87 FR 19 pgs. 4697-4699 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Cboe Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of a Proposed Rule Change To Amend Its Fees Schedule With Respect to Its FINRA Non-Member Processing Registration Fee

Type: NOTICEVolume: 87Number: 19Pages: 4697 - 4699
Docket number: [Release No. 34-94041; File No. SR-CBOE-2022-002]
FR document: [FR Doc. 2022-01701 Filed 1-27-22; 8:45 am]
Agency: Securities and Exchange Commission
Official PDF Version:  PDF Version
Pages: 4697, 4698, 4699

[top] page 4697

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-94041; File No. SR-CBOE-2022-002]

Self-Regulatory Organizations; Cboe Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of a Proposed Rule Change To Amend Its Fees Schedule With Respect to Its FINRA Non-Member Processing Registration Fee

January 24, 2022.


[top] Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Act"), 1 and Rule 19b-4 thereunder, 2 notice is hereby given that on January 11, 2022, Cboe Exchange, Inc. (the page 4698 "Exchange" or "Cboe Options") filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") the proposed rule change as described in Items I, II, and III below, which Items have been prepared by the Exchange. The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments on the proposed rule change from interested persons.

Footnotes:

1 ?15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).

2 ?17 CFR 240.19b-4.

I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance of the Proposed Rule Change

Cboe Exchange, Inc. (the "Exchange" or "Cboe Options") proposes to amend its Fees Schedule with respect to its FINRA Non-Member Processing registration fee. The text of the proposed rule change is provided in Exhibit 5.

The text of the proposed rule change is also available on the Exchange's website ( http://www.cboe.com/AboutCBOE/CBOELegalRegulatoryHome.aspx ), at the Exchange's Office of the Secretary, and at the Commission's Public Reference Room.

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

In its filing with the Commission, the Exchange 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. The Exchange has prepared summaries, set forth in sections A, B, and C below, of the most significant aspects of such statements.

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

1. Purpose

The Exchange proposes to amend the FINRA Non-Member Processing fee to reflect adjustments to the FINRA registration fees. The applicable fee is collected and retained by FINRA via Web CRD? 3 for the registration of employees of Exchange TPH organizations that are not FINRA members ("Non-FINRA members"). The Exchange is merely listing these fees on its Fees Schedule and does not collect or retain this fee. 4

Footnotes:

3 ?FINRA operates Web CRD, the central licensing and registration system for the U.S. securities industry. FINRA uses Web CRD to maintain the qualification, employment, and disciplinary histories of registered associated persons of broker-dealers.

4 ?The Exchange initially filed the proposed fee changes on January 3, 2022 (SR-CBOE-2022-001). On January 11, 2022, the Exchange withdrew that filing and submitted this filing.

Today, under the Regulatory Fees section of the Fees Schedule are various fees collected and retained by FINRA via the Web CRD registration system, including certain general registration fees, fingerprint processing fees, and continuing education fees. Specifically, under the general registration fees is the FINRA Non-Member Processing Fee of $100 for all initial, transfer, relicense, or dual registration Form U-4 filings. Now, the Exchange proposes to increase the $100 fee to $125 for such filings. The proposed amendment is made in accordance with a recent FINRA rule change to adjust its fees. 5

Footnotes:

5 ? See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 90176 (October 14, 2020), 85 FR 66592 (October 20, 2020) (SR-FINRA-2020-032) (Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of a Proposed Rule Change To Adjust FINRA Fees To Provide Sustainable Funding for FINRA's Regulatory Mission).

2. Statutory Basis

The Exchange believes the proposed rule change is consistent with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Act") and the rules and regulations thereunder applicable to the Exchange and, in particular, the requirements of Section 6(b) of the Act. 6 Specifically, the Exchange believes the proposed rule change is consistent with the Section 6(b)(5)? 7 requirements that the rules of an exchange be designed to prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices, to promote just and equitable principles of trade, to foster cooperation and coordination with persons engaged in regulating, clearing, settling, processing information with respect to, and facilitating transactions in securities, to remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and a national market system, and, in general, to protect investors and the public interest. Additionally, the Exchange believes the proposed rule change is consistent with the Section 6(b)(5)? 8 requirement that the rules of an exchange not be designed to permit unfair discrimination between customers, issuers, brokers, or dealers.

Footnotes:

6 ?15 U.S.C. 78f(b).

7 ?15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).

8 ? Id.

The Exchange believes it is reasonable to increase the $100 fee for each initial Form U-4 filed for the registration of a representative or principal to $125 in accordance with an adjustment to FINRA's fees. 9 The proposed fees are identical to those adopted by FINRA for use of Web CRD for disclosure and the registration of FINRA members and their associated persons. These costs are borne by FINRA when a Non-FINRA member uses Web CRD.

Footnotes:

9 ? Supra note 5.

The Exchange believes that its proposal to increase the $100 fee for each initial Form U-4 filed for the registration of a representative or principal to $125 is equitable and not unfairly discriminatory as the amendment will reflect the current fee that will be assessed by FINRA to all members who require Form U-4 filings. Further, the proposal is also equitable and not unfairly discriminatory because the Exchange will not be collecting or retaining these fees, therefore, the Exchange will not be in a position to apply them in an inequitable or unfairly discriminatory manner.

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 that is not necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the purposes of the Act. The Exchange believes that its proposal to increase the $100 fee for each initial Form U-4 filed for the registration of a representative or principal to $125 does not impose an undue burden on competition as the amendment will reflect the current fee that will be assessed by FINRA to all members who require Form U-4 filings. Further, the proposal does not impose an undue burden on competition because the Exchange will not be collecting or retaining these fees, therefore, the Exchange will not be in a position to apply them in an inequitable or unfairly discriminatory manner.

C. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Comments on the Proposed Rule Change Received From Members, Participants, or Others

The Exchange neither solicited nor received comments on the proposed rule change.

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


[top] The foregoing rule change has become effective pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act? 10 and paragraph (f) of Rule 19b-4? 11 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 necessary or appropriate in the page 4699 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 will institute proceedings to determine whether the proposed rule change should be approved or disapproved.

Footnotes:

10 ?15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).

11 ?17 CFR 240.19b-4(f).

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 rule-comments@sec.gov . Please include File Number SR-CBOE-2022-002 on the subject line.

Paper Comments

• Send paper comments in triplicate to Vanessa Countryman, Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 20549-1090.

All submissions should refer to File Number SR-CBOE-2022-002. 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 ( 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 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 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 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-CBOE-2022-002 and should be submitted on or before February 18, 2022.

For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated authority. 12

Footnotes:

12 ?17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).

J. Matthew DeLesDernier,

Assistant Secretary.

[FR Doc. 2022-01701 Filed 1-27-22; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8011-01-P