Commodity Futures Trading Commission 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq., Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, and to allow 60 days for comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments on requirements relating to information collected to assist the Commission in the prevention of market manipulation.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (``Commission'') is proposing regulations that establish a process for a designated contract market (``DCM'') or swap execution facility (``SEF'') to make a swap ``available to trade'' as set forth in new Section 2(h)(8) of the Commodity Exchange Act (``CEA'') pursuant to Section 723 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (``Dodd-Frank Act''). Only comments pertaining to the regulations proposed in this document will be considered as part of this further notice of proposed rulemaking (``Notice'').

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected costs and burden; it includes the actual data collection instruments [if any].

On January 26, 2011, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (``Commission'' or ``CFTC'') published in the Federal Register a notice of proposed rulemaking (``proposal'' or ``Proposed Rules''), which establishes a position limits regime for 28 exempt and agricultural commodity futures and options contracts and the physical commodity swaps that are economically equivalent to such contracts. The Commission is adopting the Proposed Rules, with modifications.

On July 14, 2011, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (``CFTC'' or the ``Commission'') issued a final order (``July 14 Order'') that grants temporary exemptive relief from certain provisions of the Commodity Exchange Act (``CEA'') that otherwise would have taken effect on the general effective date of title VII of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (``the Dodd-Frank Act'')July 16, 2011. The July 14 Order grants temporary relief in two parts. The first part addresses those CEA provisions added or amended by title VII of the Dodd-Frank Act that reference one or more terms regarding entities or instruments that title VII requires be ``further defined'' to the extent that requirements or portions of such provisions specifically relate to such referenced terms and do not require a rulemaking. The second part, which is based on part 35 of the Commission's regulations, addresses certain provisions of the CEA that may apply to certain agreements, contracts, and transactions in exempt or excluded commodities as a result of the repeal of various CEA exemptions and exclusions as of the general effective date of July 16, 2011. This is a notice of a proposed amendment to that July 14 Order, 76 FR 42508 (July 19, 2011), that would modify the temporary exemptive relief provided therein by extending the potential latest expiration date of the July 14 Order; and adding provisions to account for the repeal and replacement (as of December 31, 2011) of part 35 of the Commission's regulations. Only comments pertaining to these proposed amendments to the July 14 Order will be considered as part of this notice of proposed amendment.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq., Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension of an existing collection of information, and to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments on crop and market information.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (Commission or CFTC) is proposing regulations that would establish a schedule to phase in compliance with previously proposed requirements, including the swap trading relationship documentation requirement under proposed 17 CFR 23.504, 76 FR 6715 (Feb. 8, 2011) and the margin requirements for uncleared swaps under proposed 17 CFR 23.150 through 23.158, 76 FR 23732 (Apr. 28, 2011). This release is a continuation of those rulemakings. The proposed schedules would provide relief in the form of additional time for compliance with these requirements. This relief is intended to facilitate the transition to the new regulatory regime established by the Dodd-Frank Act in an orderly manner that does not unduly disrupt markets and transactions. The Commission is requesting comment on the proposed compliance schedules, Sec. Sec. 23.175 and 23.575, described in this release.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (Commission or CFTC) is amending its regulations governing off-exchange foreign currency transactions with members of the retail public (i.e., retail forex transactions). These amendments (Amendments) are necessary to incorporate into Part 5 of the Commission's regulations changes made to the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act). The Commission is also issuing certain related technical interpretations of various provisions of the CEA as amended by the Dodd-Frank Act with respect to retail forex transactions.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (``CFTC'' or ``Commission'') is adopting its regulations to implement section 21 of the Commodity Exchange Act (``CEA'' or ``Act''), which establishes registration requirements, statutory duties, core principles and certain compliance obligations for registered swap data repositories (``SDRs''). Section 21 of the CEA was added by section 728 of the Dodd- Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (``Dodd-Frank Act'').

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the ``Dodd-Frank Act'') was enacted on July 21, 2010. Section 719(d) of the Dodd-Frank Act mandates that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the ``CFTC'') and the Securities and Exchange Commission (the ``SEC'' and, together with the CFTC, the ``Commissions'') jointly conduct a study to determine whether stable value contracts (``SVCs'') fall within the definition of a swap. Section 719(d) of the Dodd-Frank Act also requires that the Commissions, in making that determination, jointly consult with the Department of Labor, the Department of the Treasury, and the State entities that regulate the issuers of SVCs. Further, Section 719(d) of the Dodd-Frank Act provides that if the Commissions determine that SVCs fall within the definition of a swap, they jointly shall determine if an exemption for SVCs from the definition of a swap is appropriate and in the public interest. In connection with this study, the Commissions' staffs seek responses of interested parties to the questions set forth below.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (``Commission'' or ``CFTC'') is charged with proposing rules to implement new statutory provisions enacted by Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (``Dodd-Frank Act''). The Dodd-Frank Act provides that swaps in an agricultural commodity (as defined by the Commission) are prohibited unless entered into pursuant to a rule, regulation or order of the Commission adopted pursuant to certain provisions of the Commodity Exchange Act (``CEA'' or ``Act''). On February 3, 2011, the Commission requested comment on a set of proposed rules that would, among other things, implement regulations whereby swaps in agricultural commodities may transact subject to the same rules as all other swaps. The proposed rules for swaps in an agricultural commodity would repeal and replace the Commission's current regulations concerning the exemption of swap agreements. After reviewing the comments submitted in response to the proposed rules, the Commission has determined to issue these final rules for swaps in an agricultural commodity in the form as originally proposed. The February 3, 2011, proposed rules also included provisions that would substantially amend the Commission's regulations regarding commodity option transactions. However, in this final rule the Commission is only issuing the rules for swaps in an agricultural commodity. The proposed rules for commodity option transactions will be addressed at a later date.