[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 178 (Thursday, September 12, 1996)] [Notices] [Pages 48190-48191] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 96-23343] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION [Release No. 34-37658; File No. SR-GSCC-96-07] Self-Regulatory Organizations; Government Securities Clearing Corporation; Notice of Filing of Amendments to a Proposed Rule Change Relating to the Rights and Responsibilities of Interdealer Broker Netting Members September 6, 1996. On July 2, 1996, the Government Securities Clearing Corporation (``GSCC'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'') a proposed rule change (File No. SR-GSCC-96-07) pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (``Act'') \1\ relating to the rights and responsibilities of interdealer broker (``IDB'') netting members. GSCC amended the filing on July 23, 1996.\2\ Notice of the proposed rule change, as amended, was published in the Federal Register on August 20, 1996.\3\ On August 16, 1996, and on August 21, 1996,\4\ GSCC filed amendments No. 2 and 3 to the filing. Amendment 2 and amendment No. 3 are described in Items I, II, and III below, which items have been prepared primarily by GSCC. The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments on the proposed rule change, as amended, from interested persons. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1) (1988). \2\ Letter from Karen Walraven, Vice President and Associate General Counsel, GSCC, to Jerry W. Carpenter, Assistant Director, Division of Market Regulation (``Division''), Commission (July 18, 1996). \3\ Securities Exchange Act Release No. 37565 (August 14, 1996), 61 FR 43103. \4\ Letters from Karen Walraven, Vice President and Associate Counsel, GSCC, to Jerry W. Carpenter, Division, Commission (August 12, 1996, and August 15, 1996). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance of the Proposed Rule Change The purpose of amendment No. 2 is to clarify that Category 1 IDB have no liability for losses resulting from nonmember brokered transactions. The purpose of amendment No. 3 to the proposed rule change is to require that at least thirty percent of a Category 1 IDB's clearing fund deposit consist of cash or eligible netting securities and that no more than seventy percent of its clearing fund deposit be met by pledging eligible letters of credit. [[Page 48191]] II. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change In its filing with the Commission, GSCC included statements concerning the purpose of and basis for the proposed rule change and discussed any comments that it received on the proposed rule change. The text of these statements may be examined at the places specified in Item IV below. GSCC has prepared summaries, set forth in sections (A), (B), and (C) below, of the most significant aspects of such statements.\5\ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \5\ The Commission has modified the text of the summaries submitted by GSCC. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (A) Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change Currently, GSCC's rules provide that if a loss resulting from a defaulting member relates to brokered transactions, ten percent of the loss is allocated collectively to IDBs regardless of their activity with the defaulting member. The proposed rule change as initially filed proposed amending GSCC's rules to eliminate the collective loss allocation and instead to allocate fifty percent of the loss from either a member or nonmember brokered transactions to Category 1 and Category 2 IDBs based on the level of their trading activity with the defaulting member.\6\ However, pursuant to GSCC's rules, only Category 2 IDBs may enter into nonmember brokered transactions. Amendment No. 2 clarifies that the loss from a nonmember brokered transaction will be allocated among Category 2 IDBs pro rata based on the level of their trading activity with the defaulting member. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \6\ A member brokered transaction is a brokered transaction where both the buyside and sellside counterparties to the IDB are netting members. A nonmember brokered transaction is a brokered transaction where either the buyside or sellside counterparty to the IDB is a nonmember. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The purpose of amendment No. 3 to the proposed rule change is to require that at least thirty percent of a Category 1 IDB's clearing fund deposit consist of cash or eligible netting securities and that no more than seventy percent of the clearing fund deposit be met by pledging eligible letters of credit. Unlike other participants which are required to deposit ten percent of their clearing fund requirement in cash, Category 1 IDBs need only deposit $100,000 in cash which is two percent of their proposed fixed $5,000,000 deposit requirement. As originally filed, GSCC's proposed rule change permitted Category 1 IDBs to meet the non-cash component of their required clearing fund deposit (i.e., $4.9 million) all or in part by pledging eligible letters of credit to GSCC. However, in amendment No. 3 GSCC states that for Category 1 IDBs, the non-cash component of their clearing fund requirement should be consistent with the composition requirements of other netting members, and therefore, no more than seventy percent of a Category 1 IDB's required clearing fund deposit may be met by pledging eligible letters of credit. At least thirty percent of their clearing fund requirement must consist of cash or eligible netting securities. Both Category 1 IDBs, because of their increased volumes due to the implementation and expansion of repo brokering services, and Category 2 IDBs, because they may enter trades with nonmembers, present increased risk to GSCC and its other members. Therefore, GSCC believes that IDBs should be subject to the same clearing fund deposit composition requirements as other netting members, with the exception of the lower cash requirement for Category 1 IDBs. GSCC believes the proposed rule change, as amended, is consistent with the requirements of Section 17A of the Act \7\ and the rules and regulations thereunder because the proposal should facilitate the prompt and accurate clearance and settlement of securities transactions by IDBs in GSCC's netting system. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \7\ 15 U.S.C. 78q-1 (1988). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (B) Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition GSCC does not believe that the proposed rule change as amended will impact or impose a burden on competition. (C) Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Comments on the Proposed Rule Change Received From Members, Participants, or Others Written comments were not solicited with respect to the proposed rule change as amended, and none have been received. III. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for Commission Action Within thirty-five days of the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register or within such longer period (i) as the Commission may designate up to ninety 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 GSCC consents, the Commission will: (a) By order approve such proposed rule change 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. Persons making written submissions should file six copies thereof with the Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 450 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20549. 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 Room, 450 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20549. Copies of such filing will also be available for inspection and copying at the principal office of GSCC. All submissions should refer to the file number SR-GSCC-96-07 and should be submitted by October 3, 1996. For the Commission by the Division of Market Regulation, pursuant to delegated authority.\8\ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \8\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12) (1995). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Margaret H. McFarland, Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. 96-23343 Filed 9-11-96; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8010-01-M