2021-18671. Self-Regulatory Organizations; Fixed Income Clearing Corporation; Notice of Designation of Longer Period for Commission Action on Proposed Rule Change Relating to Confidential Information, Market Disruption Events, Systems Disconnect, ...

August 25, 2021.

I. Introduction

On June 25, 2021, Fixed Income Clearing Corporation (“FICC”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) proposed rule change SR-FICC-2021-004 (the “Proposed Rule Change”) pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Act”) ^[1] and Rule 19b-4 thereunder ^[2] to amend FICC's rules relating to confidentiality requirements, market disruption events, systems disconnect, and other changes. The Proposed Rule Change was published for comment in the Federal Register on July 13, 2021,^[3] and the Commission received a comment, which addresses issues that also appear in this Proposed Rule Change.^[4]

Section 19(b)(2) of the Act ^[5] provides that within 45 days of the publication of notice of the filing of a proposed rule change, or within such longer period up to 90 days as the Commission may designate if it finds such longer period to be appropriate and publishes its reasons for so finding or as to which the self-regulatory organization consents, the Commission shall either approve the proposed rule change, disapprove the proposed rule change, or institute proceedings to determine whether the proposed rule change should be disapproved. The 45th day after publication of the notice for the Proposed Rule Change is effectively Friday, August 27, 2021.

The Commission is extending the 45-day review period for Commission action on the Proposed Rule Change. In order to provide the Commission with sufficient time to consider the Proposed Rule Change, the Commission finds that it is appropriate to designate a longer period within which to take action on the Proposed Rule Change.

Accordingly, pursuant to Section 19(b)(2) of the Act ^[6] and for the reasons stated above, the Commission designates Friday, October 8, 2021, as the date by which the Commission shall either approve, disapprove, or institute proceedings to determine whether to disapprove the Proposed Rule Change (File No. SR-FICC-2021-004).

For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated authority.^[7]

Jill M. Peterson,

Assistant Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).

2.  17 CFR 240.19b-4.

3.  Securities Exchange Act Release No. 92341 (June 25, 2021), 86 FR 36799 (July 13, 2021) (File No. SR-FICC-2021-004) (“Notice of Filing”).

4.  Specifically, the Commission received a comment letter on a proposed rule change filed by FICC's affiliate, the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), regarding parallel changes to DTC's Rules. See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 92342 (June 25, 2021), 86 FR 36833 (July 13, 2021) (File No. SR-DTC-2021-011). The comment letter is available on the Commission's website at https://www.sec.gov/​comments/​sr-dtc-2021-011/​srdtc2021011.htm. Because the comment addresses issues that also appear in this Proposed Rule Change, the Commission will consider it in connection with FICC's proposal as well.

5.  15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).

6.  Id.

7.  17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(31).