Commodity Futures Trading Commission March 16, 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On December 16, 2016, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (Commission or CFTC) published in the Federal Register a notice of proposed rulemaking (Proposal) to adopt new regulations and to amend existing regulations to implement sections 4s(e) and (f) of the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA), as added by section 731 of the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act). Section 4s(e) requires the Commission to adopt capital requirements for swap dealers (SDs) and major swap participants (MSPs) that are not subject to capital rules of a prudential regulator. Section 4s(f) requires the Commission to adopt financial reporting and recordkeeping requirements for SDs and MSPs. The Commission also proposed to amend existing capital rules for futures commission merchants (FCMs), providing specific capital deductions for market risk and credit risk for swaps and security-based swaps entered into by an FCM. The Commission further proposed several technical amendments to the regulations. As is explained below, the Commission is extending for 60 days the comment period for the Proposal.