Sunshine Act Meetings, 16262 [2022-06144]
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16262
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 55 / Tuesday, March 22, 2022 / Notices
POSTAL SERVICE
Sunshine Act Meetings
TIME AND DATE:
March 30, 2022, at 9:00
a.m.
PLACE:
Washington, DC.
Closed.
STATUS:
MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED:
Wednesday, March 30, 2022, at 9:00
a.m.
1. Strategic Issues.
2. Financial and Operational Issues.
3. Executive Session.
4. Administrative Items.
General Counsel Certification: The
General Counsel of the United States
Postal Service has certified that the
meeting may be closed under the
Government in the Sunshine Act.
CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Michael J. Elston, Secretary of the Board
of Governors, U.S. Postal Service, 475
L’Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, DC
20260–1000. Telephone: (202) 268–
4800.
Michael J. Elston,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022–06144 Filed 3–18–22; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 7710–12–P
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
[Release No. 34–94430; File No. SR–FINRA–
2022–004]
Self-Regulatory Organizations;
Financial Industry Regulatory
Authority, Inc.; Notice of Filing and
Immediate Effectiveness of a Proposed
Rule Change To Extend the Expiration
Date of the Temporary Amendments
Set Forth in SR–FINRA–2020–015 and
SR–FINRA–2020–027
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
March 16, 2022.
Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(‘‘Act’’) 1 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,2
notice is hereby given that on March 7,
2022, the Financial Industry Regulatory
Authority, Inc. (‘‘FINRA’’) filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission
(‘‘SEC’’ or ‘‘Commission’’) the proposed
rule change as described in Items I and
II below, which Items have been
prepared by FINRA. FINRA has
designated the proposed rule change as
constituting a ‘‘non-controversial’’ rule
change under paragraph (f)(6) of Rule
19b–4 under the Act,3 which renders
the proposal effective upon receipt of
1 15
U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
CFR 240.19b–4.
3 17 CFR 240.19b–4(f)(6).
2 17
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:24 Mar 21, 2022
Jkt 256001
this filing by the Commission. The
Commission is publishing this notice to
solicit comments on the proposed rule
change from interested persons.
I. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Terms of Substance of
the Proposed Rule Change
FINRA is proposing to extend the
expiration date of the temporary
amendments set forth in SR–FINRA–
2020–015 and SR–FINRA–2020–027
from March 31, 2022, to July 31, 2022.4
The proposed rule change would not
make any changes to the text of FINRA
rules.
The text of the proposed rule change
is available on FINRA’s website at
https://www.finra.org, at the principal
office of FINRA and at the
Commission’s Public Reference Room.
II. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Purpose of, and
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule
Change
In its filing with the Commission,
FINRA included statements concerning
the purpose of and basis for the
proposed rule change and discussed any
comments it received on the proposed
rule change. The text of these statements
may be examined at the places specified
in Item IV below. FINRA has prepared
summaries, set forth in sections A, B,
and C below, of the most significant
aspects of such statements.
A. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Purpose of, and
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule
Change
1. Purpose
In response to the COVID–19 global
health crisis and the corresponding
need to restrict in-person activities,
FINRA filed proposed rule changes, SR–
FINRA–2020–015 and SR–FINRA–
2020–027, which respectively provide
temporary relief from some timing,
method of service and other procedural
requirements in FINRA rules and allow
FINRA’s Office of Hearing Officers
(‘‘OHO’’) and the National Adjudicatory
Council (‘‘NAC’’) to conduct hearings,
on a temporary basis, by video
conference, if warranted by the current
COVID–19-related public health risks
posed by an in-person hearing. In
December 2021, FINRA filed a proposed
rule change, SR–FINRA–2021–031, to
4 If FINRA seeks to provide additional temporary
relief from the rule requirements identified in this
proposed rule change beyond July 31, 2022, FINRA
will submit a separate rule filing to further extend
the temporary extension of time. The amended
FINRA rules will revert to their original form at the
conclusion of the temporary relief period and any
extension thereof.
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Sfmt 4703
extend the expiration date of the
temporary amendments in both SR–
FINRA–2020–015 and SR–FINRA–
2020–027 from December 31, 2021, to
March 31, 2022.5
While there are material signs of
improvement, uncertainty still remains
for the coming months. The continued
presence of COVID–19 variants,
dissimilar vaccination rates throughout
the United States, and the current
medium to high COVID–19 community
levels in many states indicate that
COVID–19 remains an active and real
public health concern.6 Due to the
uncertainty and the lack of a clear
timeframe for a sustained and
widespread abatement of COVID–19related health concerns and
corresponding restrictions,7 FINRA
believes there is a continued need for
temporary relief beyond March 31,
2022. Accordingly, FINRA proposes to
extend the expiration date of the
temporary rule amendments in SR–
FINRA–2020–015 and SR–FINRA–
2020–027 from March 31, 2022, to July
31, 2022.8
i. SR–FINRA–2020–015
As stated in its previous filings,
FINRA proposed, and subsequently
extended, the changes set forth in SR–
5 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 93758
(December 13, 2021), 86 FR 71695 (December 17,
2021) (Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness
of File No. SR–FINRA–2021–031).
6 For example, on February 18, 2022, President
Joe Biden continued the national emergency
concerning COVID–19 beyond March 1, 2022,
because COVID–19 ‘‘continues to cause significant
risk to the public health and safety’’ of the United
States. See Continuation of the National Emergency
Concerning the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–
19) Pandemic, 87 FR 10289 (February 23, 2022).
7 For instance, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (‘‘CDC’’) recommends that people wear
a mask in public indoor settings in areas with a
high COVID–19 community level regardless of
vaccination status or individual risk. See https://
www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/preventgetting-sick/about-face-coverings.html.
Furthermore, numerous states currently have
COVID–19 restrictions in place. Hawaii requires
most people to wear masks in indoor public places
regardless of vaccination status and several other
states have mask mandates in certain settings, such
as healthcare and correctional facilities.
8 As a further basis for extending the expiration
date to July 31, 2022, FINRA notes that its Board
has approved the submission of a rule proposal to
the Commission to make permanent the temporary
service and filing rules originally set forth in SR–
FINRA–2020–015. See https://www.finra.org/about/
governance/finra-board-governors/meetings/
update-finra-board-governors-meeting-december2021. FINRA contemplates filing the rule proposal
with the Commission in the near future and the
extension of the temporary rule amendments would
help to avoid the rules reverting to their original
form before the permanent rules, if approved by the
Commission, become effective. FINRA notes that
the proposal approved by its Board does not
include the temporary rule amendments pertaining
to video conference hearings originally set forth in
SR–FINRA–2020–027.
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 55 (Tuesday, March 22, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Page 16262]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-06144]
[[Page 16262]]
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POSTAL SERVICE
Sunshine Act Meetings
TIME AND DATE: March 30, 2022, at 9:00 a.m.
PLACE: Washington, DC.
STATUS: Closed.
MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED:
Wednesday, March 30, 2022, at 9:00 a.m.
1. Strategic Issues.
2. Financial and Operational Issues.
3. Executive Session.
4. Administrative Items.
General Counsel Certification: The General Counsel of the United
States Postal Service has certified that the meeting may be closed
under the Government in the Sunshine Act.
CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION: Michael J. Elston, Secretary of
the Board of Governors, U.S. Postal Service, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW,
Washington, DC 20260-1000. Telephone: (202) 268-4800.
Michael J. Elston,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-06144 Filed 3-18-22; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P