[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 204 (Tuesday, October 22, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62825-62827]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-24685]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-70697; File No. SR-NYSE-2013-69]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange LLC; 
Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change 
for a Temporary Suspension of Those Aspects of Rules 36.20 and 36.21 
That Would Not Permit Floor Brokers To Use Personal Portable Phone 
Devices on The Trading Floor Due to the Unavailability of Exchange-
Provided Cell Phones Beginning on October 10, 2013 Until the Earlier of 
When Cell Phone Service Is Restored or October 11, 2013

October 16, 2013.
    Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) \1\ of the Securities Exchange Act of 
1934 (the ``Act'') \2\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\3\ notice is hereby 
given that on October 10, 2013, New York Stock Exchange LLC (``NYSE'' 
or the ``Exchange'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission 
(the ``Commission'') the proposed rule change as described in Items I 
and II 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\ 15 U.S.C. 78a.
    \3\ 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 a temporary suspension of those aspects of 
Rules 36.20 and 36.21 that would not permit Floor brokers to use 
personal portable phone devices on the Trading Floor due to the 
unavailability of Exchange-provided cell phones beginning on October 
10, 2013 until the earlier of when cell phone service is restored or 
October 11, 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 temporarily suspend those aspects of Rules 
36.20 and 36.21 that would not permit Floor brokers to use personal 
portable phone devices on the Trading Floor.\4\ As proposed, all other 
aspects of Rule 36 remain applicable and the temporary suspensions of 
the applicable Rule 36 requirements are in effect beginning October 10, 
2013 when the outage began, and remain in place until the earlier of 
when phone service is restored or close of business Friday, October 11, 
2013.\5\
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    \4\ Pursuant to Rule 6A, the Trading Floor is defined as the 
restricted-access physical areas designated by the Exchange for the 
trading of securities.
    \5\ The Exchange provided Floor brokers with notice of this rule 
filing, including the applicable recordkeeping and other 
requirements related to using personal cell phones during the 
temporary suspension of Rule 36.
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    On October 10, 2013, the third-party carrier that provides service 
for the Exchange-provided cell phones experienced an issue that 
affected Exchange authorized and provided

[[Page 62826]]

portable phones for Floor brokers. This outage only impacted the 
service for Exchange authorized and provided portable phones. As a 
result, all Exchange authorized and provided cell phones were non-
operational before the opening of trading on October 10, 2013. The 
Exchange is working closely with the third-party carrier to restore 
such cell phone service.
    Rules 36.20 and 36.21 govern the type of telephone communications 
that are approved for Floor brokers. Pursuant to Rule 36.20, Floor 
brokers may maintain a telephone line on the Trading Floor and use 
Exchange authorized and provided portable phones while on the Trading 
Floor. The use of such Exchange authorized and provided portable phones 
is governed by Rule 36.21. Because of the issues with the third-party 
carrier, all Exchange authorized and provided portable phones are not 
functional and therefore Floor brokers cannot use the Exchange 
authorized and provided portable phones. However, the personal cell 
phones of Floor brokers are operational on the Trading Floor. The 
Exchange believes that because communications with customers is a vital 
part of a Floor broker's role as agent and therefore contributes to 
maintaining a fair and orderly market, during the period when Exchange-
provided cell phones are non-operational, Floor brokers should be 
permitted to use personal portable phone devices in lieu of the non-
operational Exchange authorized and provided portable phones.
    The Exchange therefore proposes to temporarily suspend the 
limitations in Rules 36.20 and 36.21 that permit Floor brokers to use 
only Exchange authorized and provided portable phones so that Floor 
brokers may also use personal portable phones on the Trading Floor. The 
Exchange proposes that pursuant to this temporary suspension, Floor 
brokers must provide the Exchange with the names of all Floor-based 
personnel who used personal portable phones during this temporary 
suspension period, together with the phone number and applicable 
carrier for each number. Floor broker member organizations must 
maintain in their books and records all cell phone records that show 
both incoming and outgoing calls that were made during the period that 
a personal portable phone was used on the Trading Floor. To the extent 
the records are unavailable from the third-party carrier, the Floor 
brokers must maintain contemporaneous records of all calls made or 
received on a personal portable phone while on the Trading Floor. As 
with all member organization records, such cell phone records must be 
provided to Exchange regulatory staff, including without limitation 
staff of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (``FINRA''), on 
request.
2. Statutory Basis
    The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is consistent 
with Section 6(b) of the Act,\6\ in general, and furthers the 
objectives of Section 6(b)(5) of the Act,\7\ in particular, in that it 
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 facilitating 
transactions in securities, and to remove impediments to and perfect 
the mechanism of a free and open market and a national market system.
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    \6\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
    \7\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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    In particular, because of issues experienced by a third-party cell 
phone carrier, Exchange authorized and provided cell phones are not 
functional. The Exchange believes that the proposed temporary 
suspensions from those aspects of Rule 36 that restrict Floor broker's 
use of personal portable phones on the Trading Floor removes 
impediments to and perfects the mechanism of a free and open market and 
national market system because the proposed relief will enable Floor 
brokers to conduct their regular business, notwithstanding the ongoing 
issues with telephone service. The Exchange further believes that 
without the requested relief, Floor brokers would be compromised in 
their ability to conduct their regular course of business on the 
Trading Floor. In particular, for Floor brokers, because they operate 
as agents for customers, their inability to communicate with customers 
could compromise their ability to represent public orders on the 
Trading Floor.

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

    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 Exchange does not 
believe that the proposed rule change will impose any burden on 
competition because the proposed change only impacts Floor brokers and 
has no change in operations for other market participants or other 
market centers. To the contrary, the Exchange believes that without the 
proposed relief, Floor brokers would be compromised in their ability to 
conduct their regular course of business on the Trading Floor, thereby 
placing a burden on the Floor brokers' ability to compete.

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 Exchange has filed the proposed rule change pursuant to Section 
19(b)(3)(A)(iii) of the Act \8\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) thereunder.\9\ 
Because the 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 prior to 
30 days from the date on which it was filed, or such shorter time as 
the Commission may designate, if consistent with the protection of 
investors and the public interest, the proposed rule change has become 
effective pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act \10\ and Rule 19b-
4(f)(6) thereunder.\11\
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    \8\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(iii).
    \9\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
    \10\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \11\ 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, 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.
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    A proposed rule change filed under Rule 19b-4(f)(6) \12\ normally 
does not become operative prior to 30 days after the date of the 
filing. However, pursuant to Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii),\13\ 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 the proposal 
may become operative immediately upon filing. The Commission believes 
that waiving the 30-day operative delay is consistent with the 
protection of investors and the public interest. Waiver of the 
operative delay allows the terms of the relief described herein to be 
available during the service outage for Exchange-provided cell phones. 
Therefore, the Commission hereby waives the 30-day operative delay and

[[Page 62827]]

designates the proposal operative upon filing.\14\
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    \12\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
    \13\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6)(iii).
    \14\ For 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 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) of the Act \15\ to determine whether the proposed 
rule change should be approved or disapproved.
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    \15\ 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-NYSE-2013-69 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-NYSE-2013-69. 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 the 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-NYSE-2013-69 and should be 
submitted on or before November 12, 2013.

    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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Kevin M. O'Neill,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013-24685 Filed 10-21-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P