[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 151 (Friday, August 6, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43004-43005]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-20303]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-41678; File No. SR-DTC-99-15]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; The Depository Trust Company; 
Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule Change Relating to Procedures When 
Settling Banks Fail To Settle

July 30, 1999.
    Pursuant to section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

[[Page 43005]]

(``Act''),\1\ notice is hereby given that on June 11, 1999. The 
Depository Trust Company (``DTC'') filed with the Securities and 
Exchange Commission (``Commission'') the proposed rule change (File No. 
SR-DTC-99-15) as described in Items, I, II, and III below, which items 
have been prepared primarily by DTC. The Commission is publishing this 
notice to solicit comments from interested persons.
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    \1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
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I. Self-Regulatory Organizations' Statement of the Terms of 
Substance of the Proposed Rule Change

    Under the proposed rule change, DTC will restate and expand its 
procedures for a settling bank's failure to settle.

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

    In its filing with the Commission, DTC 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. DTC has prepared summaries, set forth in sections (A), 
(B), and (C) below, of the most significant aspects of such 
statements.\2\
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    \2\ The Commission has modified the text of the summaries 
prepared by DTC.
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(A) Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and 
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

    Each DTC participant pays or receives the net debit or net credit 
balance in its DTC money settlement account at the end of each day. A 
settling bank employed by the participant sends or receives the net 
payment over Fedwire to or from DTC's account at the Federal Reserve 
Bank of New York. On a small number of occasions, a settling bank that 
settles only for itself (and not for any other participants) has been 
unable to settle with DTC due to an operational problem. On each of 
those occasions when the settling bank has a net debit balance, DTC 
completed money settlement by using deposits from its participants 
fund, and the settling bank was able to settle with DTC on the next 
day. On a few occasions, money settlement at DTC has been delayed with 
respect to DTC's settlement schedule due to an operational problem at a 
settling bank.
    Although such incidents or failure to settle are infrequent, DTC 
has reviewed its procedures for when a settling bank fails to settle 
with DTC due to a financial or operational problem. Those procedures 
are currently stated in memorandum dated July 29, 1994, which was 
issued jointly with the National Securities Clearing Corporation and 
which described the planned conversion of DTC's money settlement system 
to an entirely same day funds settlement system. The purpose of the 
proposed rule change is to restate in greater detail the procedures 
that DTC will follow if a settling bank fails to settle with DTC.\3\
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    \3\ For example, the proposed procedures will (1) state the 
specific time by which settling banks must acknowledge settlement 
balances each day, (2) provide for notice of a settling bank's 
failure to settle to the participants that settle through the bank, 
and (3) set forth the extent to which DTC will require a participant 
to make settlement payment itself in the event of a settlement 
bank's continued failure to settle. A copy of the proposed 
procedures was attached as Exhibit 2 to DTC's filing, which is 
available for inspection and copying in the Commission's Public 
Reference Room and through DTC.
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    DTC believes that the proposed rule change is consistent with the 
requirements of Section 17A(b)(3)(A) of the Act \4\ and the rules and 
regulations thereunder applicable to DTC because the proposed rule 
chnge will facilitate completion of daily money settlement at DTC in 
the event of a settling bank's failure to settle with DTC. DTC has 
informed the Commission that the proposed rule change will be 
implemented consistently with the safeguarding of securities and funds 
in DTC's custody or control or for which it is responsible because the 
settling bank failure to settle procedures supplement DTC's existing 
risk management controls.
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    \4\ 15 U.S.C. 78q-1(b)(3)(A).
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(B) Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

    DTC perceives no impact on competition by reason of the proposed 
rule change.

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

    DTC discussed the proposed rule change with several of its largest 
settling banks. Written comments from DTC participants or others have 
not been solicited or received on the proposed rule change.

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 DTC consents, the Commission will:
    (A) By order approve such proposed rule change or
    (B) Institute proceedings to determine whether the 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. Persons making written submissions 
should file six copies thereof with the Secretary, Securities and 
Exchange Commission, 450 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20549-0609. 
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 20549-0609. Copies of such filing also will be available 
for inspection and copying at the principal office of DTC submissions 
should refer to File No. SR-DTC-99-15 and should be submitted by August 
27, 1999.

    For the Commission by the Division of Market Regulation, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\5\
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    \5\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12)
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Margaret H. McFarland,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-20303 Filed 8-5-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010-01-M