[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 62 (Thursday, April 1, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16534-16535]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-7361]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-61782; File No. SR-BX-2010-021]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; NASDAQ OMX BX, Inc.; Notice of 
Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change Extending 
the Pilot Period To Receive Inbound Routes of Orders From Nasdaq 
Execution Services

March 25, 2010.
    Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) \1\ of the Securities Exchange Act of 
1934 (``Act'') and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\2\ notice is hereby given 
that, on March 23, 2010, NASDAQ OMX BX, Inc. (the ``Exchange'' or 
``BX'') 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 BX. BX has designated the 
proposed rule change as constituting a non-controversial rule change 
under Rule 19b-4(f)(6) under the Act,\3\ 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\ 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

    BX submits this proposed rule change to extend the pilot period of 
BX's prior approval to receive inbound routes of equities orders from 
Nasdaq Execution Services, LLC (``NES'') through June 23, 2010.

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

    In its filing with the Commission, BX 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. BX has prepared summaries, set forth in Sections A, B, 
and C below, of the most significant aspects of such statements.

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

1. Purpose
    Currently, NES is the approved outbound routing facility of the 
NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (``NASDAQ'') for cash equities, providing 
outbound routing from NASDAQ to other market centers.\4\ BX also has 
been previously approved to receive inbound routes of equities orders 
by NES in its capacity as an order routing facility of NASDAQ.\5\ The 
Exchange's authority to receive inbound routes of equities orders by 
NES is subject to a pilot period ending March 23, 2010.\6\ The Exchange 
hereby seeks to extend the previously approved pilot period (with the 
attendant obligations and conditions) for an additional 3 months, 
through June 23, 2010.
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    \4\ See Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 50311 (September 3, 
2004), 69 FR 54818 (September 10, 2004) (Order Granting Application 
for a Temporary Conditional Exemption Pursuant To Section 36(a) of 
the Exchange Act by the National Association of Securities Dealers, 
Inc. Relating to the Acquisition of an ECN by The Nasdaq Stock 
Market, Inc.) and 52902 (December 7, 2005), 70 FR 73810 (December 
13, 2005) (SRNASD-2005-128) (Order Approving a Proposed Rule Change 
To Establish Rules Governing the Operation of the INET System). See 
also Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 58752 (October 8, 2008), 
73 FR 61181 (October 15, 2008) (SR-NASDAQ-2008-079); 58135 (July 10, 
2008), 73 FR 40898 (July 16, 2008) (SR-NASDAQ-2008-061); 58069 (June 
30, 2008), 73 FR 39360 (July 9, 2008) (SR-NASDAQ-2008-054); 56708 
(October 26, 2007), 72 FR 61925 (November 1, 2007) (SR-NASDAQ-2007-
078); 56867 (November 29, 2007), 72 FR 69263 (December 7, 2007) (SR-
NASDAQ-2007-065); 55335 (February 23, 2007), 72 FR 9369 (March 1, 
2007) (SR-NASDAQ-2007-005); 54613 (October 17, 2006), 71 FR 62325 
(October 24, 2006) (SR-NASDAQ 2006-043); 54271 (August 3, 2006), 71 
FR 45876 (August 10, 2006) (SR-NASDAQ-2006-027); and 54155 (July 14, 
2006), 71 FR 41291 (July 20, 2006) (SR-NASDAQ-2006-001).
    \5\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 59154 (December 23, 
2008), 73 FR 80468 (December 31, 2008).
    \6\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 61271 (December 31, 
2009), 75 FR 1102 (January 8, 2010).
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2. Statutory Basis
    The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is consistent 
with the provisions of Section 6 of the Act,\7\ in general, and with 
Section 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

[[Page 16535]]

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. Specifically, the proposed rule change will allow the 
Exchange to continue receiving inbound routes of equities orders from 
NES acting in its capacity as a facility of NASDAQ, in a manner 
consistent with prior approvals and established protections. The 
Exchange believes that extending the previously approved pilot period 
for 3 months is of sufficient length to permit both the Exchange and 
the Commission to assess the impact of the Exchange's authority to 
receive direct inbound routes of equities orders via NES (including the 
attendant obligations and conditions).
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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

    BX does not believe that the proposed rule change will impose any 
burden on competition 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

    No written comments were either solicited or received.

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

    Because the foregoing rule change does not: (1) Significantly 
affect the protection of investors or the public interest; (2) impose 
any significant burden on competition; and (3) become operative for 30 
days after the date of this filing, or such shorter time as the 
Commission may designate, it has become effective pursuant to Section 
19(b)(3)(A) of the Act \9\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) thereunder.\10\
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    \9\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \10\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
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    A proposed rule change filed under 19b-4(f)(6) normally may not 
become operative prior to 30 days after the date of filing.\11\ 
However, Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii) \12\ permits the Commission to designate 
a shorter time if such action is consistent with the protection of 
investors and the public interest. BX has requested that the Commission 
waive the 30-day operative delay.\13\ BX notes that the proposal will 
allow the Exchange to continue receiving inbound routes of equities 
orders from NES, in a manner consistent with prior approvals and 
established protections, while also permitting the Exchange and the 
Commission to assess the impact of the pilot.\14\ The Commission 
believes that waiving the 30-day operative delay is consistent with the 
protection of investors and the public interest because such waiver 
would allow the pilot period to be extended without interruption 
through June 23, 2010. For this reason, the Commission designates the 
proposed rule change to be operative upon filing with the 
Commission.\15\
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    \11\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6)(iii). In addition, Rule 
19b[ndash x ]4(f)(6)(iii) requires that a self-
regulatory organization submit to the Commission written 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. The 
Exchange has satisfied this requirement.
    \12\ Id.
    \13\ E-mail from Thomas Moran, Associate General Counsel, Office 
of General Counsel, NASDAQ OMX BX, to Theodore S. Venuti, Special 
Counsel, Division of Trading and Markets, Commission, dated March 
24, 2010.
    \14\ See supra Section II.A.2.
    \15\ For the purposes only of waiving the 30-day 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-BX-2010-021 on the subject line.

Paper Comments

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

All submissions should refer to File Number SR-BX-2010-021. 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 on official business 
days between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Copies of such filing also 
will be available for inspection and copying at the principal office of 
the Exchange. 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-BX-
2010-021 and should be submitted on or before April 22, 2010.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\16\
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    \16\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Florence E. Harmon,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010-7361 Filed 3-31-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P