable in part to the fact that the rules are "so complex and so out of the ordinary for the SEC." According to the article, the final rule will include a phase-in period, but will not allow companies to use smaller amounts of the metal without disclosure because that would not be permitted by the statute. The rules will, however, "try to give latitude and flexibility in some areas."

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