2011-22774. Self-Regulatory Organizations; Chicago Board Options Exchange, Incorporated; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change to Extend the Compliance Deadline for Qualification Pursuant to Rule 3.6A

August 30, 2011.

Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“the “Act”),^[1] notice is hereby given that on August 23, 2011, Chicago Board Options Exchange, Incorporated (“CBOE” or the “Exchange”) 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 CBOE. The Exchange has designated this proposal as one constituting a stated policy, practice, or interpretation with respect to the meaning, administration, or enforcement of an existing rule under Section 19((b)(3)(A)(i) of the Act,^[2] and Rule 19b-4(f((1) ^[3] thereunder, which renders the proposal effective upon filing with the Commission. The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments on the proposed rule change from interested persons.

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

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Act”),^[4] the Exchange proposes to extend the September 19, 2011 deadline to October 29, 2011 to comply with its rules regarding registration and qualification of individual Trading Permit Holders and individual associated persons.^[5] CBOE is not proposing any textual changes to the Rules of CBOE. The text of the proposed rule change is available on the Exchange's Web site (http://www.cboe.org/​legal), at the Exchange's Office of the Secretary and at the Commission's Public Reference Room.

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

In its filing with the Commission, CBOE included statements concerning the purpose of and basis for the proposed rule change 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. CBOE has prepared summaries, set forth in sections (A), (B), and (C) below, of the most significant aspects of such statements.

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

1. Purpose

Pursuant to Rule 15b7-1,^[6] promulgated under the Exchange Act,^[7] “No registered broker or dealer shall effect any transaction in * * * any security unless any natural person associated with such broker or dealer who effects or is involved in effecting such transaction is registered or approved in accordance with the standards of training, experience, competence, and other qualification standards…established by the rules of any national securities exchange…” CBOE Rule 3.6A sets forth the requirements for registration and qualification of individual Trading Permit Holders and individual associated persons. In response to a request by the Division of Trading and Markets at the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission” or “SEC”), CBOE recently amended its rules to expand its registration and qualification requirements set forth in CBOE Rule 3.6A to include individual Trading Permit Holders and individual associated persons that are engaged or to be engaged in the securities business of a Trading Permit Holder or TPH organization.^[8] CBOE Rule 3.6A provides that these individuals must be registered with the Exchange in the category of registration appropriate to the function to be performed as prescribed by the Exchange. Further, Rule 3.6A requires, among other things, that an individual Trading Permit Holder or individual associated person submit an application for registration and pass the appropriate qualification examination before the registration can become effective. The revised requirements apply to both CBOE and CBOE Stock Exchange (“CBSX”) Trading Permit Holders and their associated persons.

In conjunction with the registration requirements established by SR-CBOE-2010-084, three new qualification examinations became available on June 20, 2011 in the Central Registration Depository system (“WebCRD”), which is operated by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Incorporated (“FINRA”). These registration categories include the following (the required qualification examinations and prerequisites, as applicable, associated with each registration category are in parentheses): PT—Proprietary Trader (Series 56), CT—Proprietary Trader Compliance Officer (Series 14, Series 56 prerequisite) and TP—Proprietary Trader Principal (Series 24, Series 56 prerequisite). In the Approval Order for SR-CBOE-2010-084, the SEC established a deadline of August 12, 2011 for CBOE and CBSX individual Trading Permit Holders and individual associated persons of CBOE and CBSX Trading Permit Holders to register for and pass the applicable qualification examination(s), approximately seven weeks from the date the qualification exams became available. CBOE recently submitted a rule filing extending the deadline until September 19, 2011.^[9] The International Securities Exchange, LLC (“ISE”) recently submitted a rule filing setting forth the content outline for the Series 56.^[10] In conjunction with this filing, ISE issued a Regulatory Information Circular ^[11] establishing a deadline of October 29, 2011 for complying with its new registration and qualification requirements.

CBOE respectfully requests to extend the September 19, 2011 deadline to October 29, 2011 (or such other later compliance date as the Commission deems appropriate for the participating self-regulatory organizations) to be consistent with the deadline provided to ISE members to comply with the registration and qualification requirements.^[12] CBOE believes its proposal to extend this deadline is reasonable and necessary in an effort to implement consistent standards for registration and qualification across self-regulatory organizations.

CBOE continues to evaluate the reasonability of the proposed deadline in light of various factors including, but not limited to, the following: (i) Potential disruption to the marketplace if a Market-Maker or Designated Primary Market-Maker does not satisfy the qualification requirements; (ii) system enforced delays in registering for an examination in WebCRD upon an individual's failure of a qualification examination; (iii) examination scheduling limitations due to the volume of individuals required to take the examination(s); and (iv) the ability for those individuals subject to heightened qualification examinations to prepare for, schedule and pass more than one examination in an extremely limited window of time. CBOE will continue to update Commission staff and evaluate whether additional rule filings are necessary to address reasonability concerns in conjunction with requiring compliance within the proposed time frame.

2. Statutory Basis

The proposed rule change is consistent with Section 6(b) of the Act,^[13] in general, and furthers the objectives of Section 6(b)(1) ^[14] of the Act in particular, in that it is designed to enforce compliance by Exchange members and persons associated with its members with the rules of the Exchange. The Exchange also believes the proposed rule change furthers the objectives of Section 6(c)(3) ^[15] of the Act, which authorizes CBOE to prescribe standards of training, experience and competence for persons associated with CBOE members, in that this filing is proposing to extend the deadline for compliance with the standards of training, experience and competence established by the Exchange. CBOE believes that its proposal is reasonable in that it establishes a deadline for compliance with the registration and qualification requirements that is consistent with the deadline in place for ISE members and their associated persons.

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

CBOE does not believe that the proposed rule change will impose any burden on competition that is not necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the Act.

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 with respect to the proposed rule change.

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

The foregoing proposed rule change will take effect upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A)(i) of the Act ^[16] and Rule 19b-4(f)(1) thereunder,^[17] because it constitutes a stated policy, practice, or interpretation with respect to the meaning, administration, or enforcement of an existing rule.

At any time within 60 days of the filing of the proposed rule change, the Commission summarily may temporarily suspend such rule change if it appears to the Commission that such action is necessary or appropriate in the public interest, for the protection of investors, or otherwise in furtherance of the purposes of the Act.

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-CBOE-2011-081 on the subject line.

Paper Comments

• Send paper comments in triplicate to Elizabeth M. Murphy, Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street, NE., Washington, DC 20549-1090.

All submissions should refer to File Number SR-CBOE-2011-081. This file number should be included on the subject line if e-mail is used. To help the Commission process and review your 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 Web site viewing and printing in the Commission's Public Reference Room, 100 F Street, NE., Washington, DC 20549, on official business days between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Copies of such filing also will be available for inspection and copying at the principal office of CBOE. All comments received will be posted without change; the Commission does not edit personal identifying information from submissions. You should submit only information that you wish to make publicly available. All submissions should refer to File Number SR-CBOE-2011-081 and should be submitted on or before September 28, 2011.

For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated authority.^[18]

Elizabeth M. Murphy,

Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).

2.  15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(i).

3.  17 CFR 19b-4(f)(1).

4.  15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).

5.  The Commission notes that the extension until October 29, 2011 is an extension of the time to pass the appropriate qualification exam. All individual Trading Permit Holders and individual associated persons not already registered in WebCRD were to be registered as of January 11, 2011. See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 63314 (November 12, 2010), 75 FR 70957 (November 19, 2010), at 70958.

6.  17 CFR 240.15b7-1.

7.  15 U.S.C. 78a et seq.

8.  See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 63314 (November 12, 2010), 75 FR 70957 (November 19, 2010) (SR-CBOE-2010-084).

9.  See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 64946 (July 21, 2011), 76 FR 44972 (July 27, 2011) (SR-CBOE-2011-064).

10.  See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 65086 (August 10, 2011), 76 FR 50796 (August 16, 2011) [sic] (SR-ISE-2011-036).

11.  See ISE Regulatory Information Circular 2011-15 (issued August 15, 2011).

12.  The International Securities Exchange (“ISE”) received approval for a rule filing establishing substantially similar registration and qualification requirements on February 4, 2011. The Approval Order for SR-ISE-2010-115 provides that “Associated persons of ISE members will have 90 days from the date the examination becomes available to take and pass the examination.” See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 63843 (February 4, 2011), 76 FR 7884 (February 11, 2011) (SR-ISE-2010-115).

13.  15 U.S.C. 78f(b).

14.  15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(1).

15.  15 U.S.C. 78f(c)(3).

16.  15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(i).

17.  17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(1).

18.  17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).