[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 139 (Friday, July 19, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34977-34978]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-15345]



[[Page 34977]]

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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[SEC File No. 270-792; OMB Control No. 3235-0732]


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Upon Written Request, Copies Available From: U.S. Securities and 
Exchange Commission, Office of FOIA Services, 100 F Street NE, 
Washington, DC 20549-2736.

Extension:
    Business Conduct Standards for Security-Based Swap Dealers and 
Major Security-Based Swap Participants

    Notice is hereby given that pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995 (``PRA'') (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), the Securities and Exchange 
Commission (``Commission'') has submitted to the Office of Management 
and Budget (``OMB'') a request for approval of extension of the 
previously approved collection of information provided for in Business 
Conduct Standards for Security-Based Swap Dealers and Major Security-
Based Swap Participants.\1\ (17 CFR 240.3a67-10, 240.3a71-3,240.3a71-6, 
240.15Fh-1 through 15Fh-6 and 240.15Fk-1), under the Securities 
Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78a et seq.).
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    \1\ Business Conduct Standards for Security-Based Swap Dealers 
and Major Security-Based Swap Participants, Exchange Act Release 
77617 (Apr. 14, 2016), 81 FR 29959 (May 13, 2016). See also Business 
Conduct Standards for Security-Based Swap Dealers and Major 
Security-Based Swap Participants; Correction, Exchange Act Release 
77617A (May 19, 2016), 81 FR 32643 (May 24, 2016). (together, ``the 
Business Conduct Rules for SBSDs and MSBSPs'' or ``BCS Rules'')
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    In 2010, Congress passed the Dodd-Frank Act, establishing a 
comprehensive framework for regulating the over-the-counter swaps 
markets. As required by Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Act, new section 
15F(h) of the Exchange Act established business conduct standards for 
security-based swap (``SBS'') Dealers and Major SBS Participants 
(``collectively ``SBS Entities'') in their dealings with 
counterparties, including special entities. In 2016, in order to 
implement the Dodd-Frank Act, the Commission adopted the BCS Rules for 
SBS Dealers and Major SBS Participants,\2\ a comprehensive set of 
business conduct standards and chief compliance officer requirements 
applicable to SBS Entities, that are designed to enhance transparency, 
facilitate informed customer decision-making, and heighten standards of 
professional conduct to better protect investors.\3\
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    \2\ Id.
    \3\ Commission staff has prepared separate supporting statements 
pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act (``PRA'') regarding final 
Rule 3a71-3(c) and Rule 3a71-6, which address the cross-border 
application of the business conduct standards and the availability 
of substituted compliance. The Office of Management and Budget 
(``OMB'') has assigned control number 3235-0717 to Final Rule 3a71-
3(c) and 3235-0715 to Final Rule 3a71-6. Final Rule 3a67-10(d) is a 
definitional rule and does not have a PRA burden associated with it. 
Rules 3a71-3(a), Rule 15Fh-1 and Rules 15Fh-2(b) and (c) address 
scope of the rules and definitions and so do not have PRA burdens 
associated with them.
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    Rules 15Fh-1 through 15Fh-6 and 15Fk-1 require SBS Entities to:
     Verify whether a counterparty is an eligible contract 
participant and whether it is a special entity;
     Disclose to the counterparty material information about 
the SBS, including material risks, characteristics, incentives and 
conflicts of interest;
     Provide the counterparty with information concerning the 
daily mark of the SBS;
     Provide the counterparty with information regarding the 
ability to require clearing of the SBS;
     Communicate with counterparties in a fair and balanced 
manner based on principles of fair dealing and good faith;
     Establish a supervisory and compliance infrastructure; and
     Designate a chief compliance officer that is required to 
fulfill the described duties and provide an annual compliance report.
    The rules also require SBS Dealers to:
     Determine that recommendations they make regarding SBS are 
suitable for their counterparties.
     Establish, maintain and enforce written policies and 
procedures reasonably designed to obtain and retain a record of the 
essential facts concerning each known counterparty that are necessary 
to conduct business with such counterparty; and
     Comply with rules designed to prevent ``pay-to-play.''
    The rules also define what it means to ``act as an advisor'' to a 
special entity, and require an SBS Dealer who acts as an advisor to a 
special entity to:
     Make a reasonable determination that any security-based 
swap or trading strategy involving a security-based swap recommended by 
the SBS Dealer is in the best interests of the special entity whose 
identity is known at a reasonably sufficient time prior to the 
execution of the transaction to permit the SBS Dealer to comply with 
this obligation; and
     Make reasonable efforts to obtain such information that 
the SBS Dealer considers necessary to make a reasonable determination 
that a security-based swap or trading strategy involving a security-
based swap is in the best interests of the known special entity.
    In addition, the rules require SBS Entities acting as 
counterparties to special entities to reasonably believe that the 
counterparty has an independent representative who meets the following 
requirements:
     Has sufficient knowledge to evaluate the transaction and 
risks;
     Is not subject to a statutory disqualification;
     Undertakes a duty to act in the best interests of the 
special entity;
     Makes appropriate and timely disclosures to the special 
entity of material information concerning the security-based swap;
     Evaluates, consistent with any guidelines provided by the 
special entity, the fair pricing and the appropriateness of the 
security-based swap;
     Is independent of the security-based swap dealer or major 
security-based swap participant that is the counterparty to a proposed 
security-based swap.
    Under the rules, the special entity's independent representative 
must also be subject to pay-to-play regulations, and if the special 
entity is an ERISA plan, the independent representative must be an 
ERISA fiduciary.
    The information that must be collected pursuant to the BCS Rules is 
intended to increase accountability and transparency in the market. The 
information will therefore help establish a framework that protects 
investors and promotes efficiency, competition and capital formation.
    Based on a review of recent data, as of 2018, the Commission 
estimates the number of respondents to be as follows: 50 SBS Dealers, 5 
Major SBS Participants, for a total of 55 ``SBS Entities''.\4\ Further, 
we estimate that approximately 46 of these 55 SBS Entities will be 
dually registered with the CFTC as Swap Entities. We also estimate that 
there are currently 13,137 security-based swap market participants of 
which 8,802 are also swap market participants. In 2018, there were 
approximately 593,364 security-based swap transactions between an SBS 
Dealer and counterparty that is not an SBS Dealer of which 233,595 were 
new or amended trades. The Commission estimates there are 370 
independent, third-party representatives and 20 in-house independent 
representatives.\5\ We

[[Page 34978]]

estimate that there are approximately 13,706 unique SBS Dealer and non-
SBS-Dealer pairs. We have used these estimates in calculating the hour 
and cost burdens for the rule provisions that we anticipate have a 
``collection of information'' burden within the meaning of the PRA.
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    \4\ Unless otherwise noted, estimates were derived from the 
DTCC-TIW data set (February 2019).
    \5\ See, Exchange Act Rule 15Fh-5.
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    The Commission estimates that the aggregate burden of the ongoing 
reporting and disclosures required by the BCS Rules, as described 
above, is approximately 554,823 hours and $2,138,000 calculated as 
follows:

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                                                                                                        Ongoing      Ongoing     Industry-    Industry-
                                                                                                         annual       annual    wide annual  wide annual
                   Section                                 Type of burden                Respondents     burden       burden       burden       burden
                                                                                                        (hours)       (cost)      (hours)       (cost)
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15Fh-3(b), (c), (d): Disclosures--SBS         Reporting...............................            55        4,120           $0      226,600           $0
 Entities.
15Fh-3(b), (c), (d): Disclosures--SBS         Reporting...............................       233,595            1            0      233,595            0
 Transactions Between SBS Dealer and Non-
 SBSD Counterparty.
15Fh-3(e), (f): Know Your Counterparty and    Reporting...............................            50          137            0        6,853            0
 Recommendations (SBS Dealers).
15Fh-3(g): Fair and Balanced Communications.  Reporting...............................            55            2        3,600          110      198,000
15Fh-3(h): Supervision......................  Reporting...............................            55          540        4,800       29,700      264,000
15Fh-5: SBS Entities Acting as                Reporting...............................            55          390            0       21,450            0
 Counterparties to Special Entities.
15Fh-5: SBS Entities Acting as                Third-Party Disclosure..................            55          390            0       21,450            0
 Counterparties to Special Entities.
15Fh-6: Political Contributions.............  Reporting...............................            50            1       25,600           50    1,280,000
15Fk-1: Chief Compliance Officer............  Reporting...............................            55          273        7,200       15,015   396,000.00
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    Total...................................  ........................................  ............  ...........  ...........      554,823    2,138,000
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    An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required 
to respond to, a collection of information under the PRA unless it 
displays a currently valid OMB control number.
    The public may view background documentation for this information 
collection at the following website: www.reginfo.gov. Comments should 
be directed to: (i) Desk Officer for the Securities and Exchange 
Commission, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of 
Management and Budget, Room 10102, New Executive Office Building, 
Washington, DC 20503, or by sending an email to: 
[email protected]; and (ii) Charles Riddle, Acting Director/
Chief Information Officer, Securities and Exchange Commission, c/o 
Candace Kenner, 100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 20549, or by sending an 
email to: [email protected]. Comments must be submitted to OMB within 
30 days of this notice.

    Dated: July 15, 2019.
Jill M. Peterson,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-15345 Filed 7-18-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 8011-01-P