Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange LLC; Notice of Filing of Amendment No. 2 and Order Granting Accelerated Approval of Proposed Rule Change, as Modified by Amendment No. 2, To Amend Consolidated Audit Trail Compliance Rules, 38164-38178 [2020-13678]
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38164
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 123 / Thursday, June 25, 2020 / Notices
POSTAL SERVICE
Product Change—Priority Mail and
First-Class Package Service
Negotiated Service Agreement
Postal ServiceTM.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The Postal Service gives
notice of filing a request with the Postal
Regulatory Commission to add a
domestic shipping services contract to
the list of Negotiated Service
Agreements in the Mail Classification
Schedule’s Competitive Products List.
DATES: Date of required notice: June 25,
2020.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Sean Robinson, 202–268–8405.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
United States Postal Service® hereby
gives notice that, pursuant to 39 U.S.C.
3642 and 3632(b)(3), on June 17, 2020,
it filed with the Postal Regulatory
Commission a USPS Request to Add
Priority Mail & First-Class Package
Service Contract 151 to Competitive
Product List. Documents are available at
www.prc.gov, Docket Nos. MC2020–180,
CP2020–204.
SUMMARY:
Sean Robinson,
Attorney, Corporate and Postal Business Law.
[FR Doc. 2020–13665 Filed 6–24–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710–12–P
POSTAL SERVICE
International Product Change—
International Priority Airmail,
Commercial ePacket, Priority Mail
Express International, Priority Mail
International & First-Class Package
International Service Agreement:
Postal ServiceTM
ACTION:
Notice.
The Postal Service gives
notice of filing a request with the Postal
Regulatory Commission to add an
International Priority Airmail,
Commercial ePacket, Priority Mail
Express International, Priority Mail
International & First-Class Package
International Service contract to the list
of Negotiated Service Agreements in the
Competitive Product List in the Mail
Classification Schedule.
DATES: Date of notice: June 25, 2020.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Christopher C. Meyerson, (202) 268–
7820.
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SUMMARY:
The
United States Postal Service® hereby
gives notice that, pursuant to 39 U.S.C.
3642 and 3632(b)(3), on June 12, 2020,
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:15 Jun 24, 2020
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it filed with the Postal Regulatory
Commission a USPS Request to Add
International Priority Airmail,
Commercial ePacket, Priority Mail
Express International, Priority Mail
International & First-Class Package
International Service Contract 1 to
Competitive Product List. Documents
are available at www.prc.gov, Docket
Nos. MC2020–159 and CP2020–177.
Joshua J. Hofer,
Attorney, Federal Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2020–13691 Filed 6–24–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710–12–P
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
[Release No. 34–89108; File No. SR–NYSE–
2020–01]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; New
York Stock Exchange LLC; Notice of
Filing of Amendment No. 2 and Order
Granting Accelerated Approval of
Proposed Rule Change, as Modified by
Amendment No. 2, To Amend
Consolidated Audit Trail Compliance
Rules
June 19, 2020.
I. Introduction
On January 3, 2020, New York Stock
Exchange LLC (‘‘Exchange’’ or ‘‘NYSE’’)
filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (‘‘Commission’’), pursuant
to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (‘‘Act’’) 1 and Rule
19b–4 thereunder,2 a proposed rule
change to amend the Exchange’s
compliance rules regarding the National
Market System Plan Governing the
Consolidated Audit Trail (‘‘CAT NMS
Plan’’ or ‘‘Plan’’).3 The proposed rule
change was published for comment in
the Federal Register on January 23,
2020.4 On March 5, 2020 the
Commission extended the time period
within which to approve the proposed
rule change, disapprove the proposed
rule change, or institute proceedings to
determine whether to approve or
disapprove the proposed rule change, to
April 22, 2020 respectively.5 On April
20, 2020, the Commission instituted
proceedings to determine whether to
approve or disapprove the proposed
1 15
U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
CFR 240.19b–4.
3 The CAT NMS Plan was approved by the
Commission, as modified, on November 15, 2016.
See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 79318
(November 15, 2016), 81 FR 84696 (November 23,
2016).
4 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 87990
(January 16, 2020), 85 FR 3963 (‘‘Notice’’).
5 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 88329,
85 FR 14265 (March 11, 2020).
2 17
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rule change.6 On May 8, 2020, the
Exchange filed Amendment No. 1 to its
proposed rule change. On June 18, 2020,
the Exchange filed Amendment No. 2 to
its proposed rule change, which
superseded and replaced the proposed
rule change in its entirety.7 The
Commission received no comments on
the proposed rule change.
The Commission is publishing this
notice to solicit comments on the
proposed rule change, as modified by
Amendment No. 2, from interested
persons, and is approving the proposed
rule change, as modified by Amendment
No. 2, on an accelerated basis.
II. The Exchange’s Description of the
Proposal, as Modified by Amendment
No. 2
In its filing with the Commission, the
self-regulatory organization 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 those 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 parts of such
statements.
A. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Purpose of, and the
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule
Change
1. Purpose
The purpose of this proposed rule
change is to amend the Rule 6800
Series, the Compliance Rule regarding
the CAT NMS Plan, to be consistent
with certain exemptions from the CAT
NMS Plan as well as to facilitate the
retirement of certain existing regulatory
systems.
This Amendment No. 2 amends and
replaces in its entirety the original
proposal filed by the Exchange on
January 3, 2020 as well as Amendment
6 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 88700,
85 FR 23083 (April 24, 2020).
7 Amendment No. 2 revised the proposed rule
change to: (1) Reflect exemptive relief granted by
the Commission subsequent to the initial filing of
this proposed rule change; (2) removing from the
proposed rule change revisions that are subject to
a proposed amendment that has not yet been
approved by the Commission; and (3) making other
edits and corrections for consistency and clarity.
See also Securities Exchange Act Release No. 88393
(March 17, 2020), 85 FR 16152 (March 20, 2020);
Securities Exchange Act Release No. 88608 (April
8, 2020), 85 FR 20743 (April 14, 2020); Securities
Exchange Act No. 88702 (April 20, 2020), 85 FR
23075 (April 24, 2020); Securities Exchange Act
Release No. 88703 (April 20, 2020), 85 FR 23115
(April 24, 2020); Securities Exchange Act Release
No. 89051 (June 11, 2020), 85 FR 36631 (June 17,
2020).
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No. 1 filed by the Exchange on May 8,
2020.8
As described more fully below, the
proposed rule change would make the
following changes to the Compliance
Rule:
• Add additional data elements to the
consolidated audit trail (‘‘CAT’’)
reporting requirements for Industry
Members to facilitate the retirement of
the Financial Industry Regulatory
Authority, Inc.’s (‘‘FINRA’’) Order Audit
Trail System (‘‘OATS’’);
• Add additional data elements
related to OTC Equity Securities that
FINRA currently receives from
alternative trading systems (‘‘ATSs’’)
that trade OTC Equity Securities for
regulatory oversight purposes to the
CAT reporting requirements for Industry
Members;
• Implement a phased approach for
Industry Member reporting to the CAT
(‘‘Phased Reporting’’);
• To the extent that any Industry
Member’s order handling or execution
systems utilize time stamps in
increments finer than milliseconds,
revise the timestamp granularity
requirement to require such Industry
Member to record and report Industry
Member Data to the Central Repository
with time stamps in such finer
increment up to nanoseconds;
• Require Introducing Industry
Members (as defined below) to comply
with the requirements of the CAT NMS
Plan applicable to Small Industry
Members;
• Revise the CAT reporting
requirements so Industry Members
would not be required to report to the
Central Repository dates of birth,
‘‘individual tax payer identification
number (‘‘ITIN’’)/social security number
(‘‘SSN’’)’’ (collectively, referred to as
‘‘SSNs’’) or account numbers; and
• Revise the CAT reporting
requirements regarding cancelled trades
and SRO-Assigned Market Participant
Identifiers of clearing brokers, if
applicable, in connection with order
executions, as such information will be
available from FINRA’s trade reports
submitted to the CAT.
existing systems and data to be reported
to the CAT to ‘‘ensure that by the time
Industry Members are required to report
to the CAT, the CAT will include all
data elements necessary to facilitate the
rapid retirement of duplicative
systems.’’ 9 As a result of this process,
the Participants identified several data
elements that must be included in the
CAT reporting requirements before
existing systems can be retired. In
particular, the Participants identified
certain data elements that are required
by OATS, but not currently enumerated
in the CAT NMS Plan. Accordingly, the
Exchange proposes to amend its
Compliance Rule to include these OATS
data elements in the CAT. Each of such
OATS data elements are discussed
below. With the addition of these OATS
data elements to the CAT, the CAT will
have the data elements necessary to
retire OATS.
i. CAT–OATS Data Gaps
The Participants have worked to
identify gaps between data reported to
A. Information Barrier Identification
The FINRA OATS rules require OATS
Reporting Members 10 to record the
identification of information barriers for
certain order events, including when an
order is received or originated,
transmitted to a department within the
OATS Reporting Member, and when it
is modified. The Participants propose to
amend the Compliance Rule to
incorporate these requirements into the
CAT.
Specifically, FINRA Rule 7440(b)(20)
requires a FINRA OATS Reporting
Member to record the following when
an order is received or originated: ‘‘if
the member is relying on the exception
provided in Rule 5320.02 with respect
to the order, the unique identification of
any appropriate information barriers in
place at the department within the
member where the order was received
or originated.’’ 11 The Compliance Rule
does not require Industry Members to
report such information barrier
information. To address this OATS–
CAT data gap, the Exchange proposes to
add new paragraph (a)(1)(A)(vii) to Rule
6830, which would require Industry
Members to record and report to the
Central Repository, for original receipt
or origination of an order, ‘‘the unique
identification of any appropriate
information barriers in place at the
department within the Industry Member
8 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 87990
(January 16, 2020), 85 FR 3963 (January 23, 2020))
(Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule Change to
Amend the Rule 6800 Series, the Exchange’s
Compliance Rule Regarding the National Market
System Plan Governing the Consolidated Audit
Trail) (SR–NYSE–2020–01); Letter from Martha
Redding, Associate General Counsel and Assistant
Secretary, NYSE, to Secretary, SEC, re: Securities
Exchange Act Release No. 87990 (SR–NYSE–2020–
01) (May 8, 2020).
9 Letter from Participants to Brent J. Fields,
Secretary, SEC, re: File Number 4–698; Notice of
Filing of the National Market System Plan
Governing the Consolidated Audit Trail (September
23, 2016) at 21 (‘‘Participants’ Response to
Comments’’) (available at https://www.sec.gov/
comments/4-698/4698-32.pdf).
10 An OATS ‘‘Reporting Member’’ is defined in
FINRA Rule 7410(o).
11 FINRA Rule 5320 prohibits trading ahead of
customer orders.
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where the order was received or
originated.’’
In addition, FINRA Rule 7440(c)(1)
states that ‘‘[w]hen a Reporting Member
transmits an order to a department
within the member, the Reporting
Member shall record: . . . (H) if the
member is relying on the exception
provided in Rule 5320.02 with respect
to the order, the unique identification of
any appropriate information barriers in
place at the department within the
member to which the order was
transmitted.’’ The Compliance Rule
does not require Industry Members to
report such information barrier
information. To address this OATS–
CAT data gap, the Exchange proposes to
revise paragraph (a)(1)(B)(vi) of Rule
6830 to require, for the routing of an
order, if routed internally at the
Industry Member, ‘‘the unique
identification of any appropriate
information barriers in place at the
department within the Industry Member
to which the order was transmitted.’’
FINRA Rule 7440(c)(2)(B) and
7440(c)(4)(B) require an OATS
Reporting Member that receives an
order transmitted from another member
to report the unique identification of
any appropriate information barriers in
place at the department within the
member to which the order was
transmitted. The Compliance Rule not
require Industry Members to report such
information barrier information. To
address this OATS–CAT data gap, the
Exchange proposes to add new
paragraph (a)(1)(C)(vii) to Rule 6830,
which would require Industry Members
to record and report to the Central
Repository, for the receipt of an order
that has been routed, ‘‘the unique
identification of any appropriate
information barriers in place at the
department within the Industry Member
which received the order.’’
FINRA Rule 7440(d)(1) requires an
OATS Reporting Member that modifies
or receives a modification to the terms
of an order to report the unique
identification of any appropriate
information barriers in place at the
department within the member to which
the modification was originated or
received. The Compliance Rule does not
require Industry Members to report such
information barrier information. To
address this OATS–CAT data gap, the
Exchange proposes to add new
paragraph (a)(1)(D)(vii) to Rule 6830,
which would require Industry Members
to record and report to the Central
Repository, if the order is modified or
cancelled, ‘‘the unique identification of
any appropriate information barriers in
place at the department within the
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Industry Member which received or
originated the modification.’’
B. Reporting Requirements for ATSs
Under FINRA Rule 4554, ATSs that
receive orders in NMS stocks are
required to report certain order
information to OATS, which FINRA
uses to reconstruct ATS order books and
perform order-based surveillance,
including layering, spoofing, and midpoint pricing manipulation
surveillance.12 The Participants believe
that Industry Members operating
ATSs—whether such ATS trades NMS
stocks or OTC Equity Securities—
should likewise be required to report
this information to the CAT. Because
ATSs that trade NMS stocks are already
recording this information and reporting
it to OATS, the Participants believe that
reporting the same information to the
CAT should impose little burden on
these ATSs. Moreover, including this
information in the CAT is also necessary
for FINRA to be able to retire the OATS
system. The Participants similarly
believe that obtaining the same
information from ATSs that trade OTC
Equity Securities will be important for
purposes of reconstructing ATS order
books and surveillance. Accordingly,
the Exchange proposes to add to the
data reporting requirements in the
Compliance Rule the reporting
requirements for ATSs in FINRA Rule
4554,13 but to expand such
requirements so that they are applicable
to all ATSs rather than solely to ATSs
that trade NMS stocks.
(i) New Definition
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The Exchange proposes to add a
definition of ‘‘ATS’’ to new paragraph
(d) of Rule 6810 to facilitate the addition
to the CAT of the reporting
requirements for ATSs set forth in
FINRA Rule 4554. The Exchange
proposes to define an ‘‘ATS’’ to mean
‘‘an alternative trading system, as
defined in Rule 300(a)(1) of Regulation
ATS under the Exchange Act.’’
12 See FINRA Regulatory Notice 16–28 (August
2016).
13 FINRA Rule 4554 was approved by the SEC on
May 10, 2016, while the CAT NMS Plan was
pending with the Commission. See Securities
Exchange Act Release No. 77798 (May 10, 2016), 81
FR 30395 (May 16, 2016) (Order Approving SR–
FINRA–2016–010). As noted in the Participants’
Response to Comments, throughout the process of
developing the Plan, the Participants worked to
keep the gap analyses for OATS, electronic blue
sheets, and the CAT up-to-date, which included
adding data fields related to the tick size pilot and
ATS order book amendments to the OATS rules.
See Participants’ Response to Comments at 21.
However, due to the timing of the expiration of the
tick size pilot, the Participants decided not to
include those data elements into the CAT NMS
Plan.
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(ii) ATS Order Type
FINRA Rule 4554(b)(5) requires the
following information to be recorded
and reported to FINRA by ATSs when
reporting receipt of an order to OATS:
A unique identifier for each order type
offered by the ATS. An ATS must provide
FINRA with (i) a list of all of its order types
20 days before such order types become
effective and (ii) any changes to its order
types 20 days before such changes become
effective. An identifier shall not be required
for market and limit orders that have no other
special handling instructions.
The Compliance Rule does not require
Industry Members to report such order
type information to the Central
Repository. To address this OATS–CAT
data gap, the Exchange proposes to
incorporate these requirements into four
new provisions to the Compliance Rule:
Paragraphs (a)(1)(A)(xi)(1),
(a)(1)(C)(x)(1), (a)(1)(D)(ix)(1) and
(a)(2)(D) of Rule 6830.
Proposed paragraph (a)(1)(A)(xi)(1) of
Rule 6830 would require an Industry
Member that operates an ATS to record
and report to the Central Repository for
the original receipt or origination of an
order ‘‘the ATS’s unique identifier for
the order type of the order.’’ Proposed
paragraph (a)(1)(C)(x)(1) of Rule 6830
would require an Industry Member that
operates an ATS to record and report to
the Central Repository for the receipt of
an order that has been routed ‘‘the
ATS’s unique identifier for the order
type of the order.’’ Proposed paragraph
(a)(1)(D)(ix)(1) of Rule 6830 would
require an Industry Member that
operates an ATS to record and report to
the Central Repository if the order is
modified or cancelled ‘‘the ATS’s
unique identifier for the order type of
the order.’’ Furthermore, as with the
requirements in FINRA Rule 4554(b)(5),
proposed paragraph (a)(2)(D) of Rule
6830 would state that:
An Industry Member that operates an ATS
must provide to the Central Repository:
(1) a list of all of its order types twenty (20)
days before such order types become
effective; and (2) any changes to its order
types twenty (20) days before such changes
become effective. An identifier shall not be
required for market and limit orders that
have no other special handling instructions.
(iii) National Best Bid and Offer
FINRA Rules 4554(b)(6) and (7)
require the following information to be
recorded and reported to FINRA by
ATSs when reporting receipt of an order
to OATS:
(6) The NBBO (or relevant reference price)
in effect at the time of order receipt and the
timestamp of when the ATS recorded the
effective NBBO (or relevant reference price);
and
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(7) Identification of the market data feed
used by the ATS to record the NBBO (or
other reference price) for purposes of
subparagraph (6). If for any reason, the ATS
uses an alternative feed than what was
reported on its ATS data submission, the
ATS must notify FINRA of the fact that an
alternative source was used, identify the
alternative source, and specify the date(s),
time(s) and securities for which the
alternative source was used.
Similarly, FINRA Rule 4554(c)
requires the following information to be
recorded and reported to FINRA by
ATSs when reporting the execution of
an order to OATS:
(1) The NBBO (or relevant reference price)
in effect at the time of order execution;
(2) The timestamp of when the ATS
recorded the effective NBBO (or relevant
reference price); and
(3) Identification of the market data feed
used by the ATS to record the NBBO (or
other reference price) for purposes of
subparagraph (1). If for any reason, the ATS
uses an alternative feed than what was
reported on its ATS data submission, the
ATS must notify FINRA of the fact that an
alternative source was used, identify the
alternative source, and specify the date(s),
time(s) and securities for which the
alternative source was used.
The Compliance Rule does not require
Industry Members to report such NBBO
information to the Central Repository.
To address this OATS–CAT data gap,
the Exchange proposes to incorporate
these requirements into four new
provisions to the Compliance Rule:
(a)(1)(A)(xi)(2)–(3), (a)(1)(C)(x)(2)–(3),
(a)(1)(D)(ix)(2)–(3) and (a)(1)(E)(viii)(1)–
(2) of Rule 6830.
Specifically, proposed paragraph
(a)(1)(A)(xi)(2)–(3) of Rule 6830 would
require an Industry Member that
operates an ATS to record and report to
the Central Repository the following
information when reporting the original
receipt or origination of order:
(2) the National Best Bid and National Best
Offer (or relevant reference price) at the time
of order receipt or origination, and the date
and time at which the ATS recorded such
National Best Bid and National Best Offer (or
relevant reference price);
(3) the identification of the market data
feed used by the ATS to record the National
Best Bid and National Best Offer (or relevant
reference price) for purposes of subparagraph
(xi)(2). If for any reason the ATS uses an
alternative market data feed than what was
reported on its ATS data submission, the
ATS must provide notice to the Central
Repository of the fact that an alternative
source was used, identify the alternative
source, and specify the date(s), time(s) and
securities for which the alternative source
was used.
Similarly, proposed paragraphs
(a)(1)(C)(x)(2)–(3), (a)(1)(D)(ix)(2)–(3)
and (a)(1)(E)(viii)(1)–(2) of Rule 6830
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would require an Industry Member that
operates an ATS to record and report to
the Central Repository the same
information when reporting receipt of
an order that has been routed, when
reporting if the order is modified or
cancelled, and when an order has been
executed, respectively.
(iv) Sequence Numbers
FINRA Rule 4554(d) states that ‘‘[f]or
all OATS-reportable event types, all
ATSs must record and report to FINRA
the sequence number assigned to the
order event by the ATS’s matching
engine.’’ The Compliance Rule does not
require Industry Members to report ATS
sequence numbers to the Central
Repository. To address this OATS–CAT
data gap, the Exchange proposes to
incorporate this requirement regarding
ATS sequence numbers into each of the
Reportable Events for the CAT.
Specifically, the Exchange proposes to
add proposed paragraph (a)(1)(A)(xi)(4)
to Rule 6830, which would require an
Industry Member that operates an ATS
to record and report to the Central
Repository ‘‘the sequence number
assigned to the receipt or origination of
the order by the ATS’s matching
engine.’’ The Exchange proposes to add
proposed paragraph (a)(1)(B)(viii) to
Rule 6830, which would require an
Industry Member that operates an ATS
to record and report to the Central
Repository ‘‘the sequence number
assigned to the routing of the order by
the ATS’s matching engine.’’ The
Exchange also proposes to add proposed
paragraph (a)(1)(C)(x)(4) to Rule 6830,
which would require an Industry
Member that operates an ATS to record
and report to the Central Repository
‘‘the sequence number assigned to the
receipt of the order by the ATS’s
matching engine.’’ In addition, the
Exchange proposes to add proposed
paragraph (a)(1)(D)(ix)(4) to Rule 6830,
which would require an Industry
Member that operates an ATS to record
and report to the Central Repository
‘‘the sequence number assigned to the
modification or cancellation of the order
by the ATS’s matching engine.’’ Finally,
the Exchange proposes to add proposed
paragraph (a)(1)(E)(viii)(3) to Rule 6830,
which would require an Industry
Member that operates an ATS to record
and report to the Central Repository
‘‘the sequence number assigned to the
execution of the order by the ATS’s
matching engine.’’
(v) Modification or Cancellation of
Orders by ATSs
FINRA Rule 4554(f) states that ‘‘[f]or
an ATS that displays subscriber orders,
each time the ATS’s matching engine re-
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prices a displayed order or changes the
display quantity of a displayed order,
the ATS must report to OATS the time
of such modification,’’ and ‘‘the
applicable new display price or size.’’
The Exchange proposes adding a
comparable requirement into new
paragraph (a)(1)(D)(ix)(5) to Rule 6830.
Specifically, proposed new paragraph
(a)(1)(D)(ix)(5) of Rule 6830 would
require an Industry Member that
operates an ATS to report to the Central
Repository, if the order is modified or
cancelled, ‘‘each time the ATS’s
matching engine re-prices an order or
changes the quantity of an order,’’ the
ATS must report to the Central
Repository ‘‘the time of such
modification, and the applicable new
price or size.’’ Proposed paragraph
(a)(1)(D)(ix)(5) of Rule 6830 would
apply to all ATSs, not just ATSs that
display orders.
(vi) Display of Subscriber Orders
FINRA Rule 4554(b)(1) requires the
following information to be recorded
and reported to FINRA by ATSs when
reporting receipt of an order to OATS:
Whether the ATS displays subscriber
orders outside the ATS (other than to
alternative trading system employees). If an
ATS does display subscriber orders outside
the ATS (other than to alternative trading
system employees), indicate whether the
order is displayed to subscribers only or
through publicly disseminated quotation
data);
The Compliance Rule does not require
Industry Members to report to the CAT
such information about the displaying
of subscriber orders. The Exchange
proposes to add comparable
requirements into proposed paragraphs
(a)(1)(A)(xi)(5) and (a)(1)(C)(x)(5) of Rule
6830. Specifically, proposed paragraph
(a)(1)(A)(xi)(5) would require an
Industry Member that operates an ATS
to report to the Central Repository, for
the original receipt or origination of an
order,
Whether the ATS displays subscriber
orders outside the ATS (other than to
alternative trading system employees). If an
ATS does display subscriber orders outside
the ATS (other than to alternative trading
system employees), indicate whether the
order is displayed to subscribers only or
through publicly disseminated quotation
data.
Similarly, proposed paragraph
(a)(1)(C)(x)(5) of Rule 6830 would
require an Industry Member that
operates an ATS to record and report to
the Central Repository the same
information when reporting receipt of
an order that has been routed.
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38167
C. Customer Instruction Flag
FINRA Rule 7440(b)(14) requires a
FINRA OATS Reporting Member to
record the following when an order is
received or originated: ‘‘any request by
a customer that a limit order not be
displayed, or that a block size limit
order be displayed, pursuant to
applicable rules.’’ The Compliance Rule
does not require Industry Members to
report to the CAT such a customer
instruction flag. To address this OATS–
CAT data gap, the Exchange proposes to
add paragraph (a)(1)(A)(viii) to Rule
6830, which would require Industry
Members to record and report to the
Central Repository, for original receipt
or origination of an order, ‘‘any request
by a Customer that a limit order not be
displayed, or that a block size limit
order be displayed, pursuant to
applicable rules.’’ The Exchange also
proposes to add paragraph (a)(1)(C)(ix)
to Rule 6830, which would require
Industry Members to record and report
to the Central Repository, for the receipt
of an order that has been routed, ‘‘any
request by a Customer that a limit order
not be displayed, or that a block size
limit order be displayed, pursuant to
applicable rules.’’
FINRA Rule 7440(d)(1) requires an
OATS Reporting Member that modifies
or receives a modification of an order to
report the customer instruction flag. The
Compliance Rule does not require
Industry Members to report such a
customer instruction flag. To address
this OATS–CAT data gap, the Exchange
proposes to add paragraph (a)(1)(D)(viii)
to Rule 6830, which would require
Industry Members to record and report
to the Central Repository, if the order is
modified or cancelled, ‘‘any request by
a Customer that a limit order not be
displayed, or that a block size limit
order be displayed, pursuant to
applicable rules.’’
D. Department Type
FINRA Rules 7440(b)(4) and (5)
require an OATS Reporting Member that
receives or originates an order to record
the following information: ‘‘the
identification of any department or the
identification number of any terminal
where an order is received directly from
a customer’’ and ‘‘where the order is
originated by a Reporting Member, the
identification of the department of the
member that originates the order.’’ The
Compliance Rule does not require
Industry Members to report to the CAT
information regarding the department or
terminal where the order is received or
originated. To address this OATS–CAT
data gap, the Exchange proposes to add
paragraph (a)(1)(A)(ix) to Rule 6830,
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which would require Industry Members
to record and report to the Central
Repository upon the original receipt or
origination of an order ‘‘the nature of
the department or desk that originated
the order, or received the order from a
Customer.’’
Similarly, per FINRA Rules
7440(c)(2)(B) and (4)(B), when an OATS
Reporting Member receives an order
that has been transmitted by another
Member, the receiving OATS Reporting
Member is required to record the
information required in 7440(b)(4) and
(5) described above as applicable. The
Compliance Rule does not require
Industry Members to report to the CAT
information regarding the department
that received an order. To address this
OATS–CAT data gap, the Exchange
propose to add paragraph (a)(1)(C)(viii)
to Rule 6830, which would require
Industry Members to record and report
to the Central Repository upon the
receipt of an order that has been routed
‘‘the nature of the department or desk
that received the order.’’
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E. Account Holder Type
FINRA Rule 7440(b)(18) requires an
OATS Reporting Member that receives
or originates an order to record the
following information: ‘‘the type of
account, i.e., retail, wholesale,
employee, proprietary, or any other type
of account designated by FINRA, for
which the order is submitted.’’ The
Compliance Rule does not require
Industry Members to report to the CAT
information regarding the type of
account holder for which the order is
submitted. To address this OATS–CAT
data gap, the Exchange proposes to add
paragraph (a)(1)(A)(x) to Rule 6830,
which would require Industry Members
to record and report to the Central
Repository upon the original receipt or
origination of an order ‘‘the type of
account holder for which the order is
submitted.’’
ii. OTC Equity Securities
The Participants have identified
several data elements related to OTC
Equity Securities that FINRA currently
receives from ATSs that trade OTC
Equity Securities for regulatory
oversight purposes, but are not currently
included in CAT Data. In particular, the
Participants identified three data
elements that need to be added to the
CAT: (1) Bids and offers for OTC Equity
Securities; (2) a flag indicating whether
a quote in OTC Equity Securities is
solicited or unsolicited; and (3)
unpriced bids and offers in OTC Equity
Securities. The Participants believe that
such data will continue to be important
for regulators to oversee the OTC Equity
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Securities market when using the CAT.
Moreover, the Participants do not
believe that the proposed requirement
would burden ATSs because they
currently report this information to
FINRA and thus the reporting
requirement would merely shift from
FINRA to the CAT. Accordingly, as
discussed below, the Exchange proposes
to amend its Compliance Rule to
include these data elements.
A. Bids and Offers for OTC Equity
Securities
In performing its current regulatory
oversight, FINRA receives a data feed of
the best bids and offers in OTC Equity
Securities from ATSs that trade OTC
Equity Securities. These best bid and
offer data feeds for OTC Equity
Securities are similar to the best bid and
offer SIP Data required to be collected
by the Central Repository with regard to
NMS Securities.14 Accordingly, the
Exchange proposes to add paragraph
(f)(1) to Rule 6830 to require the
reporting of the best bid and offer data
feeds for OTC Equity Securities to the
CAT. Specifically, proposed paragraph
(f)(1) of Rule 6830 would require each
Industry Member that operates an ATS
that trades OTC Equity Securities to
provide to the Central Repository ‘‘the
best bid and best offer for each OTC
Equity Security traded on such ATS.’’
B. Unsolicited Bid or Offer Flag
FINRA also receives from ATSs that
trade OTC Equity Securities an
indication whether each bid or offer in
OTC Equity Securities on such ATS was
solicited or unsolicited. Therefore, the
Exchange proposes to add paragraph
(f)(2) to Rule 6830 to require the
reporting to the CAT of an indication as
to whether a bid or offer was solicited
or unsolicited. Specifically, proposed
paragraph (f)(2) of Rule 6830 would
require each Industry Member that
operates an ATS that trades OTC Equity
Securities to provide to the Central
Repository ‘‘an indication of whether
each bid and offer for OTC Equity
Securities was solicited or unsolicited.’’
C. Unpriced Bids and Offers
FINRA receives from ATSs that trade
OTC Equity Securities certain unpriced
bids and offers for each OTC Equity
Security traded on the ATS. Therefore,
the Exchange proposes to add paragraph
(f)(3) to Rule 6830, which would require
each Industry Member that operates an
ATS that trades OTC Equity Securities
to provide to the Central Repository
‘‘the unpriced bids and offers for each
14 Section
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Frm 00061
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OTC Equity Security traded on such
ATS.’’
iii. Revised Industry Member Reporting
Timeline
On February 19, 2020, the
Participants filed with the Commission
a request for exemptive relief from
certain provisions of the CAT NMS Plan
to allow for the implementation of
phased reporting to the CAT by Industry
Members (‘‘Phased Reporting’’).15
Specifically, in their exemptive request,
the Participants requested that the SEC
exempt each Participant from the
requirement in Section 6.7(a)(v) of the
CAT NMS Plan for each Participant,
through its Compliance Rule, to require
its Industry Members other than Small
Industry Members (‘‘Large Industry
Members’’) to report to the Central
Repository Industry Member Data
within two years of the Effective Date
(that is, by November 15, 2018). In
addition, the Participants requested that
the SEC exempt each Participant from
the requirement in Section 6.7(a)(vi) of
the CAT NMS Plan for each Participant,
through its Compliance Rule, to require
its Small Industry Members 16 to report
to the Central Repository Industry
Member Data within three years of the
Effective Date (that is, by November 15,
2019). Correspondingly, the Participants
requested that the SEC provide an
exemption from the requirement in
Section 6.4 of the CAT NMS Plan that
‘‘[t]he requirements for Industry
Members under this Section 6.4 shall
become effective on the second
anniversary of the Effective Date in the
case of Industry Members other than
Small Industry Members, or the third
anniversary of the Effective Date in the
case of Small Industry Members.’’
On April 20, 2020, the SEC granted
the Participants exemptive relief to
implement Phased Reporting, subject to
certain timeline changes and
conditions.17
15 See Letter to Vanessa Countryman, Secretary,
SEC, from Michael Simon, CAT NMS Plan
Operating Committee Chair, re: Request for
Exemption from Provisions of the National Market
System Plan Governing the Consolidated Audit
Trail related to Industry Member Reporting Dates
(Feb. 19, 2020).
16 See Section 1.1 of the CAT NMS Plan.
17 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 88702
(April 20, 2020), 85 FR 23075 (April 24, 2020). As
discussed in the SEC’s exemptive order, the
Commission granted the Participants conditional
exemptive relief from the CAT NMS Plan so that the
Compliance Rules may require Phase 2a reporting
to commence on June 22, 2020, rather than the
April 20, 2020 date set forth in the exemptive
request, and Phase 2b reporting to commence on
July 20, 2020, rather than the May 18, 2020 date set
forth in the exemptive request. As a condition to the
exemptive relief, Industry Members who elect to
report to the CAT prior to such dates will be
permitted to report to the CAT as early as April 20,
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As a condition to the exemption, each
Participant would implement Phased
Reporting through its Compliance Rule
by requiring:
(1) Its Large Industry Members and its
Small Industry Members that are required to
record or report information to OATS
pursuant to applicable SRO rules (‘‘Small
Industry OATS Reporters’’) to commence
reporting to the Central Repository Phase 2a
Industry Member Data by June 22, 2020, and
its Small Industry Non-OATS Reporters to
commence reporting to the Central
Repository Phase 2a Industry Member Data
by December 13, 2021;
(2) Its Large Industry Members to
commence reporting to the Central
Repository Phase 2b Industry Member Data
by July 20, 2020, and its Small Industry
Members to commence reporting to the
Central Repository Phase 2b Industry
Member Data by December 13, 2021;
(3) Its Large Industry Members to
commence reporting to the Central
Repository Phase 2c Industry Member Data
by April 26, 2021, and its Small Industry
Members to commence reporting to the
Central Repository Phase 2c Industry
Member Data by December 13, 2021;
(4) Its Large Industry Members and Small
Industry Members to commence reporting to
the Central Repository Phase 2d Industry
Member Data by December 13, 2021; and
(5) Its Large Industry Members and Small
Industry Members to commence reporting to
the Central Repository Phase 2e Industry
Member Data by July 11, 2022.
The full scope of CAT Data required under
the CAT NMS Plan will be required to be
reported when all five phases of the Phased
Reporting have been implemented, subject to
any applicable exemptive relief or
amendments related to the CAT NMS Plan.
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As a further condition to the
exemption, each Participant proposes to
implement the testing timelines,
described in Section F below, through
its Compliance Rule by requiring the
following:
(1) Industry Member file submission and
data integrity testing for Phases 2a and 2b
begins in December 2019.
(2) Industry Member testing of the Reporter
Portal, including data integrity error
correction tools and data submissions, begins
in February 2020.
(3) The Industry Member test environment
will be open with intra-firm linkage
validations to Industry Members for both
Phases 2a and 2b in April 2020.
(4) The Industry Member test environment
will be open to Industry Members with interfirm linkage validations for both Phases 2a
and 2b in July 2020.
(5) The Industry Member test environment
will be open to Industry Members with Phase
2c functionality (full representative order
linkages) in January 2021.
(6) The Industry Member test environment
will be open to Industry Members with Phase
2d functionality (manual options orders,
2020 for Phase 2a reporting and as early as May 18,
2020 for Phase 2b reporting.
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complex options orders, and options
allocations) in June 2021.
(7) Participant exchanges that support
options market making quoting will begin
accepting Quote Sent Time on quotes from
Industry Members no later than April 2020.
(8) The Industry Member test environment
(customer and account information) will be
open to Industry Members in January 2022.
As a result, the Exchange proposes to
amend its Compliance Rule to be
consistent with the exemptive relief to
implement Phased Reporting as
described below.
A. Phase 2a
In the first phase of Phased Reporting,
referred to as Phase 2a, Large Industry
Members and Small Industry OATS
Reporters would be required to report to
the Central Repository ‘‘Phase 2a
Industry Member Data’’ by June 22,
2020.18 To implement the Phased
Reporting for Phase 2a, the Exchange
proposes to add paragraph (t)(1) of Rule
6810 (previously paragraph (s)) and
amend paragraphs (c)(1) and (2) of Rule
6895.
(i) Scope of Reporting in Phase 2a
To implement the Phased Reporting
with respect to Phase 2a, the Exchange
proposes to add a definition of ‘‘Phase
2a Industry Member Data’’ as paragraph
(t)(1) of Rule 6810. Specifically, the
Exchange proposes to define the term
‘‘Phase 2a Industry Member Data’’ as
‘‘Industry Member Data required to be
reported to the Central Repository
commencing in Phase 2a.’’ Phase 2a
Industry Member Data would include
Industry Member Data solely related to
Eligible Securities that are equities.
While the following summarizes
categories of Industry Member Data
required for Phase 2a, the Industry
Member Technical Specifications
provide detailed guidance regarding the
reporting for Phase 2a.19
Phase 2a Industry Member Data
would include all events and scenarios
covered by OATS. FINRA Rule 7440
describes the OATS requirements for
recording information, which includes
information related to the receipt or
origination of orders, order transmittal,
and order modifications, cancellations
and executions. Large Industry Members
18 Small Industry Members that are not required
to record and report information to FINRA’s OATS
pursuant to applicable SRO rules (‘‘Small Industry
Non-OATS Reporters’’) would be required to report
to the Central Repository ‘‘Phase 2a Industry
Member Data’’ by December 13, 2021, which is
approximately seventeen months after Large
Industry Members and Small Industry OATS
Reporters begin reporting.
19 The items required to be reported commencing
in Phase 2a do not include the items required to be
reported in Phase 2c or Phase 2d, as discussed
below.
PO 00000
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38169
and Small Industry OATS Reporters
would be required to submit data to the
CAT for these same events and
scenarios during Phase 2a. The
inclusion of all OATS events and
scenarios in the CAT is intended to
facilitate the retirement of OATS.
Phase 2a Industry Member Data also
would include Reportable Events for:
• Proprietary orders, including
market maker orders, for Eligible
Securities that are equities;
• electronic quotes in listed equity
Eligible Securities (i.e., NMS stocks)
sent to a national securities exchange or
FINRA’s Alternative Display Facility
(‘‘ADF’’);
• electronic quotes in unlisted
Eligible Securities (i.e., OTC Equity
Securities) received by an Industry
Member operating an interdealer
quotation system (‘‘IDQS’’); and
• electronic quotes in unlisted
Eligible Securities sent to an IDQS or
other quotation system not operated by
a Participant or Industry Member.
Phase 2a Industry Member Data
would include Firm Designated IDs.
During Phase 2a, Industry Members
would be required to report Firm
Designated IDs to the CAT, as required
by paragraphs (a)(1)(A)(i), and (a)(2)(C)
of Rule 6830. Paragraph (a)(1)(A)(i) of
Rule 6830 requires Industry Members to
submit the Firm Designated ID for the
original receipt or origination of an
order. Paragraph (a)(2)(C) of Rule 6830
requires Industry Members to record
and report to the Central Repository, for
original receipt and origination of an
order, the Firm Designated ID if the
order is executed, in whole or in part.
In Phase 2a, Industry Members would
be required to report all street side
representative orders, including both
agency and proprietary orders and mark
such orders as representative orders,
except in certain limited exceptions as
described in the Industry Member
Technical Specifications. A
representative order is an order
originated in a firm owned or controlled
account, including principal, agency
average price and omnibus accounts, by
an Industry Member for the purpose of
working one or more customer or client
orders.
In Phase 2a, Industry Members would
be required to report the link between
the street side representative order and
the order being represented when: (1)
The representative order was originated
specifically to represent a single order
received either from a customer or
another broker-dealer; and (2) there is
(a) an existing direct electronic link in
the Industry Member’s system between
the order being represented and the
representative order and (b) any
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resulting executions are immediately
and automatically applied to the
represented order in the Industry
Member’s system.
Phase 2a Industry Member Data also
would include the manual and
Electronic Capture Time for Manual
Order Events. Specifically, for each
Reportable Event in Rule 6830, Industry
Members would be required to provide
a timestamp pursuant to Rule 6860.
Rule 6860(b)(i) states that
Each Industry Member may record and
report: Manual Order Events to the Central
Repository in increments up to and including
one second, provided that each Industry
Members shall record and report the time
when a Manual Order Event has been
captured electronically in an order handling
and execution system of such Industry
Member (‘‘Electronic Capture Time’’) in
milliseconds.
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
Accordingly, for Phase 2a, Industry
Members would be required to provide
both the manual and Electronic Capture
Time for Manual Order Events.20
Industry Members would be required
to report special handling instructions
for the original receipt or origination of
an order during Phase 2a. In addition,
during Phase 2a, Industry Members will
be required to report, when routing an
order, whether the order was routed as
an intermarket sweep order (‘‘ISO’’).
Industry Members would be required to
report special handling instructions on
routes other than ISOs in Phase 2c,
rather than Phase 2a.
In Phase 2a, Industry Members would
not be required to report modifications
of a previously routed order in certain
limited instances. Specifically, if a
trader or trading software modifies a
previously routed order, the routing
firm is not required to report the
modification of an order route if the
destination to which the order was
routed is a CAT Reporter that is
required to report the corresponding
order activity. If, however, the order was
modified by a Customer or other nonCAT Reporter, and subsequently the
routing Industry Members sends a
modification to the destination to which
the order was originally routed, then the
routing Industry Member must report
the modification of the order route.21 In
addition, in Phase 2a, Industry Members
would not be required to report a
cancellation of an order received from a
20 Industry Members would be required to
provide an Electronic Capture Time following the
manual capture time only for new orders that are
Manual Order Events and, in certain instances,
routes that are Manual Order Events. The Electronic
Capture Time would not be required for other
Manual Order Events.
21 This approach is comparable to the approach
set forth in OATS Compliance FAQ 35.
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Customer after the order has been
executed.
paragraph (t)(2) to Rule 6810 and amend
paragraphs (c)(1) and (2) of Rule 6895.
(ii) Timing of Phase 2a Reporting
(i) Scope of Phase 2b Reporting
To implement the Phased Reporting
with respect to Phase 2b, the Exchange
proposes to add a definition of ‘‘Phase
2b Industry Member Data’’ as paragraph
(t)(2) to Rule 6810. Specifically, the
Exchange proposes to define the term
‘‘Phase 2b Industry Member Data’’ as
‘‘Industry Member Data required to be
reported to the Central Repository
commencing in Phase 2b.’’ Phase 2b
Industry Member Data is described in
detail in the Industry Member Technical
Specifications for Phase 2b. While the
following summarizes the categories of
Industry Member Data required for
Phase 2b, the Industry Member
Technical Specifications provide
detailed guidance regarding the
reporting for Phase 2b.
Phase 2b Industry Member Data
would include Industry Member Data
related to Eligible Securities that are
options and related to simple electronic
option orders, excluding electronic
paired option orders.22 A simple
electronic option order is an order to
buy or sell a single option that is not
related to or dependent on any other
transaction for pricing and timing of
execution that is either received or
routed electronically by an Industry
Member. Electronic receipt of an order
is defined as the initial receipt of an
order by an Industry Member in
electronic form in standard format
directly into an order handling or
execution system. Electronic routing of
an order is the routing of an order via
electronic medium in standard format
from one Industry Member’s order
handling or execution system to an
exchange or another Industry Member.
An electronic paired option order is an
electronic option order that contains
both the buy and sell side that is routed
to another Industry Member or exchange
for crossing and/or price improvement
as a single transaction on an exchange.
Responses to auctions of simple orders
and paired simple orders are also
reportable in Phase 2b.
Furthermore, combined orders in
options would be treated in Phase 2b in
the same way as equity representative
orders are treated in Phase 2a. A
combined order would mean, as
permitted by Exchange rules, a single,
simple order in Listed Options created
by combining individual, simple orders
in Listed Options from a customer with
the same exchange origin code before
Pursuant to paragraph (c)(1) of Rule
6895, Large Industry Members are
required to begin reporting to the CAT
by November 15, 2018. To implement
the Phased Reporting for Phase 2a for
Large Industry Members, the Exchange
proposes to delete the November 15,
2018 date and to supplement paragraph
(c)(1) of Rule 6895 with new paragraph
(c)(1)(A) of Rule 6895, which would
state, in relevant part, that ‘‘Each
Industry Member (other than a Small
Industry Member) shall record and
report the Industry Member Data to the
Central Repository, as follows: (A) Phase
2a Industry Member Data by June 22,
2020.’’
Pursuant to paragraph (c)(2) of Rule
6895, Small Industry Members are
required to begin reporting to the CAT
by November 15, 2019. To implement
the Phased Reporting for Phase 2a for
Small Industry Members, the Exchange
proposes to delete the November 15,
2019 date and to supplement paragraph
(c)(2) of Rule 6895 with new paragraphs
(c)(2)(A) and (B) of Rule 6895. Proposed
paragraph (c)(2)(A) of Rule 6895 would
state that
Each Industry Member that is a Small
Industry Member shall record and report the
Industry Member Data to the Central
Repository, as follows: (A) Small Industry
Members that are required to record or report
information to FINRA’s Order Audit Trail
System pursuant to applicable SRO rules
(‘‘Small Industry OATS Reporter’’) to report
to the Central Repository Phase 2a Industry
Member Data by June 22, 2020.
Proposed paragraph (c)(2)(B) of Rule
6895 would state that ‘‘Small Industry
Members that are not required to record
or report information to FINRA’s Order
Audit Trail System pursuant to
applicable SRO rules (‘‘Small Industry
Non-OATS Reporter’’) to report to the
Central Repository Phase 2a Industry
Member Data by December 13, 2021.’’
B. Phase 2b
In the second phase of the Phased
Reporting, referred to as Phase 2b, Large
Industry Members would be required to
report to the Central Repository ‘‘Phase
2b Industry Member Data’’ by July 20,
2020. Small Industry Members would be
required to report to the Central
Repository ‘‘Phase 2b Industry Member
Data’’ by December 13, 2021, which is
approximately seventeen months after
Large Industry Members begin reporting
such data to the Central Repository. To
implement the Phased Reporting for
Phase 2b, the Exchange proposes to add
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22 The items required to be reported in Phase 2b
do not include the items required to be reported in
Phase 2d, as discussed below in Section A.4.
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routing to an exchange. During Phase
2b, the single combined order sent to an
exchange must be reported and marked
as a combined order, but the linkage to
the underlying orders is not required to
be reported until Phase 2d.
(ii) Timing of Phase 2b Reporting
Pursuant to paragraph (c)(1) of Rule
6895, Large Industry Members are
required to begin reporting to the CAT
by November 15, 2018. To implement
the Phased Reporting for Phase 2b for
Large Industry Members, the Exchange
proposes to delete the November 15,
2018 date and to supplement paragraph
(c)(1) of Rule 6895 with new paragraph
(c)(1)(B) of Rule 6895, which would
state, in relevant part, that ‘‘Each
Industry Member (other than a Small
Industry Member) shall record and
report the Industry Member Data to the
Central Repository, as follows: . . . (B)
Phase 2b Industry Member Data by July
20, 2020.’’
Pursuant to paragraph (c)(2) of Rule
6895, Small Industry Members are
required to begin reporting to the CAT
by November 15, 2019. To implement
the Phased Reporting for Phase 2b for
Small Industry Members, the Exchange
proposes to delete the November 15,
2019 date and to supplement paragraph
(c)(2) of Rule 6895 with new paragraph
(c)(2)(C) of Rule 6895, which would
state, in relevant part, that ‘‘Each
Industry Member that is a Small
Industry Member shall record and
report the Industry Member Data to the
Central Repository, as follows: . . . (C)
Small Industry Members to report to the
Central Repository Phase 2b Industry
Member Data . . . by December 13,
2021.’’
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C. Phase 2c
In the third phase of the Phased
Reporting, referred to as Phase 2c, Large
Industry Members would be required to
report to the Central Repository ‘‘Phase
2c Industry Member Data’’ by April 26,
2021. Small Industry Members would be
required to report to the Central
Repository ‘‘Phase 2c Industry Member
Data’’ by December 13, 2021, which is
approximately seven months after Large
Industry Members begin reporting such
data to the Central Repository. To
implement the Phased Reporting for
Phase 2c, the Exchange proposes to add
paragraph (t)(3) to Rule 6810 and amend
paragraphs (c)(1) and (2) of Rule 6895.
(i) Scope of Phase 2c Reporting
To implement the Phased Reporting
with respect to Phase 2c, the Exchange
proposes to add a definition of ‘‘Phase
2c Industry Member Data’’ as paragraph
(t)(3) to Rule 6810. Specifically, the
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Exchange proposes to define the term
‘‘Phase 2c Industry Member Data’’ as
‘‘Industry Member Data required to be
reported to the Central Repository
commencing in Phase 2c.’’ Phase 2c
Industry Member Data would be
Industry Member Data related to Eligible
Securities that are equities other than
Phase 2a Industry Member Data, Phase
2d Industry Member Data or Phase 2e
Industry Member Data. Phase 2c
Industry Member Data is described in
detail in the Industry Member Technical
Specifications for Phase 2c. While the
following summarizes the categories of
Industry Member Data required for
Phase 2c, the Industry Member
Technical Specifications provide
detailed guidance regarding the
reporting for Phase 2c.
Phase 2c Industry Member Data
would include Industry Member Data
that is related to Eligible Securities that
are equities and that is related to: (1)
Allocation Reports as required to be
recorded and reported to the Central
Repository pursuant to Section
6.4(d)(ii)(A)(1) of the CAT NMS Plan; (2)
quotes in unlisted Eligible Securities
sent to an IDQS operated by a CAT
Reporter (reportable by the Industry
Member sending the quotes) (except for
quotes reportable in Phase 2d, as
discussed below); (3) electronic quotes
in listed equity Eligible Securities (i.e.,
NMS stocks) that are not sent to a
national securities exchange or FINRA’s
Alternative Display Facility; (4)
reporting changes to client instructions
regarding modifications to algorithms;
(5) marking as a representative order
any order originated to work a customer
order in price guarantee scenarios, such
as a guaranteed VWAP; (6) flagging
rejected external routes to indicate a
route was not accepted by the receiving
destination; (7) linkage of duplicate
electronic messages related to a Manual
Order Event between the electronic
event and the original manual route; (8)
special handling instructions on order
route reports (other than the ISO, which
is required to be reported in Phase 2a);
(9) quote identifier on trade events; (10)
reporting of large trader identifiers 23
(‘‘LTID’’) (if applicable) for accounts
with Reportable Events that are
reportable to CAT as of and including
Phase 2c; (11) reporting of date account
opened or Account Effective Date 24 (as
23 See definition of ‘‘Customer Account
Information’’ in Section 1.1 of the CAT NMS Plan.
See also Rule 13h–1 under the Exchange Act.
24 See definition of ‘‘Customer Account
Information’’ and ‘‘Account Effective Date’’ in
Section 1.1 of the CAT NMS Plan. Note that the
Exchange also proposes to amend the dates in the
definitions of ‘‘Account Effective Date’’ and
‘‘Customer Account Information’’ to reflect the
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applicable) for accounts and flag
indicating the Firm Designated ID type
as account or relationship; (12) order
effective time for orders that are
received by an Industry Member and do
not become effective until a later time;
(13) the modification or cancellation of
an internal route of an order; and (14)
linkages to the customer order(s) being
represented for all representative order
scenarios, including agency average
price trades, net trades, aggregated
orders, and disconnected Order
Management System (‘‘OMS’’)—
Execution Management System (‘‘EMS’’)
scenarios, as required in the Industry
Member Technical Specifications.25
Phase 2c Industry Member Data also
includes electronic quotes that are
provided by or received in a CAT
Reporter’s order/quote handling or
execution systems in Eligible Securities
that are equities and are provided by an
Industry Member to other market
participants off a national securities
exchange under the following
conditions: (1) An equity bid or offer is
displayed publicly or has been
communicated (a) for listed securities to
the Alternative Display Facility (ADF)
operated by FINRA; or (b) for unlisted
equity securities to an ‘‘inter-dealer
quotation system’’ as defined in FINRA
Rule 6420(c); or (2) an equity bid or
offer which is accessible electronically
by customers or other market
participants and is immediately
actionable for execution or routing; i.e.,
no further manual or electronic action is
required by the responder providing the
quote in order to execute or cause a
trade to be executed). With respect to
OTC Equity Securities, OTC Equity
Securities quotes sent by an Industry
Member to an IDQS operated by an
Industry Member CAT Reporter (other
than such an IDQS that does not match
and execute orders) are reportable by
the Industry Member sending them in
Phase 2c. Accordingly, any response to
a request for quote or other form of
solicitation response provided in
standard electronic format (e.g., FIX)
that meets this quote definition (i.e., an
equity bid or offer which is accessible
Phased Reporting. Specifically, the Exchange
proposes to amend paragraph (m)(2) of Rule 6810
to replace the references to November 15, 2018 and
2019 with references to the commencement of
Phase 2c and Phase 2d. The Exchange also proposes
to amend paragraphs (a)(1)(A), (a)(1)(B) and (a)(2)–
(5) of Rule 6810 regarding the definition of
‘‘Account Effective Date’’ with similar changes to
the dates set forth therein.
25 In Phase 2c, for any scenarios that involve
orders originated in different systems that are not
directly linked, such as a customer order originated
in an OMS and represented by a principal order
originated in an EMS that is not linked to the OMS,
marking and linkages must be reported as required
in the Industry Member Technical Specifications.
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electronically by customers or other
market participants and is immediately
actionable for execution or routing)
would be reportable in Phase 2c.
(ii) Timing of Phase 2c Reporting
Pursuant to paragraph (c)(1) of Rule
6895, Large Industry Members are
required to begin reporting to the CAT
by November 15, 2018. To implement
the Phased Reporting for Phase 2c for
Large Industry Members, the Exchange
proposes to delete the November 15,
2018 date and to supplement paragraph
(c)(1) of Rule 6895 with new paragraph
(c)(1)(C) of Rule 6895, which would
state, in relevant part, that ‘‘Each
Industry Member (other than a Small
Industry Member) shall record and
report the Industry Member Data to the
Central Repository, as follows: . . . (C)
Phase 2c Industry Member Data by April
26, 2021.’’
Pursuant to paragraph (c)(2) of Rule
6895, Small Industry Members are
required to begin reporting to the CAT
by November 15, 2019. To implement
the Phased Reporting for Phase 2c for
Small Industry Members, the Exchange
proposes to delete the November 15,
2019 date and to supplement paragraph
(c)(2) of Rule 6895 with new paragraph
(c)(2)(C) of Rule 6895, which would
state, in relevant part, that ‘‘Each
Industry Member that is a Small
Industry Member shall record and
report the Industry Member Data to the
Central Repository, as follows: . . . (C)
Small Industry Members to report to the
Central Repository . . . Phase 2c
Industry Member Data . . . by
December 13, 2021.’’
D. Phase 2d
In the fourth phase of the Phased
Reporting, referred to as Phase 2d, Large
Industry Members and Small Industry
Members would be required to report to
the Central Repository ‘‘Phase 2d
Industry Member Data’’ by December
13, 2021. To implement the Phased
Reporting for Phase 2d, the Exchange
proposes to add paragraph (t)(4) to Rule
6810 and amend paragraphs (c)(1) and
(2) of Rule 6895.
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(i) Scope of Phase 2d Reporting
To implement the Phased Reporting
with respect to Phase 2d, the Exchange
proposes to add a definition of ‘‘Phase
2d Industry Member Data’’ as paragraph
(t)(4) to Rule 6810. Specifically, the
Exchange proposes to define the term
‘‘Phase 2d Industry Member Data’’ as
‘‘Industry Member Data required to be
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reported to the Central Repository
commencing in Phase 2d.’’ 26
‘‘Phase 2d Industry Member Data’’ is
Industry Member Data that is related to
Eligible Securities that are options other
than Phase 2b Industry Member Data,
Industry Member Data that is related to
Eligible Securities that are equities other
than Phase 2a Industry Member Data or
Phase 2c Industry Member Data, and
Industry Member Data other than Phase
2e Industry Member Data. Phase 2d
Industry Member Data is described in
detail in the Industry Member Technical
Specifications for Phase 2d. While the
following summarizes the categories of
Industry Member Data required for
Phase 2d, the Industry Member
Technical Specifications provide
detailed guidance regarding the
reporting for Phase 2d.
Phase 2d Industry Member Data
includes with respect to the Eligible
Securities that are options: (1) Simple
manual orders; (2) electronic and
manual paired orders; (3) all complex
orders with linkages to all CATreportable legs; (4) LTIDs (if applicable)
for accounts with Reportable Events for
Phase 2d; (5) date account opened or
Account Effective Date (as applicable)
for accounts with an LTID and flag
indicating the Firm Designated ID type
as account or relationship for such
accounts; 27 (6) Allocation Reports as
required to be recorded and reported to
the Central Repository pursuant to
Section 6.4(d)(ii)(A)(1) of the CAT NMS
Plan; (7) the modification or
cancellation of an internal route of an
order; and (8) linkage between a
combined order and the original
customer orders.
Phase 2d Industry Member Data also
would include electronic quotes that are
provided by or received in a CAT
Reporter’s order/quote handling or
execution systems in Eligible Securities
that are options and are provided by an
Industry Member to other market
26 The Participants have determined that
reporting information regarding the modification or
cancellation of a route is necessary to create the full
lifecycle of an order. Accordingly, the Participants
require the reporting of information related to the
modification or cancellation of a route similar to the
data required for the routing of an order and
modification and cancellation of an order pursuant
to Sections 6.3(d)(ii) and (iv) of the CAT NMS Plan.
27 As noted above, the Exchange also proposes to
amend the dates in the definitions of ‘‘Account
Effective Date’’ and ‘‘Customer Account
Information’’ to reflect the Phased Reporting.
Specifically, the Exchange proposes to amend
paragraph (m)(2) of Rule 6810 to replace the
references to November 15, 2018 and 2019, with
references to the commencement of Phase 2c and
Phase 2d. The Exchange also proposes to amend
paragraphs (a)(1)(A), (a)(1)(B) and (a)(2)–(5) of Rule
6810 regarding the definition of ‘‘Account Effective
Date’’ with similar changes to the dates set forth
therein.
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participants off a national securities
exchange under the following
conditions: A listed option bid or offer
which is accessible electronically by
customers or other market participants
and is immediately actionable (i.e., no
further action is required by the
responder providing the quote in order
to execute or cause a trade to be
executed). Accordingly, any response to
a request for quote or other form of
solicitation response provided in
standard electronic format (e.g., FIX)
that meets this definition would be
reportable in Phase 2d for options.
Phase 2d Industry Member Data also
would include with respect to Eligible
Securities that are options or equities (1)
receipt time of cancellation and
modification instructions through Order
Cancel Request and Order Modification
Request events; (2) modifications of
previously routed orders in certain
instances; and (3) OTC Equity Securities
quotes sent by an Industry Member to
an IDQS operated by an Industry
Member CAT Reporter that does not
match and execute orders. In addition,
subject to any exemptive or other relief,
Phase 2d Industry Member Data will
include verbal or manual quotes on an
exchange floor or in the over-thecounter market, where verbal quotes
and manual quotes are defined as bids
or offers in Eligible Securities provided
verbally or that are provided or received
other than via a CAT Reporter’s order
handling and execution system (e.g.,
quotations provided via email or instant
messaging).
(ii) Timing of Phase 2d Reporting
Pursuant to paragraph (c)(1) of Rule
6895, Large Industry Members are
required to begin reporting to the CAT
by November 15, 2018. To implement
the Phased Reporting for Phase 2d for
Large Industry Members, the Exchange
proposes to delete the November 15,
2018 date and to supplement paragraph
(c)(1) of Rule 6895 with new paragraph
(c)(1)(D) of Rule 6895, which would
state, in relevant part, that ‘‘[e]ach
Industry Member (other than a Small
Industry Member) shall record and
report the Industry Member Data to the
Central Repository, as follows: . . . (D)
Phase 2d Industry Member Data by
December 13, 2021.’’
Pursuant to paragraph (c)(2) of Rule
6895, Small Industry Members are
required to begin reporting to the CAT
by November 15, 2019. To implement
the Phased Reporting for Phase 2d for
Small Industry Members, the Exchange
proposes to delete the November 15,
2019 date and to supplement paragraph
(c)(2) of Rule 6895 with new paragraph
(c)(2)(C) of Rule 6895, which would
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state, in relevant part, that ‘‘Each
Industry Member that is a Small
Industry Member shall record and
report the Industry Member Data to the
Central Repository, as follows: . . . (C)
Small Industry Members to report to the
Central Repository . . . Phase 2d
Industry Member Data by December 13,
2021.’’
E. Phase 2e
In the fifth phase of Phased Reporting,
referred to as Phase 2e, both Large
Industry Members and Small Industry
Members would be required to report to
the Central Repository ‘‘Phase 2e
Industry Member Data’’ by July 11,
2022. To implement the Phased
Reporting for Phase 2e, the Exchange
proposes to add paragraph (t)(5) to Rule
6810 and amend paragraphs (c)(1) and
(2) of Rule 6895.
(i) Scope of Phase 2e Reporting
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To implement the Phased Reporting
with respect to Phase 2e, the Exchange
proposes to add a definition of ‘‘Phase
2e Industry Member Data’’ as paragraph
(t)(5) of Rule 6810. Specifically, the
Exchange proposes to define the term
‘‘Phase 2e Industry Member Data’’ as
‘‘Industry Member Data required to be
reported to the Central Repository
commencing in Phase 2e. The full scope
of Industry Member Data required by
the CAT NMS Plan will be required to
be reported to the CAT when Phase 2e
has been implemented, subject to any
applicable exemptive relief or
amendments to the CAT NMS Plan’’
LTIDs and Account Effective Date are
both required to be reported in Phases
2c and 2d in certain circumstances, as
discussed above. The terms ‘‘Customer
Account Information’’ and ‘‘Customer
Identifying Information’’ are defined in
Rule 6810 of the Compliance Rule.28
The Industry Member Technical
Specifications provide detailed
guidance regarding the reporting for
Phase 2e.
28 The term ‘‘Customer Account Information’’
includes account numbers, and the term ‘‘Customer
Identifying Information’’ includes, with respect to
individuals, dates of birth and SSNs. See Rule 6810.
The Participants have received exemptive relief
from the requirements for the Participants to require
their members to provide dates of birth, account
numbers and social security numbers for
individuals to the CAT. See Securities Exchange
Act Release No. 88393 (March 17, 2020), 85 FR
16152 (March 20, 2020). See also Letter to Vanessa
Countryman, Secretary, SEC, from Michael Simon,
CAT NMS Plan Operating Committee Chair, re:
Request for Exemptive Relief from Certain
Provisions of the CAT NMS Plan related to Social
Security Numbers, Dates of Birth and Account
Numbers (Jan. 29, 2020). Given the relief has been
granted, Phase 2e Industry Member Data will not
include account numbers, dates of birth and SSNs
for individuals.
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(ii) Timing of Phase 2e Reporting
Pursuant to paragraph (c)(1) of Rule
6895, Large Industry Members are
required to begin reporting to the CAT
by November 15, 2018. To implement
the Phased Reporting for Phase 2e for
Large Industry Members, the Exchange
proposes to delete the November 15,
2018 date and to supplement paragraph
(c)(1) of Rule 6895 with new paragraph
(c)(1)(E) of Rule 6895, which would
state, in relevant part, that ‘‘[e]ach
Industry Member (other than a Small
Industry Member) shall record and
report the Industry Member Data to the
Central Repository, as follows: . . . (E)
Phase 2e Industry Member Data by July
11, 2022.’’
Pursuant to paragraph (c)(2) of Rule
6895, Small Industry Members are
required to begin reporting to the CAT
by November 15, 2019. To implement
the Phased Reporting for Phase 2e for
Small Industry Members, the Exchange
proposes to delete the November 15,
2019 date and to supplement paragraph
(c)(2) of Rule 6895 with new paragraph
(c)(2)(D) of Rule 6895, which would
state, in relevant part, that ‘‘[e]ach
Industry Member that is a Small
Industry Member shall record and
report the Industry Member Data to the
Central Repository, as follows: . . . (E)
Small Industry Members to report to the
Central Repository Phase 2e Industry
Member Data by July 11, 2022.’’
F. Industry Member Testing
Requirements
Rule 6880(a) sets forth various
compliance dates for the testing and
development for connectivity,
acceptance and the submission order
data. In light of the intent to shift to
Phased Reporting in place of the two
specified dates for the commencement
of reporting for Large and Small
Industry Members, the Exchange
correspondingly proposes to replace the
Industry Member development testing
milestones in Rule 6880(a) with the
testing milestones set forth in the
exemptive relief. Specifically, the
Exchange proposes to replace Rule
6880(a) with the following:
(1) Industry Member file submission and
data integrity testing for Phases 2a and 2b
shall begin in December 2019.
(2) Industry Member testing of the Reporter
Portal, including data integrity error
correction tools and data submissions, shall
begin in February 2020.
(3) The Industry Member test environment
shall open with intra-firm linkage validations
to Industry Members for both Phases 2a and
2b in April 2020.
(4) The Industry Member test environment
shall open to Industry Members with interfirm linkage validations for both Phases 2a
and 2b in July 2020.
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(5) The Industry Member test environment
shall open to Industry Members with Phase
2c functionality (full representative order
linkages) in January 2021.
(6) The Industry Member test environment
shall open to Industry Members with Phase
2d functionality (manual options orders,
complex options orders, and options
allocations) in June 2021.
(7) Participant exchanges that support
options market making quoting shall begin
accepting Quote Sent Time on quotes from
Industry Members no later than April 2020.
(8) The Industry Member test environment
(customer and account information) will be
open to Industry Members in January 2022.
iv. Granularity of Timestamps
On February 3, 2020, the Participants
filed with the Commission a request for
exemptive relief from the requirement
in Section 6.8(b) of the CAT NMS Plan
for each Participant, through its
Compliance Rule, to require that, to the
extent that its Industry Members utilize
timestamps in increments finer than
nanoseconds in their order handling or
execution systems, such Industry
Members utilize such finer increment
when reporting CAT Data to the Central
Repository.29 On April 8, 2020, the
Participants received the exemptive
relief.30 As a condition to this
exemption, the Participants, through
their Compliance Rules, will require
Industry Members that capture
timestamps in increments more granular
than nanoseconds to truncate the
timestamps, after the nanosecond level
for submission to CAT, not round up or
down in such circumstances. The
timestamp granularity exemption
remains in effect for five years, until
April 8, 2025. After five years, the
exemption would no longer be in effect
unless the period the exemption is in
effect is extended by the SEC.
Accordingly, the Exchange proposes
to amend its Compliance Rule to reflect
the exemptive relief. Specifically, the
Exchange proposes to amend paragraph
(a)(2) of Rule 6860. Rule 6860(a)(2)
states that
Subject to paragraph (b), to the extent that
any Industry Member’s order handling or
execution systems utilize time stamps in
increments finer than milliseconds, such
Industry Member shall record and report
Industry Member Data to the Central
Repository with time stamps in such finer
increment.
29 See Letter to Vanessa Countryman, Secretary,
SEC, from Michael Simon, CAT NMS Plan
Operating Committee Chair, re: Request for
Exemption from Certain Provisions of the National
Market System Plan Governing the Consolidated
Audit Trail related to Granularity of Timestamps
and Relationship Identifiers (Feb. 3, 2020).
30 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 88608
(April 8, 2020), 85 FR 20743 (April 14, 2020).
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The Exchange proposes to amend this
provision to read as follows to reflect
the exemptive relief:
Subject to paragraph (b), to the extent that
any Industry Member’s order handling or
execution systems utilize time stamps in
increments finer than milliseconds, such
Industry Member shall record and report
Industry Member Data to the Central
Repository with time stamps in such finer
increment up to nanoseconds; provided, that
Industry Members that capture timestamps in
increments more granular than nanoseconds
must truncate the timestamps after the
nanosecond level for submission to CAT,
rather than rounding such timestamps up or
down, until April 8, 2025.
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v. Introducing Industry Members
On February 3, 2020, the Participants
requested that the Commission exempt
broker-dealers that do not qualify as
Small Industry Members solely because
they satisfy Rule 0–10(i)(2) under the
Exchange Act and, as a result, are
deemed affiliated with an entity that is
not a small business or small
organization (‘‘Introducing Industry
Member’’) from the requirements in the
CAT NMS Plan applicable to Industry
Members other than Small Industry
Members (‘‘Large Industry Members’’).31
Instead, such Introducing Industry
Members would comply with the
requirements in the CAT NMS Plan
applicable to Small Industry Members.
On April 20, 2020, the SEC granted the
Participants exemptive relief with
regard to Introducing Industry
Members.32
As a result, the Exchange proposes to
amend its Compliance Rule to adopt a
definition of ‘‘Introducing Industry
Member’’ and to revise Rule 6985 to
require Introducing Industry Members
to comply with the requirements of the
CAT NMS Plan applicable to Small
Industry Members. Specifically, the
Exchange proposes to define
‘‘Introducing Industry Member’’ in
proposed paragraph (v) to Rule 6810, as
‘‘a broker-dealer that does not qualify as
a Small Industry Member solely because
such broker-dealer satisfies Rule 0–
10(i)(2) under the Exchange Act in that
it introduces transactions on a fully
disclosed basis to clearing firms that are
not small businesses or small
organizations.’’ The Exchange also
proposes to add a new paragraph (3) to
Rule 6895(c) to state that ‘‘Introducing
31 See Letter to Vanessa Countryman, Secretary,
SEC, from Michael Simon, CAT NMS Plan
Operating Committee Chair, re: Request for
Exemption from Certain Provisions of the National
Market System Plan Governing the Consolidated
Audit Trail related to Small Industry Members (Feb.
3, 2020).
32 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 88703
(April 20, 2020), 85 FR 23115 (April 24, 2020).
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Industry Members must comply with
the requirements of the CAT NMS Plan
applicable to Small Industry Members.’’
With these changes, Introducing
Industry Members would be required to
comply with the requirements in the
CAT NMS Plan applicable to Small
Industry Members, rather than the
requirements in the CAT NMS Plan
applicable to Large Industry Members.
vi. CCID/PII
On January 29, 2020, the Participants
filed with the Commission a request for
exemptive relief from certain
requirements related to reporting SSNs,
dates of birth and account numbers to
the CAT.33 The Commission,
Participants and others indicated
security concerns with maintaining
such sensitive Customer information in
the CAT. On March 17, 2020, the
Participants received the exemptive
relief, subject to certain conditions.34
Assuming the Participants comply with
the conditions set forth in the PII
Exemption Order, Industry Members
would not be required to report SSNs,
dates of birth and account numbers to
the CAT NMS Plan.
As described in the request for
exemptive relief, the Participants
requested exemptive relief to allow for
an alternative approach to generating a
CAT Customer ID (‘‘CCID’’) without
requiring Industry Members to report
SSNs to the CAT (the ‘‘CCID
Alternative’’). In lieu of retaining such
SSNs in the CAT, the Participants
would use the CCID Alternative, a
strategy developed by the Chief
Information Security Officer for the CAT
and the Chief Information Security
Officers from each of the Participants, in
consultation with security experts from
member firms of Securities Industry and
Financial Markets Association. The
CCID Alternative facilitates the ability of
the Plan Processor to generate a CCID
without requiring the Plan Processor to
receive SSNs or store SSNs within the
CAT. Under the CCID Alternative, the
33 See Letter to Vanessa Countryman, Secretary,
SEC, from Michael Simon, CAT NMS Plan
Operating Committee Chair, re: Request for
Exemptive Relief from Certain Provisions of the
CAT NMS Plan related to Social Security Numbers,
Dates of Birth and Account Numbers (Jan. 29, 2020).
34 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 88393
(March 17, 2020), 85 FR 16152 (March 20, 2020)
(Order Granting Conditional Exemptive Relief,
Pursuant to Section 36 and Rule 608(e) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, from Section
6.4(d)(ii)(C) and Appendix D Sections 4.1.6, 6.2,
8.1.1, 8.2, 9.1, 9.2, 9.4, 10.1, and 10.3 of the
National Market System Plan Governing the
Consolidated Audit Trail) (‘‘PII Exemption Order’’).
The PII Exemption Order lists several conditions
that must be met by the Exchange. If the Exchange
does not satisfy the conditions, the PII Exemption
Order would not apply to the Exchange.
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Plan Processor would generate a unique
CCID using a two-phase transformation
process that avoids having SSNs
reported to or stored in the CAT. In the
first transformation phase, a CAT
Reporter would transform the SSN to an
interim value (the ‘‘transformed value’’).
This transformed value, and not the
SSN, would be submitted to a separate
system within the CAT (‘‘CCID
Subsystem’’). The CCID Subsystem
would then perform a second
transformation to create the globally
unique CCID for each Customer that is
unknown to, and not shared with, the
original CAT Reporter. The CCID would
then be sent to the customer and
account information system of the CAT,
where it would be linked with the other
customer and account information. The
CCID may then be used by the
Participants’ regulatory staff and the
SEC in queries and analysis of CAT
Data. To implement the CCID
Alternative, the Participants requested
exemptive relief from the requirement
in Section 6.4(d)(ii)(C) of the CAT NMS
Plan to require, through their
Compliance Rules, Industry Members to
record and report SSNs to the Central
Repository for the original receipt of an
order. As set forth in one condition of
the PII Exemption Order, Industry
Members would be required to
transform an SSN to an interim value,
and report the transformed value to the
CAT.
The Participants also requested
exemptive relief to allow for an
alternative approach which would
exempt the reporting of dates of birth
and account numbers 35 to the CAT
(‘‘Modified PII Approach’’), and instead
would require Industry Members to
report the year of birth and the Firm
Designated ID for each trading account
associated with the Customers. To
implement the Modified PII Approach,
the Participants requested exemptive
relief from the requirement in Section
6.4(d)(ii)(C) of the CAT NMS Plan to
require, through their Compliance
Rules, Industry Members to record and
report to the Central Repository for the
original receipt of an order dates of birth
and account numbers for Customers. As
conditions to the exemption, Industry
Members would be required to report
the year of birth of an individual to the
Central Repository, and to report the
Firm Designated ID to the Central
Repository.
To implement the request for
exemptive relief and to eliminate the
35 With respect to this aspect of the requested
relief, the PII Exemption Order provided relief with
regard to the reporting of all account numbers, not
just account numbers for individuals as requested
by the Participants.
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requirement to report SSNs, date of
birth and account numbers to the CAT,
the Exchange proposes to amend its
Compliance Rule to reflect the
exemptive relief. NYSE Rule
6830(a)(2)(C) states that
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[s]ubject to paragraph (3) below, each
Industry Member shall record and report to
the Central Repository the following, as
applicable (‘‘Received Industry Member
Data’’ and collectively with the information
referred to in Rule 6830(a)(1) ‘‘Industry
Member Data’’)) in the manner prescribed by
the Operating Committee pursuant to the
CAT NMS Plan: . . . (C) for original receipt
or origination of an order, the Firm
Designated ID for the relevant Customer, and
in accordance with Rule 6840, Customer
Account Information and Customer
Identifying Information for the relevant
Customer.
Similarly, Rule 6840 requires the
reporting of Customer Account
Information and Customer Identifying
Information to the Central Repository.
Currently, Rule 6810(m) defines
‘‘Customer Identifying Information’’ to
include, with respect to individuals,
‘‘date of birth’’ and ‘‘individual tax
payer identification number (‘‘ITIN’’)/
social security number (‘‘SSN’’).’’
Accordingly, the Exchange proposes to
replace ‘‘date of birth’’ in the definition
of ‘‘Customer Identifying Information’’
in Rule 6810(m) (now renumbered Rule
6810(n)) with ‘‘year of birth’’ and to
delete ‘‘individual tax payer
identification number (‘‘ITIN’’)/social
security number (‘‘SSN’’)’’ from Rule
6810(m) (now renumbered Rule
6810(n)). In addition, currently, Rule
6810(l) defines ‘‘Customer Account
Information’’ to include account
numbers. The Exchange proposes to
delete ‘‘account number’’ from the
definition of ‘‘Customer Account
Information’’ in Rule 6810(l) (now
renumbered Rule 6810(m)).
The Exchange also proposes to add a
definition of the term ‘‘Transformed
Value for individual tax payer
identification number (‘‘ITIN’’)/social
security number (‘‘SSN’’)’’ to Rule 6810.
Specifically, the Exchange proposes to
add paragraph (pp) to Rule 6810 to
define ‘‘Transformed Value for
individual tax payer identification
number (‘‘ITIN’’)/social security number
(‘‘SSN’’)’’ to mean ‘‘the interim value
created by an Industry Member based on
a Customer ITIN/SSN.’’
The Exchange proposes to revise Rule
6830(a)(2)(C) to include the
Transformed Value for individual tax
payer identification number (‘‘ITIN’’)/
social security number (‘‘SSN’’).
Specifically, the Exchange proposes to
revise Rule 6830(a)(2)(C) to state:
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[s]ubject to paragraph (3) below, each
Industry Member shall record and report to
the Central Repository the following, as
applicable (‘‘Received Industry Member
Data’’ and collectively with the information
referred to in Rule 6830(a)(1) ‘‘Industry
Member Data’’)) in the manner prescribed by
the Operating Committee pursuant to the
CAT NMS Plan: . . . (C) for original receipt
or origination of an order, the Firm
Designated ID for the relevant Customer,
Transformed Value for individual tax payer
identification number (‘‘ITIN’’)/social
security number (‘‘SSN’’), and in accordance
with Rule 6840, Customer Account
Information and Customer Identifying
Information for the relevant Customer.
The Exchange also proposes to
include the Transformed Value for
individual tax payer identification
number (‘‘ITIN’’)/social security number
(‘‘SSN’’) in the Customer information
reporting required under Rule 6840.
Specifically, the Exchange proposes to
revise Rule 6840(a) to require each
Industry Member to submit to the
Central Repository the Transformed
Value for individual tax payer
identification number (‘‘ITIN’’)/social
security number (‘‘SSN’’), for each of its
Customers with an Active Account prior
to such Industry Member’s
commencement of reporting to the
Central Repository and in accordance
with the deadlines set forth in Rule
6880. The Exchange also proposes to
revise Rule 6840(b) to require each
Industry Member to submit to the
Central Repository any updates,
additions or other changes to the
Transformed Value for individual tax
payer identification number (‘‘ITIN’’)/
social security number (‘‘SSN’’) for each
of its Customers with an Active Account
on a daily basis. In addition, the
Exchange proposes to revise Rule
6840(c) to require, on a periodic basis as
designated by the Plan Processor and
approved by the Operating Committee,
each Industry Member to submit to the
Central Repository a complete set of the
Transformed Value for individual tax
payer identification number (‘‘ITIN’’)/
social security number (‘‘SSN’’) for each
of its Customers with an Active
Account. The Exchange also proposes to
revise Rule 6840(d) to require, for each
Industry Member for which errors in the
Transformed Value for individual tax
payer identification number (‘‘ITIN’’)/
social security number (‘‘SSN’’) for each
of its Customers with an Active Account
submitted to the Central Repository
have been identified by the Plan
Processor or otherwise, such Industry
Member to submit corrected data to the
Central Repository by 5:00 p.m. Eastern
Time on T+3.
Paragraph (1)(B) of Rule 6810(m), the
definition of ‘‘Customer Account
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38175
Information’’ states that ‘‘in those
circumstances in which an Industry
Member has established a trading
relationship with an institution but has
not established an account with that
institution, the Industry Member will’’
. . . ‘‘provide the relationship identifier
in lieu of the ‘‘account number.’’ As an
account number will no longer be an
element in ‘‘Customer Account
Information,’’ the relationship identifier
used in lieu of the account number will
no longer be required as an element of
Customer Account Information.
Therefore, the Exchange proposes to
delete the requirement set forth in Rule
6810(m)(a)(B) regarding relationship
identifiers from Rule 6810(m).
With these changes, Industry
Members would not be required to
report to the Central Repository dates of
birth, SSNs or account numbers
pursuant to Rule 6830(a)(2)(C).
However, Industry Members would be
required to report the Transformed
Value for individual tax payer
identification number (‘‘ITIN’’)/social
security number (‘‘SSN’’) and the year of
birth to the Central Repository.36
vii. FINRA Facility Data Linkage
On June 5, 2020, the Participants filed
with the Commission a request for
exemptive relief from certain provisions
of the CAT NMS Plan to allow for an
alternative approach to the reporting of
clearing numbers and cancelled trade
indicators.37 The SEC provided this
exemptive relief on June 11, 2020.38
FINRA is required to report to the
Central Repository data collected by
FINRA’s Trade Reporting Facilities,
FINRA’s OTC Reporting Facility or
FINRA’s Alternative Display Facility
(collectively, ‘‘FINRA Facility’’)
pursuant to applicable SRO rules
(‘‘FINRA Facility Data’’). Included in
this FINRA Facility Data is the clearing
number of the clearing broker for a
reported trade as well as the cancelled
trade indicator. Under this alternative
approach, the clearing number and the
cancelled trade indicator of the FINRA
Facility Data that is reported to the CAT
would be linked to the related execution
reports reported by Industry Members.
To implement this approach in a phased
manner, the Participants received
36 The Exchange anticipates that the Compliance
Rule may be further amended when further details
regarding the CCID Alternative are finalized.
37 See Letter to Vanessa Countryman, Secretary,
SEC, from Michael Simon, CAT NMS Plan
Operating Committee Chair, re: Request for
Exemption from Certain Provisions of the National
Market System Plan Governing the Consolidated
Audit Trail related to FINRA Facility Data Linkage
(June 5, 2020).
38 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 89051
(June 11, 2020), 85 FR 36631 (June 17, 2020).
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exemptive relief from the requirement
in Sections 6.4(d)(ii)(A)(2) and (B) of the
CAT NMS Plan to require, through their
Compliance Rules, that Industry
Members record and report to the
Central Repository: (1) If the order is
executed, in whole or in part, the SROAssigned Market Participant Identifier
of the clearing broker, if applicable; and
(2) if the trade is cancelled, a cancelled
trade indicator, subject to certain
conditions.
As a condition to this exemption, the
Participants would continue to require
Industry Members to submit a trade
report for a trade, and, if the trade is
cancelled, a cancellation, to a FINRA
Facility pursuant to applicable SRO
rules, and to report the corresponding
execution to the Central Repository. In
addition, Industry Members would be
required to report to the Central
Repository the unique trade identifier
reported to a FINRA Facility with the
corresponding trade report.
Furthermore, if an Industry Member
does not submit a cancellation to a
FINRA Facility, or is unable to provide
a link between the execution reported to
the Central Repository and the related
FINRA Facility trade report, then the
Industry Member would be required to
record and report to the Central
Repository a cancelled trade indicator
and cancelled trade timestamp if the
trade is cancelled. Similarly, if an
Industry Member does not submit the
clearing number of the clearing broker
to a FINRA Facility for a trade, or is
unable to provide a link between the
execution reported to the Central
Repository and the related FINRA
Facility trade report, then the Industry
Member would be required to record
and report to the Central Repository the
clearing number as well as contra party
information.
As a result, the Exchange proposes to
amend its Compliance Rule to reflect
the exemptive relief to implement this
alternative approach. Specifically, the
Exchange proposes to require Industry
Members to report to the CAT with an
execution report the unique trade
identifier reported to a FINRA facility
with the corresponding trade report. For
example, the unique trade identifier for
the OTC Reporting Facility and the
Alternative Display Facility would be
the Compliance ID, for the FINRA/
Nasdaq Trade Reporting Facility, it
would be the Branch Sequence Number,
and for the FINRA/NYSE Trade
Reporting Facility, it would the FINRA
Compliance Number. This unique trade
identifier would be used to link the
FINRA Facility Data with the execution
report in the CAT. Specifically, the
Exchange proposes to add new
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paragraph (a)(2)(E) to Rule 6830, which
states that:
(E) If an Industry Member is required to
submit and submits a trade report for a trade,
and, if the trade is cancelled, a cancellation,
to one of FINRA’s Trade Reporting Facilities,
OTC Reporting Facility or Alternative
Display Facility pursuant to applicable SRO
rules, and the Industry Member is required
to report the corresponding execution and/or
cancellation to the Central Repository:
(1) the Industry Member is required to
report to the Central Repository the trade
identifier reported by the Industry Member to
such FINRA facility for the trade when the
Industry Member reports the execution of an
order pursuant to Rule 6830(a)(1)(E)
beginning June 22, 2020 for Large Industry
Members and Small Industry OATS
Reporters and beginning December 13, 2021
for Small Industry Non-OATS Reporters, and
such trade identifier must be unique
beginning October 26, 2020 for Large
Industry Members and Small Industry OATS
Reporters and beginning December 13, 2021
for Small Industry Non-OATS Reporters.
The Exchange also proposes to relieve
Industry Members of the obligation to
report to the CAT data related to
clearing brokers and trade cancellations
pursuant to Rules 6830(a)(2)(A)(ii) and
(B), respectively, as this data will be
reported by FINRA to the CAT, except
in certain circumstances. Accordingly,
the Exchange proposes new paragraphs
(a)(2)(E)(2) and (3) to Rule 6830, which
would state:
(2) if the order is executed in whole or in
part, and the Industry Member submits the
trade report to one of the FINRA’s Trade
Reporting Facilities, OTC Reporting Facility
or Alternative Display Facility pursuant to
applicable SRO rules, the Industry Member is
not required to submit the SRO-Assigned
Market Participant Identifier of the clearing
broker pursuant to Rule 6830(a)(2)(A)(ii);
provided, however, if the Industry Member
does not report the clearing number of the
clearing broker to such FINRA facility for a
trade, or does not report the unique trade
identifier to the Central Repository as
required by Rule 6830(a)(2)(E)(1), then the
Industry Member would be required to
record and report to the Central Repository
the clearing number of the clearing broker as
well as information about the contra party to
the trade beginning April 26, 2021 for Large
Industry Members and Small Industry OATS
Reporters and beginning December 13, 2021
for Small Industry Non-OATS Reporters; and
(3) if the trade is cancelled and the
Industry Member submits the cancellation to
one of FINRA’s Trade Reporting Facilities,
OTC Reporting Facility or Alternative
Display Facility pursuant to applicable SRO
rules, the Industry Member is not required to
submit the cancelled trade indicator pursuant
to Rule 6830(a)(2)(B); provided, however, if
the Industry Member does not report a
cancellation for a canceled trade to such
FINRA facility, or does not report the unique
trade identifier as required by
6830(a)(2)(E)(1), then the Industry Member
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would be required to record and report to the
Central Repository a cancelled trade
indicator as well as a cancelled trade
timestamp beginning June 22, 2020 for Large
Industry Members and Small Industry OATS
Reporters and beginning December 13, 2021
for Small Industry Non-OATS Reporters.
2. Statutory Basis
NYSE believes that the proposed rule
change is consistent with the provisions
of Section 6(b)(5) of the Act,39 which
require, among other things, that the
Exchange’s rules must be designed to
prevent fraudulent and manipulative
acts and practices, to promote just and
equitable principles of trade, and, in
general, to protect investors and the
public interest, and Section 6(b)(8) of
the Act,40 which requires that the
Exchange’s rules not impose any burden
on competition that is not necessary or
appropriate.
NYSE believes that this proposal is
consistent with the Act because it is
consistent with certain exemptions from
the CAT NMS Plan, because it facilitates
the retirement of certain existing
regulatory systems, and is designed to
assist the Exchange and its Industry
Members in meeting regulatory
obligations pursuant to the Plan. In
approving the Plan, the SEC noted that
the Plan ‘‘is necessary and appropriate
in the public interest, for the protection
of investors and the maintenance of fair
and orderly markets, to remove
impediments to, and perfect the
mechanism of a national market system,
or is otherwise in furtherance of the
purposes of the Act.’’ 41 To the extent
that this proposal implements the Plan,
including the exemptive relief, and
applies specific requirements to
Industry Members, the Exchange
believes that this proposal furthers the
objectives of the Plan, as identified by
the SEC, and is therefore consistent with
the Act.
B. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement on Burden on Competition
NYSE does not believe that the
proposed rule change will result in any
burden on competition that is not
necessary or appropriate in furtherance
of the purposes of the Act. NYSE notes
that the proposed rule changes are
consistent with certain exemptions from
the CAT NMS Plan, facilitate the
retirement of certain existing regulatory
systems, and are designed to assist the
Exchange in meeting its regulatory
obligations pursuant to the Plan. NYSE
39 15
U.S.C. 78f(b)(6).
U.S.C. 78f(b)(8)
41 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 79318
(November 15, 2016), 81 FR 84696, 84697
(November 23, 2016).
40 15
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also notes that the amendments to the
Compliance Rules will apply equally to
all Industry Members that trade NMS
Securities and OTC Equity Securities. In
addition, all national securities
exchanges and FINRA are proposing
these amendments to their Compliance
Rules. Therefore, this is not a
competitive rule filing, and, therefore, it
does not impose a burden on
competition.
C. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement on Comments on the
Proposed Rule Change Received From
Members, Participants, or Others
No written comments were solicited
or received with respect to the proposed
rule change.
III. Discussion and Commission
Findings
After careful review the Commission
finds that the proposed rule change, as
modified by Amendment No. 2, is
consistent with the requirements of the
Act and the rules and regulations
thereunder applicable to a national
securities exchanges.42 Specifically, the
Commission finds that the proposed
rule change, as modified by Amendment
No. 2, is consistent with Sections 6(b)(5)
of the Act,43 which, among other things,
require that rules of a national securities
exchange and national securities
association be designed to promote just
and equitable principles of trade, to
remove impediments to and perfect the
mechanism of a free and open market
and a national market system, and to
protect investors and the public interest,
and Section 6(b)(8) of the Act,44 which
requires that the rules of a national
securities exchange not impose any
burden on competition that is not
necessary or appropriate.
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A. CATS–OATS Data Gaps
Rule 613(a)(1)(ix) of Regulation NMS
requires that the CAT NMS Plan include
a plan to eliminate existing rules and
systems that would be rendered
duplicative by the CAT.45 The rule
states that to the extent that any existing
rules or systems related to monitoring
quotes, orders, and executions provide
information that is not rendered
duplicative, the plan should assess
whether it is appropriate to continue to
collect this information, and if
appropriate, decide whether to collect
the information separately or as part of
42 In approving this proposed rule change, the
Commission has considered the proposed rules’
impact on efficiency, competition, and capital
formation. See 15 U.S.C. 78c(f).
43 15 U.S.C. 78(f)(b)(5).
44 15 U.S.C. 78(f)(b)(8).
45 See 17 CFR 262.613(a)(1)(ix).
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the CAT. The Exchange proposes to
amend the Exchange’s Compliance
Rules to add additional data elements to
the CAT reporting requirements for
Industry Members that are currently
reported to OATS, as set forth in
FINRA’s rules, but have not previously
been required for CAT reporting.46 The
Commission finds that the requiring the
reporting of additional OATS data
elements is consistent with the Act as it
represent a step forward to facilitating
the retirement of duplicative systems.
B. OTC Equity Securities
The Commission finds that it is
consistent with the Act to require the
reporting to the CAT of certain data
elements from ATSs that trade OTC
Equity Securities. The Exchange
proposes to require ATSs that trade OTC
Equity Securities to report three data
elements to CAT that are currently
reported to FINRA but not CAT: (i) Bids
and offers for OTC Equity Securities, (ii)
unsolicited bid/offer flag and (iii)
unpriced bids and offers.47 The
Exchange represents that the CAT NMS
Plan Participants believe that such data
will be important for regulators to
oversee the OTC Equity Securities
market and believe that the proposal
would merely shift reporting from
FINRA to the CAT and would not
burden ATSs.
C. Revised Industry Member Timeline
The Commission finds that the
proposed rule change concerning the
reporting timeline for Industry Members
is consistent with the Act as the changes
are designed to reflect and implement
the exemptive relief granted by the
Commission. On April 24, 2020, the
Commission granted exemptive relief
relating to Industry Member reporting to
CAT, and permitted the Participants to
implement a phased reporting approach,
where Large Industry Members and
Small Industry Members would begin
reporting Industry Member Data in five
phases, subject to certain conditions.48
The proposed rule change implements
this exemptive relief by, among other
things, adding definitions of each of the
five phases and amending testing and
reporting dates for Large Industry
Members and Small Industry Members
for each of the five phases. The
proposed rule change also states that the
46 The additional data elements relate to
information barrier identification, reporting
requirements specific to alternative trading systems
(including ATSs that trade OTC Equity Securities),
customer instruction flags, department type, and
account holder type. See Notice, supra note 4, at
3964–67.
47 See Notice, supra note 4, at 3967.
48 See, supra note 7.
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38177
full scope of Industry Member Data
required by the CAT NMS Plan must be
reported to the Central Repository when
the last phase of reporting have been
implemented, subject to any applicable
exemptive relief or amendments to the
CAT NMS Plan.
D. Timestamp Granularity
The Commission finds that the
proposed rule change concerning the
granularity of timestamps is consistent
with the Act as it is designed to reflect
the exemptive relief granted by the
Commission. On April 8, 2020, the
Commission granted exemptive relief
relating the timestamp granularity,
which permitted the Participants to
require Industry Members that capture
timestamps in increments more granular
than nanoseconds to truncate the
timestamps after the nanosecond level
for submission to CAT, for a period of
five years.49
E. Introducing Industry Members
The Commission finds that the
proposed rule change relating to
Introducing Industry Members is
consistent with the Act as it reflects and
implements exemptive relief granted by
the Commission. On April 20, 2020, the
Commission granted exemptive relief to
the Participants, permitting the
Participants to consider broker-dealers
that not qualify as Small Industry
Members solely because they satisfy
Rule 0–10(i)(2) under the Exchange Act
to be subject to CAT NMS Plan
requirements applicable to Small
Industry Members.50
F. CCID/PII
The Commission finds that the
proposed rule change amending
reporting requirements related to CCID
and PII are consistent with the Act as it
is designed to reflect and implement
exemptive relief granted by the
Commission on March 17, 2020.51
Among other things, instead of requiring
the reporting of ITINs or SSNs, dates of
birth and account numbers, the
Compliance Rule would now require
reporting of a transformed value in lieu
of an ITIN or SSN, birth year and a Firm
Designated ID by Industry Members.
G. FINRA Facility Data Linkage
The Commission finds that the
proposed rule change amending the
reporting timeline for Industry Members
is consistent with the Act as it reflects
and implements the exemptive relief
granted by the Commission related to
49 See,
supra note 7.
supra note 7.
51 See, supra note 7.
50 See,
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the reporting of clearing numbers and
cancelled trade indicators. On June 11,
2020, the Commission granted the
Participants exemptive relief that allows
the Participants to implement an
alternative approach to the reporting of
clearing numbers and cancelled trade
indicators, by utilizing data collected by
FINRA’s Trade Reporting Facilities,
FINRA’s OTC Reporting Facility or
FINRA’s Alternative Display Facility.52
For the foregoing reasons, the
Commission believes that the proposed
rule change, as modified by Amendment
No. 2, is consistent with the Act.
IV. Solicitation of Comments on
Amendment No. 2 to the Proposed Rule
Change
Interested persons are invited to
submit written data, views, and
arguments concerning whether
Amendment No. 2 to the proposed rule
change is consistent with the Act.
Comments may be submitted by any of
the following methods:
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
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–
NYSE–2020–01 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–NYSE–2020–01. 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
10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Copies of the
52 See,
supra note 7.
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filing also will be available for
inspection and copying at the principal
office of the Exchange. All comments
received will be posted without change.
Persons submitting comments are
cautioned that we do not redact or edit
personal identifying information from
comment submissions. You should
submit only information that you wish
to make available publicly. All
submissions should refer to File
Number SR–NYSE–2020–01 and should
be submitted on or before July 16, 2020.
V. Accelerated Approval of Proposed
Rule Change, as Modified by
Amendment No. 2
The Commission finds good cause to
approve the proposed rule change, as
modified by Amendment No. 2, prior to
the thirtieth day after the publication of
notice of the filing of the amendments
in the Federal Register. As discussed
above, Amendment No. 2 to the
proposed rule change amends the
proposed rule change by: (1) Reflect
exemptive relief granted by the
Commission subsequent to the initial
filing of this proposed rule change; (2)
removing from the proposed rule change
revisions that are subject to a proposed
amendment that has not yet been
approved by the Commission; and (3)
making other edits and corrections for
consistency and clarity.
Amendment No. 2 modifies the
proposed rule change to, among other
things, be consistent with exemptive
relief granted by the Commission, which
was granted after the initial filing of the
proposed rule change.53 Specifically,
the proposal implements exemptive
relief already granted by the
Commission and modifies Industry
Member CAT reporting requirements to
be consistent with such exemptive
relief. Granting accelerated approval of
the proposed rule change, as modified
by Amendment No. 2, would allow the
Exchange to implement these changes at
the start of Phase 2a Industry Member
reporting to CAT, which is scheduled
for June 22, 2020.54 Accordingly, the
Commission finds good cause, pursuant
to Section 19(b)(2) of the Act,55 to
approve the proposed rule change, as
modified by Amendment No. 2, on an
accelerated basis.
VI. Conclusion
It is therefore ordered, pursuant to
Section 19(b)(2) of the Act, that the
proposed rule change (SR–NYSE–2020–
01), as modified by Amendment No. 2,
53 See,
supra note 7.
CAT Timeline, available at: https://
www.catnmsplan.com/timeline.
55 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).
54 See
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is hereby approved on an accelerated
basis.
For the Commission, by the Division of
Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated
authority.56
J. Matthew DeLesDernier,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020–13678 Filed 6–24–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011–01–P
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
[Release No. 34–89104; File No. SR–
NYSENAT–2020–01]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE
National, Inc.; Notice of Filing of
Amendment No. 2 and Order Granting
Accelerated Approval of Proposed
Rule Change, as Modified by
Amendment No. 2, To Amend
Consolidated Audit Trail Compliance
Rules
June 19, 2020.
I. Introduction
On January 3, 2020, NYSE National,
Inc. (‘‘Exchange’’ or ‘‘NYSE National’’)
filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (‘‘Commission’’), pursuant
to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (‘‘Act’’) 1 and Rule
19b–4 thereunder,2 a proposed rule
change to amend the Exchange’s
compliance rules regarding the National
Market System Plan Governing the
Consolidated Audit Trail (‘‘CAT NMS
Plan’’ or ‘‘Plan’’).3 The proposed rule
change was published for comment in
the Federal Register on January 23,
2020.4 On March 5, 2020 the
Commission extended the time period
within which to approve the proposed
rule change, disapprove the proposed
rule change, or institute proceedings to
determine whether to approve or
disapprove the proposed rule change, to
April 22, 2020 respectively.5 On April
20, 2020, the Commission instituted
proceedings to determine whether to
approve or disapprove the proposed
rule change.6 On May 8, 2020, the
Exchange filed Amendment No. 1 to its
proposed rule change. On June 18, 2020,
56 17
CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).
U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
2 17 CFR 240.19b–4.
3 The CAT NMS Plan was approved by the
Commission, as modified, on November 15, 2016.
See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 79318
(November 15, 2016), 81 FR 84696 (November 23,
2016).
4 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 87986
(January 16, 2020), 85 FR 3974 (‘‘Notice’’).
5 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 88332,
85 FR 14249 (March 11, 2020).
6 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 88697,
85 FR 23073 (April 24, 2020).
1 15
E:\FR\FM\25JNN1.SGM
25JNN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 123 (Thursday, June 25, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38164-38178]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-13678]
=======================================================================
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
[Release No. 34-89108; File No. SR-NYSE-2020-01]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange LLC;
Notice of Filing of Amendment No. 2 and Order Granting Accelerated
Approval of Proposed Rule Change, as Modified by Amendment No. 2, To
Amend Consolidated Audit Trail Compliance Rules
June 19, 2020.
I. Introduction
On January 3, 2020, New York Stock Exchange LLC (``Exchange'' or
``NYSE'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(``Commission''), pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (``Act'') \1\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\2\ a
proposed rule change to amend the Exchange's compliance rules regarding
the National Market System Plan Governing the Consolidated Audit Trail
(``CAT NMS Plan'' or ``Plan'').\3\ The proposed rule change was
published for comment in the Federal Register on January 23, 2020.\4\
On March 5, 2020 the Commission extended the time period within which
to approve the proposed rule change, disapprove the proposed rule
change, or institute proceedings to determine whether to approve or
disapprove the proposed rule change, to April 22, 2020 respectively.\5\
On April 20, 2020, the Commission instituted proceedings to determine
whether to approve or disapprove the proposed rule change.\6\ On May 8,
2020, the Exchange filed Amendment No. 1 to its proposed rule change.
On June 18, 2020, the Exchange filed Amendment No. 2 to its proposed
rule change, which superseded and replaced the proposed rule change in
its entirety.\7\ The Commission received no comments on the proposed
rule change.
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\1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
\2\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
\3\ The CAT NMS Plan was approved by the Commission, as
modified, on November 15, 2016. See Securities Exchange Act Release
No. 79318 (November 15, 2016), 81 FR 84696 (November 23, 2016).
\4\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 87990 (January 16,
2020), 85 FR 3963 (``Notice'').
\5\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 88329, 85 FR 14265
(March 11, 2020).
\6\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 88700, 85 FR 23083
(April 24, 2020).
\7\ Amendment No. 2 revised the proposed rule change to: (1)
Reflect exemptive relief granted by the Commission subsequent to the
initial filing of this proposed rule change; (2) removing from the
proposed rule change revisions that are subject to a proposed
amendment that has not yet been approved by the Commission; and (3)
making other edits and corrections for consistency and clarity. See
also Securities Exchange Act Release No. 88393 (March 17, 2020), 85
FR 16152 (March 20, 2020); Securities Exchange Act Release No. 88608
(April 8, 2020), 85 FR 20743 (April 14, 2020); Securities Exchange
Act No. 88702 (April 20, 2020), 85 FR 23075 (April 24, 2020);
Securities Exchange Act Release No. 88703 (April 20, 2020), 85 FR
23115 (April 24, 2020); Securities Exchange Act Release No. 89051
(June 11, 2020), 85 FR 36631 (June 17, 2020).
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The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments on the
proposed rule change, as modified by Amendment No. 2, from interested
persons, and is approving the proposed rule change, as modified by
Amendment No. 2, on an accelerated basis.
II. The Exchange's Description of the Proposal, as Modified by
Amendment No. 2
In its filing with the Commission, the self-regulatory organization
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 those 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 parts of such statements.
A. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and the
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change
1. Purpose
The purpose of this proposed rule change is to amend the Rule 6800
Series, the Compliance Rule regarding the CAT NMS Plan, to be
consistent with certain exemptions from the CAT NMS Plan as well as to
facilitate the retirement of certain existing regulatory systems.
This Amendment No. 2 amends and replaces in its entirety the
original proposal filed by the Exchange on January 3, 2020 as well as
Amendment
[[Page 38165]]
No. 1 filed by the Exchange on May 8, 2020.\8\
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\8\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 87990 (January 16,
2020), 85 FR 3963 (January 23, 2020)) (Notice of Filing of Proposed
Rule Change to Amend the Rule 6800 Series, the Exchange's Compliance
Rule Regarding the National Market System Plan Governing the
Consolidated Audit Trail) (SR-NYSE-2020-01); Letter from Martha
Redding, Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary, NYSE, to
Secretary, SEC, re: Securities Exchange Act Release No. 87990 (SR-
NYSE-2020-01) (May 8, 2020).
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As described more fully below, the proposed rule change would make
the following changes to the Compliance Rule:
Add additional data elements to the consolidated audit
trail (``CAT'') reporting requirements for Industry Members to
facilitate the retirement of the Financial Industry Regulatory
Authority, Inc.'s (``FINRA'') Order Audit Trail System (``OATS'');
Add additional data elements related to OTC Equity
Securities that FINRA currently receives from alternative trading
systems (``ATSs'') that trade OTC Equity Securities for regulatory
oversight purposes to the CAT reporting requirements for Industry
Members;
Implement a phased approach for Industry Member reporting
to the CAT (``Phased Reporting'');
To the extent that any Industry Member's order handling or
execution systems utilize time stamps in increments finer than
milliseconds, revise the timestamp granularity requirement to require
such Industry Member to record and report Industry Member Data to the
Central Repository with time stamps in such finer increment up to
nanoseconds;
Require Introducing Industry Members (as defined below) to
comply with the requirements of the CAT NMS Plan applicable to Small
Industry Members;
Revise the CAT reporting requirements so Industry Members
would not be required to report to the Central Repository dates of
birth, ``individual tax payer identification number (``ITIN'')/social
security number (``SSN'')'' (collectively, referred to as ``SSNs'') or
account numbers; and
Revise the CAT reporting requirements regarding cancelled
trades and SRO-Assigned Market Participant Identifiers of clearing
brokers, if applicable, in connection with order executions, as such
information will be available from FINRA's trade reports submitted to
the CAT.
i. CAT-OATS Data Gaps
The Participants have worked to identify gaps between data reported
to existing systems and data to be reported to the CAT to ``ensure that
by the time Industry Members are required to report to the CAT, the CAT
will include all data elements necessary to facilitate the rapid
retirement of duplicative systems.'' \9\ As a result of this process,
the Participants identified several data elements that must be included
in the CAT reporting requirements before existing systems can be
retired. In particular, the Participants identified certain data
elements that are required by OATS, but not currently enumerated in the
CAT NMS Plan. Accordingly, the Exchange proposes to amend its
Compliance Rule to include these OATS data elements in the CAT. Each of
such OATS data elements are discussed below. With the addition of these
OATS data elements to the CAT, the CAT will have the data elements
necessary to retire OATS.
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\9\ Letter from Participants to Brent J. Fields, Secretary, SEC,
re: File Number 4-698; Notice of Filing of the National Market
System Plan Governing the Consolidated Audit Trail (September 23,
2016) at 21 (``Participants' Response to Comments'') (available at
https://www.sec.gov/comments/4-698/4698-32.pdf).
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A. Information Barrier Identification
The FINRA OATS rules require OATS Reporting Members \10\ to record
the identification of information barriers for certain order events,
including when an order is received or originated, transmitted to a
department within the OATS Reporting Member, and when it is modified.
The Participants propose to amend the Compliance Rule to incorporate
these requirements into the CAT.
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\10\ An OATS ``Reporting Member'' is defined in FINRA Rule
7410(o).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Specifically, FINRA Rule 7440(b)(20) requires a FINRA OATS
Reporting Member to record the following when an order is received or
originated: ``if the member is relying on the exception provided in
Rule 5320.02 with respect to the order, the unique identification of
any appropriate information barriers in place at the department within
the member where the order was received or originated.'' \11\ The
Compliance Rule does not require Industry Members to report such
information barrier information. To address this OATS-CAT data gap, the
Exchange proposes to add new paragraph (a)(1)(A)(vii) to Rule 6830,
which would require Industry Members to record and report to the
Central Repository, for original receipt or origination of an order,
``the unique identification of any appropriate information barriers in
place at the department within the Industry Member where the order was
received or originated.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\11\ FINRA Rule 5320 prohibits trading ahead of customer orders.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In addition, FINRA Rule 7440(c)(1) states that ``[w]hen a Reporting
Member transmits an order to a department within the member, the
Reporting Member shall record: . . . (H) if the member is relying on
the exception provided in Rule 5320.02 with respect to the order, the
unique identification of any appropriate information barriers in place
at the department within the member to which the order was
transmitted.'' The Compliance Rule does not require Industry Members to
report such information barrier information. To address this OATS-CAT
data gap, the Exchange proposes to revise paragraph (a)(1)(B)(vi) of
Rule 6830 to require, for the routing of an order, if routed internally
at the Industry Member, ``the unique identification of any appropriate
information barriers in place at the department within the Industry
Member to which the order was transmitted.''
FINRA Rule 7440(c)(2)(B) and 7440(c)(4)(B) require an OATS
Reporting Member that receives an order transmitted from another member
to report the unique identification of any appropriate information
barriers in place at the department within the member to which the
order was transmitted. The Compliance Rule not require Industry Members
to report such information barrier information. To address this OATS-
CAT data gap, the Exchange proposes to add new paragraph (a)(1)(C)(vii)
to Rule 6830, which would require Industry Members to record and report
to the Central Repository, for the receipt of an order that has been
routed, ``the unique identification of any appropriate information
barriers in place at the department within the Industry Member which
received the order.''
FINRA Rule 7440(d)(1) requires an OATS Reporting Member that
modifies or receives a modification to the terms of an order to report
the unique identification of any appropriate information barriers in
place at the department within the member to which the modification was
originated or received. The Compliance Rule does not require Industry
Members to report such information barrier information. To address this
OATS-CAT data gap, the Exchange proposes to add new paragraph
(a)(1)(D)(vii) to Rule 6830, which would require Industry Members to
record and report to the Central Repository, if the order is modified
or cancelled, ``the unique identification of any appropriate
information barriers in place at the department within the
[[Page 38166]]
Industry Member which received or originated the modification.''
B. Reporting Requirements for ATSs
Under FINRA Rule 4554, ATSs that receive orders in NMS stocks are
required to report certain order information to OATS, which FINRA uses
to reconstruct ATS order books and perform order-based surveillance,
including layering, spoofing, and mid-point pricing manipulation
surveillance.\12\ The Participants believe that Industry Members
operating ATSs--whether such ATS trades NMS stocks or OTC Equity
Securities--should likewise be required to report this information to
the CAT. Because ATSs that trade NMS stocks are already recording this
information and reporting it to OATS, the Participants believe that
reporting the same information to the CAT should impose little burden
on these ATSs. Moreover, including this information in the CAT is also
necessary for FINRA to be able to retire the OATS system. The
Participants similarly believe that obtaining the same information from
ATSs that trade OTC Equity Securities will be important for purposes of
reconstructing ATS order books and surveillance. Accordingly, the
Exchange proposes to add to the data reporting requirements in the
Compliance Rule the reporting requirements for ATSs in FINRA Rule
4554,\13\ but to expand such requirements so that they are applicable
to all ATSs rather than solely to ATSs that trade NMS stocks.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\12\ See FINRA Regulatory Notice 16-28 (August 2016).
\13\ FINRA Rule 4554 was approved by the SEC on May 10, 2016,
while the CAT NMS Plan was pending with the Commission. See
Securities Exchange Act Release No. 77798 (May 10, 2016), 81 FR
30395 (May 16, 2016) (Order Approving SR-FINRA-2016-010). As noted
in the Participants' Response to Comments, throughout the process of
developing the Plan, the Participants worked to keep the gap
analyses for OATS, electronic blue sheets, and the CAT up-to-date,
which included adding data fields related to the tick size pilot and
ATS order book amendments to the OATS rules. See Participants'
Response to Comments at 21. However, due to the timing of the
expiration of the tick size pilot, the Participants decided not to
include those data elements into the CAT NMS Plan.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(i) New Definition
The Exchange proposes to add a definition of ``ATS'' to new
paragraph (d) of Rule 6810 to facilitate the addition to the CAT of the
reporting requirements for ATSs set forth in FINRA Rule 4554. The
Exchange proposes to define an ``ATS'' to mean ``an alternative trading
system, as defined in Rule 300(a)(1) of Regulation ATS under the
Exchange Act.''
(ii) ATS Order Type
FINRA Rule 4554(b)(5) requires the following information to be
recorded and reported to FINRA by ATSs when reporting receipt of an
order to OATS:
A unique identifier for each order type offered by the ATS. An
ATS must provide FINRA with (i) a list of all of its order types 20
days before such order types become effective and (ii) any changes
to its order types 20 days before such changes become effective. An
identifier shall not be required for market and limit orders that
have no other special handling instructions.
The Compliance Rule does not require Industry Members to report
such order type information to the Central Repository. To address this
OATS-CAT data gap, the Exchange proposes to incorporate these
requirements into four new provisions to the Compliance Rule:
Paragraphs (a)(1)(A)(xi)(1), (a)(1)(C)(x)(1), (a)(1)(D)(ix)(1) and
(a)(2)(D) of Rule 6830.
Proposed paragraph (a)(1)(A)(xi)(1) of Rule 6830 would require an
Industry Member that operates an ATS to record and report to the
Central Repository for the original receipt or origination of an order
``the ATS's unique identifier for the order type of the order.''
Proposed paragraph (a)(1)(C)(x)(1) of Rule 6830 would require an
Industry Member that operates an ATS to record and report to the
Central Repository for the receipt of an order that has been routed
``the ATS's unique identifier for the order type of the order.''
Proposed paragraph (a)(1)(D)(ix)(1) of Rule 6830 would require an
Industry Member that operates an ATS to record and report to the
Central Repository if the order is modified or cancelled ``the ATS's
unique identifier for the order type of the order.'' Furthermore, as
with the requirements in FINRA Rule 4554(b)(5), proposed paragraph
(a)(2)(D) of Rule 6830 would state that:
An Industry Member that operates an ATS must provide to the
Central Repository:
(1) a list of all of its order types twenty (20) days before
such order types become effective; and (2) any changes to its order
types twenty (20) days before such changes become effective. An
identifier shall not be required for market and limit orders that
have no other special handling instructions.
(iii) National Best Bid and Offer
FINRA Rules 4554(b)(6) and (7) require the following information to
be recorded and reported to FINRA by ATSs when reporting receipt of an
order to OATS:
(6) The NBBO (or relevant reference price) in effect at the time
of order receipt and the timestamp of when the ATS recorded the
effective NBBO (or relevant reference price); and
(7) Identification of the market data feed used by the ATS to
record the NBBO (or other reference price) for purposes of
subparagraph (6). If for any reason, the ATS uses an alternative
feed than what was reported on its ATS data submission, the ATS must
notify FINRA of the fact that an alternative source was used,
identify the alternative source, and specify the date(s), time(s)
and securities for which the alternative source was used.
Similarly, FINRA Rule 4554(c) requires the following information to
be recorded and reported to FINRA by ATSs when reporting the execution
of an order to OATS:
(1) The NBBO (or relevant reference price) in effect at the time
of order execution;
(2) The timestamp of when the ATS recorded the effective NBBO
(or relevant reference price); and
(3) Identification of the market data feed used by the ATS to
record the NBBO (or other reference price) for purposes of
subparagraph (1). If for any reason, the ATS uses an alternative
feed than what was reported on its ATS data submission, the ATS must
notify FINRA of the fact that an alternative source was used,
identify the alternative source, and specify the date(s), time(s)
and securities for which the alternative source was used.
The Compliance Rule does not require Industry Members to report
such NBBO information to the Central Repository. To address this OATS-
CAT data gap, the Exchange proposes to incorporate these requirements
into four new provisions to the Compliance Rule: (a)(1)(A)(xi)(2)-(3),
(a)(1)(C)(x)(2)-(3), (a)(1)(D)(ix)(2)-(3) and (a)(1)(E)(viii)(1)-(2) of
Rule 6830.
Specifically, proposed paragraph (a)(1)(A)(xi)(2)-(3) of Rule 6830
would require an Industry Member that operates an ATS to record and
report to the Central Repository the following information when
reporting the original receipt or origination of order:
(2) the National Best Bid and National Best Offer (or relevant
reference price) at the time of order receipt or origination, and
the date and time at which the ATS recorded such National Best Bid
and National Best Offer (or relevant reference price);
(3) the identification of the market data feed used by the ATS
to record the National Best Bid and National Best Offer (or relevant
reference price) for purposes of subparagraph (xi)(2). If for any
reason the ATS uses an alternative market data feed than what was
reported on its ATS data submission, the ATS must provide notice to
the Central Repository of the fact that an alternative source was
used, identify the alternative source, and specify the date(s),
time(s) and securities for which the alternative source was used.
Similarly, proposed paragraphs (a)(1)(C)(x)(2)-(3),
(a)(1)(D)(ix)(2)-(3) and (a)(1)(E)(viii)(1)-(2) of Rule 6830
[[Page 38167]]
would require an Industry Member that operates an ATS to record and
report to the Central Repository the same information when reporting
receipt of an order that has been routed, when reporting if the order
is modified or cancelled, and when an order has been executed,
respectively.
(iv) Sequence Numbers
FINRA Rule 4554(d) states that ``[f]or all OATS-reportable event
types, all ATSs must record and report to FINRA the sequence number
assigned to the order event by the ATS's matching engine.'' The
Compliance Rule does not require Industry Members to report ATS
sequence numbers to the Central Repository. To address this OATS-CAT
data gap, the Exchange proposes to incorporate this requirement
regarding ATS sequence numbers into each of the Reportable Events for
the CAT. Specifically, the Exchange proposes to add proposed paragraph
(a)(1)(A)(xi)(4) to Rule 6830, which would require an Industry Member
that operates an ATS to record and report to the Central Repository
``the sequence number assigned to the receipt or origination of the
order by the ATS's matching engine.'' The Exchange proposes to add
proposed paragraph (a)(1)(B)(viii) to Rule 6830, which would require an
Industry Member that operates an ATS to record and report to the
Central Repository ``the sequence number assigned to the routing of the
order by the ATS's matching engine.'' The Exchange also proposes to add
proposed paragraph (a)(1)(C)(x)(4) to Rule 6830, which would require an
Industry Member that operates an ATS to record and report to the
Central Repository ``the sequence number assigned to the receipt of the
order by the ATS's matching engine.'' In addition, the Exchange
proposes to add proposed paragraph (a)(1)(D)(ix)(4) to Rule 6830, which
would require an Industry Member that operates an ATS to record and
report to the Central Repository ``the sequence number assigned to the
modification or cancellation of the order by the ATS's matching
engine.'' Finally, the Exchange proposes to add proposed paragraph
(a)(1)(E)(viii)(3) to Rule 6830, which would require an Industry Member
that operates an ATS to record and report to the Central Repository
``the sequence number assigned to the execution of the order by the
ATS's matching engine.''
(v) Modification or Cancellation of Orders by ATSs
FINRA Rule 4554(f) states that ``[f]or an ATS that displays
subscriber orders, each time the ATS's matching engine re-prices a
displayed order or changes the display quantity of a displayed order,
the ATS must report to OATS the time of such modification,'' and ``the
applicable new display price or size.'' The Exchange proposes adding a
comparable requirement into new paragraph (a)(1)(D)(ix)(5) to Rule
6830. Specifically, proposed new paragraph (a)(1)(D)(ix)(5) of Rule
6830 would require an Industry Member that operates an ATS to report to
the Central Repository, if the order is modified or cancelled, ``each
time the ATS's matching engine re-prices an order or changes the
quantity of an order,'' the ATS must report to the Central Repository
``the time of such modification, and the applicable new price or
size.'' Proposed paragraph (a)(1)(D)(ix)(5) of Rule 6830 would apply to
all ATSs, not just ATSs that display orders.
(vi) Display of Subscriber Orders
FINRA Rule 4554(b)(1) requires the following information to be
recorded and reported to FINRA by ATSs when reporting receipt of an
order to OATS:
Whether the ATS displays subscriber orders outside the ATS
(other than to alternative trading system employees). If an ATS does
display subscriber orders outside the ATS (other than to alternative
trading system employees), indicate whether the order is displayed
to subscribers only or through publicly disseminated quotation
data);
The Compliance Rule does not require Industry Members to report to
the CAT such information about the displaying of subscriber orders. The
Exchange proposes to add comparable requirements into proposed
paragraphs (a)(1)(A)(xi)(5) and (a)(1)(C)(x)(5) of Rule 6830.
Specifically, proposed paragraph (a)(1)(A)(xi)(5) would require an
Industry Member that operates an ATS to report to the Central
Repository, for the original receipt or origination of an order,
Whether the ATS displays subscriber orders outside the ATS
(other than to alternative trading system employees). If an ATS does
display subscriber orders outside the ATS (other than to alternative
trading system employees), indicate whether the order is displayed
to subscribers only or through publicly disseminated quotation data.
Similarly, proposed paragraph (a)(1)(C)(x)(5) of Rule 6830 would
require an Industry Member that operates an ATS to record and report to
the Central Repository the same information when reporting receipt of
an order that has been routed.
C. Customer Instruction Flag
FINRA Rule 7440(b)(14) requires a FINRA OATS Reporting Member to
record the following when an order is received or originated: ``any
request by a customer that a limit order not be displayed, or that a
block size limit order be displayed, pursuant to applicable rules.''
The Compliance Rule does not require Industry Members to report to the
CAT such a customer instruction flag. To address this OATS-CAT data
gap, the Exchange proposes to add paragraph (a)(1)(A)(viii) to Rule
6830, which would require Industry Members to record and report to the
Central Repository, for original receipt or origination of an order,
``any request by a Customer that a limit order not be displayed, or
that a block size limit order be displayed, pursuant to applicable
rules.'' The Exchange also proposes to add paragraph (a)(1)(C)(ix) to
Rule 6830, which would require Industry Members to record and report to
the Central Repository, for the receipt of an order that has been
routed, ``any request by a Customer that a limit order not be
displayed, or that a block size limit order be displayed, pursuant to
applicable rules.''
FINRA Rule 7440(d)(1) requires an OATS Reporting Member that
modifies or receives a modification of an order to report the customer
instruction flag. The Compliance Rule does not require Industry Members
to report such a customer instruction flag. To address this OATS-CAT
data gap, the Exchange proposes to add paragraph (a)(1)(D)(viii) to
Rule 6830, which would require Industry Members to record and report to
the Central Repository, if the order is modified or cancelled, ``any
request by a Customer that a limit order not be displayed, or that a
block size limit order be displayed, pursuant to applicable rules.''
D. Department Type
FINRA Rules 7440(b)(4) and (5) require an OATS Reporting Member
that receives or originates an order to record the following
information: ``the identification of any department or the
identification number of any terminal where an order is received
directly from a customer'' and ``where the order is originated by a
Reporting Member, the identification of the department of the member
that originates the order.'' The Compliance Rule does not require
Industry Members to report to the CAT information regarding the
department or terminal where the order is received or originated. To
address this OATS-CAT data gap, the Exchange proposes to add paragraph
(a)(1)(A)(ix) to Rule 6830,
[[Page 38168]]
which would require Industry Members to record and report to the
Central Repository upon the original receipt or origination of an order
``the nature of the department or desk that originated the order, or
received the order from a Customer.''
Similarly, per FINRA Rules 7440(c)(2)(B) and (4)(B), when an OATS
Reporting Member receives an order that has been transmitted by another
Member, the receiving OATS Reporting Member is required to record the
information required in 7440(b)(4) and (5) described above as
applicable. The Compliance Rule does not require Industry Members to
report to the CAT information regarding the department that received an
order. To address this OATS-CAT data gap, the Exchange propose to add
paragraph (a)(1)(C)(viii) to Rule 6830, which would require Industry
Members to record and report to the Central Repository upon the receipt
of an order that has been routed ``the nature of the department or desk
that received the order.''
E. Account Holder Type
FINRA Rule 7440(b)(18) requires an OATS Reporting Member that
receives or originates an order to record the following information:
``the type of account, i.e., retail, wholesale, employee, proprietary,
or any other type of account designated by FINRA, for which the order
is submitted.'' The Compliance Rule does not require Industry Members
to report to the CAT information regarding the type of account holder
for which the order is submitted. To address this OATS-CAT data gap,
the Exchange proposes to add paragraph (a)(1)(A)(x) to Rule 6830, which
would require Industry Members to record and report to the Central
Repository upon the original receipt or origination of an order ``the
type of account holder for which the order is submitted.''
ii. OTC Equity Securities
The Participants have identified several data elements related to
OTC Equity Securities that FINRA currently receives from ATSs that
trade OTC Equity Securities for regulatory oversight purposes, but are
not currently included in CAT Data. In particular, the Participants
identified three data elements that need to be added to the CAT: (1)
Bids and offers for OTC Equity Securities; (2) a flag indicating
whether a quote in OTC Equity Securities is solicited or unsolicited;
and (3) unpriced bids and offers in OTC Equity Securities. The
Participants believe that such data will continue to be important for
regulators to oversee the OTC Equity Securities market when using the
CAT. Moreover, the Participants do not believe that the proposed
requirement would burden ATSs because they currently report this
information to FINRA and thus the reporting requirement would merely
shift from FINRA to the CAT. Accordingly, as discussed below, the
Exchange proposes to amend its Compliance Rule to include these data
elements.
A. Bids and Offers for OTC Equity Securities
In performing its current regulatory oversight, FINRA receives a
data feed of the best bids and offers in OTC Equity Securities from
ATSs that trade OTC Equity Securities. These best bid and offer data
feeds for OTC Equity Securities are similar to the best bid and offer
SIP Data required to be collected by the Central Repository with regard
to NMS Securities.\14\ Accordingly, the Exchange proposes to add
paragraph (f)(1) to Rule 6830 to require the reporting of the best bid
and offer data feeds for OTC Equity Securities to the CAT.
Specifically, proposed paragraph (f)(1) of Rule 6830 would require each
Industry Member that operates an ATS that trades OTC Equity Securities
to provide to the Central Repository ``the best bid and best offer for
each OTC Equity Security traded on such ATS.''
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\14\ Section 6.5(a)(ii) of the CAT NMS Plan.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
B. Unsolicited Bid or Offer Flag
FINRA also receives from ATSs that trade OTC Equity Securities an
indication whether each bid or offer in OTC Equity Securities on such
ATS was solicited or unsolicited. Therefore, the Exchange proposes to
add paragraph (f)(2) to Rule 6830 to require the reporting to the CAT
of an indication as to whether a bid or offer was solicited or
unsolicited. Specifically, proposed paragraph (f)(2) of Rule 6830 would
require each Industry Member that operates an ATS that trades OTC
Equity Securities to provide to the Central Repository ``an indication
of whether each bid and offer for OTC Equity Securities was solicited
or unsolicited.''
C. Unpriced Bids and Offers
FINRA receives from ATSs that trade OTC Equity Securities certain
unpriced bids and offers for each OTC Equity Security traded on the
ATS. Therefore, the Exchange proposes to add paragraph (f)(3) to Rule
6830, which would require each Industry Member that operates an ATS
that trades OTC Equity Securities to provide to the Central Repository
``the unpriced bids and offers for each OTC Equity Security traded on
such ATS.''
iii. Revised Industry Member Reporting Timeline
On February 19, 2020, the Participants filed with the Commission a
request for exemptive relief from certain provisions of the CAT NMS
Plan to allow for the implementation of phased reporting to the CAT by
Industry Members (``Phased Reporting'').\15\ Specifically, in their
exemptive request, the Participants requested that the SEC exempt each
Participant from the requirement in Section 6.7(a)(v) of the CAT NMS
Plan for each Participant, through its Compliance Rule, to require its
Industry Members other than Small Industry Members (``Large Industry
Members'') to report to the Central Repository Industry Member Data
within two years of the Effective Date (that is, by November 15, 2018).
In addition, the Participants requested that the SEC exempt each
Participant from the requirement in Section 6.7(a)(vi) of the CAT NMS
Plan for each Participant, through its Compliance Rule, to require its
Small Industry Members \16\ to report to the Central Repository
Industry Member Data within three years of the Effective Date (that is,
by November 15, 2019). Correspondingly, the Participants requested that
the SEC provide an exemption from the requirement in Section 6.4 of the
CAT NMS Plan that ``[t]he requirements for Industry Members under this
Section 6.4 shall become effective on the second anniversary of the
Effective Date in the case of Industry Members other than Small
Industry Members, or the third anniversary of the Effective Date in the
case of Small Industry Members.''
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\15\ See Letter to Vanessa Countryman, Secretary, SEC, from
Michael Simon, CAT NMS Plan Operating Committee Chair, re: Request
for Exemption from Provisions of the National Market System Plan
Governing the Consolidated Audit Trail related to Industry Member
Reporting Dates (Feb. 19, 2020).
\16\ See Section 1.1 of the CAT NMS Plan.
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On April 20, 2020, the SEC granted the Participants exemptive
relief to implement Phased Reporting, subject to certain timeline
changes and conditions.\17\
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\17\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 88702 (April 20,
2020), 85 FR 23075 (April 24, 2020). As discussed in the SEC's
exemptive order, the Commission granted the Participants conditional
exemptive relief from the CAT NMS Plan so that the Compliance Rules
may require Phase 2a reporting to commence on June 22, 2020, rather
than the April 20, 2020 date set forth in the exemptive request, and
Phase 2b reporting to commence on July 20, 2020, rather than the May
18, 2020 date set forth in the exemptive request. As a condition to
the exemptive relief, Industry Members who elect to report to the
CAT prior to such dates will be permitted to report to the CAT as
early as April 20, 2020 for Phase 2a reporting and as early as May
18, 2020 for Phase 2b reporting.
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[[Page 38169]]
As a condition to the exemption, each Participant would implement
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Phased Reporting through its Compliance Rule by requiring:
(1) Its Large Industry Members and its Small Industry Members
that are required to record or report information to OATS pursuant
to applicable SRO rules (``Small Industry OATS Reporters'') to
commence reporting to the Central Repository Phase 2a Industry
Member Data by June 22, 2020, and its Small Industry Non-OATS
Reporters to commence reporting to the Central Repository Phase 2a
Industry Member Data by December 13, 2021;
(2) Its Large Industry Members to commence reporting to the
Central Repository Phase 2b Industry Member Data by July 20, 2020,
and its Small Industry Members to commence reporting to the Central
Repository Phase 2b Industry Member Data by December 13, 2021;
(3) Its Large Industry Members to commence reporting to the
Central Repository Phase 2c Industry Member Data by April 26, 2021,
and its Small Industry Members to commence reporting to the Central
Repository Phase 2c Industry Member Data by December 13, 2021;
(4) Its Large Industry Members and Small Industry Members to
commence reporting to the Central Repository Phase 2d Industry
Member Data by December 13, 2021; and
(5) Its Large Industry Members and Small Industry Members to
commence reporting to the Central Repository Phase 2e Industry
Member Data by July 11, 2022.
The full scope of CAT Data required under the CAT NMS Plan will
be required to be reported when all five phases of the Phased
Reporting have been implemented, subject to any applicable exemptive
relief or amendments related to the CAT NMS Plan.
As a further condition to the exemption, each Participant proposes
to implement the testing timelines, described in Section F below,
through its Compliance Rule by requiring the following:
(1) Industry Member file submission and data integrity testing
for Phases 2a and 2b begins in December 2019.
(2) Industry Member testing of the Reporter Portal, including
data integrity error correction tools and data submissions, begins
in February 2020.
(3) The Industry Member test environment will be open with
intra-firm linkage validations to Industry Members for both Phases
2a and 2b in April 2020.
(4) The Industry Member test environment will be open to
Industry Members with inter-firm linkage validations for both Phases
2a and 2b in July 2020.
(5) The Industry Member test environment will be open to
Industry Members with Phase 2c functionality (full representative
order linkages) in January 2021.
(6) The Industry Member test environment will be open to
Industry Members with Phase 2d functionality (manual options orders,
complex options orders, and options allocations) in June 2021.
(7) Participant exchanges that support options market making
quoting will begin accepting Quote Sent Time on quotes from Industry
Members no later than April 2020.
(8) The Industry Member test environment (customer and account
information) will be open to Industry Members in January 2022.
As a result, the Exchange proposes to amend its Compliance Rule to
be consistent with the exemptive relief to implement Phased Reporting
as described below.
A. Phase 2a
In the first phase of Phased Reporting, referred to as Phase 2a,
Large Industry Members and Small Industry OATS Reporters would be
required to report to the Central Repository ``Phase 2a Industry Member
Data'' by June 22, 2020.\18\ To implement the Phased Reporting for
Phase 2a, the Exchange proposes to add paragraph (t)(1) of Rule 6810
(previously paragraph (s)) and amend paragraphs (c)(1) and (2) of Rule
6895.
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\18\ Small Industry Members that are not required to record and
report information to FINRA's OATS pursuant to applicable SRO rules
(``Small Industry Non-OATS Reporters'') would be required to report
to the Central Repository ``Phase 2a Industry Member Data'' by
December 13, 2021, which is approximately seventeen months after
Large Industry Members and Small Industry OATS Reporters begin
reporting.
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(i) Scope of Reporting in Phase 2a
To implement the Phased Reporting with respect to Phase 2a, the
Exchange proposes to add a definition of ``Phase 2a Industry Member
Data'' as paragraph (t)(1) of Rule 6810. Specifically, the Exchange
proposes to define the term ``Phase 2a Industry Member Data'' as
``Industry Member Data required to be reported to the Central
Repository commencing in Phase 2a.'' Phase 2a Industry Member Data
would include Industry Member Data solely related to Eligible
Securities that are equities. While the following summarizes categories
of Industry Member Data required for Phase 2a, the Industry Member
Technical Specifications provide detailed guidance regarding the
reporting for Phase 2a.\19\
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\19\ The items required to be reported commencing in Phase 2a do
not include the items required to be reported in Phase 2c or Phase
2d, as discussed below.
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Phase 2a Industry Member Data would include all events and
scenarios covered by OATS. FINRA Rule 7440 describes the OATS
requirements for recording information, which includes information
related to the receipt or origination of orders, order transmittal, and
order modifications, cancellations and executions. Large Industry
Members and Small Industry OATS Reporters would be required to submit
data to the CAT for these same events and scenarios during Phase 2a.
The inclusion of all OATS events and scenarios in the CAT is intended
to facilitate the retirement of OATS.
Phase 2a Industry Member Data also would include Reportable Events
for:
Proprietary orders, including market maker orders, for
Eligible Securities that are equities;
electronic quotes in listed equity Eligible Securities
(i.e., NMS stocks) sent to a national securities exchange or FINRA's
Alternative Display Facility (``ADF'');
electronic quotes in unlisted Eligible Securities (i.e.,
OTC Equity Securities) received by an Industry Member operating an
interdealer quotation system (``IDQS''); and
electronic quotes in unlisted Eligible Securities sent to
an IDQS or other quotation system not operated by a Participant or
Industry Member.
Phase 2a Industry Member Data would include Firm Designated IDs.
During Phase 2a, Industry Members would be required to report Firm
Designated IDs to the CAT, as required by paragraphs (a)(1)(A)(i), and
(a)(2)(C) of Rule 6830. Paragraph (a)(1)(A)(i) of Rule 6830 requires
Industry Members to submit the Firm Designated ID for the original
receipt or origination of an order. Paragraph (a)(2)(C) of Rule 6830
requires Industry Members to record and report to the Central
Repository, for original receipt and origination of an order, the Firm
Designated ID if the order is executed, in whole or in part.
In Phase 2a, Industry Members would be required to report all
street side representative orders, including both agency and
proprietary orders and mark such orders as representative orders,
except in certain limited exceptions as described in the Industry
Member Technical Specifications. A representative order is an order
originated in a firm owned or controlled account, including principal,
agency average price and omnibus accounts, by an Industry Member for
the purpose of working one or more customer or client orders.
In Phase 2a, Industry Members would be required to report the link
between the street side representative order and the order being
represented when: (1) The representative order was originated
specifically to represent a single order received either from a
customer or another broker-dealer; and (2) there is (a) an existing
direct electronic link in the Industry Member's system between the
order being represented and the representative order and (b) any
[[Page 38170]]
resulting executions are immediately and automatically applied to the
represented order in the Industry Member's system.
Phase 2a Industry Member Data also would include the manual and
Electronic Capture Time for Manual Order Events. Specifically, for each
Reportable Event in Rule 6830, Industry Members would be required to
provide a timestamp pursuant to Rule 6860. Rule 6860(b)(i) states that
Each Industry Member may record and report: Manual Order Events
to the Central Repository in increments up to and including one
second, provided that each Industry Members shall record and report
the time when a Manual Order Event has been captured electronically
in an order handling and execution system of such Industry Member
(``Electronic Capture Time'') in milliseconds.
Accordingly, for Phase 2a, Industry Members would be required to
provide both the manual and Electronic Capture Time for Manual Order
Events.\20\
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\20\ Industry Members would be required to provide an Electronic
Capture Time following the manual capture time only for new orders
that are Manual Order Events and, in certain instances, routes that
are Manual Order Events. The Electronic Capture Time would not be
required for other Manual Order Events.
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Industry Members would be required to report special handling
instructions for the original receipt or origination of an order during
Phase 2a. In addition, during Phase 2a, Industry Members will be
required to report, when routing an order, whether the order was routed
as an intermarket sweep order (``ISO''). Industry Members would be
required to report special handling instructions on routes other than
ISOs in Phase 2c, rather than Phase 2a.
In Phase 2a, Industry Members would not be required to report
modifications of a previously routed order in certain limited
instances. Specifically, if a trader or trading software modifies a
previously routed order, the routing firm is not required to report the
modification of an order route if the destination to which the order
was routed is a CAT Reporter that is required to report the
corresponding order activity. If, however, the order was modified by a
Customer or other non-CAT Reporter, and subsequently the routing
Industry Members sends a modification to the destination to which the
order was originally routed, then the routing Industry Member must
report the modification of the order route.\21\ In addition, in Phase
2a, Industry Members would not be required to report a cancellation of
an order received from a Customer after the order has been executed.
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\21\ This approach is comparable to the approach set forth in
OATS Compliance FAQ 35.
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(ii) Timing of Phase 2a Reporting
Pursuant to paragraph (c)(1) of Rule 6895, Large Industry Members
are required to begin reporting to the CAT by November 15, 2018. To
implement the Phased Reporting for Phase 2a for Large Industry Members,
the Exchange proposes to delete the November 15, 2018 date and to
supplement paragraph (c)(1) of Rule 6895 with new paragraph (c)(1)(A)
of Rule 6895, which would state, in relevant part, that ``Each Industry
Member (other than a Small Industry Member) shall record and report the
Industry Member Data to the Central Repository, as follows: (A) Phase
2a Industry Member Data by June 22, 2020.''
Pursuant to paragraph (c)(2) of Rule 6895, Small Industry Members
are required to begin reporting to the CAT by November 15, 2019. To
implement the Phased Reporting for Phase 2a for Small Industry Members,
the Exchange proposes to delete the November 15, 2019 date and to
supplement paragraph (c)(2) of Rule 6895 with new paragraphs (c)(2)(A)
and (B) of Rule 6895. Proposed paragraph (c)(2)(A) of Rule 6895 would
state that
Each Industry Member that is a Small Industry Member shall
record and report the Industry Member Data to the Central
Repository, as follows: (A) Small Industry Members that are required
to record or report information to FINRA's Order Audit Trail System
pursuant to applicable SRO rules (``Small Industry OATS Reporter'')
to report to the Central Repository Phase 2a Industry Member Data by
June 22, 2020.
Proposed paragraph (c)(2)(B) of Rule 6895 would state that ``Small
Industry Members that are not required to record or report information
to FINRA's Order Audit Trail System pursuant to applicable SRO rules
(``Small Industry Non-OATS Reporter'') to report to the Central
Repository Phase 2a Industry Member Data by December 13, 2021.''
B. Phase 2b
In the second phase of the Phased Reporting, referred to as Phase
2b, Large Industry Members would be required to report to the Central
Repository ``Phase 2b Industry Member Data'' by July 20, 2020. Small
Industry Members would be required to report to the Central Repository
``Phase 2b Industry Member Data'' by December 13, 2021, which is
approximately seventeen months after Large Industry Members begin
reporting such data to the Central Repository. To implement the Phased
Reporting for Phase 2b, the Exchange proposes to add paragraph (t)(2)
to Rule 6810 and amend paragraphs (c)(1) and (2) of Rule 6895.
(i) Scope of Phase 2b Reporting
To implement the Phased Reporting with respect to Phase 2b, the
Exchange proposes to add a definition of ``Phase 2b Industry Member
Data'' as paragraph (t)(2) to Rule 6810. Specifically, the Exchange
proposes to define the term ``Phase 2b Industry Member Data'' as
``Industry Member Data required to be reported to the Central
Repository commencing in Phase 2b.'' Phase 2b Industry Member Data is
described in detail in the Industry Member Technical Specifications for
Phase 2b. While the following summarizes the categories of Industry
Member Data required for Phase 2b, the Industry Member Technical
Specifications provide detailed guidance regarding the reporting for
Phase 2b.
Phase 2b Industry Member Data would include Industry Member Data
related to Eligible Securities that are options and related to simple
electronic option orders, excluding electronic paired option
orders.\22\ A simple electronic option order is an order to buy or sell
a single option that is not related to or dependent on any other
transaction for pricing and timing of execution that is either received
or routed electronically by an Industry Member. Electronic receipt of
an order is defined as the initial receipt of an order by an Industry
Member in electronic form in standard format directly into an order
handling or execution system. Electronic routing of an order is the
routing of an order via electronic medium in standard format from one
Industry Member's order handling or execution system to an exchange or
another Industry Member. An electronic paired option order is an
electronic option order that contains both the buy and sell side that
is routed to another Industry Member or exchange for crossing and/or
price improvement as a single transaction on an exchange. Responses to
auctions of simple orders and paired simple orders are also reportable
in Phase 2b.
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\22\ The items required to be reported in Phase 2b do not
include the items required to be reported in Phase 2d, as discussed
below in Section A.4.
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Furthermore, combined orders in options would be treated in Phase
2b in the same way as equity representative orders are treated in Phase
2a. A combined order would mean, as permitted by Exchange rules, a
single, simple order in Listed Options created by combining individual,
simple orders in Listed Options from a customer with the same exchange
origin code before
[[Page 38171]]
routing to an exchange. During Phase 2b, the single combined order sent
to an exchange must be reported and marked as a combined order, but the
linkage to the underlying orders is not required to be reported until
Phase 2d.
(ii) Timing of Phase 2b Reporting
Pursuant to paragraph (c)(1) of Rule 6895, Large Industry Members
are required to begin reporting to the CAT by November 15, 2018. To
implement the Phased Reporting for Phase 2b for Large Industry Members,
the Exchange proposes to delete the November 15, 2018 date and to
supplement paragraph (c)(1) of Rule 6895 with new paragraph (c)(1)(B)
of Rule 6895, which would state, in relevant part, that ``Each Industry
Member (other than a Small Industry Member) shall record and report the
Industry Member Data to the Central Repository, as follows: . . . (B)
Phase 2b Industry Member Data by July 20, 2020.''
Pursuant to paragraph (c)(2) of Rule 6895, Small Industry Members
are required to begin reporting to the CAT by November 15, 2019. To
implement the Phased Reporting for Phase 2b for Small Industry Members,
the Exchange proposes to delete the November 15, 2019 date and to
supplement paragraph (c)(2) of Rule 6895 with new paragraph (c)(2)(C)
of Rule 6895, which would state, in relevant part, that ``Each Industry
Member that is a Small Industry Member shall record and report the
Industry Member Data to the Central Repository, as follows: . . . (C)
Small Industry Members to report to the Central Repository Phase 2b
Industry Member Data . . . by December 13, 2021.''
C. Phase 2c
In the third phase of the Phased Reporting, referred to as Phase
2c, Large Industry Members would be required to report to the Central
Repository ``Phase 2c Industry Member Data'' by April 26, 2021. Small
Industry Members would be required to report to the Central Repository
``Phase 2c Industry Member Data'' by December 13, 2021, which is
approximately seven months after Large Industry Members begin reporting
such data to the Central Repository. To implement the Phased Reporting
for Phase 2c, the Exchange proposes to add paragraph (t)(3) to Rule
6810 and amend paragraphs (c)(1) and (2) of Rule 6895.
(i) Scope of Phase 2c Reporting
To implement the Phased Reporting with respect to Phase 2c, the
Exchange proposes to add a definition of ``Phase 2c Industry Member
Data'' as paragraph (t)(3) to Rule 6810. Specifically, the Exchange
proposes to define the term ``Phase 2c Industry Member Data'' as
``Industry Member Data required to be reported to the Central
Repository commencing in Phase 2c.'' Phase 2c Industry Member Data
would be Industry Member Data related to Eligible Securities that are
equities other than Phase 2a Industry Member Data, Phase 2d Industry
Member Data or Phase 2e Industry Member Data. Phase 2c Industry Member
Data is described in detail in the Industry Member Technical
Specifications for Phase 2c. While the following summarizes the
categories of Industry Member Data required for Phase 2c, the Industry
Member Technical Specifications provide detailed guidance regarding the
reporting for Phase 2c.
Phase 2c Industry Member Data would include Industry Member Data
that is related to Eligible Securities that are equities and that is
related to: (1) Allocation Reports as required to be recorded and
reported to the Central Repository pursuant to Section 6.4(d)(ii)(A)(1)
of the CAT NMS Plan; (2) quotes in unlisted Eligible Securities sent to
an IDQS operated by a CAT Reporter (reportable by the Industry Member
sending the quotes) (except for quotes reportable in Phase 2d, as
discussed below); (3) electronic quotes in listed equity Eligible
Securities (i.e., NMS stocks) that are not sent to a national
securities exchange or FINRA's Alternative Display Facility; (4)
reporting changes to client instructions regarding modifications to
algorithms; (5) marking as a representative order any order originated
to work a customer order in price guarantee scenarios, such as a
guaranteed VWAP; (6) flagging rejected external routes to indicate a
route was not accepted by the receiving destination; (7) linkage of
duplicate electronic messages related to a Manual Order Event between
the electronic event and the original manual route; (8) special
handling instructions on order route reports (other than the ISO, which
is required to be reported in Phase 2a); (9) quote identifier on trade
events; (10) reporting of large trader identifiers \23\ (``LTID'') (if
applicable) for accounts with Reportable Events that are reportable to
CAT as of and including Phase 2c; (11) reporting of date account opened
or Account Effective Date \24\ (as applicable) for accounts and flag
indicating the Firm Designated ID type as account or relationship; (12)
order effective time for orders that are received by an Industry Member
and do not become effective until a later time; (13) the modification
or cancellation of an internal route of an order; and (14) linkages to
the customer order(s) being represented for all representative order
scenarios, including agency average price trades, net trades,
aggregated orders, and disconnected Order Management System (``OMS'')--
Execution Management System (``EMS'') scenarios, as required in the
Industry Member Technical Specifications.\25\
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\23\ See definition of ``Customer Account Information'' in
Section 1.1 of the CAT NMS Plan. See also Rule 13h-1 under the
Exchange Act.
\24\ See definition of ``Customer Account Information'' and
``Account Effective Date'' in Section 1.1 of the CAT NMS Plan. Note
that the Exchange also proposes to amend the dates in the
definitions of ``Account Effective Date'' and ``Customer Account
Information'' to reflect the Phased Reporting. Specifically, the
Exchange proposes to amend paragraph (m)(2) of Rule 6810 to replace
the references to November 15, 2018 and 2019 with references to the
commencement of Phase 2c and Phase 2d. The Exchange also proposes to
amend paragraphs (a)(1)(A), (a)(1)(B) and (a)(2)-(5) of Rule 6810
regarding the definition of ``Account Effective Date'' with similar
changes to the dates set forth therein.
\25\ In Phase 2c, for any scenarios that involve orders
originated in different systems that are not directly linked, such
as a customer order originated in an OMS and represented by a
principal order originated in an EMS that is not linked to the OMS,
marking and linkages must be reported as required in the Industry
Member Technical Specifications.
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Phase 2c Industry Member Data also includes electronic quotes that
are provided by or received in a CAT Reporter's order/quote handling or
execution systems in Eligible Securities that are equities and are
provided by an Industry Member to other market participants off a
national securities exchange under the following conditions: (1) An
equity bid or offer is displayed publicly or has been communicated (a)
for listed securities to the Alternative Display Facility (ADF)
operated by FINRA; or (b) for unlisted equity securities to an ``inter-
dealer quotation system'' as defined in FINRA Rule 6420(c); or (2) an
equity bid or offer which is accessible electronically by customers or
other market participants and is immediately actionable for execution
or routing; i.e., no further manual or electronic action is required by
the responder providing the quote in order to execute or cause a trade
to be executed). With respect to OTC Equity Securities, OTC Equity
Securities quotes sent by an Industry Member to an IDQS operated by an
Industry Member CAT Reporter (other than such an IDQS that does not
match and execute orders) are reportable by the Industry Member sending
them in Phase 2c. Accordingly, any response to a request for quote or
other form of solicitation response provided in standard electronic
format (e.g., FIX) that meets this quote definition (i.e., an equity
bid or offer which is accessible
[[Page 38172]]
electronically by customers or other market participants and is
immediately actionable for execution or routing) would be reportable in
Phase 2c.
(ii) Timing of Phase 2c Reporting
Pursuant to paragraph (c)(1) of Rule 6895, Large Industry Members
are required to begin reporting to the CAT by November 15, 2018. To
implement the Phased Reporting for Phase 2c for Large Industry Members,
the Exchange proposes to delete the November 15, 2018 date and to
supplement paragraph (c)(1) of Rule 6895 with new paragraph (c)(1)(C)
of Rule 6895, which would state, in relevant part, that ``Each Industry
Member (other than a Small Industry Member) shall record and report the
Industry Member Data to the Central Repository, as follows: . . . (C)
Phase 2c Industry Member Data by April 26, 2021.''
Pursuant to paragraph (c)(2) of Rule 6895, Small Industry Members
are required to begin reporting to the CAT by November 15, 2019. To
implement the Phased Reporting for Phase 2c for Small Industry Members,
the Exchange proposes to delete the November 15, 2019 date and to
supplement paragraph (c)(2) of Rule 6895 with new paragraph (c)(2)(C)
of Rule 6895, which would state, in relevant part, that ``Each Industry
Member that is a Small Industry Member shall record and report the
Industry Member Data to the Central Repository, as follows: . . . (C)
Small Industry Members to report to the Central Repository . . . Phase
2c Industry Member Data . . . by December 13, 2021.''
D. Phase 2d
In the fourth phase of the Phased Reporting, referred to as Phase
2d, Large Industry Members and Small Industry Members would be required
to report to the Central Repository ``Phase 2d Industry Member Data''
by December 13, 2021. To implement the Phased Reporting for Phase 2d,
the Exchange proposes to add paragraph (t)(4) to Rule 6810 and amend
paragraphs (c)(1) and (2) of Rule 6895.
(i) Scope of Phase 2d Reporting
To implement the Phased Reporting with respect to Phase 2d, the
Exchange proposes to add a definition of ``Phase 2d Industry Member
Data'' as paragraph (t)(4) to Rule 6810. Specifically, the Exchange
proposes to define the term ``Phase 2d Industry Member Data'' as
``Industry Member Data required to be reported to the Central
Repository commencing in Phase 2d.'' \26\
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\26\ The Participants have determined that reporting information
regarding the modification or cancellation of a route is necessary
to create the full lifecycle of an order. Accordingly, the
Participants require the reporting of information related to the
modification or cancellation of a route similar to the data required
for the routing of an order and modification and cancellation of an
order pursuant to Sections 6.3(d)(ii) and (iv) of the CAT NMS Plan.
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``Phase 2d Industry Member Data'' is Industry Member Data that is
related to Eligible Securities that are options other than Phase 2b
Industry Member Data, Industry Member Data that is related to Eligible
Securities that are equities other than Phase 2a Industry Member Data
or Phase 2c Industry Member Data, and Industry Member Data other than
Phase 2e Industry Member Data. Phase 2d Industry Member Data is
described in detail in the Industry Member Technical Specifications for
Phase 2d. While the following summarizes the categories of Industry
Member Data required for Phase 2d, the Industry Member Technical
Specifications provide detailed guidance regarding the reporting for
Phase 2d.
Phase 2d Industry Member Data includes with respect to the Eligible
Securities that are options: (1) Simple manual orders; (2) electronic
and manual paired orders; (3) all complex orders with linkages to all
CAT-reportable legs; (4) LTIDs (if applicable) for accounts with
Reportable Events for Phase 2d; (5) date account opened or Account
Effective Date (as applicable) for accounts with an LTID and flag
indicating the Firm Designated ID type as account or relationship for
such accounts; \27\ (6) Allocation Reports as required to be recorded
and reported to the Central Repository pursuant to Section
6.4(d)(ii)(A)(1) of the CAT NMS Plan; (7) the modification or
cancellation of an internal route of an order; and (8) linkage between
a combined order and the original customer orders.
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\27\ As noted above, the Exchange also proposes to amend the
dates in the definitions of ``Account Effective Date'' and
``Customer Account Information'' to reflect the Phased Reporting.
Specifically, the Exchange proposes to amend paragraph (m)(2) of
Rule 6810 to replace the references to November 15, 2018 and 2019,
with references to the commencement of Phase 2c and Phase 2d. The
Exchange also proposes to amend paragraphs (a)(1)(A), (a)(1)(B) and
(a)(2)-(5) of Rule 6810 regarding the definition of ``Account
Effective Date'' with similar changes to the dates set forth
therein.
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Phase 2d Industry Member Data also would include electronic quotes
that are provided by or received in a CAT Reporter's order/quote
handling or execution systems in Eligible Securities that are options
and are provided by an Industry Member to other market participants off
a national securities exchange under the following conditions: A listed
option bid or offer which is accessible electronically by customers or
other market participants and is immediately actionable (i.e., no
further action is required by the responder providing the quote in
order to execute or cause a trade to be executed). Accordingly, any
response to a request for quote or other form of solicitation response
provided in standard electronic format (e.g., FIX) that meets this
definition would be reportable in Phase 2d for options.
Phase 2d Industry Member Data also would include with respect to
Eligible Securities that are options or equities (1) receipt time of
cancellation and modification instructions through Order Cancel Request
and Order Modification Request events; (2) modifications of previously
routed orders in certain instances; and (3) OTC Equity Securities
quotes sent by an Industry Member to an IDQS operated by an Industry
Member CAT Reporter that does not match and execute orders. In
addition, subject to any exemptive or other relief, Phase 2d Industry
Member Data will include verbal or manual quotes on an exchange floor
or in the over-the-counter market, where verbal quotes and manual
quotes are defined as bids or offers in Eligible Securities provided
verbally or that are provided or received other than via a CAT
Reporter's order handling and execution system (e.g., quotations
provided via email or instant messaging).
(ii) Timing of Phase 2d Reporting
Pursuant to paragraph (c)(1) of Rule 6895, Large Industry Members
are required to begin reporting to the CAT by November 15, 2018. To
implement the Phased Reporting for Phase 2d for Large Industry Members,
the Exchange proposes to delete the November 15, 2018 date and to
supplement paragraph (c)(1) of Rule 6895 with new paragraph (c)(1)(D)
of Rule 6895, which would state, in relevant part, that ``[e]ach
Industry Member (other than a Small Industry Member) shall record and
report the Industry Member Data to the Central Repository, as follows:
. . . (D) Phase 2d Industry Member Data by December 13, 2021.''
Pursuant to paragraph (c)(2) of Rule 6895, Small Industry Members
are required to begin reporting to the CAT by November 15, 2019. To
implement the Phased Reporting for Phase 2d for Small Industry Members,
the Exchange proposes to delete the November 15, 2019 date and to
supplement paragraph (c)(2) of Rule 6895 with new paragraph (c)(2)(C)
of Rule 6895, which would
[[Page 38173]]
state, in relevant part, that ``Each Industry Member that is a Small
Industry Member shall record and report the Industry Member Data to the
Central Repository, as follows: . . . (C) Small Industry Members to
report to the Central Repository . . . Phase 2d Industry Member Data by
December 13, 2021.''
E. Phase 2e
In the fifth phase of Phased Reporting, referred to as Phase 2e,
both Large Industry Members and Small Industry Members would be
required to report to the Central Repository ``Phase 2e Industry Member
Data'' by July 11, 2022. To implement the Phased Reporting for Phase
2e, the Exchange proposes to add paragraph (t)(5) to Rule 6810 and
amend paragraphs (c)(1) and (2) of Rule 6895.
(i) Scope of Phase 2e Reporting
To implement the Phased Reporting with respect to Phase 2e, the
Exchange proposes to add a definition of ``Phase 2e Industry Member
Data'' as paragraph (t)(5) of Rule 6810. Specifically, the Exchange
proposes to define the term ``Phase 2e Industry Member Data'' as
``Industry Member Data required to be reported to the Central
Repository commencing in Phase 2e. The full scope of Industry Member
Data required by the CAT NMS Plan will be required to be reported to
the CAT when Phase 2e has been implemented, subject to any applicable
exemptive relief or amendments to the CAT NMS Plan'' LTIDs and Account
Effective Date are both required to be reported in Phases 2c and 2d in
certain circumstances, as discussed above. The terms ``Customer Account
Information'' and ``Customer Identifying Information'' are defined in
Rule 6810 of the Compliance Rule.\28\ The Industry Member Technical
Specifications provide detailed guidance regarding the reporting for
Phase 2e.
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\28\ The term ``Customer Account Information'' includes account
numbers, and the term ``Customer Identifying Information'' includes,
with respect to individuals, dates of birth and SSNs. See Rule 6810.
The Participants have received exemptive relief from the
requirements for the Participants to require their members to
provide dates of birth, account numbers and social security numbers
for individuals to the CAT. See Securities Exchange Act Release No.
88393 (March 17, 2020), 85 FR 16152 (March 20, 2020). See also
Letter to Vanessa Countryman, Secretary, SEC, from Michael Simon,
CAT NMS Plan Operating Committee Chair, re: Request for Exemptive
Relief from Certain Provisions of the CAT NMS Plan related to Social
Security Numbers, Dates of Birth and Account Numbers (Jan. 29,
2020). Given the relief has been granted, Phase 2e Industry Member
Data will not include account numbers, dates of birth and SSNs for
individuals.
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(ii) Timing of Phase 2e Reporting
Pursuant to paragraph (c)(1) of Rule 6895, Large Industry Members
are required to begin reporting to the CAT by November 15, 2018. To
implement the Phased Reporting for Phase 2e for Large Industry Members,
the Exchange proposes to delete the November 15, 2018 date and to
supplement paragraph (c)(1) of Rule 6895 with new paragraph (c)(1)(E)
of Rule 6895, which would state, in relevant part, that ``[e]ach
Industry Member (other than a Small Industry Member) shall record and
report the Industry Member Data to the Central Repository, as follows:
. . . (E) Phase 2e Industry Member Data by July 11, 2022.''
Pursuant to paragraph (c)(2) of Rule 6895, Small Industry Members
are required to begin reporting to the CAT by November 15, 2019. To
implement the Phased Reporting for Phase 2e for Small Industry Members,
the Exchange proposes to delete the November 15, 2019 date and to
supplement paragraph (c)(2) of Rule 6895 with new paragraph (c)(2)(D)
of Rule 6895, which would state, in relevant part, that ``[e]ach
Industry Member that is a Small Industry Member shall record and report
the Industry Member Data to the Central Repository, as follows: . . .
(E) Small Industry Members to report to the Central Repository Phase 2e
Industry Member Data by July 11, 2022.''
F. Industry Member Testing Requirements
Rule 6880(a) sets forth various compliance dates for the testing
and development for connectivity, acceptance and the submission order
data. In light of the intent to shift to Phased Reporting in place of
the two specified dates for the commencement of reporting for Large and
Small Industry Members, the Exchange correspondingly proposes to
replace the Industry Member development testing milestones in Rule
6880(a) with the testing milestones set forth in the exemptive relief.
Specifically, the Exchange proposes to replace Rule 6880(a) with the
following:
(1) Industry Member file submission and data integrity testing
for Phases 2a and 2b shall begin in December 2019.
(2) Industry Member testing of the Reporter Portal, including
data integrity error correction tools and data submissions, shall
begin in February 2020.
(3) The Industry Member test environment shall open with intra-
firm linkage validations to Industry Members for both Phases 2a and
2b in April 2020.
(4) The Industry Member test environment shall open to Industry
Members with inter-firm linkage validations for both Phases 2a and
2b in July 2020.
(5) The Industry Member test environment shall open to Industry
Members with Phase 2c functionality (full representative order
linkages) in January 2021.
(6) The Industry Member test environment shall open to Industry
Members with Phase 2d functionality (manual options orders, complex
options orders, and options allocations) in June 2021.
(7) Participant exchanges that support options market making
quoting shall begin accepting Quote Sent Time on quotes from
Industry Members no later than April 2020.
(8) The Industry Member test environment (customer and account
information) will be open to Industry Members in January 2022.
iv. Granularity of Timestamps
On February 3, 2020, the Participants filed with the Commission a
request for exemptive relief from the requirement in Section 6.8(b) of
the CAT NMS Plan for each Participant, through its Compliance Rule, to
require that, to the extent that its Industry Members utilize
timestamps in increments finer than nanoseconds in their order handling
or execution systems, such Industry Members utilize such finer
increment when reporting CAT Data to the Central Repository.\29\ On
April 8, 2020, the Participants received the exemptive relief.\30\ As a
condition to this exemption, the Participants, through their Compliance
Rules, will require Industry Members that capture timestamps in
increments more granular than nanoseconds to truncate the timestamps,
after the nanosecond level for submission to CAT, not round up or down
in such circumstances. The timestamp granularity exemption remains in
effect for five years, until April 8, 2025. After five years, the
exemption would no longer be in effect unless the period the exemption
is in effect is extended by the SEC.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\29\ See Letter to Vanessa Countryman, Secretary, SEC, from
Michael Simon, CAT NMS Plan Operating Committee Chair, re: Request
for Exemption from Certain Provisions of the National Market System
Plan Governing the Consolidated Audit Trail related to Granularity
of Timestamps and Relationship Identifiers (Feb. 3, 2020).
\30\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 88608 (April 8,
2020), 85 FR 20743 (April 14, 2020).
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Accordingly, the Exchange proposes to amend its Compliance Rule to
reflect the exemptive relief. Specifically, the Exchange proposes to
amend paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 6860. Rule 6860(a)(2) states that
Subject to paragraph (b), to the extent that any Industry
Member's order handling or execution systems utilize time stamps in
increments finer than milliseconds, such Industry Member shall
record and report Industry Member Data to the Central Repository
with time stamps in such finer increment.
[[Page 38174]]
The Exchange proposes to amend this provision to read as follows to
reflect the exemptive relief:
Subject to paragraph (b), to the extent that any Industry
Member's order handling or execution systems utilize time stamps in
increments finer than milliseconds, such Industry Member shall
record and report Industry Member Data to the Central Repository
with time stamps in such finer increment up to nanoseconds;
provided, that Industry Members that capture timestamps in
increments more granular than nanoseconds must truncate the
timestamps after the nanosecond level for submission to CAT, rather
than rounding such timestamps up or down, until April 8, 2025.
v. Introducing Industry Members
On February 3, 2020, the Participants requested that the Commission
exempt broker-dealers that do not qualify as Small Industry Members
solely because they satisfy Rule 0-10(i)(2) under the Exchange Act and,
as a result, are deemed affiliated with an entity that is not a small
business or small organization (``Introducing Industry Member'') from
the requirements in the CAT NMS Plan applicable to Industry Members
other than Small Industry Members (``Large Industry Members'').\31\
Instead, such Introducing Industry Members would comply with the
requirements in the CAT NMS Plan applicable to Small Industry Members.
On April 20, 2020, the SEC granted the Participants exemptive relief
with regard to Introducing Industry Members.\32\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\31\ See Letter to Vanessa Countryman, Secretary, SEC, from
Michael Simon, CAT NMS Plan Operating Committee Chair, re: Request
for Exemption from Certain Provisions of the National Market System
Plan Governing the Consolidated Audit Trail related to Small
Industry Members (Feb. 3, 2020).
\32\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 88703 (April 20,
2020), 85 FR 23115 (April 24, 2020).
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As a result, the Exchange proposes to amend its Compliance Rule to
adopt a definition of ``Introducing Industry Member'' and to revise
Rule 6985 to require Introducing Industry Members to comply with the
requirements of the CAT NMS Plan applicable to Small Industry Members.
Specifically, the Exchange proposes to define ``Introducing Industry
Member'' in proposed paragraph (v) to Rule 6810, as ``a broker-dealer
that does not qualify as a Small Industry Member solely because such
broker-dealer satisfies Rule 0-10(i)(2) under the Exchange Act in that
it introduces transactions on a fully disclosed basis to clearing firms
that are not small businesses or small organizations.'' The Exchange
also proposes to add a new paragraph (3) to Rule 6895(c) to state that
``Introducing Industry Members must comply with the requirements of the
CAT NMS Plan applicable to Small Industry Members.'' With these
changes, Introducing Industry Members would be required to comply with
the requirements in the CAT NMS Plan applicable to Small Industry
Members, rather than the requirements in the CAT NMS Plan applicable to
Large Industry Members.
vi. CCID/PII
On January 29, 2020, the Participants filed with the Commission a
request for exemptive relief from certain requirements related to
reporting SSNs, dates of birth and account numbers to the CAT.\33\ The
Commission, Participants and others indicated security concerns with
maintaining such sensitive Customer information in the CAT. On March
17, 2020, the Participants received the exemptive relief, subject to
certain conditions.\34\ Assuming the Participants comply with the
conditions set forth in the PII Exemption Order, Industry Members would
not be required to report SSNs, dates of birth and account numbers to
the CAT NMS Plan.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\33\ See Letter to Vanessa Countryman, Secretary, SEC, from
Michael Simon, CAT NMS Plan Operating Committee Chair, re: Request
for Exemptive Relief from Certain Provisions of the CAT NMS Plan
related to Social Security Numbers, Dates of Birth and Account
Numbers (Jan. 29, 2020).
\34\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 88393 (March 17,
2020), 85 FR 16152 (March 20, 2020) (Order Granting Conditional
Exemptive Relief, Pursuant to Section 36 and Rule 608(e) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, from Section 6.4(d)(ii)(C) and
Appendix D Sections 4.1.6, 6.2, 8.1.1, 8.2, 9.1, 9.2, 9.4, 10.1, and
10.3 of the National Market System Plan Governing the Consolidated
Audit Trail) (``PII Exemption Order''). The PII Exemption Order
lists several conditions that must be met by the Exchange. If the
Exchange does not satisfy the conditions, the PII Exemption Order
would not apply to the Exchange.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
As described in the request for exemptive relief, the Participants
requested exemptive relief to allow for an alternative approach to
generating a CAT Customer ID (``CCID'') without requiring Industry
Members to report SSNs to the CAT (the ``CCID Alternative''). In lieu
of retaining such SSNs in the CAT, the Participants would use the CCID
Alternative, a strategy developed by the Chief Information Security
Officer for the CAT and the Chief Information Security Officers from
each of the Participants, in consultation with security experts from
member firms of Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association.
The CCID Alternative facilitates the ability of the Plan Processor to
generate a CCID without requiring the Plan Processor to receive SSNs or
store SSNs within the CAT. Under the CCID Alternative, the Plan
Processor would generate a unique CCID using a two-phase transformation
process that avoids having SSNs reported to or stored in the CAT. In
the first transformation phase, a CAT Reporter would transform the SSN
to an interim value (the ``transformed value''). This transformed
value, and not the SSN, would be submitted to a separate system within
the CAT (``CCID Subsystem''). The CCID Subsystem would then perform a
second transformation to create the globally unique CCID for each
Customer that is unknown to, and not shared with, the original CAT
Reporter. The CCID would then be sent to the customer and account
information system of the CAT, where it would be linked with the other
customer and account information. The CCID may then be used by the
Participants' regulatory staff and the SEC in queries and analysis of
CAT Data. To implement the CCID Alternative, the Participants requested
exemptive relief from the requirement in Section 6.4(d)(ii)(C) of the
CAT NMS Plan to require, through their Compliance Rules, Industry
Members to record and report SSNs to the Central Repository for the
original receipt of an order. As set forth in one condition of the PII
Exemption Order, Industry Members would be required to transform an SSN
to an interim value, and report the transformed value to the CAT.
The Participants also requested exemptive relief to allow for an
alternative approach which would exempt the reporting of dates of birth
and account numbers \35\ to the CAT (``Modified PII Approach''), and
instead would require Industry Members to report the year of birth and
the Firm Designated ID for each trading account associated with the
Customers. To implement the Modified PII Approach, the Participants
requested exemptive relief from the requirement in Section
6.4(d)(ii)(C) of the CAT NMS Plan to require, through their Compliance
Rules, Industry Members to record and report to the Central Repository
for the original receipt of an order dates of birth and account numbers
for Customers. As conditions to the exemption, Industry Members would
be required to report the year of birth of an individual to the Central
Repository, and to report the Firm Designated ID to the Central
Repository.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\35\ With respect to this aspect of the requested relief, the
PII Exemption Order provided relief with regard to the reporting of
all account numbers, not just account numbers for individuals as
requested by the Participants.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
To implement the request for exemptive relief and to eliminate the
[[Page 38175]]
requirement to report SSNs, date of birth and account numbers to the
CAT, the Exchange proposes to amend its Compliance Rule to reflect the
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
exemptive relief. NYSE Rule 6830(a)(2)(C) states that
[s]ubject to paragraph (3) below, each Industry Member shall
record and report to the Central Repository the following, as
applicable (``Received Industry Member Data'' and collectively with
the information referred to in Rule 6830(a)(1) ``Industry Member
Data'')) in the manner prescribed by the Operating Committee
pursuant to the CAT NMS Plan: . . . (C) for original receipt or
origination of an order, the Firm Designated ID for the relevant
Customer, and in accordance with Rule 6840, Customer Account
Information and Customer Identifying Information for the relevant
Customer.
Similarly, Rule 6840 requires the reporting of Customer Account
Information and Customer Identifying Information to the Central
Repository. Currently, Rule 6810(m) defines ``Customer Identifying
Information'' to include, with respect to individuals, ``date of
birth'' and ``individual tax payer identification number (``ITIN'')/
social security number (``SSN'').'' Accordingly, the Exchange proposes
to replace ``date of birth'' in the definition of ``Customer
Identifying Information'' in Rule 6810(m) (now renumbered Rule 6810(n))
with ``year of birth'' and to delete ``individual tax payer
identification number (``ITIN'')/social security number (``SSN'')''
from Rule 6810(m) (now renumbered Rule 6810(n)). In addition,
currently, Rule 6810(l) defines ``Customer Account Information'' to
include account numbers. The Exchange proposes to delete ``account
number'' from the definition of ``Customer Account Information'' in
Rule 6810(l) (now renumbered Rule 6810(m)).
The Exchange also proposes to add a definition of the term
``Transformed Value for individual tax payer identification number
(``ITIN'')/social security number (``SSN'')'' to Rule 6810.
Specifically, the Exchange proposes to add paragraph (pp) to Rule 6810
to define ``Transformed Value for individual tax payer identification
number (``ITIN'')/social security number (``SSN'')'' to mean ``the
interim value created by an Industry Member based on a Customer ITIN/
SSN.''
The Exchange proposes to revise Rule 6830(a)(2)(C) to include the
Transformed Value for individual tax payer identification number
(``ITIN'')/social security number (``SSN''). Specifically, the Exchange
proposes to revise Rule 6830(a)(2)(C) to state:
[s]ubject to paragraph (3) below, each Industry Member shall
record and report to the Central Repository the following, as
applicable (``Received Industry Member Data'' and collectively with
the information referred to in Rule 6830(a)(1) ``Industry Member
Data'')) in the manner prescribed by the Operating Committee
pursuant to the CAT NMS Plan: . . . (C) for original receipt or
origination of an order, the Firm Designated ID for the relevant
Customer, Transformed Value for individual tax payer identification
number (``ITIN'')/social security number (``SSN''), and in
accordance with Rule 6840, Customer Account Information and Customer
Identifying Information for the relevant Customer.
The Exchange also proposes to include the Transformed Value for
individual tax payer identification number (``ITIN'')/social security
number (``SSN'') in the Customer information reporting required under
Rule 6840. Specifically, the Exchange proposes to revise Rule 6840(a)
to require each Industry Member to submit to the Central Repository the
Transformed Value for individual tax payer identification number
(``ITIN'')/social security number (``SSN''), for each of its Customers
with an Active Account prior to such Industry Member's commencement of
reporting to the Central Repository and in accordance with the
deadlines set forth in Rule 6880. The Exchange also proposes to revise
Rule 6840(b) to require each Industry Member to submit to the Central
Repository any updates, additions or other changes to the Transformed
Value for individual tax payer identification number (``ITIN'')/social
security number (``SSN'') for each of its Customers with an Active
Account on a daily basis. In addition, the Exchange proposes to revise
Rule 6840(c) to require, on a periodic basis as designated by the Plan
Processor and approved by the Operating Committee, each Industry Member
to submit to the Central Repository a complete set of the Transformed
Value for individual tax payer identification number (``ITIN'')/social
security number (``SSN'') for each of its Customers with an Active
Account. The Exchange also proposes to revise Rule 6840(d) to require,
for each Industry Member for which errors in the Transformed Value for
individual tax payer identification number (``ITIN'')/social security
number (``SSN'') for each of its Customers with an Active Account
submitted to the Central Repository have been identified by the Plan
Processor or otherwise, such Industry Member to submit corrected data
to the Central Repository by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on T+3.
Paragraph (1)(B) of Rule 6810(m), the definition of ``Customer
Account Information'' states that ``in those circumstances in which an
Industry Member has established a trading relationship with an
institution but has not established an account with that institution,
the Industry Member will'' . . . ``provide the relationship identifier
in lieu of the ``account number.'' As an account number will no longer
be an element in ``Customer Account Information,'' the relationship
identifier used in lieu of the account number will no longer be
required as an element of Customer Account Information. Therefore, the
Exchange proposes to delete the requirement set forth in Rule
6810(m)(a)(B) regarding relationship identifiers from Rule 6810(m).
With these changes, Industry Members would not be required to
report to the Central Repository dates of birth, SSNs or account
numbers pursuant to Rule 6830(a)(2)(C). However, Industry Members would
be required to report the Transformed Value for individual tax payer
identification number (``ITIN'')/social security number (``SSN'') and
the year of birth to the Central Repository.\36\
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\36\ The Exchange anticipates that the Compliance Rule may be
further amended when further details regarding the CCID Alternative
are finalized.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
vii. FINRA Facility Data Linkage
On June 5, 2020, the Participants filed with the Commission a
request for exemptive relief from certain provisions of the CAT NMS
Plan to allow for an alternative approach to the reporting of clearing
numbers and cancelled trade indicators.\37\ The SEC provided this
exemptive relief on June 11, 2020.\38\ FINRA is required to report to
the Central Repository data collected by FINRA's Trade Reporting
Facilities, FINRA's OTC Reporting Facility or FINRA's Alternative
Display Facility (collectively, ``FINRA Facility'') pursuant to
applicable SRO rules (``FINRA Facility Data''). Included in this FINRA
Facility Data is the clearing number of the clearing broker for a
reported trade as well as the cancelled trade indicator. Under this
alternative approach, the clearing number and the cancelled trade
indicator of the FINRA Facility Data that is reported to the CAT would
be linked to the related execution reports reported by Industry
Members. To implement this approach in a phased manner, the
Participants received
[[Page 38176]]
exemptive relief from the requirement in Sections 6.4(d)(ii)(A)(2) and
(B) of the CAT NMS Plan to require, through their Compliance Rules,
that Industry Members record and report to the Central Repository: (1)
If the order is executed, in whole or in part, the SRO-Assigned Market
Participant Identifier of the clearing broker, if applicable; and (2)
if the trade is cancelled, a cancelled trade indicator, subject to
certain conditions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\37\ See Letter to Vanessa Countryman, Secretary, SEC, from
Michael Simon, CAT NMS Plan Operating Committee Chair, re: Request
for Exemption from Certain Provisions of the National Market System
Plan Governing the Consolidated Audit Trail related to FINRA
Facility Data Linkage (June 5, 2020).
\38\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 89051 (June 11,
2020), 85 FR 36631 (June 17, 2020).
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As a condition to this exemption, the Participants would continue
to require Industry Members to submit a trade report for a trade, and,
if the trade is cancelled, a cancellation, to a FINRA Facility pursuant
to applicable SRO rules, and to report the corresponding execution to
the Central Repository. In addition, Industry Members would be required
to report to the Central Repository the unique trade identifier
reported to a FINRA Facility with the corresponding trade report.
Furthermore, if an Industry Member does not submit a cancellation to a
FINRA Facility, or is unable to provide a link between the execution
reported to the Central Repository and the related FINRA Facility trade
report, then the Industry Member would be required to record and report
to the Central Repository a cancelled trade indicator and cancelled
trade timestamp if the trade is cancelled. Similarly, if an Industry
Member does not submit the clearing number of the clearing broker to a
FINRA Facility for a trade, or is unable to provide a link between the
execution reported to the Central Repository and the related FINRA
Facility trade report, then the Industry Member would be required to
record and report to the Central Repository the clearing number as well
as contra party information.
As a result, the Exchange proposes to amend its Compliance Rule to
reflect the exemptive relief to implement this alternative approach.
Specifically, the Exchange proposes to require Industry Members to
report to the CAT with an execution report the unique trade identifier
reported to a FINRA facility with the corresponding trade report. For
example, the unique trade identifier for the OTC Reporting Facility and
the Alternative Display Facility would be the Compliance ID, for the
FINRA/Nasdaq Trade Reporting Facility, it would be the Branch Sequence
Number, and for the FINRA/NYSE Trade Reporting Facility, it would the
FINRA Compliance Number. This unique trade identifier would be used to
link the FINRA Facility Data with the execution report in the CAT.
Specifically, the Exchange proposes to add new paragraph (a)(2)(E) to
Rule 6830, which states that:
(E) If an Industry Member is required to submit and submits a
trade report for a trade, and, if the trade is cancelled, a
cancellation, to one of FINRA's Trade Reporting Facilities, OTC
Reporting Facility or Alternative Display Facility pursuant to
applicable SRO rules, and the Industry Member is required to report
the corresponding execution and/or cancellation to the Central
Repository:
(1) the Industry Member is required to report to the Central
Repository the trade identifier reported by the Industry Member to
such FINRA facility for the trade when the Industry Member reports
the execution of an order pursuant to Rule 6830(a)(1)(E) beginning
June 22, 2020 for Large Industry Members and Small Industry OATS
Reporters and beginning December 13, 2021 for Small Industry Non-
OATS Reporters, and such trade identifier must be unique beginning
October 26, 2020 for Large Industry Members and Small Industry OATS
Reporters and beginning December 13, 2021 for Small Industry Non-
OATS Reporters.
The Exchange also proposes to relieve Industry Members of the
obligation to report to the CAT data related to clearing brokers and
trade cancellations pursuant to Rules 6830(a)(2)(A)(ii) and (B),
respectively, as this data will be reported by FINRA to the CAT, except
in certain circumstances. Accordingly, the Exchange proposes new
paragraphs (a)(2)(E)(2) and (3) to Rule 6830, which would state:
(2) if the order is executed in whole or in part, and the
Industry Member submits the trade report to one of the FINRA's Trade
Reporting Facilities, OTC Reporting Facility or Alternative Display
Facility pursuant to applicable SRO rules, the Industry Member is
not required to submit the SRO-Assigned Market Participant
Identifier of the clearing broker pursuant to Rule
6830(a)(2)(A)(ii); provided, however, if the Industry Member does
not report the clearing number of the clearing broker to such FINRA
facility for a trade, or does not report the unique trade identifier
to the Central Repository as required by Rule 6830(a)(2)(E)(1), then
the Industry Member would be required to record and report to the
Central Repository the clearing number of the clearing broker as
well as information about the contra party to the trade beginning
April 26, 2021 for Large Industry Members and Small Industry OATS
Reporters and beginning December 13, 2021 for Small Industry Non-
OATS Reporters; and
(3) if the trade is cancelled and the Industry Member submits
the cancellation to one of FINRA's Trade Reporting Facilities, OTC
Reporting Facility or Alternative Display Facility pursuant to
applicable SRO rules, the Industry Member is not required to submit
the cancelled trade indicator pursuant to Rule 6830(a)(2)(B);
provided, however, if the Industry Member does not report a
cancellation for a canceled trade to such FINRA facility, or does
not report the unique trade identifier as required by
6830(a)(2)(E)(1), then the Industry Member would be required to
record and report to the Central Repository a cancelled trade
indicator as well as a cancelled trade timestamp beginning June 22,
2020 for Large Industry Members and Small Industry OATS Reporters
and beginning December 13, 2021 for Small Industry Non-OATS
Reporters.
2. Statutory Basis
NYSE believes that the proposed rule change is consistent with the
provisions of Section 6(b)(5) of the Act,\39\ which require, among
other things, that the Exchange's rules must be designed to prevent
fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices, to promote just and
equitable principles of trade, and, in general, to protect investors
and the public interest, and Section 6(b)(8) of the Act,\40\ which
requires that the Exchange's rules not impose any burden on competition
that is not necessary or appropriate.
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\39\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(6).
\40\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(8)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NYSE believes that this proposal is consistent with the Act because
it is consistent with certain exemptions from the CAT NMS Plan, because
it facilitates the retirement of certain existing regulatory systems,
and is designed to assist the Exchange and its Industry Members in
meeting regulatory obligations pursuant to the Plan. In approving the
Plan, the SEC noted that the Plan ``is necessary and appropriate in the
public interest, for the protection of investors and the maintenance of
fair and orderly markets, to remove impediments to, and perfect the
mechanism of a national market system, or is otherwise in furtherance
of the purposes of the Act.'' \41\ To the extent that this proposal
implements the Plan, including the exemptive relief, and applies
specific requirements to Industry Members, the Exchange believes that
this proposal furthers the objectives of the Plan, as identified by the
SEC, and is therefore consistent with the Act.
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\41\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 79318 (November 15,
2016), 81 FR 84696, 84697 (November 23, 2016).
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B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition
NYSE does not believe that the proposed rule change will result in
any burden on competition that is not necessary or appropriate in
furtherance of the purposes of the Act. NYSE notes that the proposed
rule changes are consistent with certain exemptions from the CAT NMS
Plan, facilitate the retirement of certain existing regulatory systems,
and are designed to assist the Exchange in meeting its regulatory
obligations pursuant to the Plan. NYSE
[[Page 38177]]
also notes that the amendments to the Compliance Rules will apply
equally to all Industry Members that trade NMS Securities and OTC
Equity Securities. In addition, all national securities exchanges and
FINRA are proposing these amendments to their Compliance Rules.
Therefore, this is not a competitive rule filing, and, therefore, it
does not impose a burden on competition.
C. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Comments on the Proposed
Rule Change Received From Members, Participants, or Others
No written comments were solicited or received with respect to the
proposed rule change.
III. Discussion and Commission Findings
After careful review the Commission finds that the proposed rule
change, as modified by Amendment No. 2, is consistent with the
requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations thereunder
applicable to a national securities exchanges.\42\ Specifically, the
Commission finds that the proposed rule change, as modified by
Amendment No. 2, is consistent with Sections 6(b)(5) of the Act,\43\
which, among other things, require that rules of a national securities
exchange and national securities association be designed to promote
just and equitable principles of trade, to remove impediments to and
perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and a national market
system, and to protect investors and the public interest, and Section
6(b)(8) of the Act,\44\ which requires that the rules of a national
securities exchange not impose any burden on competition that is not
necessary or appropriate.
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\42\ In approving this proposed rule change, the Commission has
considered the proposed rules' impact on efficiency, competition,
and capital formation. See 15 U.S.C. 78c(f).
\43\ 15 U.S.C. 78(f)(b)(5).
\44\ 15 U.S.C. 78(f)(b)(8).
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A. CATS-OATS Data Gaps
Rule 613(a)(1)(ix) of Regulation NMS requires that the CAT NMS Plan
include a plan to eliminate existing rules and systems that would be
rendered duplicative by the CAT.\45\ The rule states that to the extent
that any existing rules or systems related to monitoring quotes,
orders, and executions provide information that is not rendered
duplicative, the plan should assess whether it is appropriate to
continue to collect this information, and if appropriate, decide
whether to collect the information separately or as part of the CAT.
The Exchange proposes to amend the Exchange's Compliance Rules to add
additional data elements to the CAT reporting requirements for Industry
Members that are currently reported to OATS, as set forth in FINRA's
rules, but have not previously been required for CAT reporting.\46\ The
Commission finds that the requiring the reporting of additional OATS
data elements is consistent with the Act as it represent a step forward
to facilitating the retirement of duplicative systems.
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\45\ See 17 CFR 262.613(a)(1)(ix).
\46\ The additional data elements relate to information barrier
identification, reporting requirements specific to alternative
trading systems (including ATSs that trade OTC Equity Securities),
customer instruction flags, department type, and account holder
type. See Notice, supra note 4, at 3964-67.
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B. OTC Equity Securities
The Commission finds that it is consistent with the Act to require
the reporting to the CAT of certain data elements from ATSs that trade
OTC Equity Securities. The Exchange proposes to require ATSs that trade
OTC Equity Securities to report three data elements to CAT that are
currently reported to FINRA but not CAT: (i) Bids and offers for OTC
Equity Securities, (ii) unsolicited bid/offer flag and (iii) unpriced
bids and offers.\47\ The Exchange represents that the CAT NMS Plan
Participants believe that such data will be important for regulators to
oversee the OTC Equity Securities market and believe that the proposal
would merely shift reporting from FINRA to the CAT and would not burden
ATSs.
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\47\ See Notice, supra note 4, at 3967.
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C. Revised Industry Member Timeline
The Commission finds that the proposed rule change concerning the
reporting timeline for Industry Members is consistent with the Act as
the changes are designed to reflect and implement the exemptive relief
granted by the Commission. On April 24, 2020, the Commission granted
exemptive relief relating to Industry Member reporting to CAT, and
permitted the Participants to implement a phased reporting approach,
where Large Industry Members and Small Industry Members would begin
reporting Industry Member Data in five phases, subject to certain
conditions.\48\ The proposed rule change implements this exemptive
relief by, among other things, adding definitions of each of the five
phases and amending testing and reporting dates for Large Industry
Members and Small Industry Members for each of the five phases. The
proposed rule change also states that the full scope of Industry Member
Data required by the CAT NMS Plan must be reported to the Central
Repository when the last phase of reporting have been implemented,
subject to any applicable exemptive relief or amendments to the CAT NMS
Plan.
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\48\ See, supra note 7.
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D. Timestamp Granularity
The Commission finds that the proposed rule change concerning the
granularity of timestamps is consistent with the Act as it is designed
to reflect the exemptive relief granted by the Commission. On April 8,
2020, the Commission granted exemptive relief relating the timestamp
granularity, which permitted the Participants to require Industry
Members that capture timestamps in increments more granular than
nanoseconds to truncate the timestamps after the nanosecond level for
submission to CAT, for a period of five years.\49\
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\49\ See, supra note 7.
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E. Introducing Industry Members
The Commission finds that the proposed rule change relating to
Introducing Industry Members is consistent with the Act as it reflects
and implements exemptive relief granted by the Commission. On April 20,
2020, the Commission granted exemptive relief to the Participants,
permitting the Participants to consider broker-dealers that not qualify
as Small Industry Members solely because they satisfy Rule 0-10(i)(2)
under the Exchange Act to be subject to CAT NMS Plan requirements
applicable to Small Industry Members.\50\
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\50\ See, supra note 7.
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F. CCID/PII
The Commission finds that the proposed rule change amending
reporting requirements related to CCID and PII are consistent with the
Act as it is designed to reflect and implement exemptive relief granted
by the Commission on March 17, 2020.\51\ Among other things, instead of
requiring the reporting of ITINs or SSNs, dates of birth and account
numbers, the Compliance Rule would now require reporting of a
transformed value in lieu of an ITIN or SSN, birth year and a Firm
Designated ID by Industry Members.
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\51\ See, supra note 7.
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G. FINRA Facility Data Linkage
The Commission finds that the proposed rule change amending the
reporting timeline for Industry Members is consistent with the Act as
it reflects and implements the exemptive relief granted by the
Commission related to
[[Page 38178]]
the reporting of clearing numbers and cancelled trade indicators. On
June 11, 2020, the Commission granted the Participants exemptive relief
that allows the Participants to implement an alternative approach to
the reporting of clearing numbers and cancelled trade indicators, by
utilizing data collected by FINRA's Trade Reporting Facilities, FINRA's
OTC Reporting Facility or FINRA's Alternative Display Facility.\52\
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\52\ See, supra note 7.
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For the foregoing reasons, the Commission believes that the
proposed rule change, as modified by Amendment No. 2, is consistent
with the Act.
IV. Solicitation of Comments on Amendment No. 2 to the Proposed Rule
Change
Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views, and
arguments concerning whether Amendment No. 2 to 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 [email protected]. Please include
File Number SR-NYSE-2020-01 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-NYSE-2020-01. 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 10:00 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. Persons submitting comments are
cautioned that we do not redact or edit personal identifying
information from comment submissions. You should submit only
information that you wish to make available publicly. All submissions
should refer to File Number SR-NYSE-2020-01 and should be submitted on
or before July 16, 2020.
V. Accelerated Approval of Proposed Rule Change, as Modified by
Amendment No. 2
The Commission finds good cause to approve the proposed rule
change, as modified by Amendment No. 2, prior to the thirtieth day
after the publication of notice of the filing of the amendments in the
Federal Register. As discussed above, Amendment No. 2 to the proposed
rule change amends the proposed rule change by: (1) Reflect exemptive
relief granted by the Commission subsequent to the initial filing of
this proposed rule change; (2) removing from the proposed rule change
revisions that are subject to a proposed amendment that has not yet
been approved by the Commission; and (3) making other edits and
corrections for consistency and clarity.
Amendment No. 2 modifies the proposed rule change to, among other
things, be consistent with exemptive relief granted by the Commission,
which was granted after the initial filing of the proposed rule
change.\53\ Specifically, the proposal implements exemptive relief
already granted by the Commission and modifies Industry Member CAT
reporting requirements to be consistent with such exemptive relief.
Granting accelerated approval of the proposed rule change, as modified
by Amendment No. 2, would allow the Exchange to implement these changes
at the start of Phase 2a Industry Member reporting to CAT, which is
scheduled for June 22, 2020.\54\ Accordingly, the Commission finds good
cause, pursuant to Section 19(b)(2) of the Act,\55\ to approve the
proposed rule change, as modified by Amendment No. 2, on an accelerated
basis.
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\53\ See, supra note 7.
\54\ See CAT Timeline, available at: https://www.catnmsplan.com/timeline.
\55\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).
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VI. Conclusion
It is therefore ordered, pursuant to Section 19(b)(2) of the Act,
that the proposed rule change (SR-NYSE-2020-01), as modified by
Amendment No. 2, is hereby approved on an accelerated basis.
For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets,
pursuant to delegated authority.\56\
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\56\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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J. Matthew DeLesDernier,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-13678 Filed 6-24-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P