[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 154 (Thursday, August 10, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45876-45878]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-13004]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-54271; File No. SR-NASDAQ-2006-027]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC; 
Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To 
Modify the Date for Compliance With Regulation NMS

August 3, 2006.
    Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
(``Act''),\1\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\2\ notice is hereby given that 
on August 2, 2006, The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (``Nasdaq'') filed with 
the Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'') the proposed 
rule change as described in Items I and II below, which Items have been 
prepared by Nasdaq. Nasdaq has filed the proposal pursuant to Section 
19(b)(3)(A) of the Act \3\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) thereunder,\4\ 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.
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    \1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
    \2\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
    \3\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \4\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
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I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance 
of the Proposed Rule Change

    Nasdaq proposes to modify the date upon which its execution systems 
would be in compliance with Regulation NMS under the Act (``Regulation 
NMS''). The text of the proposed rule change is available on Nasdaq's 
Web site at http://www.nasdaq.com, at the principal office of Nasdaq, 
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, Nasdaq 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. Nasdaq has prepared summaries, set forth in sections A, 
B, and C below, of the most significant aspects of such statements.

[[Page 45877]]

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

1. Purpose
    Nasdaq proposes to modify certain of its rules that become 
effective upon the compliance date for Regulation NMS. In a previous 
proposal, Nasdaq had listed the compliance date as May 21, 2007,\5\ the 
date established by the Commission for full industry compliance.\6\ The 
Commission has established February 5, 2007, as the date of compliance 
for all automated trading centers such as Nasdaq. Accordingly, Nasdaq 
is proposing to modify its approved rules to demonstrate compliance 
with Regulation NMS by February 5, 2007, to conform with the 
Commission's scheduled compliance date.
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    \5\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 54155 (July 14, 
2006), 71 FR 41291 (July 20, 2006).
    \6\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 53829 (May 18, 
2006), 71 FR 30038 (May 24, 2006).
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2. Statutory Basis
    Nasdaq believes that the proposed rule change is consistent with 
the provisions of Section 6 of the Act,\7\ in general, and with 
Sections 6(b)(5) of the Act,\8\ in particular, in that the proposal is 
designed to prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices, to 
promote just and equitable principles of trade, to foster cooperation 
and coordination with persons engaged in regulating, clearing, 
settling, processing information with respect to, and facilitating 
transactions in securities, to remove impediments to and perfect the 
mechanism of a free and open market and a national market system, and, 
in general, to protect investors and the public interest. Nasdaq 
believes that the proposed rule change clarifies certain terms in 
Nasdaq's rules.
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    \7\ 15 U.S.C. 78f.
    \8\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

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

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

    Written comments were neither solicited nor received.

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

    The foregoing proposed rule change is subject to Section 
19(b)(3)(A)(iii) of the Act \9\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) thereunder \10\ 
because the proposal: (i) Does not significantly affect the protection 
of investors or the public interest; (ii) does not impose any 
significant burden on competition; and (iii) does not become operative 
prior to 30 days after the date of filing or such shorter time as the 
Commission may designate if consistent with the protection of investors 
and the public interest; provided that Nasdaq has given the Commission 
notice of its intent to file the proposed rule change, along with a 
brief description and text of the proposed rule change, at least five 
business days prior to the date of filing of the proposed rule change, 
or such shorter time as designated by the Commission.
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    \9\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(iii).
    \10\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
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    Nasdaq has requested that the Commission waive the five-day pre-
filing requirement and the 30-day pre-operative delay. Nasdaq believes 
that the filing may appropriately be designated as ``non-
controversial'' because the filing would conform certain of Nasdaq's 
rules to changes made in Regulation NMS. Accordingly, Nasdaq believes 
that its proposal should become immediately effective and the 
Commission should grant Nasdaq's request to waive the 5-day pre-filing 
requirement and the 30-day pre-operative waiting period. The Commission 
believes that waiving the five-day pre-filing requirement and the 30-
day pre-operative delay is consistent with the protection of investors 
and the public interest because such waiver would permit Nasdaq to 
clarify the proposed rule change prior to the launch of Nasdaq's new 
integrated system, Single Book. For this reason, the Commission 
designates the proposed rule change to be effective and operative upon 
filing with the Commission.\11\
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    \11\ For the purposes only of waiving the 30-day pre-operative 
delay, the Commission has considered the proposed rule's impact on 
efficiency, competition, and capital formation. See 15 U.S.C. 
78c(f).
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    At any time within 60 days of the filing of such proposed rule 
change the Commission may summarily abrogate 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 [email protected]. Please include 
File Number SR-NASDAQ-2006-027 on the subject line.

Paper Comments

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

All submissions should refer to File Number SR-NASDAQ-2006-027. 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 Room. Copies of the 
filing also will be available for inspection and copying at the 
principal office of Nasdaq. 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-NASDAQ-2006-027 and should be submitted on or before 
August 31, 2006.


[[Page 45878]]


    For the Commission, by the Division of Market Regulation, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\12\
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    \12\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Nancy M. Morris,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6-13004 Filed 8-9-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010-01-P