[ by Howard Haykin ] The MSRB on Tuesday commended the SEC for its comprehensive review of the $3.7 trillion municipal securities market and recommendations for enhanced protections for municipal bond investors. MSRB Chair Alan Polsky said: "The MSRB appreciates the work of the SEC to gather input from a broad array of municipal market stakeholders on potential steps toward increasing confidence in the municipal market, improving the level and quality of available information and addressing important market structure issues." Mr. Polsky added, "We will review the recommendations of the SEC report as part of our ongoing effort to facilitate municipal market transparency, improve disclosure and ensure a fair and efficient market." The MSRB, a self-regulatory organization whose mission is to protect investors and state and local governments, fulfills its mission using a combination of market regulations, market transparency systems, education, outreach and market leadership. The MSRB’s Electronic Municipal Market Access (EMMA) website provides free public access to municipal trade prices and primary market and continuing disclosure information about municipal securities, including required annual financial information and event-based disclosures from state and local government issuers. The MSRB also encourages state and local government issuers to provide additional information to the EMMA website on a voluntary basis to help investors make informed decisions. Voluntary disclosures may include accounting standards and information on state and local government bank loan financings. ............................................................................................................... To access the referenced document, go to:  [MSRB, 7/31/12].