SUBMISSION COVER SHEET

IMPORTANT: Check box if Confidential Treatment is requested

Registered Entity Identifier Code (optional): 23-430

Organization: Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. ("CME")

Filing as a: DCM SEF DCO SDR 

Please note - only ONE choice allowed.

Filing Date (mm/dd/yy): October 11, 2023 Filing Description: Modifications to the 

Nasdaq Veles California Water Index Futures Market Maker Program

SPECIFY FILING TYPE 

Please note only ONE choice allowed per Submission.

Organization Rules and Rule Amendments

Certification § 40.6(a)

Approval § 40.5(a)

Notification § 40.6(d)

Advance Notice of SIDCO Rule Change § 40.10(a)

SIDCO Emergency Rule Change § 40.10(h)

Rule Numbers: Not Applicable

New Product Please note only ONE product per Submission.

Certification § 40.2(a) 

Certification Security Futures § 41.23(a)

Certification Swap Class § 40.2(d)

Approval § 40.3(a)

Approval Security Futures § 41.23(b)

Novel Derivative Product Notification § 40.12(a)

Swap Submission § 39.5

Official Product Name: 

Product Terms and Conditions (product related Rules and Rule Amendments)

Certification § 40.6(a) 

Certification Made Available to Trade Determination § 40.6(a)

Certification Security Futures § 41.24(a)

Delisting (No Open Interest) § 40.6(a) 

Approval § 40.5(a)

Approval Made Available to Trade Determination § 40.5(a)

Approval Security Futures § 41.24(c)

Approval Amendments to enumerated agricultural products § 40.4(a), § 40.5(a)

“Non-Material Agricultural Rule Change” § 40.4(b)(5)

Notification § 40.6(d)

Official Name(s) of Product(s) Affected: 

Rule Numbers: 
300 Vesey Street New York, NY 10282 T 212 299 2200 F 212 301 4645 christopher.bowen@cmegroup.com cmegroup.com

Christopher Bowen 

Managing Director and Chief Regulatory Counsel

Legal Department

October 11, 2023

VIA ELECTRONIC PORTAL

Christopher J. Kirkpatrick 

Office of the Secretariat

Commodity Futures Trading Commission

Three Lafayette Centre

1155 21st Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20581

RE: Modifications to the Nasdaq Veles California Water Index Futures Market Maker 

Program

CME Submission No. 23-430

Dear Mr. Kirkpatrick:

Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. (“CME” or “Exchange”) hereby notifies the Commodity Futures Trading 

Commission (“CFTC” or “Commission”) of plans to modify the Nasdaq Veles California Water Index Futures Market 

Maker Program (“Program”). The modifications to the Program will become effective on November 1, 2023.

Exhibit 1 sets forth the terms of this Program. Modifications appear below, with additions underlined and deletions 

overstruck.

The Exchange reviewed the designated contract market core principles (“Core Principles”) as set forth in the 

Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA” or “Act”). During the review, CME staff identified the following Core Principles as 

potentially being impacted: Monitoring of Trading, Execution of Transactions, Protection of Market Participants, 

Compliance with Rules, Availability of General Information, and Recordkeeping. 

The Program does not impact the Exchange’s ability to perform its trade practice and market surveillance obligations 

under the CEA and the Exchange’s market regulation staff will monitor trading in the Program’s products to prevent 

manipulative trading and market abuse. Additionally, the Exchange has implemented systems to track Program 

participants’ obligations to ensure proper distribution of earned incentives. The incentives in the Program do not 

impact the Exchange’s order execution. Participants in the Program will be selected by Exchange staff using criteria 

as further stated in Exhibit 1. Chapter 4 of the CME rules includes prohibitions against fraudulent, non-competitive, 

unfair, or abusive practices. All participants must execute a contractual agreement with the Exchange in which each 

participant will expressly agree to comply with and be subject to applicable regulations and CME rules. The Program 

is subject to the Exchange’s record retention policies which comply with the CEA. 

CME certifies that the Program complies with the CEA and the regulations thereunder. There were no substantive 

opposing views to this Program.

The Exchange certifies that this submission has been concurrently posted on the Exchange’s website at 

http://www.cmegroup.com/market-regulation/rule-filings.html.

If you require any additional information regarding this submission, please e-mail 

CMEGSubmissionInquiry@cmegroup.com or contact Rachel Johnson at 312-466-4393 or via e-mail at 

Rachel.Johnson@cmegroup.com. Please reference our CME Submission No. 23-430 in any related correspondence.

Sincerely,

/s/ Christopher Bowen

Managing Director and Chief Regulatory Counsel

Attachment: Exhibit 1
EXHIBIT 1

Nasdaq Veles California Water Index Futures Market Maker Program

Program Purpose

The purpose of this Program is to support development of the product listed below. The resulting increase 

in liquidity on the central limit order book benefits all participant segments in the market.

Product Scope

Nasdaq Veles California Water Index Futures (“H2O”) that are traded on the CME Globex Platform or expit (the “Product”). 

Eligible Participants

CME may designate up to seven (7) participants in the Program. Participants may be CME members or 

non-members. Participants are not eligible to participate in the Nasdaq Veles California Water Index 

Futures Broker Rebate Program. Potential participants are required to submit an application/bid sheet to 

the Exchange as part of a competitive selection process which is used to determine eligibility. In

determining whether or not a prospective participant is selected to participate in the Program, Exchange 

staff may take into account a variety of factors including the strength of the quoting obligations the

prospective participant is willing to commit to provide, whether Exchange staff believes that the 

prospective participant can maintain such obligations, and historical volume trading similar products. The 

Exchange may, from time to time, add or subtract from the aforementioned requirements as it deems 

necessary.

Program Term

Start date is December 7, 2020. End date is October 31, 2023 January 31, 2025.

Hours

8:00AM – 4:00PM CT.

Obligations

In order to be eligible to receive the incentives, participants must quote two-sided markets in the Product, 

at predetermined average bid/ask spreads and minimum quote sizes.

Incentives 

Upon meeting the obligations, as determined by the Exchange, participants will be eligible to receive 

predetermined incentives.
Monitoring and Termination of Status

The Exchange shall monitor trading activity and participants’ performance and shall retain the right to 

revoke participant status if it concludes from review that a participant no longer meets the eligibility 

requirements or fails to meet the obligations of the Program.