[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 194 (Tuesday, October 10, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47063-47064]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-21672]



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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-81805; File No. SR-NASDAQ-2017-099]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC; 
Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To 
Remove Obsolete Text From Options Regulatory Fee Rule

October 3, 2017.
    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 25, 2017, The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (``Nasdaq'' or 
``Exchange'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission 
(``SEC'' or ``Commission'') the proposed rule change as described in 
Items I, II, and III, below, 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 Substance 
of the Proposed Rule Change

    The Exchange proposes to remove obsolete rule text from Chapter XV, 
Section 5, entitled ``NASDAQ Options Regulatory Fee.''
    The text of the proposed rule change is set forth below. Proposed 
deletions are enclosed in [brackets].
* * * * *

NASDAQ Stock Market Rules

* * * * *

Options Rules

* * * * *

Chapter XV Options Pricing

* * * * *

Sec. 5 NASDAQ Options Regulatory Fee

    NOM Participants will be assessed an Options Regulatory Fee of 
[$0.0021 per contract side.
    Effective August 1, 2017, the ORF shall be ]$0.0027 per contract 
side.
    The Options Regulatory Fee (``ORF'') is assessed by NOM to each NOM 
Participant for options transactions cleared by OCC in the Customer 
range where: (1) The execution occurs on NOM or (2) the execution 
occurs on another exchange and is cleared by a NOM Participant. The ORF 
is collected by OCC on behalf of NOM from (1) NOM clearing members for 
all Customer transactions they clear or (2) non-members for all 
Customer transactions they clear that were executed on NOM. NOM uses 
reports from OCC when assessing and collecting ORF. The Exchange will 
notify Participants via an Options Trader Alert of any change in the 
amount of the fee at least 30 calendar days prior to the effective date 
of the change.
    NOM Participants who do not transact an equities business on the 
NASDAQ Stock Market LLC in a calendar year will receive a refund of the 
fees specified in Rule 7003(b) upon written notification to the 
Exchange along with documentation evidencing that no equities business 
was conducted on The NASDAQ Stock Market for that calendar year. The 
Exchange will accept refund requests up until sixty (60) days after the 
end of the calendar year.
* * * * *

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
    The Exchange recently amended its Options Regulatory Fee or ``ORF'' 
at Chapter XV, Section 5.\3\ At that time the rule text reflected the 
current fee and the proposed amendment which took effect on August 1, 
2017. For clarity and ease of reference, the Exchange proposes to 
remove the outdated reference to the prior ORF.
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    \3\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 81344 (August 8, 
2017), 82 FR 37955 (August 14, 2017) (SR-NASDAQ-2017-68).
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    This rule change is non-substantive and merely serves to update the 
rule text.
2. Statutory Basis
    The Exchange believes that its proposal is consistent with Section 
6(b) of the Act,\4\ in general, and furthers the objectives of Section 
6(b)(5) of the Act,\5\ in particular, in that it is designed to promote 
just and equitable principles of trade, 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, 
by removing obsolete rule text.
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    \4\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
    \5\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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    The Exchange proposes to remove outdated references to ORF prior to 
August 1, 2017. The Exchange believes this rule change will provide 
clarity and ease of reference when Participants review the ORF rule.

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 not necessary or appropriate in 
furtherance of the purposes of the Act. The proposed change is a non-
substantive amendment to remove obsolete rule text.

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 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)(iii) of the Act \6\ and 
subparagraph (f)(6) of Rule 19b-4 thereunder.\7\
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    \6\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(iii).
    \7\ 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 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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    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: (i) 
Necessary or appropriate in the public interest; (ii) for the 
protection of investors; or (iii) otherwise in furtherance of the 
purposes of the Act. If the Commission takes such action, the 
Commission shall institute proceedings

[[Page 47064]]

to determine whether the proposed rule 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-2017-099 on the subject line.

Paper Comments

     Send paper comments in triplicate to Brent J. Fields, 
Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street NE., 
Washington, DC 20549-1090.

All submissions should refer to File Number SR-NASDAQ-2017-099. 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-NASDAQ-2017-099 and should 
be submitted on or before October 31, 2017.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\8\
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    \8\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Robert W. Errett,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-21672 Filed 10-6-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P