04-19062. Self-Regulatory Organizations; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule Change and Amendment No. 1 by National Stock Exchange To Adopt an Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Program

August 13, 2004.

Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Act”) ^[1] and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,^[2] notice is hereby given that on March 5, 2004, National Stock Exchange^[SM] (“NSX^[SM] ” or “Exchange”) ^[3] filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) the proposed rule change, as described in Items I, II, and III below, which Items have been prepared by the Exchange. On August 9, 2004, the Exchange filed Amendment No. 1 to the proposed rule change.^[4] The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comment on the proposed rule change from interested persons.

I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance of the Proposed Rule Change

The Exchange proposes to adopt new Rule 5.6, entitled “Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Program.” Proposed new language is in italics.

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Rule 5.6 Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Program

(a) Each member shall develop and implement an anti-money laundering program reasonably designed to achieve and monitor compliance with the requirements of the Bank Secrecy Act (31 U.S.C. 5311, et seq.), and the implementing regulations promulgated thereunder by the Department of the Treasury. Each member's anti-money laundering program must be approved, in writing, by a member of its senior management.

(b) The anti-money laundering programs required by the Rule shall, at a minimum:

(1) Establish and implement policies and procedures that can be reasonably expected to detect and cause the reporting of transactions required under 31 U.S.C. 5318(g) and the implementing regulations thereunder;

(2) Establish and implement policies and internal controls reasonably designed to achieve compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act and the implementing regulations thereunder;

(3) Provide for independent testing for compliance to be conducted by the member's personnel or by a qualified outside party;

(4) Designate, and identify to the Exchange (by name, title, mailing address, e-mail address, telephone number, and facsimile number), a person or persons responsible for implementing and monitoring the day-to-day operations and internal controls of the program and provide prompt notification to the Exchange regarding any change in such designation(s); and

(5) Provide ongoing training for appropriate persons.

In the event that any of the provisions of this Rule 5.6 conflict with any of the provisions of another applicable self-regulatory organization's rule requiring the development and implementation of an anti-money laundering compliance program, the provisions of the rule of the member's Designated Examining Authority shall apply.

II. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

In its filing with the Commission, the Exchange included statements concerning the purpose of and basis for the proposed rule change as amended 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. The Exchange has prepared summaries, set forth in sections A, B, and C below, of the most significant parts 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 events of September 11, 2001, President Bush signed into law on October 26, 2001, the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (the “PATRIOT Act”) ^[5] to address terrorist threats through enhanced domestic security measures, expanded surveillance powers, increased information sharing and broadened anti-money laundering requirements. The PATRIOT Act amends, among other laws, the Bank Secrecy Act, as set forth in Title 31 of the United States Code.^[6] Certain provisions of Title III of the PATRIOT Act, also known as the International Money Laundering Abatement and Anti-Terrorist Financing Act of 2001 (“MLAA”), impose affirmative obligations on a broad range of financial institutions, including broker-dealers, specifically requiring the establishment of anti-money laundering monitoring and supervisory programs.

MLAA Section 352 requires all financial institutions (including broker-dealers) to establish anti-money laundering programs that include, at a minimum: (i) Internal policies, procedures and controls; (ii) the specific designation of an anti-money laundering compliance officer; (iii) an ongoing employee training program; and (iv) an audit function to test the anti-money laundering program.

The Commission had previously approved several other self-regulatory organizations' (“SROs”) proposals (including those of the NYSE and the NASD) to adopt rules requiring their members to establish anti-money laundering compliance programs with the minimum standards described above.^[7] Proposed NSX Rule 5.6 involves similar requirements. Adoption of the proposed rule would establish a regulatory framework for members to comply with the requirements of the PATRIOT Act consistent with that imposed by other SROs.

All members, regardless of whether the Exchange is the DEA, will be required to designate and identify to the Exchange (by name, title, mailing address, e-mail address, telephone number, and facsimile number), a person or persons responsible for implementing and monitoring the day-to-day operations and internal controls of the program and provide prompt notification to the Exchange regarding any change in that designation.

The exchange is not currently a DEA for any of its members. If the Exchange becomes a DEA for any of its members, its members would be subject to examination by the Exchange for compliance with the PATRIOT Act requirements.

In Amendment No. 1 the Exchange added language to the text of the proposed rule to clarify that, in the event any of the provisions of the rule conflicted with any of the provisions of another applicable self-regulatory organization's rule requiring, the development and implementation of an anti-money laundering compliance program, the provisions of the member's Designated Examining Authority would apply.

2. Statutory Basis

The Exchange believes that the statutory basis for the proposed rule change is section 6(b)(5) of the Act,^[8] in that it is designed to promote just and equitable principles of trade, to foster cooperating and coordination with persons engaged in regulating securities transactions, to remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and a national market system and, in general, to protect investors and the public interest, and is not designed to permit unfair discrimination between customers, issuers, brokers or dealers.

B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

The Exchange does not believe that the proposed rule change will impose any inappropriate burden on competition.

C. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Comments on the Proposed Rule Change Received from Members, Participants or Others

No written comments were solicited or received in connection with the proposed rule change.

III. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for Commission Action

Within 35 days of the publication of this notice in the Federal Register or within such longer period (i) as the Commission may designate up to 90 days of such date if it finds such longer period to be appropriate and publishes its reasons for so finding or (ii) as to which the self-regulatory organizations consents, the Commission will:

A. by order approve the proposed rule change, as amended, or

B. institute proceedings to determine whether the proposed rule change should be disapproved.

IV. Solicitation of Comments

Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views and arguments concerning the foregoing, including whether the proposed rule change is consistent with the Act. Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods:

Electronic Comments

• Use the Commission's Internet comment form (http://www.sec.gov/​rules/​sro.shtml); or
• Send an e-mail to [e-mail]. Please include File Number SR-NSX-2004-02 on the subject line.

Paper Comments

• Send paper comments in triplicate to Jonathan G. Katz, Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 450 Fifth Street, NW., Washington, DC 20549-0609.

All submissions should refer to File Number SR-NSX-2004-02. This file number should be included in the subject line if e-mail is used. To help the Commission process and review comments more efficiently, please use only one method. The Commission will post all comments on the Commission's Internet Web site (http://www.sec.gov/​rules/​sro.shtml). Copies of the submission, all subsequent amendments, all written statements with respect to the proposed rule change that are filed with the Commission, and all written communications relating to the proposed rule change between the Commission and any person, other than those that may be withheld from the public in accordance with the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be available for inspection and copying in the Commission's Public Reference Section, 450 Fifth Street, NW., Washington, DC 20549. Copies of such filings will also be available for inspection and copying at the principal office of the Exchange. All comments received will be posted without change; the Commission does not edit personal identifying information from the submissions. You should submit only information that you wish to make available publicly. All submissions should refer to File Number SR-NSX-2004-02 and should be submitted on or before September 10, 2004.

For the Commission by the Division of Market Regulation, pursuant to delegated authority.⁹

Margaret H. McFarland,

Deputy Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).

2.  17 CFR 240.19b-4.

3.  The Exchange recently changed its name and was formerly known as The Cincinnati Stock Exchange or “CSE.” See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 48774 (November 12, 2003), 68 FR 65332 (November 19, 2003) (SR-CSE-2003-12).

4.  See letter from James C. Yong, Senior Vice President of Regulation and General Counsel, NSX, to Nancy Sanow, Assistant Director, Division of Market Regulation, Commission, dated August 9, 2004 (“Amendment No. 1”). In Amendment No. 1, NSX deleted the phrase “While the Exchange views the regulatory oversight of members' compliance with the requirements of the PATRIOT Act to be a designated examining authority function under section 17(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Act”)” and added language to the text of the proposed rule to clarify that, in the event any of the provisions of the rule conflicted with any of the provisions of another applicable self-regulatory organization's rule requiring, the development and implementation of an anti-money laundering compliance program, the provisions of the member's Designated Examining Authority would apply.

5.  Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001, Pub. L. 107-56, 115 Stat. 272 (2001).

6.  31 U.S.C. 5311, et seq.

7.  See, e.g., Securities Exchange Act Release No. 45798 (April 22, 2002), 67 FR 20854 (April 26, 2002)(order approving SR-NASD-2002-10 and SR-NASD-2002-24).

8.  15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).

9.  17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).