[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 9 (Thursday, January 13, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 2442]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-117]



[[Page 2442]]

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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-50992; File No. SR-OCC-2004-23]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; The Options Clearing Corporation; 
Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of a Proposed Rule Change 
Relating to a Conforming Change in Rule 1106(a)(3)

January 7, 2005.
    Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
(``Act''),\1\ notice is hereby given that on December 17, 2004, The 
Options Clearing Corporation (``OCC'') 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 
primarily by OCC. The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit 
comments on the proposed rule change from interested persons.
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    \1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
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I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance 
of the Proposed Rule Change

    The proposed rule change makes a conforming, technical change to 
OCC Rule 1106(a)(3).

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

    In its filing with the Commission, OCC 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. OCC 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 parts of these statements.
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(A) Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and 
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

    In August 2004 the Commission approved a proposed rule change that 
reduced the exercise thresholds applied to equity options for purposes 
of exercise by exception processing as set forth in Rule 805.\3\ 
Specifically, the thresholds were reduced from $.75 to $.25 in a 
clearing member's customers' account and from $.25 to $.15 in any other 
account (i.e., firm and market maker accounts). However, OCC neglected 
to change Rule 1106(a)(3), which was intended to track those 
thresholds. The purpose of this rule change is to correct the error by 
making a conforming, technical change to Rule 1106(a)(3).
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    \3\ Securities Exchange Act Release No. 50178 (August 10, 2004), 
69 FR 51343 (August 18, 2004) [File No. SR-OCC-2004-04].
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    OCC believes that the proposed rule change is consistent with 
Section 17A of the Act, as amended, because it facilitates the 
administration of an existing rule. The proposed rule change is not 
inconsistent with the existing rules of OCC, including any other rules 
proposed to be amended.

(B) Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

    OCC does not believe that the proposed rule change would impose any 
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 and are not intended to be solicited with 
respect to the proposed rule change, and none have been received.

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

    The foregoing rule change has become effective pursuant to Section 
19(b)(3)(A)(i) of the Act \4\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(1) \5\ thereunder 
because it constitutes a stated policy, practice or interpretation with 
respect to the meaning, enforcement or administration of an existing 
rule. At any time within sixty days of the filing of the proposed rule 
change, the Commission could have summarily abrogated such rule change 
if it appeared to the Commission that such action was necessary or 
appropriate in the public interest, for the protection of investors, or 
otherwise in furtherance of the purposes of the Act.
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    \4\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(i).
    \5\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(1).
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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 [email protected]. Please include 
File Number SR-OCC-2004-23 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-OCC-2004-23. 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 inspection 
and copying in the Commission's Public Reference Section, 450 Fifth 
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20549. Copies of such filing also will be 
available for inspection and copying at the principal office of OCC and 
on OCC's Web site at http://www.optionsclearing.com. 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 available publicly. All 
submissions should refer to File Number SR-OCC-2004-23 and should be 
submitted on or before February 3, 2005.

    For the Commission by the Division of Market Regulation, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\6\
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    \6\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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J. Lynn Taylor,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. E5-117 Filed 1-12-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010-01-P