88208 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 243 / Wednesday, December 20, 2023 / Notices 

19As described above, regular Priority Customer 

NDX executions will be assessed $0.25 per contract 

under this proposal, and complex Priority Customer 

NDX executions will be assessed a total of $0.50 per 

contract under this proposal (i.e., base fee plus 

complex surcharge). Regular Non-Priority Customer 

NDX executions will continue to be assessed $0.75 

per contract. As it relates to complex Non-Priority 

Customer NDX executions, the Exchange notes that 

in certain instances, Non-Priority Customers may be 

assessed a lower complex fee in Section 4 than the 

$0.50 complex fee proposed for Priority Customers. 

Specifically, Non-Priority Customers could be 

assessed the $0.20 per contract complex Maker Fee 

for Non-Select Symbols (NDX is a Non-Select 

Symbol). However, the Non-Priority Customer 

complex Taker Fee for Non-Select Symbols still 

remains at a much higher level ($1.10) than the 

$0.50 complex fee proposed for Priority Customer 

NDX executions. See Options 7, Section 4. 

20For example, Priority Customers presently 

receive free executions in regular and complex 

orders, as discussed earlier in this filing. 

21See supra notes 9 and 11. 

22 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(ii). 23 17 CFR 240.19b–4(f)(2). 24 17 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12). 

participants. The Exchange believes it is 

equitable and not unfairly 

discriminatory to continue charging 

Priority Customers NDX orders at a 

generally lower rate than Non-Priority 

Customers NDX orders 19 as the 

Exchange has historically provided 

more favorable pricing to Priority 

Customers in its Pricing Schedule.20

Priority Customer orders bring valuable 

liquidity to the market by providing 

more trading opportunities, which, in 

turn, attracts Market Makers. An 

increase in the activity of these market 

participants in turn facilitates tighter 

spreads, which may cause an additional 

corresponding increase in order flow to 

the benefit of all market participants. 

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. In terms of 

inter-market competition, the Exchange 

notes that it operates in a highly 

competitive market in which market 

participants can readily favor competing 

venues if they deem fee levels at a 

particular venue to be excessive, or 

rebate opportunities available at other 

venues to be more favorable. As noted 

above, market participants are offered 

an opportunity to transact in NDX, 

NQX, or XND, or separately execute 

options overlying QQQ. Offering these 

products provides market participants 

with a variety of choices in selecting the 

product they desire to use to gain 

exposure to the Nasdaq 100 Index. 

Furthermore, the proposed fee amounts 

are in line with customer transaction 

fees and surcharges assessed on other 

products at another options exchange.21

Further, the Exchange does not 

believe that its proposal to begin 

assessing a $0.25 per contract 

transaction fee for all Priority Customer 

NDX orders and $0.25 per contract 

surcharge for complex Priority Customer 

NDX orders will impose an undue 

burden on intra-market competition 

because Priority Customers will 

continue to be assessed more favorable 

pricing than Non-Priority Customers for 

NDX orders, which is in line with how 

the Exchange historically assessed fees 

for these market participants. As 

discussed above, Priority Customer 

order flow enhances liquidity on the 

Exchange for the benefit of all market 

participants. 

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 22 and Rule 

19b–4(f)(2) 23 thereunder. 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: (i) 

necessary or appropriate in the public 

interest; (ii) for the protection of 

investors; or (iii) 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 (https://www.sec.gov/ 

rules/sro.shtml); or 

• Send an email to rule-comments@

sec.gov. Please include file number SR– 

ISE–2023–36 on the subject line. 

Paper Comments 

• Send paper comments in triplicate 

to Secretary, Securities and Exchange 

Commission, 100 F Street NE, 

Washington, DC 20549–1090. 

All submissions should refer to file 

number SR–ISE–2023–36. 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 website (https://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 website 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. Do not include personal 

identifiable information in submissions; 

you should submit only information 

that you wish to make available 

publicly. We may redact in part or 

withhold entirely from publication 

submitted material that is obscene or 

subject to copyright protection. All 

submissions should refer to file number 

SR–ISE–2023–36 and should be 

submitted on or before January 10, 2024. 

For the Commission, by the Division of 

Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated 

authority.24

Sherry R. Haywood, 

Assistant Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2023–27914 Filed 12–19–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8011–01–P 

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 

Data Collection Available for Public 

Comments 

ACTION: 60-Day notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: The Small Business 

Administration (SBA) intends to request 

approval, from the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for the 

collection of information described 

below. The Paperwork Reduction Act 

(PRA) requires federal agencies to 

publish a notice in the Federal Register 

concerning each proposed collection of 

information before submission to OMB, 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 243 / Wednesday, December 20, 2023 / Notices 88209 

1 42 U.S.C. 406(d), 406(e), and 1383(d)(2). 

2 42 U.S.C. 406(d)(2)(A) and 1383(d)(2)(C)(ii)(I). 

3 42 U.S.C. 406(d)(2)(B)(ii) and 

1383(d)(2)(C)(ii)(II). 

and to allow 60 days for public 

comment in response to the notice. This 

notice complies with that requirement. 

DATES: Submit comments on or before 

February 20, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: Send all comments to Renee 

Mascarenas, Accountant, Denver 

Finance Center, Small Business 

Administration, Denver, CO 80202. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Renee Mascarenas, Accountant, Denver 

Finance Center, renee.mascarenas@

sba.gov, 303–844–7179, or Curtis B. 

Rich, Agency Clearance Officer, 202– 

205–7030, curtis.rich@sba.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SBA Form 

172 is only used by lenders for loans 

that have been purchased by SBA and 

are being serviced by approved SBA 

lending partners. The lenders use the 

SBA Form 172 to report loan payment 

data to SBA within 15 business days of 

receipt of payment. The purpose of this 

reporting is to (1) show the remittance 

due SBA on a loan serviced by 

participating lending institutions (2) 

update the loan receivable balances. 

Solicitation of Public Comments 

SBA is requesting comments on (a) 

Whether the collection of information is 

necessary for the agency to properly 

perform its functions; (b) whether the 

burden estimates are accurate; (c) 

whether there are ways to minimize the 

burden, including through the use of 

automated techniques or other forms of 

information technology; and (d) whether 

there are ways to enhance the quality, 

utility, and clarity of the information. 

Summary of Information Collection 

Collection: 3245–0131. 

(1) Title: Transaction Report on Loans 

Serviced by Lender. 

Description of Respondents: SBA 

Lenders. 

Form Number: SBA Form 172. 

Total Estimated Annual Responses: 

1,012. 

Total Estimated Annual Hour Burden: 

9,636. 

Curtis Rich, 

Agency Clearance Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2023–27903 Filed 12–19–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8026–09–P 

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION 

[Docket No. SSA–2023–0047] 

Rate for Assessment on Direct 

Payment of Fees to Representatives in 

2024 

AGENCY: Social Security Administration. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Social Security 

Administration (SSA) is announcing the 

assessment percentage rate under the 

Social Security Act (Act) is 6.3 percent 

for 2024. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Mona B. Ahmed, Associate General 

Counsel for Program Law, Office of the 

General Counsel, Social Security 

Administration, 6401 Security 

Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21235–6401. 

Phone: (410) 965–0600, email: 

Mona.Ahmed@ssa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A 

claimant may appoint a qualified 

individual as a representative to act on 

their behalf in matters before the SSA. 

If the claimant is entitled to past-due 

benefits and was represented either by 

an attorney or by a non-attorney 

representative who has met certain 

prerequisites, the Act provides that we 

shall withhold up to 25 percent of the 

past-due benefits and use that money to 

pay the representative’s approved fee 

directly to the representative. 

When we pay the representative’s 

approved fee directly to the 

representative, we must collect from 

that fee payment an assessment to 

recover the costs we incur in 

determining and paying representatives’ 

fees. The Act provides that the 

assessment we collect will be the lesser 

of two amounts: a specified dollar limit; 

or the amount determined by 

multiplying the fee we are paying by the 

assessment percentage rate.1

The Act initially set the dollar limit 

at $75 in 2004 and provides that the 

limit will be adjusted annually based on 

changes in the cost-of-living.2 Currently, 

the maximum dollar limit for the 

assessment is $117, as we announced in 

the Federal Register on October 23, 

2023 (88 FR 72803). 

The Act requires us, each year, to set 

the assessment percentage rate at the 

lesser of 6.3 percent or the percentage 

rate necessary to achieve full recovery of 

the costs we incur to determine and pay 

representatives’ fees.3 Based on the best 

available data, we have determined that 

the current rate of 6.3 percent will 

continue for 2024. We will continue to 

review our costs for these services on a 

yearly basis. 

Chad Poist, 

Deputy Commissioner, Office of Budget, 

Finance, and Management, Social Security 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2023–27955 Filed 12–19–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4191–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice: 12288] 

Designation of Mohamed Ali Nkalubo 

and Ahmed Mahamud Hassan Aliyani 

as Specially Designated Global 

Terrorists 

Acting under the authority of and in 

accordance with section 1(a)(ii)(B) of 

Executive Order 13224, as amended 

(‘‘E.O. 13224’’ or ‘‘Order’’), I hereby 

determine that the persons known as 

Mohamed Ali Nkalubo (also known as 

Meddie Nkalubo and Meddie Lee) and 

Ahmed Mahamud Hassan Aliyani (also 

known as Ahmed Mahmoud Hassan and 

Ahmad Mahmoud Hassan) are leaders of 

ISIS–DRC, an entity whose property and 

interests in property are currently 

blocked pursuant to a determination by 

the Secretary of State pursuant to E.O. 

13224. 

Consistent with the determination in 

section 10 of E.O. 13224 that prior 

notice to persons determined to be 

subject to the Order who might have a 

constitutional presence in the United 

States would render ineffectual the 

blocking and other measures authorized 

in the Order because of the ability to 

transfer funds instantaneously, I 

determine that no prior notice needs to 

be provided to any person subject to this 

determination who might have a 

constitutional presence in the United 

States, because to do so would render 

ineffectual the measures authorized in 

the Order. 

This notice shall be published in the 

Federal Register. 

Dated: December 6, 2023. 

Antony J. Blinken, 

Secretary of State. 

[FR Doc. 2023–27995 Filed 12–19–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–AD–P 

SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD 

30-Day Notice of Intent To Seek 

Extension of Approval of Collection: 

Demurrage Liability Disclosure 

Requirements 

AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: As required by the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the 

Surface Transportation Board (STB or 

Board) gives notice of its intent to seek 

approval from the Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB) for an extension of 

the collection of Demurrage Liability 

Disclosure Requirements, as described 

below. 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1