[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 188 (Thursday, September 27, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59439-59441]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-23798]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-67904; File No. SR-NASDAQ-2012-106]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC; 
Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To 
Offer Members the Ability To Pay a Regulatory Fine Pursuant to an 
Installment Plan

September 21, 2012.
    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 September 14, 2012, The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (``NASDAQ'' or 
``Exchange'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission 
(``Commission'') the proposed rule change as described in Items I and 
II which Items have been prepared by the Exchange. 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.
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I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of the 
Substance of the Proposed Rule Change

    The Exchange proposes a rule change to offer members the ability to 
pay a regulatory fine pursuant to an installment plan, under certain 
conditions. The text of the proposed rule change is available at http://nasdaq.cchwallstreet.com, at the Exchange's principal office, 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, the Exchange 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. The Exchange 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
    NASDAQ is proposing to amend Rule 8320 governing ``Payment of 
Fines, Other Monetary Sanctions, or Costs; Summary Action for Failure 
to Pay'' to offer members the ability to pay a regulatory fine pursuant 
to an installment plan, under certain conditions. In order for a member 
to be eligible to pay a regulatory fine via an installment plan, the 
fine under the applicable letter of acceptance, waiver, and consent 
(``AWC'') \3\ must be $50,000 or more. A fine of less than $50,000 is 
not eligible for the installment plan. When submitting its AWC, the 
member must check the installment plan option on the election of 
payment form included with the AWC. A sample election of payment form 
and AWC are included in Exhibit 3 \4\ to this proposed rule change. A 
down payment of twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the total fine 
must be submitted with the signed AWC.
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    \3\ See NASDAQ Rule 9216(a).
    \4\ The Commission notes that Exhibit 3 is an exhibit to the 
proposed rule change, not to this Notice.
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    After receipt of the AWC and down payment, an installment package, 
including a promissory note and payment schedule, will be mailed to the 
member. A sample promissory note and payment schedule are included in 
Exhibit 3 to this proposed rule change. The member must then submit an 
executed (signed and notarized) promissory note for the unpaid balance

[[Page 59440]]

of the fine, along with its first installment payment. The term of the 
installment plan may not exceed four years after the execution of the 
AWC. The member may elect monthly or quarterly payments.
2. Statutory Basis
    NASDAQ believes that the proposed rule change is consistent with 
the provisions of Section 6 of the Act,\5\ in general, and with Section 
6(b)(5) of the Act,\6\ 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. In addition, NASDAQ believes 
that the proposed rule change is consistent with the provisions of 
Section 6(b)(6) and 6(b)(7) of the Act,\7\\\ which require an exchange 
to provide fair procedures for the disciplining of members and persons 
associated with members. Specifically, NASDAQ believes that the 
proposal will promote the settlement of disciplinary cases by allowing 
members to make installment payments. NASDAQ believes that settlement 
is a beneficial method of disciplining members because it imposes 
meaningful sanctions on the member while avoiding the cost and 
uncertainty of a protracted disciplinary proceeding. NASDAQ further 
believes that affording members with the opportunity to pay a 
regulatory fine over a period of time may allow NASDAQ to impose higher 
fines in appropriate circumstances and diminish the risk that 
sanctioned members will fail to pay.
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    \5\ 15 U.S.C. 78f.
    \6\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
    \7\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(6) and (b)(7).
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B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

    The Exchange 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, as amended.

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

    Because the foregoing proposed rule change does not: (i) 
Significantly affect the protection of investors or the public 
interest; (ii) impose any significant burden on competition; and (iii) 
become operative for 30 days from the date on which it was filed, or 
such shorter time as the Commission may designate, it has become 
effective pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act \8\ and 
subparagraph (f)(6) of Rule 19b-4 thereunder.\9\
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    \8\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \9\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6). In addition, Rule 19b-4(f)(6) 
requires a self-regulatory organization to give the Commission 
written notice of its intent to file the proposed rule change at 
least five business days prior to the date of the filing of the 
proposed rule change, or such shorter time as designated by the 
Commission. The Exchange has satisfied this requirement.
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    A proposed rule change filed under Rule 19b-4(f)(6) \10\ normally 
does not become operative prior to 30 days after the date of the 
filing. However, pursuant to Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii),\11\ the Commission 
may designate a shorter time if such action is consistent with the 
protection of investors and the public interest. The Exchange has asked 
the Commission to waive the 30-day operative delay so that NASDAQ may 
offer members that are contemplating the execution of an AWC the option 
of entering into an installment arrangement as soon as possible. The 
Commission believes that waiving the 30-day operative delay is 
consistent with the protection of investors and the public interest as 
it will provide members the option of paying large fines in 
installments.\12\ Therefore, the Commission hereby waives the 30-day 
operative delay and designates the proposed rule change to be operative 
upon filing with the Commission.
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    \10\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
    \11\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6)(iii).
    \12\ For purposes only of waiving the operative delay for this 
proposal, 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 the proposed rule 
change, the Commission summarily may temporarily suspend 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. If the Commission 
takes such action, the Commission shall institute proceedings to 
determine whether the proposed rule change should be approved or 
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. 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 email to [email protected]. Please include 
File Number SR-NASDAQ-2012-106 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-NASDAQ-2012-106. This 
file number should be included on the subject line if email 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 Web site viewing and 
printing 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 offices 
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-
NASDAQ-2012-106, and should be submitted on or before October 18, 2012.


[[Page 59441]]


    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\13\
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    \13\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Kevin M. O'Neill,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-23798 Filed 9-26-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P