Commodity Futures Trading Commission January 5, 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (``Commission'' or ``CFTC'') is adopting amendments (``Final Rule'') to its margin requirements for uncleared swaps for swap dealers (``SDs'') and major swap participants (``MSPs'') for which there is not a prudential regulator (``CFTC Margin Rule''). The Commission is amending the CFTC Margin Rule to revise the calculation method for determining whether certain entities come within the scope of its initial margin (``IM'') requirements for uncleared swaps beginning in the last phase of the phased compliance schedule, which starts on September 1, 2022, and the timing for compliance with the IM requirements after the end of the phased compliance schedule. These amendments align certain aspects of the CFTC Margin Rule with the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision and the International Organization of Securities Commissions' (``BSBS/ IOSCO'') Framework for margin requirements for non-centrally cleared derivatives (``BCBS/IOSCO Framework''). The Commission is also amending the CFTC Margin Rule to allow SDs and MSPs subject to the CFTC Margin Rule to use the risk-based model calculation of IM of a counterparty that is a CFTC-registered SD or MSP to determine the amount of IM to be collected from the counterparty and to determine whether the IM threshold amount for the exchange of IM has been exceeded such that documentation concerning the collection, posting, and custody of IM would be required.