The SEC has proposed Regulation E-Delivery, a sweeping overhaul that would make electronic communication the default method for delivering securities law information to investors, effectively retiring the paper-first approach that has persisted for decades.
The proposal, formally titled “Electronic Delivery of Information Under the Federal Securities Laws,” was submitted to the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) for review around June 24, 2026. OIRA’s review period can last up to 90 days, meaning the rule could clear this bureaucratic checkpoint before the fall.
What the proposal actually changes
The current system requires investors to give affirmative consent before firms can send them documents electronically. That consent requirement has been the single biggest bottleneck preventing widespread e-delivery adoption, and it dates back to SEC guidance from the 1990s. The new Regulation E-Delivery would eliminate that hurdle entirely, flipping the default so electronic delivery becomes the standard unless an investor specifically requests paper.
The framework is designed to be technology-neutral, meaning it wouldn’t lock firms into any particular digital channel. Whether that’s email, secure portals, mobile apps, or whatever delivery mechanism emerges next, the regulation would accommodate it. SEC Chair Paul Atkins reportedly made this flexibility a core design principle when he instructed staff to develop the proposal.
