[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 190 (Tuesday, October 1, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60361-60362]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-23828]



[[Page 60361]]

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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-70500; File No. SR-NYSEArca-2013-91]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Arca, Inc.; Notice of Filing 
and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To Amend the NYSE 
Arca Options Fee Schedule To Specify the Frequency With Which the 
Exchange May Change the Options Regulatory Fee

September 25, 2013.
    Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
(the ``Act'') \1\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\2\ notice is hereby given 
that on September 13, 2013, NYSE Arca, Inc. (``NYSE Arca'' or 
``Exchange'') 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 by the self-regulatory 
organization. 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 Substance 
of the Proposed Rule Change

    The Exchange proposes to amend the NYSE Arca Options Fee Schedule 
(``Fee Schedule'') to specify the frequency with which the Exchange may 
change the Options Regulatory Fee (``ORF''). The Exchange proposes to 
implement the change effective October 1, 2013. The text of the 
proposed rule change is available on the Exchange's Web site at 
www.nyse.com, at the principal office of the Exchange, 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 self-regulatory organization 
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 those 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 parts of such statements.

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

1. Purpose
    The Exchange proposes to amend the Fee Schedule to specify the 
frequency with which the Exchange may change the ORF. The Exchange 
proposes to implement the change effective October 1, 2013.
    The ORF is assessed by the Exchange on each OTP Holder or OTP Firm 
for all options transactions executed or cleared by the OTP Holder or 
OTP Firm that are cleared by The Options Clearing Corporation (``OCC'') 
in the customer range (i.e., transactions that clear in the customer 
account of the OTP Holder's or OTP Firm's clearing firm at OCC) 
regardless of the exchange on which the transaction occurs. The fee is 
collected indirectly from OTP Holders and OTP Firms through their 
clearing firms by OCC on behalf of the Exchange. The dues and fees paid 
by OTP Holders and OTP Firms go into the general funds of the Exchange, 
a portion of which is used to help pay the costs of regulation.
    In response to feedback from participants requesting greater 
certainty as to when ORF changes may occur, the Exchange proposes to 
specify in the Fee Schedule that the Exchange may only increase or 
decrease the ORF semi-annually, and any such fee change will be 
effective on the first business day of February or August.\3\ In 
addition to submitting a proposed rule change to the Securities and 
Exchange Commission (``Commission'') as required by the Act to increase 
or decrease the ORF, the Exchange will notify participants via a Trader 
Update of any anticipated change in the amount of the fee at least 30 
calendar days prior to the effective date of the change. The Exchange 
believes that by providing guidance on the timing of any changes to the 
ORF, the Exchange would make it easier for participants to ensure their 
systems are configured to properly account for the ORF.
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    \3\ The Commission notes that in a prior filing, the Exchange 
committed to continue to monitor the amount of revenue collected 
from the ORF so that it, in combination with its other regulatory 
fees and fines, does not exceed regulatory costs. See, e.g., 
Securities Exchange Act Release No. 68174 (November 7, 2012), 77 FR 
67845 (November 14, 2012) (SR-NYSEArca-2012-118).
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    The proposed change is not intended to address any other issues, 
and the Exchange is not aware of any problems that OTP Holders or OTP 
Firms would have in complying with the proposed change.

2. Statutory Basis

    The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is consistent 
with Section 6(b) of the Act,\4\ in general, and furthers the 
objectives of Sections 6(b)(4) and (5) of the Act,\5\ in particular, 
because it provides for the equitable allocation of reasonable dues, 
fees, and other charges among its members, issuers and other persons 
using its facilities and does not unfairly discriminate between 
customers, issuers, brokers or dealers.
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    \4\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
    \5\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(4) and (5).
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    The Exchange believes that the proposed change to limit changes to 
the ORF to twice a year on specific dates with advance notice is 
reasonable because it will give participants certainty on the timing of 
changes, if any, and better enable them to properly account for ORF 
charges among their customers. The Exchange believes that the proposed 
change is equitable and not unfairly discriminatory because it will 
apply in the same manner to all OTP Holders and OTP Firms that are 
subject to the ORF and provide them with additional advance notice of 
changes to that fee.

B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

    In accordance with Section 6(b)(8) of the Act,\6\ the Exchange does 
not believe that the proposed rule change will impose any burden on 
competition that is not necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the 
purposes of the Act. The proposed change is not intended to address a 
competitive issue but rather to provide OTP Holders and OTP Firms with 
better notice of any change that the Exchange may make to the ORF. In 
any event, because competitors are free to modify their own fees and 
credits in response, and because market participants may readily adjust 
their trading practices, the Exchange believes that the degree to which 
fee or credit changes in this market may impose any burden on 
competition is extremely limited. As a result of all of these 
considerations, the Exchange does not believe that the proposed change 
will impair the ability of OTP Holders, OTP Firms, or competing order 
execution venues to maintain their competitive standing in the 
financial markets.
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    \6\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(8).

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[[Page 60362]]

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

    No written comments were solicited or received with respect to the 
proposed rule change.

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

    The foregoing rule change is effective upon filing pursuant to 
Section 19(b)(3)(A) \7\ of the Act and subparagraph (f)(2) of Rule 19b-
4 \8\ thereunder, because it establishes a due, fee, or other charge 
imposed by the Exchange.
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    \7\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \8\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(2).
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    At any time within 60 days of the filing of such 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 under 
Section 19(b)(2)(B) \9\ of the Act to determine whether the proposed 
rule change should be approved or disapproved.
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    \9\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2)(B).
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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 email to [email protected]. Please include 
File Number SR-NYSEArca-2013-91 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-NYSEArca-2013-91. 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, 100 F Street NE., 
Washington, DC 20549, on official business days between the hours of 
10:00 a.m. and 3:00 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 publicly available. All 
submissions should refer to File Number SR- NYSEArca-2013-91 and should 
be submitted on or before October 22, 2013.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\10\
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    \10\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Kevin M. O'Neill,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013-23828 Filed 9-30-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P