14458 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 47 / Friday, March 9, 2012 / Notices 

12The Commission has expressed its concern that 

a significant percentage of the orders of individual 

investors are executed in the over-the-counter 

(‘‘OTC’’) market, that is, not on exchange markets; 

and that a significant percentage of the orders of 

institutional investors are executed in dark pools. 

See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 61358 

(January 14, 2010), 75 FR 3594 (January 21, 2010) 

(Concept Release on Equity Market Structure, 

‘‘Concept Release’’). In the Concept Release, the 

Commission has recognized the strong policy 

preference under the Act in favor of price 

transparency and displayed markets. The 

Commission published the Concept Release to 

invite public comment on a wide range of market 

structure issues, including high frequency trading 

and un-displayed, or ‘‘dark,’’ liquidity. See also 

Mary L. Schapiro, Strengthening Our Equity Market 

Structure (Speech at the Economic Club of New 

York, Sept. 7, 2010) (‘‘Schapiro Speech,’’ available 

on the Commission Web site) (comments of 

Commission Chairman on what she viewed as a 

troubling trend of reduced participation in the 

equity markets by individual investors, and that 

nearly 30 percent of volume in U.S.-listed equities 

is executed in venues that do not display their 

liquidity or make it generally available to the 

public). 13 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(ii). 14 17 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12). 

Participants to transact additional 

Customer orders and encourage 

participants in the Exchange’s equity 

markets to also participate in the 

Exchange’s options market. 

The Exchange believes that the 

increased Customer rebate for market 

participants that add Customer liquidity 

of 25,000 or more contracts per day in 

a month, certify for the ISP and execute 

at least one order on NASDAQ’s equity 

market is equitable and not unfairly 

discriminatory, because the increased 

rebate is intended to encourage 

increased activity in both NOM and in 

the ISP of the NASDAQ equity market. 

The goal of the ISP is to incentivize 

members 12 to provide liquidity from 

individual equity investors to the 

NASDAQ Market Center. The increased 

rebate would encourage firms that 

certify pursuant to Rule 7014 to increase 

the amount of Customer order liquidity 

to NOM. The addition of such liquidity, 

either through the ISP or through 

increased Customer order flow, would 

benefit all Exchange members that 

participate in those markets. 

The Exchange operates in a highly 

competitive market comprised of nine 

U.S. options exchanges in which 

sophisticated and knowledgeable 

market participants can and do send 

order flow to competing exchanges if 

they deem fee levels at a particular 

exchange to be excessive or rebate 

opportunities to be inadequate. The 

Exchange believes that the proposed fee 

and rebate scheme are competitive and 

similar to other fees, rebates and tier 

opportunities in place on other 

exchanges. The Exchange believes that 

this competitive marketplace materially 

impacts the fees and rebates present on 

the Exchange today and substantially 

influences the proposal set forth above. 

B. Self-Regulatory Organization’s 

Statement on Burden on Competition 

The Exchange does not believe that 

the proposed rule change will impose 

any burden on competition not 

necessary or appropriate in furtherance 

of the purposes of the Act. 

C. Self-Regulatory Organization’s 

Statement on Comments on the 

Proposed Rule Change Received From 

Members, Participants, or Others 

No written comments were either 

solicited or received. 

III. Date of Effectiveness of the 

Proposed Rule Change and Timing for 

Commission Action 

The foregoing rule change has become 

effective pursuant to Section 

19(b)(3)(A)(ii) of the Act.13 At any time 

within 60 days of the filing of the 

proposed rule change, the Commission 

summarily may temporarily suspend 

such rule change if it appears to the 

Commission that such action is 

necessary or appropriate in the public 

interest, for the protection of investors, 

or otherwise in furtherance of the 

purposes of the Act. If the Commission 

takes such action, the Commission shall 

institute proceedings to determine 

whether the proposed rule should be 

approved or disapproved. 

IV. Solicitation of Comments 

Interested persons are invited to 

submit written data, views, and 

arguments concerning the foregoing, 

including whether the proposed rule 

change is consistent with the Act. 

Comments may be submitted by any of 

the following methods: 

Electronic Comments 

• Use the Commission’s Internet 

comment form (http://www.sec.gov/ 

rules/sro.shtml ); or 

• Send an email to rulecomments@sec.gov. Please include File 

Number SR–NASDAQ–2012–033 on the 

subject line. 

Paper Comments 

• Send paper comments in triplicate 

to Elizabeth M. Murphy, Secretary, 

Securities and Exchange Commission, 

100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 

20549–1090. 

All submissions should refer to File 

Number SR–NASDAQ–2012–033. This 

file number should be included on the 

subject line if email is used. To help the 

Commission process and review your 

comments more efficiently, please use 

only one method. The Commission will 

post all comments on the Commission’s 

Internet Web site (http://www.sec.gov/ 

rules/sro.shtml.) Copies of the 

submission, all subsequent 

amendments, all written statements 

with respect to the proposed rule 

change that are filed with the 

Commission, and all written 

communications relating to the 

proposed rule change between the 

Commission and any person, other than 

those that may be withheld from the 

public in accordance with the 

provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be 

available for Web site viewing and 

printing in the Commission’s Public 

Reference Room, 100 F Street, NE., 

Washington, DC 20549, on official 

business days between the hours of 10 

a.m. and 3 p.m. Copies of the filing also 

will be available for inspection and 

copying at the principal office of the 

Exchange. All comments received will 

be posted without change; the 

Commission does not edit personal 

identifying information from 

submissions. You should submit only 

information that you wish to make 

available publicly. All submissions 

should refer to File Number SR– 

NASDAQ–2012–033 and should be 

submitted on or before March 30, 2012. 

For the Commission, by the Division of 

Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated 

authority.14

Kevin M. O’Neill, 

Deputy Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2012–5736 Filed 3–8–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8011–01–P 

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 

[Disaster Declaration #13024] 

Connecticut Disaster #CT–00027; 

Declaration of Economic Injury 

AGENCY: U.S. Small Business 

Administration. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This is a notice of an 

Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) 

declaration for the State of Connecticut, 

dated 02/29/2012. 

Incident: Major Winter Storm. 

Incident Period: 10/29/2011. 

Effective Date: 02/29/2012. 

EIDL Loan Application Deadline Date: 

11/29/2012. 

ADDRESSES: Submit completed loan 

applications to: U.S. Small Business 

Administration, Processing and 

Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport 

Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155. 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 47 / Friday, March 9, 2012 / Notices 14459 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: A. 

Escobar, Office of Disaster Assistance, 

U.S. Small Business Administration, 

409 3rd Street SW., Suite 6050, 

Washington, DC 20416. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is 

hereby given that as a result of the 

Administrator’s EIDL declaration, 

applications for economic injury 

disaster loans may be filed at the 

address listed above or other locally 

announced locations. 

The following areas have been 

determined to be adversely affected by 

the disaster: 

Primary Counties: Hartford. 

Contiguous Counties: 

Connecticut: Litchfield, Middlesex, 

New Haven, New London, Tolland. 

Massachusetts: Hampden. 

Percent 

The Interest Rates are: 

Businesses and Small Agricultural Cooperatives Without 

Credit Available Elsewhere ... 4.000 

Non-Profit Organizations Without Credit Available Elsewhere ..................................... 3.000 

The number assigned to this disaster 

for economic injury is 130240. 

The States which received an EIDL 

Declaration # are Connecticut, 

Massachusetts. 

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Number 59002) 

Dated: February 29, 2012. 

Karen G. Mills, 

Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2012–5718 Filed 3–8–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8025–01–P 

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES 

TRADE REPRESENTATIVE 

Notice of Meeting of the Industry Trade 

Advisory Committee on Small and 

Minority Business (ITAC–11) 

AGENCY: Office of the United States 

Trade Representative. 

ACTION: Notice of a Partially Opened 

Meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Industry Trade Advisory 

Committee on Small and Minority 

Business (ITAC–11) will hold a meeting 

on Wednesday, April 4, 2012, from 9 

a.m. to 4 p.m. The meeting will be 

opened to the public from 9 a.m. to 

10:30 a.m. 

DATES: The meeting is scheduled for 

April 4, 2012, unless otherwise notified. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Herbert C. Humphrey Building, 1401 

Constitution Avenue NW., Room 1412, 

Washington, DC. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Laura Hellstern, DFO for ITAC–11 at 

(202) 482–3222, Department of 

Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution 

Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Agenda topics to be discussed are: 

U.S. Small Business Administration 

State Trade and Export Promotion 

(STEP) Grants Process. 

Christine L. Turner, 

Assistant U.S. Trade Representative, 

Intergovernmental Affairs and Public 

Engagement. 

[FR Doc. 2012–5791 Filed 3–8–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3190–W2–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Office of the Secretary 

[Docket No. DOT–OST–2008–0244] 

Notice of Request for Renewal of a 

Previously Approved Collection 

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DOT. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: The Office of the Secretary, 

Office of Small and Disadvantaged 

Business Utilization (OSDBU), invites 

public comments about our intention to 

request the Office of Management and 

Budget’s (OMB) approval to renew a 

collection. Currently, there are two 

Short Term Loan Program (STLP) 

applications: the ‘‘Short Term Lending 

Program Application for a New Loan 

Guarantee’’ and the ‘‘Application for 

Loan Guarantee Renewal’’. This 

collection renewal request includes one 

STLP application. The revised STLP 

application will be used for both new 

loan guarantee applicants and renewal 

loan guarantee applicants. The revised 

STLP application is a single, 

consolidated document that is easier to 

read and understand for all small 

business applicants. The information 

collected in the revised STLP 

application will determine the 

applicant’s eligibility and is necessary 

to approve or deny a loan. 

Public Comments Invited: You are 

asked to comment on any aspect of this 

information collection. All comments 

will also become a matter of public 

record. 

Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act 

of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended; 

and 49 CFR 1.48. 

DATES: Written comments should be 

submitted by May 6, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit your 

comments identified by Docket Number 

DOT–OST–2008–0244 by any of the 

following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov/. Follow the 

online instructions for submitting 

comments. 

• Agency Web Site: http:// 

dms.dot.gov/. Follow the instructions 

for submitting comments on the DOT 

electronic docket site. 

• Fax: 1–202–493–2251. 

• Mail or Hand Delivery: U.S. 

Department of Transportation, Dockets 

Management Facility, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE., West Building, Room W12– 

140, Washington, DC 20590. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Nancy Strine, Manager Financial 

Assistance Division, Office of Small and 

Disadvantaged Business Utilization, 

Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department 

of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE., Room W56–448, 

Washington, DC 20590. Phone number 

202–366–5343, fax number 202–366– 

7228, Email address: 

Nancy.Strine@dot.gov. Office hours are 

from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday 

through Friday, except Federal holidays. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Short Term Lending Program 

Application for a Loan Guarantee. 

OMB Control No.: 2105–0555. 

Background: OSDBU’s Short Term 

Lending Program (STLP) offers certified 

Disadvantaged Business Enterprises 

(DBEs) and other certified Small 

Businesses (8a, women-owned, small 

disadvantaged, HUBZone, veteran 

owned, and service disabled veteran 

owned) the opportunity to obtain short 

term working capital at variable interest 

rates for transportation-related projects. 

The STLP provides Participating 

Lenders (PLs) a guarantee, up to 75%, 

on a revolving line of credit up to a 

$750,000 maximum. These loans are 

provided through lenders that serve as 

STLP Participating Lenders (PLs). The 

term on the line of credit is up to one 

(1) year, which may be renewed for five 

(5) years. A potential or renewal STLP 

participant must submit a guaranteed 

loan application package. The 

guaranteed loan application includes 

the STLP application, checklist, and 

instructions. 

Respondents: Certified Disadvantaged 

Business Enterprises (DBEs) and other 

certified Small Businesses (8a, womenowned, small disadvantaged, HUBZone, 

veteran owned, and service disabled 

veteran owned) interested in financing 

their transportation-related contracts. 

DOT Form 2301–1(REV.1): Short 

Term Lending Program Application for 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES