* SEC does not have to disclose firm inspection results

* Agency still has to comply with other FOIA requests

By Emma Ashburn

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New financial reform
legislation exempts U.S. securities regulators from having to
turn over to the media information it gathers from financial
institutions in its expanded supervisory role, but does not
limit the disclosure of other agency data.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission was granted
greater assessment and surveillance responsibilities as part of
the Dodd-Frank Act, which went into effect July 21.

As part of that, lawmakers also gave the SEC a privacy
mandate similar to bank regulators, who do not have to disclose
the results of examinations of specific firms.

The SEC still has to comply with requests for other types
of information requested under the Freedom of Information Act.

"The new provision applies to information obtained through
examinations or derived from that information," said SEC
spokesman John Nester in a statement.

The Freedom of Information Act, enacted in 1966, requires
federal agencies to disclose information in response to a
written request. Individuals can request nonpublic consumer
complaints, staff comment letters and information compiled
during the course of investigations from the SEC.

Fox Business News reported Wednesday that the new
legislation meant the SEC "no longer has to comply with
virtually all requests for information releases from the
public," including FOIA requests.

The agency gets vast new powers as part of the financial
regulatory overhaul, including joint oversight over the $615
trillion over-the-counter derivatives market and supervision of
advisers to hedge funds and private equity funds.

The SEC also gets a seat on the new Financial Stability
Oversight Council, set up to monitor broad risk in the
financial system.
(Reporting by Emma Ashburn; editing by Andre Grenon)