Commodity Futures Trading Commission – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announces that on March 27, 2019, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., the Technology Advisory Committee (TAC) will hold a public meeting in the Conference Center at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission's headquarters in Washington, DC. At this meeting, the TAC will hear presentations and actionable recommendations from the TAC subcommittees on Automated and Modern Trading Markets, Distributed Ledger Technology and Market Infrastructure, Virtual Currencies, and Cyber Security; and hear about research findings on automated orders in the futures and options markets from the CFTC's Division of Market Oversight.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (``Commission'') is extending the comment period for a request for public comment regarding the practice of ``post-trade name give-up'' on swap execution facilities (the ``Name Give-Up Request for Comment'') that published November 30, 2018 in the Federal Register.

The OCC, Board, FDIC, SEC, and CFTC (individually, an Agency, and collectively, the Agencies) are inviting comment on a proposal to amend the regulations implementing the Bank Holding Company Act's (BHC Act) prohibitions and restrictions on proprietary trading and certain interests in, and relationships with, hedge funds and private equity funds in a manner consistent with the statutory amendments made pursuant to certain sections of the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act. The statutory amendments exclude from these restrictions certain firms that have total consolidated assets equal to $10 billion or less and total trading assets and liabilities equal to five percent or less of total consolidated assets and amend the restrictions applicable to the naming of a hedge fund or private equity fund to permit an investment adviser that is a banking entity to share a name with the fund under certain circumstances.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (``CFTC'' or ``Commission'') charges fees to designated contract markets and registered futures associations to recover the costs incurred by the Commission in the operation of its program of oversight of self- regulatory organization rule enforcement programs, specifically National Futures Association (``NFA''), a registered futures association, and the designated contract markets. Fees collected from each self-regulatory organization are deposited in the Treasury of the United States as miscellaneous receipts. The calculation of the fee amounts charged for 2018 by this notice is based upon an average of actual program costs incurred during fiscal year (FY) 2015, FY 2016, and FY 2017.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (``CFTC'' or ``Commission'') is proposing to revise its regulations requiring covered persons to provide annual privacy notices to customers. The proposed revisions implement the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act's (``FAST Act'') December 2015 statutory amendment to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (``GLB Act'') by providing an exception to the annual notice requirement under certain conditions.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (Commission or CFTC) is requesting public comment regarding the practice of ``post-trade name give-up'' on swap execution facilities.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (``Commission'' or ``CFTC'') is adopting amendments (``Final Rule'') to its margin requirements for uncleared swaps for swap dealers (``SD'') and major swap participants (``MSP'') for which there is no prudential regulator (``CFTC Margin Rule''). The Commission is adopting these amendments in light of the rules recently adopted by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (``Board''), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (``FDIC''), and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (``OCC'') (collectively, the ``QFC Rules'') that impose restrictions on certain uncleared swaps and uncleared security-based swaps and other financial contracts. Specifically, the Commission is amending the definition of ``eligible master netting agreement'' in the CFTC Margin Rule to ensure that master netting agreements of firms subject to the CFTC Margin Rule are not excluded from the definition of ``eligible master netting agreement'' based solely on such agreements' compliance with the QFC Rules. The Commission also is amending the CFTC Margin Rule such that any legacy uncleared swap (i.e., an uncleared swap entered into before the applicable compliance date of the CFTC Margin Rule) that is not now subject to the margin requirements of the CFTC Margin Rule will not become so subject if it is amended solely to comply with the QFC Rules. These amendments are consistent with amendments that the Board, FDIC, OCC, the Farm Credit Administration (``FCA''), and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (``FHFA'' and, together with the Board, FDIC, OCC, and FCA, the ``Prudential Regulators''), jointly published in the Federal Register on October 10, 2018.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (Commission), in accordance with the requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, is publishing a semiannual agenda of rulemakings that the Commission expects to propose or promulgate over the next year. The Commission welcomes comments from small entities and others on the agenda.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the extension of a collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (``PRA''), Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information and to allow 60 days for public comment. This notice solicits comments on the obligation to maintain records related to clearing documentation between the customer and the customer's clearing member.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 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.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC or Commission) is requesting nominations for membership on the Interest Rate Benchmark Reform Subcommittee (Subcommittee) under the Market Risk Advisory Committee (MRAC). The MRAC is a discretionary advisory committee established by the Commission in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 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.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (Commission) is publishing this notice to announce the renewal of the Technology Advisory Committee (TAC). The Commission has determined that the renewal of the TAC is necessary and in the public's interest, and the Commission has consulted with the General Services Administration's Committee Management Secretariat regarding the TAC's renewal.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 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.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (Commission) is publishing this notice to announce the renewal of the Global Markets Advisory Committee (GMAC). The Commission has determined that the renewal of the GMAC is necessary and in the public's interest, and the Commission has consulted with the General Services Administration's Committee Management Secretariat regarding the GMAC's renewal.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (Commission) is publishing this notice to announce the renewal of the Agricultural Advisory Committee (AAC). The Commission has determined that the renewal of the AAC is necessary and in the public's interest, and the Commission has consulted with the General Services Administration's Committee Management Secretariat regarding the AAC's renewal.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (``PRA''), 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.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (``PRA''), 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.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (``Commission'' or ``CFTC'') is amending its regulations regarding certain duties of chief compliance officers (``CCOs'') of swap dealers (``SDs''), major swap participants (``MSPs''), and futures commission merchants (``FCMs'') (collectively, ``Registrants''); and certain requirements for preparing, certifying, and furnishing to the Commission an annual report containing an assessment of the Registrant's compliance activities.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (``CFTC'' or ``Commission'') is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed renewal of a collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including proposed extension of an existing collection of information, and to allow 60 days for public comment. This notice solicits comments on the renewal of the reporting requirement that is embedded in the final rule adopting the end-user exception to the Commission's swap clearing requirement.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (Commission) is proposing amendments to its regulations to establish a regulatory framework within which the Commission may exempt a clearing organization that is organized outside of the United States (hereinafter referred to as ``non-U.S. clearing organization'') from registration as a derivatives clearing organization (DCO) in connection with the clearing organization's clearing of swaps. In addition, the Commission is proposing certain amendments to its delegation provisions in its regulations.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (``CFTC'' or ``Commission'') is proposing to amend its position limits rules for security futures products (``SFPs'') by: Increasing the default level of equity SFP position limits, and modifying the criteria for setting a higher level of position limits and position accountability levels. In addition, the proposed amended position limit regulation would provide discretion to a designated contract market (``DCM'') to apply limits to either a person's net position or a person's position on the same side of the market. The Commission also proposes criteria for setting position limits on an SFP on other than an equity security, generally based on an estimate of deliverable supply.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (``CFTC'' or ``Commission'') is issuing an order in response to a petition from ICE Clear Credit LLC, ICE Clear US, Inc., and ICE Clear Europe Limited (collectively, ``the ICE DCOs'' or ``the Petitioners'') seeking an exemption permitting the investment of futures and swap customer funds in certain categories of euro-denominated sovereign debt. The Commission is also granting exemptive relief to expand the universe of permissible counterparties and depositories that can be used in connection with these investments given the structure of the market for repurchase agreements in euro-denominated sovereign debt.

In accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC or Commission) is republishing two existing System of Record Notices (SORNs): CFTC-39, Freedom of Information Act Requests and CFTC-40, Privacy Act Requests. The modification will add three routine uses, clarify existing routine uses, and bring the SORNs in compliance with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-108 SORN template. Two of the new routine uses pertain to sharing information to mitigate a breach and are required by OMB Memorandum 17-12. The third new routine use is requested by the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) to allow disclosure of personally identifiable information to OGIS for Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) dispute resolution and compliance review purposes. Other updates include identifying the specific routine uses applicable to each of the systems of records rather than relying on CFTC's previously published blanket routine uses, and administrative updates to comply with the OMB Circular A-108 SORN template format.