Document ID: SEC-2010-1368-0001
Agency: sec
Document Type: Notice
Title: Self-Regulatory Organizations; Proposed Rule Changes: Fixed Income Clearing Corp.
Posted Date: 2010-09-08T04:00Z

[Federal Register: September 8, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 173)]
[Notices]               
[Page 54675-54676]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08se10-125]                         

[[Page 54675]]

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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-62796; File No. SR-FICC-2010-06]

 
Self-Regulatory Organizations; Fixed Income Clearing Corporation; 
Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To 
Amend Rules Relating to Authority To Waive Rules, Procedures, and 
Regulations of the Mortgage-Backed Securities Division

August 30, 2010.
    Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
(``Act''),\1\ notice is hereby given that on August 20, 2010, Fixed 
Income Clearing Corporation (``FICC'') filed with the Securities and 
Exchange Commission (``Commission'') the proposed rule change described 
in Items I, II, and III below, which items have been prepared primarily 
by FICC.\2\ FICC filed the proposed rule change pursuant to Section 
19(b)(3)(A)(iii) and Rule 19b-4(f)(3) thereunder so that the proposed 
rule change was effective upon filing with the Commission.\3\ The 
Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments on the 
proposed rule change from interested parties.
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    \1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
    \2\ The text of the proposed rule change is attached as Exhibit 
5 to FICC's filing and is available at http://www.dtcc.com/
downloads/legal/rule_filings/2010/ficc/2010-06.pdf.
    \3\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(iii) and 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(3).
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I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance 
of the Proposed Rule Change

    The proposed rule change will amend FICC rules to provide that any 
officer having a rank of Managing Director or higher is authorized to 
suspend or waive FICC's rules, procedures, and regulations of the 
Mortgage-Backed Securities Division.

II. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and 
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

    In its filing with the Commission, FICC included statements 
concerning the purpose of and basis for the proposed rule change and 
discussed any comments it received on the proposed rule change. The 
text of these statements may be examined at the places specified in 
Item IV below. FICC has prepared summaries, set forth in sections (A), 
(B), and (C) below, of the most significant aspects of these 
statements.\4\
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    \4\ The Commission has modified the text of the summaries 
prepared by the FICC.
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(A) Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and 
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

    The proposed rule change amends Rule 12 of Article V of the 
Clearing Rules (``Rules'') of the Mortgage-Backed Securities Division 
(``MBSD'') to state that the rules, procedures, and regulations may be 
suspended or waived by any officer having a rank of Managing Director 
or higher. Currently Rule 12 provides such authority to officers with 
the ranking of Vice President or higher.\5\ This proposed rule change 
also harmonizes MBSD rules with those of FICC's Government Securities 
Division (``GSD'') as well as those of The Depository Trust Company 
(``DTC'') and the National Securities Clearing Corporation (``NSCC'') 
as such rule relates to the authority to suspend or waive rules.\6\
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    \5\ Managing Director level is a more senior officer than that 
of Vice President.
    \6\ On August 23, 2010, DTC and NSCC filed similar rule changes. 
Securities Exchange Act Release No. 62795 (August 30, 2010) [File 
No. SR-DTC-2010-11] and 62794 (August 30, 2010) [File No. SR-NSCC-
2010-08] respectively.
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    FICC believes that the proposed rule change is consistent with the 
requirements of Section 17A of the Act \7\ and the rules and 
regulations thereunder that are applicable to FICC because the proposed 
rule will require a more senior level of management to authorize a 
suspension or waiver of the FICC rules under the proposed rule change 
thereby ensuring more equitable compliance with FICC's rules and 
procedures. The proposed rule change also harmonizes the MBSD rules 
with those of the GSD thereby providing clarity for FICC's members on 
its administration of waivers and suspension of FICC's rules and 
procedures.
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    \7\ 15 U.S.C. 78q-1.
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 (B) Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

    FICC does not believe that the proposed rule change will impose any 
burden on competition that is 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 relating to the proposed rule change have been 
solicited or received. FICC will notify the Commission of any written 
comments received by the FICC.

III. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for 
Commission Action

    The foregoing rule change has become effective upon filing pursuant 
to Section 19(b)(3)(A)(iii) of the Act \8\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(3) \9\ 
thereunder because it is concerned solely with the administration of 
FICC. At any time within sixty days of the filing of such 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.
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    \8\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(iii).
    \9\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(3).
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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 e-mail to rule-comments@sec.gov. Please include 
File Number SR-FICC-2010-06 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-FICC-2010-06. This file 
number should be included on the subject line if e-mail 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

[[Page 54676]]

Reference Section, 100 F Street, NE., Washington, DC 20549, on official 
business days between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Copies of such 
filings also will be available for inspection and copying at the 
principal office of FICC and on FICC's Web site, http://www.dtcc.com. 
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-FICC-2010-06 
and should be submitted on or before September 29, 2010.

    For the Commission by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\10\
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    \10\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Florence E. Harmon,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010-22351 Filed 9-7-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010-01-P