Amid a final round of negotiations on making it easier to comply with the 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley law, federal regulators appear to be of different minds on some of the details.

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires public-company management to review internal financial-reporting controls each year, and hire outside auditors to evaluate the controls. Critics say the requirement has been costly for larger companies that are already complying and may present extra hardships for the smaller companies that may have to begin complying as soon as next year.

On Monday, Securities and Exchange Commission Chief Accountant Conrad Hewitt said that the SEC and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board would propose special treatment for smaller companies with a market capitalization between $75 million and $750 million, depending on their revenue. That would include many companies that are already fully complying with the internal- controls rules.

[1] Morningstar: Regulators Differ As Vote On Sarbanes-Oxley Changes Nears