§40.5. Voluntary submission of rules for Commission review and approval. — Inbound Citations

(2) Thirty days after the available-to-trade determination submission or certification for that swap is, respectively, deemed approved under § 40.5 of this chapter or deemed certified under § 40.6 of this chapter.

(2) Thirty days after the available-to-trade determination submission or certification for that swap is, respectively, deemed approved under § 40.5 of this chapter or deemed certified under § 40.6 of this chapter.

(1) An applicant for designation, or a designated contract market, may request that the Commission approve under section 5c(c) of the Act, any or all of its rules and contract terms and conditions, and subsequent amendments thereto, prior to their implementation or, notwithstanding the provisions of section 5c(c)(4) of the Act, at any time thereafter, under the procedures of § 40.3 or § 40.5 of this chapter, as applicable. A designated contract market may label a future, swap or options product in its rules as “Listed for trading pursuant to Commission approval,” if the future, swap or options product and its terms or conditions have been approved by the Commission, and it may label as “Approved by the Commission” only those rules that have been so approved.

(1) A derivatives clearing organization that seeks to implement or modify a cross-margining program with one or more clearing organizations shall submit rules for Commission approval pursuant to § 40.5 of this chapter. The submission shall include information sufficient for the Commission to understand the risks that would be posed by the program and the means by which the derivatives clearing organization would address and mitigate those risks.

(2) In order for a derivatives clearing organization and its clearing members to commingle customer positions in futures, options, foreign futures, foreign options, and swaps, or any combination thereof, and any money, securities, or property received to margin, guarantee or secure such positions, in an account subject to the requirements of sections 4d(a) or 4d(f) of the Act, the derivatives clearing organization shall file rules for Commission approval pursuant to the requirements and standard of review of § 40.5 of this chapter. Such rule submission shall include, at a minimum, the following:

(i) Identification of the products that would be commingled, including product specifications or the criteria that would be used to define eligible products;

(ii) Analysis of the risk characteristics of the eligible products and of the derivatives clearing organization's ability to manage those risks, addressing any characteristics that are unusual in relation to the other products cleared by the derivatives clearing organization, such as margining, liquidity, default management, pricing, or other risk characteristics;

(iii) Analysis of the liquidity of the respective markets for the eligible products, the ability of clearing members and the derivatives clearing organization to offset or mitigate the risk of such eligible products in a timely manner, without compromising the financial integrity of the account, and, as appropriate, proposed means for addressing insufficient liquidity;

(iv) A description of any additional requirements that would apply to clearing members permitted to commingle eligible products;

(v) A description of any risk management changes that the derivatives clearing organization will implement to oversee its clearing members' risk management of eligible products, or an analysis of why existing risk management systems and procedures are adequate in connection with the proposed commingling;

(vi) An analysis of the ability of the derivatives clearing organization to manage a potential default with respect to any of the eligible products that would be commingled, including a discussion of any default management procedures that are unique to the products eligible for commingling;

(vii) A discussion of the extent to which the derivatives clearing organization anticipates allowing portfolio margining of commingled positions, including a description and analysis of any margin reduction applied to correlated positions and the language of any applicable clearing rules or procedures, and an express confirmation that any portfolio margining will be allowed only as permitted under § 39.13(g)(4); and

(viii) Any other information necessary for the Commission to determine the rule submission's compliance with the Act and the Commission's regulations in this chapter, which the Commission may request as supplemental information if not provided in the initial submission. The Commission may extend the review period for the rule submission in accordance with § 40.5(d) of this chapter in order to request and obtain supplemental information as necessary.

(1) A derivatives clearing organization seeking to transfer its positions comprising open interest for clearing and settlement to another clearing organization shall submit rules for Commission approval pursuant to § 40.5 of this chapter.

(a) A registered derivatives clearing organization may request, pursuant to the procedures of § 40.5 of this chapter, that the Commission approve any or all of its rules and subsequent amendments thereto, including operational rules, prior to their implementation or, notwithstanding the provisions of section 5c(c)(2) of the Act, at any time thereafter, under the procedures of § 40.5 of this chapter. A derivatives clearing organization may label as “approved by the Commission” only those rules that have been so approved.

(i) Where in §§ 39.3(g), 39.4(f), 39.13(i), and 39.15(b)(2) of this chapter a derivatives clearing organization is required to submit rules for approval pursuant to § 40.5, a systemically important derivatives clearing organization instead shall submit such rules pursuant to this section if the rules could materially affect the nature or level of risks presented by the systemically important derivatives clearing organization.

(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of this part, a designated contract market must submit for Commission approval under the procedures of § 40.5, prior to its implementation, any rule that, for a delivery month having open interest, would materially change a product's term or condition, as defined in § 40.1, of a contract for future delivery in an agricultural commodity enumerated in section 1a(9) of the Act, or of an option on such a contract or commodity.

(a) A registered entity shall comply with the certification and submission requirements of this section prior to implementing any rule that has not obtained Commission approval under § 40.5, or that is submitted under § 40.10, except as otherwise provided by § 40.10(a). A submission shall comply with the following conditions:

(1) The registered entity has filed its submission electronically in a format and manner specified by the Commission.

(2) The registered entity has provided a certification that the registered entity posted a notice of pending certification with the Commission and a copy of the submission, concurrent with the filing of a submission with the Commission, on the registered entity's website. Information that the registered entity seeks to keep confidential may be redacted from the documents published on the registered entity's website but it must be republished consistent with any determination made pursuant to § 40.8(c)(4).

(3) The Commission has received the submission not later than the open of business on the business day that is 10 business days prior to the registered entity's implementation of the rule or rule amendment.

(4) The Commission has not stayed the submission pursuant to § 40.6(c).

(5) The rule or rule amendment is not a rule or rule amendment of a designated contract market that materially changes a term or condition of a contract for future delivery of an agricultural commodity enumerated in section 1a(9) of the Act or an option on such a contract or commodity in a delivery month having open interest.

(i) Rules or rule amendments implemented under procedures of the governing board to respond to an emergency as defined in § 40.1, shall, if practicable, be filed with the Commission prior to the implementation or, if not practicable, be filed with the Commission at the earliest possible time after implementation, but in no event more than twenty-four hours after implementation. Such rules shall be subject to the review and stay provisions of paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section.

(ii) New rules or rule amendments that establish standards for responding to an emergency must be submitted pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section or may be submitted pursuant to § 40.5.

(7) The rule submission shall include:

(i) The information required by appendix D to this part (“Emergency Rule Certification” should be noted in the Description section in the case of a rule or rule amendment that responds to an emergency);

(ii) The text of the rule (in the case of a rule amendment, deletions and additions must be indicated);

(iii) The date of intended implementation;

(iv) A certification by the registered entity that the rule complies with the Act and the Commission's regulations thereunder;

(v) A concise explanation and analysis that is complete with respect to the operation, purpose, and effect of the proposed rule or rule amendment and its compliance with applicable provisions of the Act, including core principles, and the Commission's regulations thereunder;

(vi) A brief explanation of any substantive opposing views expressed to the registered entity by governing board or committee members, members of the entity or market participants, that were not incorporated into the rule, or a statement that no such opposing views were expressed; and

(vii) As appropriate, a request for confidential treatment pursuant to the procedures provided in § 40.8;

(8) The registered entity shall provide, if requested by Commission staff, additional evidence, information or data that may be beneficial to the Commission in conducting a due diligence assessment of the filing and the registered entity's compliance with any of the requirements of the Act or the Commission's regulations or policies thereunder; and

(9) Notwithstanding the 10 business day filing requirement of paragraphs (a)(3) and (b)(1) of this section, a registered entity may file a submission and certification of a new rule or a rule amendment that delists, or withdraws the certification of, a product that has no open interest and may make the delisting or withdrawal of the product with no open interest effective immediately upon filing the submission, provided that the submission is made in compliance with paragraphs (a)(1), (2) and (7) of this section.

(b) The Commission hereby delegates, until it orders otherwise, to the Director of the Division of Clearing and Risk and, separately, to the Director of the Division of Market Oversight, to be exercised by either Director, as appropriate, or by such employees of the Commission that either Director may designate from time to time, with the concurrence of the General Counsel or the General Counsel's delegate, the authority to approve, pursuant to section 5c(c)(3) of the Act and § 40.5 of this part, rules or rule amendments of a registered entity that:

(1) Relate to, but do not substantially change, the quantity, quality, or other delivery specifications, procedures, or obligations for delivery, cash settlement, or exercise under an agreement, contract or transaction approved for trading by the Commission; daily settlement prices; clearing position limits; requirements or procedures for governance of a registered entity; procedures for transfer trades; trading hours; minimum price fluctuations; and maximum price limit and trading suspension provisions;

(2) Reflect routine modifications that are required or anticipated by the terms of the rule of a registered entity;

(3) Establish or amend or relate to speculative limits or position accountability provisions that are in compliance with the requirements of the Act and17 CFR chapter I;

(4) Are in substance the same as a rule of the same or another registered entity which has been approved previously by the Commission pursuant to section 5c(c)(3) of the Act;

(5) Are consistent with a specific, stated policy or interpretation of the Commission; or

(c) A registered entity's filing of new products pursuant to the self-certification procedures of § 40.2 of this part, new products for Commission review and approval pursuant to § 40.3 of this part, new rules and rule amendments for Commission review and approval pursuant to § 40.4 or § 40.5 of this part, and new rules and rule amendments pursuant to the self-certification procedures of § 40.6 and § 40.10 of this part shall be treated as public information unless accompanied by a request for confidential treatment. If a registered entity files a request for confidential treatment, the following procedures shall apply:

(1) A detailed written justification of the confidential treatment request must be filed simultaneously with the request for confidential treatment. The form and content of the detailed written justification shall be governed by § 145.9 of this chapter;

(2) All material for which confidential treatment is requested must be segregated in an appendix to the submission;

(3) The submission itself must indicate that material has been segregated and, as appropriate, an additional redacted version provided;

(4) Commission staff may make an initial determination with respect to the request for confidential treatment without regard to whether a request for the information has been sought under the Freedom of Information Act;

(5) All requests for confidential treatment shall be subject to the process provided by § 145.9 of this chapter.

(6) A submitter of information under this part may appeal an adverse decision by staff to the Commission's Office of General Counsel. The form and content of such appeal shall be governed by § 145.9(g) of this chapter.

(7) The grant of any part of a request for confidential treatment under this section may be reconsidered if a subsequent request under the Freedom of Information Act is made for the information.

(b) A designated contract market may request that the Commission approve any security futures product under the procedures of § 40.5 of this chapter, provided however, that the registered entity shall include the certification required by § 41.22 with its submission under § 40.5 of this chapter. Notice designated contract markets may not request Commission approval of security futures products.

(b) A designated contract market or a registered derivatives clearing organization clearing security futures products may request that the Commission approve any rule or proposed rule or rule amendment relating to a security futures product under the procedures of § 40.5 of this chapter, provided however, that the registered entity shall include the certifications required by § 41.22 with its submission under § 40.5 of this chapter. Notice designated contract markets may not request Commission approval of rules.

(2) A designated contract market operating an electronic market or electronic trading system that provides market participants with a time or place advantage or the ability to override a predetermined algorithm must submit an appropriate rule proposal to the Commission consistent with the procedures set forth in § 40.5. The proposed rule must prohibit electronic market participants with a time or place advantage or the ability to override a predetermined algorithm from trading a security futures product for accounts in which these same participants have any interest during the same trading session that they also trade the same security futures product for other accounts. This paragraph, however, is not applicable with respect to execution priorities or quantity guarantees granted to market makers who perform that function, or to market participants who receive execution priorities based on price improvement activity, in accordance with the rules governing the designated contract market.

(1) If the self-regulatory authority elects to request the Commission's prior approval for the proposed rule change pursuant to section 5c(c)(2) of the Act, it shall concurrently file the proposed rule change with the Commission in accordance with § 40.5 of this chapter.

(a) An applicant for registration as a swap data repository may request that the Commission approve under Section 5c(c) of the Act, any or all of its rules and subsequent amendments thereto, prior to their implementation or, notwithstanding the provisions of Section 5c(c)(2) of the Act, at anytime thereafter, under the procedures of § 40.5 of this chapter.

(a) The designated contract market or swap execution facility must maintain rules that establish application processes and conditions for recognizing bona fide hedging transactions or positions consistent with the requirements of this section, and must seek approval of such rules from the Commission pursuant to § 40.5 of this chapter.

(2) Notwithstanding the timeline under §§ 40.3(c) and 40.5(c) of this chapter, the operating rules, and terms and conditions of futures, swaps and option products that have been submitted for Commission approval at the same time as an application for contract market designation or an application under § 38.3(b) of this part to reinstate the designation of a dormant designated contract market, as defined in § 40.1 of this chapter, or while one of the foregoing is pending, will be deemed approved by the Commission no earlier than when the facility is deemed to be designated or reinstated.

(b) Notwithstanding the timeline under § 40.5(c) of this chapter, the rules of a swap data repository that have been submitted for Commission approval at the same time as an application for registration under § 49.3 of this part or to reinstate the registration of a dormant swap data repository, as defined in § 40.1 of this chapter, will be deemed approved by the Commission no earlier than when the swap data repository is deemed to be registered or reinstated.

(i) To request, pursuant to § 40.3(c)(2) or § 40.5(c)(1)(ii) of this part, that the registered entity requesting approval amend the proposed product, rule or rule amendment, or supplement the submission to the Commission;

(viii) Any other information necessary for the Commission to determine the rule submission's compliance with the Act and the Commission's regulations in this chapter, which the Commission may request as supplemental information if not provided in the initial submission. The Commission may extend the review period for the rule submission in accordance with § 40.5(d) of this chapter in order to request and obtain supplemental information as necessary.

(ii) Pursuant to § 40.5(d) of this part, that the time for review of the submission has been extended because the proposed rule or rule amendment raises novel or complex issues that require additional time for review or is of major economic significance;

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (c) of this section, a proposed rule or rule amendment, including changes to terms and conditions of a product that are consistent with the Act and Commission regulations, may be approved by the Commission at such time and under such conditions as the Commission shall specify in a written notification.

(ii) To notify the registered entity, pursuant to § 40.3(e) or § 40.5(e) of this part, that the Commission is not approving, or is unable to approve, the proposed product, rule or rule amendment;