In its recent amendments to give some flexibility to small businesses, the SEC essentially reaffirmed its regulation under SOA:
SEC Approves New Guidance for Compliance with Section 404 of Sarbanes-Oxley FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2007-101 Washington, D.C., May 23, 2007 — The Securities and Exchange Commission today unanimously approved interpretive guidance to help public companies strengthen their internal control over financial reporting while reducing unnecessary costs, particularly at smaller companies. The new guidance will enhance compliance under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 by focusing company management on the internal controls that best protect against the risk of a material financial misstatement. . . . “As investors have made clear, Section 404 serves a critically important role in fostering the reliability of financial statements upon which investors and our markets depend. The guidance issued today achieves a significant step in the roadmap the Commission laid out a year ago for improving the implementation of Section 404 for public companies of all sizes and their investors alike,” said John W. White, Director of the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance.