[ by Melanie Gretchen ] For Fiscal Year 2013, the SEC seeks to fill 5,180 positions, a 15% increase over its its projected FY 2012 levels.  That would require an extra $245 million over the Agency's FY 2012 appropriation - an 18.5% increase.  All told, the SEC is requesting $1.566 billion in FY 2013, which is backed by a voluminous budget analysis. As in FY 2012, the FY 2013 budget request would be fully offset by the matching collections of securities transaction fees - Section 31 fees.  In FY 2012, the fee rate will equal about 2¢ per every $1,000 of transactions. SEC FY 2013 Initiatives. The SEC seeks increased funding for fiscal year 2013 to achieve multiple high-priority initiatives:

• adequately staff mission essential activities to protect investors
• prevent regulatory bottlenecks as new oversight regimes become operational and existing one are streamlines
• strengthen oversight of market stability
• expand the agency's information technology systems to better fulfill its mission

[SEC FY 2013 Budget]