82_FR_42339 82 FR 42168 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Bats BZX Exchange, Inc.; Bats EDGX Exchange, Inc.; BOX Options Exchange LLC; C2 Options Exchange, Incorporated; Chicago Board Options Exchange, Incorporated; Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.; International Securities Exchange, LLC; Investors Exchange LLC; Miami International Securities Exchange LLC; MIAX PEARL, LLC; The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC; NASDAQ BX, Inc.; NASDAQ PHLX LLC; New York Stock Exchange LLC; NYSE Arca, Inc.; NYSE MKT LLC; Notice of Filing of Amendment No. 1 by Bats BZX Exchange, Inc.; Bats EDGX Exchange, Inc.; BOX Options Exchange LLC; C2 Options Exchange, Incorporated; Chicago Board Options Exchange, Incorporated; Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.; Investors Exchange LLC; New York Stock Exchange LLC; NYSE Arca, Inc.; NYSE MKT LLC, of Amendment Nos. 1 and 2 by International Securities Exchange, LLC; The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC; NASDAQ BX, Inc.; and NASDAQ PHLX LLC, of Amendment No. 2 by MIAX PEARL, LLC, and of Amendment No. 3 by Miami International Securities Exchange LLC; Order Instituting Proceedings To Determine Whether To Approve or Disapprove the Proposed Rule Changes, as Modified by Amendments Thereto, To Eliminate Requirements That Will Be Duplicative of CAT

82 FR 42168 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Bats BZX Exchange, Inc.; Bats EDGX Exchange, Inc.; BOX Options Exchange LLC; C2 Options Exchange, Incorporated; Chicago Board Options Exchange, Incorporated; Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.; International Securities Exchange, LLC; Investors Exchange LLC; Miami International Securities Exchange LLC; MIAX PEARL, LLC; The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC; NASDAQ BX, Inc.; NASDAQ PHLX LLC; New York Stock Exchange LLC; NYSE Arca, Inc.; NYSE MKT LLC; Notice of Filing of Amendment No. 1 by Bats BZX Exchange, Inc.; Bats EDGX Exchange, Inc.; BOX Options Exchange LLC; C2 Options Exchange, Incorporated; Chicago Board Options Exchange, Incorporated; Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.; Investors Exchange LLC; New York Stock Exchange LLC; NYSE Arca, Inc.; NYSE MKT LLC, of Amendment Nos. 1 and 2 by International Securities Exchange, LLC; The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC; NASDAQ BX, Inc.; and NASDAQ PHLX LLC, of Amendment No. 2 by MIAX PEARL, LLC, and of Amendment No. 3 by Miami International Securities Exchange LLC; Order Instituting Proceedings To Determine Whether To Approve or Disapprove the Proposed Rule Changes, as Modified by Amendments Thereto, To Eliminate Requirements That Will Be Duplicative of CAT

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 171 (September 6, 2017)

Page Range42168-42180
FR Document2017-18793

Federal Register, Volume 82 Issue 171 (Wednesday, September 6, 2017)
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 171 (Wednesday, September 6, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42168-42180]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-18793]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-81499; File Nos. SR-BatsBZX-2017-37; SR-BatsEDGX-2017-
23; SR-BOX-2017-17; SR-C2-2017-018; SR-CBOE-2017-041; SR-FINRA-2017-
013; SR-ISE-2017-46; SR-IEX-2017-18; SR-MIAX-2017-20; SR-PEARL-2017-23; 
SR-NASDAQ-2017-055; SR-BX-2017-027; SR-Phlx-2017-43; SR-NYSE-2017-23; 
SR-NYSEArca-2017-57; SR-NYSEArca-2017-59; SR-NYSEMKT-2017-29; SR-
NYSEMKT-2017-30]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; Bats BZX Exchange, Inc.; Bats EDGX 
Exchange, Inc.; BOX Options Exchange LLC; C2 Options Exchange, 
Incorporated; Chicago Board Options Exchange, Incorporated; Financial 
Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.; International Securities Exchange, 
LLC; Investors Exchange LLC; Miami International Securities Exchange 
LLC; MIAX PEARL, LLC; The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC; NASDAQ BX, Inc.; 
NASDAQ PHLX LLC; New York Stock Exchange LLC; NYSE Arca, Inc.; NYSE MKT 
LLC; Notice of Filing of Amendment No. 1 by Bats BZX Exchange, Inc.; 
Bats EDGX Exchange, Inc.; BOX Options Exchange LLC; C2 Options 
Exchange, Incorporated; Chicago Board Options Exchange, Incorporated; 
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.; Investors Exchange LLC; 
New York Stock Exchange LLC; NYSE Arca, Inc.; NYSE MKT LLC, of 
Amendment Nos. 1 and 2 by International Securities Exchange, LLC; The 
NASDAQ Stock Market LLC; NASDAQ BX, Inc.; and NASDAQ PHLX LLC, of 
Amendment No. 2 by MIAX PEARL, LLC, and of Amendment No. 3 by Miami 
International Securities Exchange LLC; Order Instituting Proceedings To 
Determine Whether To Approve or Disapprove the Proposed Rule Changes, 
as Modified by Amendments Thereto, To Eliminate Requirements That Will 
Be Duplicative of CAT

August 30, 2017.

I. Introduction

    On May 15, 2017, Bats BZX Exchange, Inc. (``Bats BZX''); Bats EDGX 
Exchange, Inc. (``Bats EDGX''); BOX Options Exchange LLC (``BOX''); C2 
Options Exchange, Incorporated (``C2''); Chicago Board Options 
Exchange, Incorporated (``CBOE''); Financial Industry Regulatory 
Authority, Inc. (``FINRA''); International Securities Exchange, LLC 
(``ISE''); Investors Exchange LLC (``IEX''); Miami International 
Securities Exchange LLC (``MIAX''); MIAX PEARL, LLC (``PEARL''); NYSE 
Arca, Inc. (``NYSE Arca''); and NYSE MKT LLC (``NYSE MKT'') (n/k/a NYSE 
American LLC) \1\ filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission 
(``Commission''), pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities 
Exchange Act of 1934 (``Act'') \2\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\3\ 
proposed rule changes to eliminate or modify certain rules that require 
the collection or reporting of information that is duplicative of the 
information that will be collected by the Consolidated Audit Trail 
(``CAT'') established pursuant to the National Market System Plan 
contemplated by Rule 613 of Regulation NMS.\4\ On May 22, 2017, the New 
York Stock Exchange LLC (``NYSE'') filed with the Commission a proposed 
rule change for the same purpose, and each of NYSE Arca \5\ and NYSE 
MKT filed an additional proposed rule change for the same purpose. On 
May 26, 2017, the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (``NASDAQ'') and NASDAQ PHLX 
LLC (``Phlx'') filed with the Commission proposed rule changes for the 
same purpose.\6\ On May 30, 2017, NASDAQ BX, Inc. (``BX'') filed with 
the Commission a proposed rule change for the same purpose.\7\ In this 
notice and order, all of these proposed rule changes are referred to 
collectively as the ``Systems Retirement Proposals.'' Bats BZX, Bats 
EDGX, BOX, BX, C2, CBOE, ISE, IEX, MIAX, PEARL, NASDAQ, NYSE, NYSE 
Arca, NYSE MKT, and Phlx are collectively referred to as the 
``Exchanges,'' and, together with FINRA, are referred to as the 
``SROs.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 80283 (March 21, 
2017), 82 FR 15244 (March 27, 2017) (SR-NYSEMKT-2017-14). The name 
change was not yet effective when NYSE MKT filed SR-NYSEMKT-2017-29 
and SR-NYSEMKT-2017-30.
    \2\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
    \3\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
    \4\ 17 CFR 242.613.
    \5\ Effective August 17, 2017, NYSE Arca amended, among other 
things, certain rules of the Exchange to create a single rulebook. 
See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 81419 (August 17, 2017) (SR-
NYSEArca-2017-40) (the ``Arca Merger Filing''). NYSE Arca rule text 
references in this notice and order reflect rule numbering changes 
as a result of the Arca Merger Filing.
    \6\ Nasdaq and Phlx initially filed proposed rule changes on May 
15, 2017 (SR-NASDAQ-2017-050 and SR-PHLX-2017-38). On May 26, 2017, 
Nasdaq and Phlx withdrew these filings and submitted new proposed 
rule changes (SR-NASDAQ-2017-055 and SR-PHLX-2017-43).
    \7\ BX initially filed a proposed rule change on May 15, 2017 
(SR-BX-2017-025). On May 30, 2017, BX withdrew that initial filing 
and submitted a new proposed rule change (SR-BX-2017-027).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    On June 1, 2017, the proposed rule changes submitted by Bats BZX, 
Bats EDGX, BOX, C2, CBOE, FINRA, IEX, ISE, MIAX, and PEARL; both 
proposed rule changes submitted by NYSE MKT; and one of the proposed 
rule changes submitted by NYSE Arca were published for comment in the 
Federal Register.\8\ On June 2, 2017, the proposed rule change 
submitted by NYSE and the other proposed rule change submitted by NYSE 
Arca were published for comment in the Federal Register.\9\ On June 5, 
2017, the proposed rule changes submitted by NASDAQ, BX, and Phlx were 
published for comment in the Federal Register.\10\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \8\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 80796 (May 26, 
2017), 82 FR 25374 (SR-BatsBZX-2017-37) (``Bats BZX Notice''); 
Securities Exchange Act Release No. 80795 (May 26, 2017), 82 FR 
25358 (SR-BatsEDGX-2017-23) (``Bats EDGX Notice''); Securities 
Exchange Act Release No. 80789 (May 26, 2017), 82 FR 25492 (SR-BOX-
2017-17) (``BOX Notice''); Securities Exchange Act Release No. 80798 
(May 26, 2017), 82 FR 25385 (SR-C2-2017-018) (``C2 Notice''); 
Securities Exchange Act Release No. 80797 (May 26, 2017), 82 FR 
25429 (SR-CBOE-2017-041) (``CBOE Notice''); Securities Exchange Act 
Release No. 80783 (May 26, 2017), 82 FR 25423 (SR-FINRA-2017-013) 
(``FINRA Notice''); Securities Exchange Act Release No. 80788 (May 
26, 2017), 82 FR 25400 (SR-IEX-2017-18) (``IEX Notice''); Securities 
Exchange Act Release No. 80787 (May 26, 2017), 82 FR 25469 (SR-ISE-
2017-46) (``ISE Notice''); Securities Exchange Act Release No. 80790 
(May 26, 2017), 82 FR 25366 (SR-MIAX-2017-20) (``MIAX Notice''); 
Securities Exchange Act Release No. 80792 (May 26, 2017), 82 FR 
25436 (SR-PEARL-2017-23) (``PEARL Notice''); Securities Exchange Act 
Release No. 80791 (May 26, 2017), 82 FR 25362 (SR-NYSEArca-2017-59) 
(``NYSE Arca Notice 1''); Securities Exchange Act Release No. 80793 
(May 26, 2017), 82 FR 25443 (SR-NYSEMKT-2017-29) (``NYSE MKT Notice 
1''); Securities Exchange Act Release No. 80794 (May 26, 2017), 82 
FR 25439 (SR-NYSEMKT-2017-30) (``NYSE MKT Notice 2'').
    \9\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 80799 (May 26, 
2017), 82 FR 25635 (SR-NYSE-2017-23) (``NYSE Notice''); Securities 
Exchange Act Release No. 80800 (May 26, 2017), 82 FR 25639 (SR-
NYSEArca-2017-57) (``NYSE Arca Notice 2'').
    \10\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 80813 (May 30, 
2017), 82 FR 25820 (SR-NASDAQ-2017-055) (``NASDAQ Notice''); 
Securities Exchange Act Release No. 80814 (May 30, 2017), 82 FR 
25872 (SR-BX-2017-027) (``BX Notice''); Securities Exchange Act 
Release No. 80811 (May 30, 2017), 82 FR 25863 (SR-Phlx-2017-43) 
(``Phlx Notice'').
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Four comments were submitted to File Number SR-FINRA-2017-013.\11\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \11\ See letters from William H. Herbert, Managing Director, 
Financial Information Forum, dated June 22, 2017 (``FIF Letter''); 
Manisha Kimmel, Chief Regulatory Officer, Wealth Management, Thomson 
Reuters, dated June 22, 2017 (``Thomson Reuters Letter''); Marc R. 
Bryant, Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, Fidelity 
Investments, dated June 22, 2017 (``Fidelity Letter''); and Ellen 
Greene, Managing Director and Theodore R. Lazo, Managing Director 
and Associate General Counsel, SIFMA, dated June 23, 2017 (``SIFMA 
Letter'').
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    On June 22, 2017, each of NASDAQ, BX, ISE, and Phlx filed an 
amendment

[[Page 42169]]

to its proposed rule change.\12\ On July 14, 2017, the Commission 
extended the time period for Commission action on all of the Systems 
Retirement Proposals to August 30, 2017.\13\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \12\ These amendments modified Section 2 of the Form 19b-4 
submitted by each of NASDAQ, BX, ISE, and Phlx to state that on June 
1, 2017, the exchange obtained the necessary approval from its Board 
of Directors for the proposed rule change. When NASDAQ, BX, ISE, and 
Phlx each filed Amendment No. 1 to their respective proposals with 
the Commission, they also submitted the Amendment No. 1 to the 
public comment file for each of their respective proposals.
    \13\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 81145, 82 FR 33533 
(July 20, 2017).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    On August 24, 2017, BOX submitted Amendment No. 1 to its proposed 
rule filing,\14\ IEX submitted Amendment No. 1 to its proposed rule 
filing,\15\ PEARL submitted Amendment No. 2 to its proposed rule 
filing,\16\ and MIAX submitted Amendment No. 3 to its proposed rule 
filing.\17\ On August 25, 2017, Bats BZX submitted Amendment No. 1 to 
its proposed rule filing,\18\ Bats EDGX submitted Amendment No. 1 to 
its proposed rule filing,\19\ BX submitted Amendment No. 1 to its 
proposed rule filing,\20\ C2 submitted Amendment No. 1 to its proposed 
rule filing,\21\ CBOE submitted Amendment No. 1 to its proposed rule 
filing,\22\ FINRA submitted Amendment No. 1 to its proposed rule 
filing,\23\ ISE submitted Amendment No. 2 to its proposed rule 
filing,\24\ NASDAQ submitted Amendment No. 2 to its proposed rule 
filing,\25\ NYSE submitted

[[Page 42170]]

Amendment No. 1 to its proposed rule filing,\26\ NYSE Arca submitted 
Amendment No. 1 to each of its proposed rule filings,\27\ NYSE MKT 
submitted Amendment No. 1 to each of its proposed rule filings,\28\ and 
Phlx submitted Amendment No. 2 to its proposed rule filing.\29\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \14\ This amendment: (1) Added introductory language to BOX's 
COATS-related rules to clarify that the rules will be amended upon 
announcement by BOX that the CAT has achieved a sufficient level of 
accuracy and reliability; (2) modified rule text language for BOX's 
EBS rule and the rule regarding securities accounts and orders of 
market makers to clarify that BOX will not request trade data or 
information, and members will not be required to provide trade data 
or information, pursuant to the rule for trades reported to the CAT 
after BOX announces that it has determined that the accuracy and 
reliability of the CAT are sufficient to replace requests pursuant 
to these rules; and (3) clarified that the accuracy and reliability 
standards discussed in its Systems Retirement Proposal apply to all 
of the rules discussed therein. When BOX filed Amendment No. 1 to 
its proposal with the Commission, it also submitted Amendment No. 1 
to the public comment file for its proposal.
    \15\ This amendment: (1) Added introductory language to IEX's 
OATS rule series to clarify that the rules will be deleted upon 
announcement by IEX that the CAT has achieved a level of accuracy 
and reliability sufficient to replace OATS; (2) modified IEX's EBS 
rule text language to clarify that IEX (or FINRA on behalf of IEX) 
will not request trade data or information, and members will not be 
required to provide trade data or information, pursuant to the EBS 
rule for trades reported to the CAT after IEX announces that it has 
determined that the accuracy and reliability of the CAT are 
sufficient to replace requests pursuant to the EBS rule; and (3) 
made two clarifying revisions to the Purpose section of its 
proposal. When IEX filed Amendment No. 1 to its proposal with the 
Commission, it also submitted Amendment No. 1 to the public comment 
file for its proposal.
    \16\ PEARL filed Amendment No. 1 to its proposed rule change on 
August 22, 2017. On August 24, 2017, PEARL withdrew Amendment No. 1 
and replaced it with Amendment No. 2. Amendment No. 2 modified the 
rule text for PEARL's EBS rule (which is incorporated by reference 
from the MIAX rulebook) and its rule regarding market maker order 
and account information to clarify that PEARL will not request trade 
data or information, and members will not be required to provide 
trade data or information, pursuant to such rule for trades reported 
to the CAT after PEARL announces that it has determined that the 
accuracy and reliability of the CAT are sufficient to replace 
requests pursuant to these rules. When PEARL filed Amendment No. 2 
to its proposal with the Commission, it also submitted Amendment No. 
2 to the public comment file for its proposal.
    \17\ MIAX filed Amendment No. 1 to its proposed rule change on 
August 22, 2017 and withdrew and replaced it with Amendment No. 2 on 
the same day. On August 24, 2017, MIAX withdrew Amendment No. 2 and 
replaced it with Amendment No. 3. Amendment No. 3 modified the rule 
text for MIAX's EBS rule and its rule regarding market maker order 
and account information to clarify that MIAX will not request trade 
data or information, and members will not be required to provide 
trade data or information, pursuant to such rule for trades reported 
to the CAT after MIAX announces that it has determined that the 
accuracy and reliability of the CAT are sufficient to replace 
requests pursuant to these rules. When MIAX filed Amendment No. 3 to 
its proposal with the Commission, it also submitted Amendment No. 3 
to the public comment file for its proposal.
    \18\ This amendment: (1) Added introductory language to BZX's 
rule regarding securities accounts and orders of market makers to 
clarify that the rules will be amended upon announcement by BZX that 
the CAT has achieved a sufficient level of accuracy and reliability; 
and (2) modified rule text language for BZX's EBS rule and the rule 
regarding furnishing of records to clarify that BZX will not request 
trade data or information, and members will not be required to 
provide trade data or information, pursuant to the rule for trades 
reported to the CAT after BZX announces that it has determined that 
the accuracy and reliability of the CAT are sufficient to replace 
requests pursuant to these rules. When BZX filed Amendment No. 1 to 
its proposal with the Commission, it also submitted Amendment No. 1 
to the public comment file for its proposal.
    \19\ This amendment: (1) Added introductory language to Bats 
EDGX's rule regarding securities accounts and orders of market 
makers to clarify that the rule will be amended upon announcement by 
Bats EDGX that the CAT has achieved a sufficient level of accuracy 
and reliability; and (2) modified rule text language for Bats EDGX's 
EBS rule and the rule regarding furnishing of records to clarify 
that Bats EDGX will not request trade data or information, and 
members will not be required to provide trade data or information, 
pursuant to the rule for trades reported to the CAT after Bats EDGX 
announces that it has determined that the accuracy and reliability 
of the CAT are sufficient to replace requests pursuant to these 
rules. When Bats EDGX filed Amendment No. 1 to its proposal with the 
Commission, it also submitted Amendment No. 1 to the public comment 
file for its proposal.
    \20\ This amendment: (1) Added introductory language to BX's 
OATS rule series to clarify that the rules will be deleted upon 
announcement by BX that the CAT has achieved a level of accuracy and 
reliability sufficient to replace OATS; (2) added introductory 
language to BX's COATS-related rules to clarify that the rules will 
be amended upon announcement by BX that the CAT has achieved a level 
of accuracy and reliability sufficient to replace COATS; and (3) 
modified BX's EBS rule text and the language of Chapter VII, Section 
7, to clarify that BX will not request trade data or information, 
and members will not be required to provide trade data or 
information, pursuant to EBS Rules or Chapter VII, Section 7, for 
trades reported to the CAT after BX announces that it has determined 
that the accuracy and reliability of the CAT are sufficient to 
replace requests pursuant to these rules. When BX filed Amendment 
No. 2 to its proposal with the Commission, it also submitted 
Amendment No. 2 to the public comment file for its proposal.
    \21\ This amendment added introductory language to C2's rule 
regarding securities accounts and orders of market makers to clarify 
that the rule will be amended upon announcement by C2 that the CAT 
has achieved a sufficient level of accuracy and reliability. When C2 
filed Amendment No. 1 to its proposal with the Commission, it also 
submitted Amendment No. 1 to the public comment file for its 
proposal.
    \22\ This amendment: (1) Added introductory language to CBOE's 
COATS-related rules and rule regarding securities accounts and 
orders of market makers to clarify that the rules will be amended 
upon announcement by CBOE that the CAT has achieved a sufficient 
level of accuracy and reliability; and (2) modified rule text 
language for CBOE's EBS rule and the rule regarding complaints and 
investigations to clarify that CBOE will not request trade data or 
information, and members will not be required to provide trade data 
or information, pursuant to the rule for trades reported to the CAT 
after CBOE announces that it has determined that the accuracy and 
reliability of the CAT are sufficient to replace requests pursuant 
to these rules. When CBOE filed Amendment No. 1 to its proposal with 
the Commission, it also submitted Amendment No. 1 to the public 
comment file for its proposal.
    \23\ This amendment: (1) Added introductory language to FINRA's 
OATS rule series to clarify that the rules will be deleted upon 
announcement by FINRA that the CAT has achieved a level of accuracy 
and reliability sufficient to replace OATS; and (2) modified FINRA's 
EBS rule text to clarify that FINRA will not request trade data or 
information, and members will not be required to provide trade data 
or information, pursuant to its EBS rules for trades reported to the 
CAT after FINRA announces that it has determined that the accuracy 
and reliability of the CAT are sufficient to replace requests 
pursuant to these rules. When FINRA filed Amendment No. 1 to its 
proposal with the Commission, it also submitted Amendment No. 1 to 
the public comment file for its proposal.
    \24\ This amendment modified ISE's EBS rule text language to 
clarify that ISE will not request trade data or information, and 
members will not be required to provide trade data or information, 
pursuant to ISE's Rule 1404 for trades reported to the CAT after ISE 
announces that it has determined that the accuracy and reliability 
of the CAT are sufficient to replace requests pursuant to the rule. 
When ISE filed Amendment No. 2 to its proposal with the Commission, 
it also submitted Amendment No. 2 to the public comment file for its 
proposal.
    \25\ This amendment: (1) Added introductory language to NASDAQ's 
OATS rule series to clarify that the rules will be deleted upon 
announcement by NASDAQ that the CAT has achieved a level of accuracy 
and reliability sufficient to replace OATS; (2) added introductory 
language to NASDAQ's COATS-related rules to clarify that these rules 
will be amended upon announcement by NASDAQ that the CAT has 
achieved a level of accuracy and reliability sufficient to replace 
COATS; and (3) modified NASDAQ's EBS rule text and the language of 
Chapter VII, Section 7, to clarify that NASDAQ will not request 
trade data or information, and members will not be required to 
provide trade data or information, pursuant to the EBS Rules or 
Chapter VII, Section 7, for trades reported to the CAT after NASDAQ 
announces that it has determined that the accuracy and reliability 
of the CAT are sufficient to replace requests pursuant to these 
rules. When NASDAQ filed Amendment No. 2 to its proposal with the 
Commission, it also submitted Amendment No. 2 to the public comment 
file for its proposal.
    \26\ This amendment: (1) Added introductory language to NYSE's 
OATS rules to clarify that they will be deleted upon announcement by 
FINRA that the CAT has achieved a level of accuracy and reliability 
sufficient to replace OATS; and (2) modified NYSE's EBS rule text to 
clarify that NYSE will not request trade data or information, and 
member organizations will not be required to provide trade data or 
information, pursuant to the rule for trades reported to the CAT 
after FINRA announces that it has determined that the accuracy and 
reliability of the CAT are sufficient to replace requests pursuant 
to FINRA's EBS rules. When NYSE filed Amendment No. 1 to its 
proposal with the Commission, it also submitted Amendment No. 1 to 
the public comment file for its proposal.
    \27\ Amendment No. 1 to SR-NYSEArca-2017-59: (1) Added 
introductory language to NYSE Arca's OATS rules to clarify that the 
OATS rules will be deleted upon announcement by FINRA that the CAT 
has achieved a level of accuracy and reliability sufficient to 
replace OATS; and (2) modified NYSE Arca's EBS rule text to clarify 
that NYSE Arca will not request trade data or information, and ETP 
Holders, OTP Holders, OTP Firms, and associated persons of ETP 
Holders and OTP Firms (as defined in NYSE Arca's rulebook) will not 
be required to provide trade data or information, pursuant to the 
rule for trades reported to the CAT after FINRA announces that it 
has determined that the accuracy and reliability of the CAT are 
sufficient to replace requests pursuant to FINRA's EBS rules. 
Amendment No. 1 to SR-NYSEArca-2017-57 added introductory language 
to NYSE Arca's COATS-related rules to clarify that these rules will 
be amended upon announcement by NYSE Arca, in conjunction with the 
other options exchanges, that CAT has achieved a level of accuracy 
and reliability sufficient to replace COATS. When NYSE Arca filed 
Amendment No. 1 to each of its proposed rule changes with the 
Commission, it also submitted Amendment No. 1 to the public comment 
file for each respective proposed rule change.
    \28\ Amendment No. 1 to SR-NYSEMKT-2017-30: (1) Added 
introductory language to NYSE MKT's OATS rules to clarify that they 
will be deleted upon announcement by FINRA that the CAT has achieved 
a level of accuracy and reliability sufficient to replace OATS; and 
(2) modified NYSE MKT's EBS rule text to clarify that NYSE MKT will 
not request trade data or information, and member organizations and 
ATP Holders (as defined in NYSE MKT's rulebook) will not be required 
to provide trade data or information, pursuant to the rule for 
trades reported to the CAT after FINRA announces that it has 
determined that the accuracy and reliability of the CAT are 
sufficient to replace requests pursuant to FINRA's EBS rules. 
Amendment No. 1 to SR-NYSEMKT-2017-29 added introductory language to 
NYSE MKT's COATS-related rules to clarify that the COATS-related 
rules will be amended upon announcement by NYSE MKT, in conjunction 
with the other options exchanges, that CAT has achieved a level of 
accuracy and reliability sufficient to replace COATS. When NYSE MKT 
filed Amendment No. 1 to each of its proposed rule changes with the 
Commission, it also submitted Amendment No. 1 to the public comment 
file for each respective proposed rule change.
    \29\ This amendment: (1) Added introductory language to Phlx 
OATS rule series to clarify that the rules will be deleted upon 
announcement by Phlx that the CAT has achieved a level of accuracy 
and reliability sufficient to replace OATS; (2) added introductory 
language to Phlx's COATS-related rules to clarify that the rules 
will be amended upon announcement by Phlx that the CAT has achieved 
a level of accuracy and reliability sufficient to replace COATS; (3) 
modified Phlx's EBS rule text and language in Phlx Rule 1022 to 
clarify that Phlx will not request trade data or information, and 
members will not be required to provide trade data or information, 
pursuant to the EBS Rule or Rule 1022 for trades reported to the CAT 
after Phlx announces that is has determined that the accuracy and 
reliability of the CAT are sufficient to replace requests pursuant 
to these rules; and (4) made a conforming change to Phlx Option 
Floor Procedure Advices and Order and Decorum Regulations C-2 to 
delete rule text that corresponds to rule text that Phlx previously 
proposed to delete in Rule 1063. When Phlx filed Amendment No. 2 to 
its proposal with the Commission, it also submitted Amendment No. 2 
to the public comment file for its proposal.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Commission is publishing this notice and order to solicit 
comments on the proposed rule changes, as modified by the respective 
amendments thereto, from interested persons and to institute 
proceedings pursuant to Section 19(b)(2)(B) of the Act \30\ to 
determine whether to approve or disapprove the proposed rule changes, 
as modified by the respective amendments thereto.\31\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \30\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2)(B).
    \31\ For purposes of this notice and order, capitalized terms 
are defined as set forth in the Notices or in the CAT NMS Plan 
unless otherwise specified.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

II. Description of the Proposals, as Modified by Amendments Thereto

    As required by the CAT NMS Plan, the Systems Retirement Proposals 
discuss: (1) The specific standards that will govern when SRO rules and 
related systems that are duplicative of CAT--including the Order Audit 
Trail System (``OATS''), the Consolidated Options Audit Trail System 
(``COATS''), and the Electronic Blue Sheets system (``EBS'')--will be 
modified or eliminated; (2) whether the availability of data from Small 
Industry Members in November of 2018 would facilitate duplicative 
systems retirement; and (3) the feasibility of granting exemptions from 
reporting to duplicative systems to individual Industry Members whose 
CAT reporting meets certain accuracy and reliability thresholds.

A. Specific Accuracy and Reliability Standards

1. OATS
    FINRA's OATS rules require certain FINRA members to report a 
variety of data regarding transactions in OTC equity securities and NMS 
stocks to the system on a daily basis.\32\ Several other SROs have 
their own OATS rules that mirror FINRA's rule or incorporate it by 
reference.\33\ FINRA and the other SROs with OATS rules (the ``OATS 
SROs'') have proposed to delete their OATS rules from their respective 
rulebooks. As described in more detail below, these deletions will be 
implemented once CAT Data achieves certain pre- and post-correction 
error rates and certain qualitative criteria have been met.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \32\ See FINRA Rule 7400.
    \33\ See BX Rule 6950, IEX Rule 11.420, NASDAQ Rule 7000A 
Series, NYSE Rule 7400 Series, NYSE Arca Rule 6-E, and NYSE MKT Rule 
7400--Equities Series, Phlx Rule 3400 series.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In its Systems Retirement Proposal, FINRA stated that it believes 
that relevant error rates are the primary, but not the sole, metric by 
which to determine the CAT's accuracy and reliability and will serve as 
the baseline requirement needed before OATS can be retired to account 
for information being available in the CAT.\34\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \34\ See FINRA Notice, 82 FR at 25424.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    FINRA noted that the Participants established an initial Error 
Rate, as defined in the Plan, of 5% on initially submitted data (i.e., 
data as submitted by a CAT Reporter before any required corrections are 
performed).\35\ The Participants noted in the Plan their expectation 
that ``error rates after reprocessing of error corrections will be de 
minimis.'' \36\ The Participants based this Error Rate on their 
consideration of ``current and historical OATS Error Rates, the 
magnitude of new reporting requirements on the CAT Reporters and the 
fact that many CAT Reporters may have never been obligated to report 
data to an audit trail.'' \37\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \35\ See CAT NMS Plan, Appendix B, Section A.3(b).
    \36\ CAT NMS Plan, Appendix C, Section A.3(b), at n. 102.
    \37\ CAT NMS Plan, Appendix C, Section A.3(b).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In its Systems Retirement Proposal, FINRA expressed agreement with 
the Participants' conclusion that a 5% pre-correction threshold 
``strikes the balance of adapting to a new reporting regime, while 
ensuring that the data provided to regulators will be capable of being 
used to conduct surveillance and market reconstruction, as well as 
having a sufficient level of accuracy to facilitate the retirement of 
existing regulatory reports and systems where possible.'' \38\ However, 
FINRA believed that, when assessing the accuracy and reliability of the 
data for the purposes of retiring OATS, the error thresholds should be 
measured in more granular ways and should also include minimum error 
rates of post-correction data, which

[[Page 42171]]

represents the data most likely to be used by FINRA to conduct 
surveillance. Although FINRA is proposing to measure the appropriate 
error rates in the aggregate rather than firm-by-firm, FINRA expressed 
the belief that the error rates for equity securities should be 
measured separately from options since options orders are not currently 
reported regularly or included in OATS.\39\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \38\ Id. See also FINRA Notice, 82 FR at 25424.
    \39\ See FINRA Notice, 82 FR at 25424.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    FINRA has proposed that, before OATS could be retired, the CAT 
would generally need to achieve a sustained error rate for Industry 
Member reporting in each of the categories below:
     Rejection Rates and Data Validations. Data validations for 
the CAT, while not expected to be designed the same as OATS, must be 
functionally equivalent to OATS in accordance with the CAT NMS Plan 
(i.e., the same types of basic data validations must be performed by 
the Plan Processor to comply with the CAT NMS Plan requirements). 
Appendix D of the Plan, for example, requires that certain file 
validations\40\ and syntax and context checks be performed on all 
submitted records.\41\ If a record does not pass these basic data 
validations, it must be rejected and returned to the CAT Reporter to be 
corrected and resubmitted.\42\ The specific validations can be 
determined only after the Plan Processor has finalized the Industry 
Member Technical Specifications; however, the Plan also requires the 
Plan Processor to provide daily statistics on rejection rates after the 
data has been processed, including the number of files rejected and 
accepted, the number of order events accepted and rejected, and the 
number of each type of report rejected.\43\ FINRA is proposing that, 
over the 180-day period, aggregate rejection rates (measured separately 
for equities and options) must be no more than 5% pre-correction or 2% 
post-correction across all CAT Reporters.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \40\ See CAT NMS Plan, Appendix D, Section 7.2. The Plan 
requires the Plan Processor to confirm that file transmission and 
receipt are in the correct formats, including validation of header 
and trailers on the submitted report, confirmation of a valid SRO-
Assigned Market Participant Identifier, and verification of the 
number of records in the file. See id.
    \41\ See id. The Plan notes that syntax and context checks would 
include format checks (i.e., that data is entered in the specified 
format); data type checks (i.e., that the data type of each 
attribute conforms to the specifications); consistency checks (i.e., 
that all attributes for a record of a specified type are 
consistent); range/logic checks (i.e., that each attribute for every 
record has a value within specified limits and the values provided 
are associated with the event type they represent); data validity 
checks (i.e., that each attribute for every record has an acceptable 
value); completeness checks (i.e., that each mandatory attribute for 
every record is not null); and timeliness checks (i.e., that the 
records were submitted within the submission timelines). See id.
    \42\ See id.
    \43\ See id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Intra-Firm Linkages. The Plan requires that ``the Plan 
Processor must be able to link all related order events from all CAT 
Reporters involved in the lifecycle of an order.'' \44\ At a minimum, 
this requirement includes the creation of an order lifecycle between 
``[a]ll order events handled within an individual CAT Reporter, 
including orders routed to internal desks or departments with different 
functions (e.g., an internal ATS).'' \45\ FINRA is proposing that 
aggregate intra-firm linkage rates across all Industry Member Reporters 
must be at least 95% pre-correction and 98% post-correction.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \44\ CAT NMS Plan, Appendix D, Section 3.
    \45\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Inter-Firm Linkages. The order linkage requirements in the 
Plan also require that the Plan Processor be able to create the 
lifecycle between orders routed between broker-dealers.\46\ FINRA is 
proposing that at least a 95% pre-correction and 98% post-correction 
aggregate match rate be achieved for orders routed between two Industry 
Member Reporters.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \46\ See id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Order Linkage Rates. In addition to creating linkages 
within and between broker-dealers, the Plan also includes requirements 
that the Plan Processor be able to create lifecycles to link various 
pieces of related orders.\47\ For example, the Plan requires linkages 
between customer orders and ``representative'' orders created in firm 
accounts for the purpose of facilitating a customer order, various legs 
of option/equity complex orders, riskless principal orders, and orders 
worked through average price accounts.\48\ FINRA is proposing that 
there be at least a 95% pre-correction and 98% post-correction linkage 
rate for multi-legged orders (e.g., related equity/options orders, VWAP 
orders, riskless principal transactions).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \47\ See id.
    \48\ See id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Exchange and TRF/ORF Match Rates. The Plan requires that 
an order lifecycle be created to link ``[o]rders routed from broker-
dealers to exchanges'' and ``[e]xecuted orders and trade reports.'' 
\49\ FINRA is proposing at least a 95% pre-correction and 98% post-
correction aggregate match rate to each equity exchange for orders 
routed from Industry Members to an exchange and, for over-the-counter 
executions, the same match rate for orders linked to trade reports.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \49\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    FINRA believes that an error rate of 5% or lower, measured on a 
pre-correction or as-submitted basis, and 2% or lower on a post-
correction basis (measured at T+5),\50\ should be attained across a 
180-day period before retiring OATS. FINRA believes that this time 
period is necessary to reveal any errors that could manifest themselves 
only after surveillance patterns and other queries have been run and to 
confirm that the Plan Processor is meeting its obligations and 
performing its functions adequately. FINRA would not require a maximum 
5% pre-correction error rate and 2% post-correction error rate each day 
for 180 consecutive days. FINRA's Systems Retirement Proposal also 
provides that, during the 180-day period over which the thresholds are 
calculated, FINRA's use of the data in the CAT must confirm that (i) 
usage over that time period has not revealed material issues that have 
not been corrected, (ii) the CAT includes all data necessary to allow 
FINRA to continue to meet its surveillance obligations, and (iii) the 
Plan Processor is sufficiently meeting all of its obligations under the 
Plan.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \50\ The Plan requires the Plan Processor to ensure that 
regulators have access to corrected and linked order and Customer 
data by 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time on T+5. See CAT NMS Plan, Appendix C, 
Section A.2(a).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Finally, FINRA notes that it will implement the deletion of its 
OATS rules on a date to be announced in a Regulatory Notice once FINRA 
concludes the thresholds for accuracy and reliability described above 
have been met.\51\ In addition, FINRA added proposed introductory 
language to its OATS rules in its Amendment No. 1 that clarified that, 
if approved, the OATS rules will be deleted from its rulebook upon 
announcement by FINRA that the CAT has achieved a level of accuracy and 
reliability sufficient to replace OATS.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \51\ See FINRA Notice, 82 FR at 25426.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In their Systems Retirement Proposals, some of the OATS SROs \52\ 
proposed to assess when to eliminate their respective OATS rules based 
on the same accuracy and reliability standards as proposed by FINRA, 
and to announce the implementation date of the elimination of their 
OATS rules via regulatory notice once each has concluded that these 
standards have

[[Page 42172]]

been met.\53\ Other OATS SROs \54\ proposed to implement the 
elimination of their OATS rules via regulatory notice once FINRA has 
determined that the accuracy and reliability standards proposed by 
FINRA had been met, and FINRA publishes a notice announcing the date it 
will retire its OATS rules.\55\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \52\ BX, IEX, NASDAQ, and Phlx.
    \53\ See BX Notice, 82 FR at 25873-74; IEX Notice, 82 FR at 
25401-02; NASDAQ Notice, 82 FR at 25821-22; Phlx Notice, 82 FR at 
25864. Similar to FINRA, each of these Exchanges also added proposed 
introductory language to its OATS rules to clarify that, if 
approved, the OATS rules will be deleted from its rulebook upon 
announcement by the Exchange that CAT has achieved a level of 
accuracy and reliability sufficient to replace OATS. See Amendment 
No. 1 to IEX Notice and Amendment No. 2 to BX Notice, NASDAQ Notice, 
and Phlx Notice.
    \54\ NYSE, NYSE Arca, and NYSE MKT.
    \55\ See NYSE Notice, 82 FR at 25636-37; NYSE Arca Notice 1, 82 
FR at 25363-64; NYSE MKT Notice 2, 82 FR at 25440. Similar to FINRA, 
each of NYSE, NYSE Arca, and NYSE MKT also added proposed 
introductory language to its OATS rules to clarify that, if 
approved, the OATS rules will be deleted from its rulebook upon 
announcement by FINRA that the CAT has achieved a level of accuracy 
and reliability sufficient to replace OATS. See Amendment No. 1 to 
NYSE Notice, NYSE Arca Notice 1, and NYSE MKT Notice 2.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. COATS
    Bats BZX, Bats EDGX, BX, BOX, CBOE, C2, NASDAQ, NYSE Arca, NYSE 
MKT, and Phlx (collectively, the ``COATS SROs'') utilize COATS to 
collect and review data regarding orders, quotes, and transactions in 
listed options.\56\ In their Systems Retirement Proposals, the COATS 
SROs noted that the Participants have provided COATS technical 
specifications to the CAT Plan Processor for use in developing the 
Technical Specifications for the CAT, and that the Participants are 
working with the Plan Processor to include the necessary COATS data 
elements in the CAT Technical Specifications.\57\ Accordingly, the 
COATS SROs have proposed to eliminate COATS once CAT is operational and 
CAT Data is sufficiently accurate and reliable for the COATS SROs to 
perform the regulatory functions that they now perform via COATS. The 
COATS SROs also have proposed to eliminate certain provisions of their 
rules that reference COATS or implement COATS requirements \58\ and/or 
to replace certain provisions that implement COATS requirements with 
others that provide for compliance with CAT requirements.\59\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \56\ COATS was developed to comply with an order of the 
Commission requiring CBOE, in coordination with other exchanges, to 
design and implement a consolidated audit trail to ``enable the 
options exchanges to reconstruct markets promptly, effectively 
surveil them and enforce order handling, firm quote, trade reporting 
and other rules.'' Securities Exchange Act Release No. 43268, 
Section IV.B.e.(v) (September 11, 2000) (Administrative Proceeding 
File No. 3-10282) (Order Instituting Public Administrative 
Proceedings Pursuant to Sections 19(h)(1) of the Act, Making 
Findings and Imposing Remedial Sanctions).
    \57\ See Bats BZX Notice, 82 FR at 25375; Bats EDGX Notice, 82 
FR at 25359; BOX Notice, 82 FR at 25492; BX Notice, 82 FR at 25876; 
C2 Notice, 82 FR at 25386; CBOE Notice, 82 FR at 25430; NYSE Arca 
Notice 2, 82 FR at 25640; NYSE MKT Notice 1, 82 FR at 25444; NASDAQ 
Notice, 82 FR at 25824; Phlx Notice, 82 FR at 25868.
    \58\ See CBOE Notice, 82 FR at 25430 (proposing to eliminate, 
from CBOE Rule 6.24, references to and background on COATS as well 
as COATS requirements regarding the reporting of the time of receipt 
of an execution report); NYSE Arca Notice 2, 82 FR at 25640 
(proposing to eliminate the COATS-related clock synchronization 
requirements of NYSE Arca Rule 6.20-O).
    \59\ See BX Notice, 82 FR at 25876 (proposing to eliminate the 
COATS-based information reporting requirements of BX Chapter V, 
Section 7, and to replace them with a requirement that BX members 
maintain order records consisting of the elements required by BX's 
CAT Compliance Rule); Amendment No. 1 to BOX Notice (proposing to 
eliminate the COATS-based data requirements of BOX Rule 7120(b) and 
to replace them with a requirement that order tickets consist of the 
elements required by BOX's CAT Compliance Rule); CBOE Notice, 82 FR 
at 25430 (proposing to amend various interpretations and policies of 
CBOE Rule 6.24 to require that certain systems and data reports 
comply with the functionality and format requirements of CAT rather 
than COATS); Nasdaq Notice, 82 FR at 25824 (proposing to eliminate 
the COATS-based information reporting requirements of Nasdaq Chapter 
V, Section 7, and to replace them with a requirement that Nasdaq 
members maintain order records consisting of the elements required 
by Nasdaq's CAT Compliance Rule); NYSE Arca Notice 2, 82 FR at 25640 
(proposing to amend NYSE Arca Rule 6.68-O to require order records 
to include the elements required by NYSE Arca's CAT Compliance Rule 
rather than the elements required under COATS); NYSE MKT Notice 1, 
82 FR at 25444 (proposing to amend NYSE MKT Rule 956NY to require 
order records to include the elements required by NYSE MKT's CAT 
Compliance Rule rather than the elements required under COATS); Phlx 
Notice, 82 FR at 25868 and Amendment No. 2 to Phlx Notice (proposing 
to amend Phlx Rule 1063, which implements certain reporting 
requirements related to COATS, and Option Floor Procedure Advices 
and Order and Decorum Regulation C-2, which repeats these 
requirements and imposes a schedule of fines for violating them, by 
replacing the COATS requirements with provisions stating that order 
records must include the elements enumerated in Phlx's CAT 
Compliance Rule). See also Bats EDGX Notice, 82 FR at 25359; BZX 
Notice, 82 FR at 25375; C2 Notice, 82 FR at 25386 (noting that BZX, 
EDGX, and C2 do not have any specific rules or requirements related 
to COATS but refer to the retirement of COATS in their filings to be 
consistent with the other options exchanges).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Similar to the standards described in the Systems Retirement 
Proposals that discuss eliminating OATS-related rules, the COATS SROs 
believe that, before COATS can be retired and the proposed 
modifications to COATS-related rules can be implemented, the CAT would 
need to achieve an aggregate average error rate of 5% or lower measured 
on a pre-correction or as-submitted basis, and 2% or lower on a post-
correction basis (measured at T+5).\60\ The 5% and 2% error rates would 
be measured across a 180-day period. For purposes of COATS retirement, 
the COATS SROs have proposed to measure the error rates for CAT records 
relating only to listed options and not to equities, as only options 
orders and transactions are currently subject to COATS reporting. As 
with the proposals to retire OATS, the COATS SROs believe that, during 
the minimum 180-day period during which the error thresholds are 
calculated, their use of CAT Data must confirm that (1) there are no 
material issues that have not been corrected, (2) the CAT includes all 
data necessary to allow the COATS SROs to continue to meet their 
surveillance obligations, and (3) the Plan Processor is sufficiently 
meeting all of its obligations under the CAT NMS Plan. Each COATS SRO 
also noted that, if the Commission approves its proposed rule change, 
it would announce the date for modification or elimination, as 
applicable, of reporting requirements and the implementation date of 
the proposed rule changes via regulatory notices or circulars that 
would be published once the thresholds for accuracy and reliability 
described above have been met and the Plan Processor is sufficiently 
meeting all of its obligations under the Plan.\61\ In amendments to 
their respective filings, each COATS SRO also added introductory 
language to each of the rules that it has proposed to modify in 
connection with the retirement of COATS specifying that the rule will 
be amended upon announcement by the SRO that the CAT has achieved a 
sufficient level of accuracy and reliability.\62\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \60\ See Bats BZX Notice, 82 FR at 25376; Bats EDGX Notice, 82 
FR at 25360-61; BOX Notice, 82 FR at 25493-94; BX Notice, 82 FR at 
25877; C2 Notice, 82 FR at 25387-88; CBOE Notice, 82 FR at 25432; 
NYSE Arca Notice 2, 82 FR at 25641; NYSE MKT Notice 1, 82 FR at 
25445; NASDAQ Notice, 82 FR at 25825; Phlx Notice, 82 FR at 25869.
    \61\ See Bats BZX Notice, 82 FR at 25376; Bats EDGX Notice, 82 
at FR 25361; CBOE Notice, 82 FR at 25432; C2 Notice, 82 FR at 25388 
(all stating that the proposed modifications will be implemented 
``once the Exchange (and other options exchanges with respect to 
COATS and EBS) determines that the thresholds for accuracy and 
reliability described above have been met and that the Plan 
Processor is sufficiently meeting all of its obligations under the 
CAT NMS Plan''); BX Notice, 82 FR at 25877, NASDAQ Notice, 82 FR at 
25826, and Phlx Notice, 82 FR at 25869 (all stating that the 
proposed modifications will be implemented ``once [the Exchange] 
concludes the thresholds for accuracy and reliability described 
above have been met and that the Plan Processor is sufficiently 
meeting all of its obligations under the CAT NMS Plan''); BOX 
Notice, 82 FR at 25494, NYSE Arca Notice 2, 82 FR at 25640, and NYSE 
MKT Notice 1, 82 FR at 25444 (all stating that the proposed 
modifications will be implemented ``once the options exchanges 
determine that the thresholds for accuracy and reliability described 
. . . have been met and that the Plan Processor is sufficiently 
meeting all of its obligations under the CAT NMS Plan'').
    \62\ See Amendment No. 1 to Bats BZX Notice, Bats EDGX Notice, 
BOX Notice, C2 Notice, CBOE Notice, NYSE Arca Notice 2, NYSE MKT 
Notice 1; and Amendment No. 2 to BX Notice, NASDAQ Notice, and Phlx 
Notice.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 42173]]

3. EBS
    Each of Bats BZX, Bats EDGX, BX, BOX, CBOE, C2, FINRA, IEX, ISE, 
MIAX, PEARL, Phlx, NASDAQ, NYSE, NYSE Arca, and NYSE MKT (each an ``EBS 
SRO'') has a rule requiring a member, upon request by the SRO, to 
provide trading information using the electronic blue sheets (``EBS'') 
system in such format as may be prescribed by the SRO.\63\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \63\ See Bats BZX Rule 24.4; Bats EDGX Rule 24.4; BOX Rule 
10040; BX Equity Rule 8211; BX Options Rule Chapter IX, Section 4; 
C2 Chapter 15 (incorporating CBOE Rule 15.7 by reference); CBOE Rule 
15.7; IEX Rule 8.220; ISE Rule 1404; FINRA Rules 8211 and 8213; MIAX 
Rule 804; Nasdaq Equity Rule 8211; Nasdaq Options Rule Chapter IX, 
Section 4; NYSE Rule 8211; NYSE Arca Rule 10.2(e); NYSE MKT Rule 
8211; Phlx Rule 785; PEARL Rule 804. PEARL notes that PEARL Rule 804 
is incorporated by reference from the rules in MIAX rulebook Chapter 
VIII. See PEARL Notice, 82 FR at 25437, n. 14.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    According to the EBS SROs, after broker-dealer reporting to the CAT 
begins, CAT will contain much of the data with respect to transactions 
in CAT-Eligible Securities that an SRO could otherwise have requested 
via the EBS system.\64\ Consequently, the EBS SROs would no longer need 
to request information pursuant to the EBS Rules for transactions in 
CAT-Eligible Securities after such time as appropriate thresholds for 
accuracy and reliability, including for customer and account 
information, are achieved. However, the EBS SROs do not believe that 
the EBS rules can be completely removed from their rulebooks and the 
EBS system completely retired, because EBS requests might have to be 
made to obtain information about transactions occurring before CAT has 
attained an appropriate threshold for accuracy and reliability. Some of 
the EBS SROs \65\ also noted that their EBS rules apply to transactions 
in non-CAT-Eligible Securities, such as fixed-income securities. Thus, 
the rules would have to remain in effect with respect to those 
transactions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \64\ See Bats BZX Notice, 82 FR at 25375; Bats EDGX Notice, 82 
FR at 25359; BOX Notice, 82 FR at 25493; BX Notice, 82 FR at 25875; 
C2 Notice, 82 FR at 25386; CBOE Notice, 82 FR at 25431; FINRA 
Notice, 82 FR at 25426; IEX Notice, 82 FR at 25403; ISE Notice, 82 
FR at 25470; MIAX Notice, 82 FR at 25367; NYSE Notice, 82 FR at 
25637; NYSE Arca Notice 1, 82 FR at 25364; NYSE MKT Notice 2, 82 FR 
at 25442; NASDAQ Notice, 82 FR at 25823; PEARL Notice, 82 FR at 
25437; Phlx Notice, 82 FR at 25866.
    \65\ See Bats BZX Notice, 82 FR at 25375; Bats EDGX Notice, 82 
FR at 25359-60; BX Notice, 82 FR at 25875; CBOE Notice, 82 FR at 
25431; C2 Notice, 82 FR at 25386-87; FINRA Notice, 82 FR at 25426; 
Phlx Notice, 82 FR at 25867 ; NASDAQ Notice, 82 FR at 25823; NYSE 
Notice, 82 FR at 25637; NYSE Arca Notice 1, 82 FR at 25365; and NYSE 
MKT Notice 2, 82 FR at 25442.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Each of the EBS SROs proposed to add new language to its EBS rule 
to clarify how it will request data under these rules after members are 
reporting to the CAT.\66\ Specifically, the proposed new language notes 
that the SRO will not request trade data or information under the rule, 
and members will not be required to provide trade data or information 
under the rule, for trades reported to the CAT after the SRO (or, in 
some cases, FINRA) announces that it has determined that the accuracy 
and reliability of the CAT are sufficient to replace requests pursuant 
to the EBS rule.\67\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \66\ See Amendment No. 1 to Bats BZX Notice, Bats EDGX Notice, 
BOX Notice; C2 Notice, CBOE Notice, FINRA Notice, IEX Notice, NYSE 
Notice, NYSE Arca Notice 1, and NYSE MKT Notice 2; Amendment No. 2 
to BX Notice, ISE Notice, NASDAQ Notice, PEARL Notice, and Phlx 
Notice; and Amendment No. 3 to MIAX Notice.
    \67\ See proposed revisions to Bats BZX Rule 24.4, as modified 
by Amendment No. 1; proposed revisions to Bats EDGX Rule 24.4, as 
modified by Amendment No. 1; proposed Supplementary Material to BX 
Equity Rule 8211, as modified by Amendment No. 2; proposed 
Supplementary Material to BX Options Rule Chapter IX, Section 4, as 
modified by Amendment No. 2; proposed Interpretive Material to BOX 
Rule 10040, as modified by Amendment No. 1; C2 Chapter 15 
(incorporating by reference the proposed revisions to CBOE Rule 
15.7); proposed revisions to CBOE Rule 15.7, as modified by 
Amendment No. 1; proposed Supplementary Material to FINRA Rules 8211 
and 8213, as modified by Amendment No. 1; proposed Supplementary 
Material .01 to IEX Rule 8.220, as modified by Amendment No. 1; 
proposed Supplementary Material to ISE Rule 1404, as modified by 
Amendment No. 2; proposed Interpretation and Policy .01 to MIAX Rule 
804, as modified by Amendment No. 3; proposed Supplementary Material 
to Phlx Rule 785, as modified by Amendment No. 2; proposed 
Supplementary Material to Nasdaq Equity Rule 8211, as modified by 
Amendment No. 2; proposed Supplementary Material to Nasdaq Options 
Rule Chapter IX Section 4, as modified by Amendment No. 2; proposed 
Supplementary Material .01 to NYSE Rule 8211, as modified by 
Amendment No. 1; proposed Commentary .01(E) to NYSE Arca Rule 10.2, 
as modified by Amendment No. 1; proposed Supplementary Material .01 
to NYSE MKT Rule 8211, as modified by Amendment No. 1; proposed 
Interpretation and Policy .01 to PEARL Rule 804, as modified by 
Amendment No. 2.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As noted above, the EBS SROs believe (or reiterate FINRA's belief) 
that the CAT must meet certain minimum accuracy and reliability 
standards before it, or FINRA, could rely on the CAT Data to replace 
existing regulatory tools, including EBS. Therefore, the EBS SROs 
propose to implement the new rule text related to their EBS rules only 
after CAT achieves certain accuracy thresholds. The EBS SROs proposed 
similar standards to those for eliminating OATS-related rules set forth 
above, as well as specific accuracy standards for customer and account 
information.\68\ In addition, each of the EBS SROs states that it (or, 
in some cases, FINRA) can rely on CAT Data to replace EBS requests only 
after it has determined that its usage of the CAT Data over a 180-day 
period has not revealed material issues that have not been corrected, 
confirmed that the CAT includes all data necessary to allow it or FINRA 
to continue to meet its surveillance obligations, and confirmed that 
the Plan Processor is fulfilling its obligations under the Plan.\69\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \68\ See BX Notice, 82 FR at 25876; Bats BZX Notice, 82 FR at 
25375; Bats EDGX Notice, 82 FR at 25359; BOX Notice, 82 FR at 25493; 
C2 Notice, 82 FR at 25386; CBOE Notice, 82 FR at 25431; IEX Notice, 
82 FR at 25403; ISE Notice, 82 FR at 25470-71; MIAX Notice, 82 FR at 
25367-68; NASDAQ Notice, 82 FR at 25823-24; PEARL Notice, 82 FR at 
25437-38; and Phlx Notice, 82 FR at 25866-68, respectively (stating 
that each SRO will assess whether ``an acceptable accuracy rate for 
customer and account information'' has been reached); FINRA Notice, 
82 FR at 25426; NYSE Notice, 82 FR at 25638; NYSE Arca Notice 1, 82 
FR at 25365; and NYSE MKT Notice 2, 82 FR at 25442, respectively 
(stating that FINRA will assess whether ``an accuracy rate for 
customer and account information of 95% for pre-corrected data and 
98% for post-correction data'' has been reached).
    \69\ See Bats BZX Notice, 82 FR at 25376; Bats EDGX Notice, 82 
FR at 25360-61; BOX Notice, 82 FR at 25494; BX Notice, 82 FR at 
25876; C2 Notice, 82 FR at 25387; CBOE Notice, 82 FR at 25432; FINRA 
Notice, 82 FR at 25426; IEX Notice, 82 FR at 25403; ISE Notice, 82 
FR at 25471; MIAX Notice, 82 FR at 25368; NYSE Notice, 82 FR at 
25636; NYSE Arca Notice 1, 82 FR at 25365; NYSE MKT Notice 2, 82 FR 
at 25442; NASDAQ Notice, 82 FR at 25824; PEARL Notice, 82 FR at 
25438; Phlx Notice, 82 FR at 25868. NYSE, NYSE Arca, and NYSE MKT 
will implement this change by regulatory notice once FINRA publishes 
a notice announcing a date that it will retire its EBS Rules and 
thus will rely on FINRA's conclusion that the described accuracy and 
reliability thresholds have been met and the CAT Plan Processor is 
sufficiently meeting all of its obligations under the CAT NMS Plan. 
See NYSE Notice, 82 FR at 25636; NYSE Arca Notice 1, 82 FR at 25365; 
NYSE MKT Notice 2, 82 FR at 25442.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. Other Rules
    Certain Exchanges proposed to amend other reporting rules that they 
have determined are duplicative of CAT requirements. BatsBZX, BatsEDGX, 
BOX, BX, C2, CBOE, MIAX, PEARL, Phlx, and NASDAQ currently have rules 
requiring certain market participants (e.g., specialists and market 
makers) to report certain account or order information for accounts 
over which the market participant engages in trading activities or 
exercises investment discretion.\70\ These Exchanges stated

[[Page 42174]]

that, once broker-dealers are reporting to CAT, CAT will contain some 
of the data the Exchanges would otherwise have requested under these 
rules.\71\ Similar to the proposed revisions to the EBS rules, some of 
the Exchanges have proposed to add new text to these order and account 
identification rules stating that the Exchange will not request 
information under the rule, and members will not be required to provide 
information under the rule, for trades reported to CAT after the 
Exchange announces that it has determined that the accuracy and 
reliability of the CAT are sufficient to replace requests pursuant to 
the rule.\72\ Other Exchanges have proposed to revise these rules by 
deleting specific reporting requirements that are duplicative of CAT 
while retaining their position reporting requirements, which are not 
duplicative of CAT.\73\ In their respective amendments, these Exchanges 
proposed to add introductory language to these rules to clarify that 
the rules will be amended upon announcement by the Exchange that the 
CAT has achieved a sufficient level of accuracy and reliability.\74\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \70\ See Bats BZX Rule 22.7 and Interpretation and Policy .01 to 
Bats BZX Rule 22.7 (requiring market makers to identify accounts and 
report orders, and specifying requirements for joint accounts); Bats 
EDGX Rule 22.7 and Interpretation and Policy .01 to Bats EDGX Rule 
22.7 (requiring market makers to identify accounts and report 
orders, and specifying requirements for joint accounts); BOX Rule 
8060 (requiring market makers to identify accounts and report 
orders, and specifying requirements for joint accounts); BX Options 
Rule Chapter VII, Section 7 and Commentary .01 to BX Options Rule 
Chapter VII, Section 7 (requiring market makers to identify accounts 
and report orders, and specifying requirements for joint accounts); 
C2 Rule 8.7 (requiring market makers to identify accounts and report 
orders, and specifying requirements for joint accounts); CBOE Rule 
8.9 and Interpretation and Policy .07 to CBOE Rule 8.9 (requiring 
market makers to identify accounts and report orders, and specifying 
requirements for joint accounts); MIAX Rule 607 (requiring market 
makers to identify accounts and report orders, and specifying 
requirements for joint accounts); Nasdaq Options Rule Chapter VII, 
Section 7 and Commentary .01 to Nasdaq Options Rule Chapter VII, 
Section 7 (requiring market makers to identify accounts and report 
orders, and specifying requirements for joint accounts); PEARL Rule 
606 and Interpretation and Policy .01 to PEARL Rule 606 (requiring 
market makers to identify accounts and report orders, and specifying 
requirements for joint accounts); Phlx Options Rule 1022 and 
Commentary .01 and .02 to Phlx Options Rule 1022 (requiring 
specialists and market makers to identify accounts and, with respect 
to options in a foreign currency, make available books and records 
concerning transactions).
    \71\ See Bats BZX Notice, 82 FR at 25375; Bats EDGX Notice, 82 
FR at 25359; BOX Notice, 82 FR at 25492; BX Notice at 25875; C2 
Notice, 82 FR at 25386; CBOE Notice, 82 FR at 25431; MIAX Notice, 82 
FR at 25367; NASDAQ Notice, 82 FR at 25823; PEARL Notice, 82 FR at 
25437; Phlx Notice, 82 FR at 25866.
    \72\ See proposed Interpretive Material 8060-1 to BOX Rule 8060, 
as modified by Amendment No. 1; proposed Commentary .02 to BX 
Options Rule Chapter VII, Section 7, as modified by Amendment No. 2; 
proposed Interpretation and Policy .01 to MIAX Rule 607, as modified 
by Amendment No. 3; proposed Commentary .02 to Nasdaq Options Rule 
Chapter VII, Section 7, as modified by Amendment No. 2; proposed 
Interpretation and Policy .02 to PEARL Rule 606, as modified by 
Amendment No. 2; proposed Commentary .03 to Phlx Options Rule 1022, 
as modified by Amendment No. 2. In addition, BZX, CBOE, and EDGX 
proposed language for other rules that require the furnishing of 
data similar to the proposed revisions to the EBS rules--that is, 
that they will not request information for trades reported to the 
CAT after each has announced that it has determined that CAT is 
sufficiently accurate and reliable. See Amendment No. 1 to BZX 
Notice (proposing to add such language to Interpretation and Policy 
.02 to BZX Rule 4.2); Amendment No. 1 to EDGX Notice (proposing to 
add such language to Interpretation and Policy .02 to EDGX Rule 
4.2); Amendment No. 1 to CBOE Notice (proposing to add such language 
to Interpretation and Policy .04 to CBOE Rule 17.2).
    \73\ See proposed revisions to Bats BZX Rule 22.7(b) and 
Interpretation and Policy .01 to Bats BZX Rule 22.7 (proposing to 
replace requirement that market makers report orders with 
requirement that market makers report positions and eliminate 
required elements of report pertaining to orders); proposed 
revisions to Bats EDGX Rule 22.7(b) and Interpretation and Policy 
.01 to Bats EDGX Rule 22.7 (proposing to replace requirement that 
market makers report orders with requirement that market makers 
report positions and eliminate required elements of report 
pertaining to orders); proposed revisions to C2 Rule 8.7(b) 
(proposing to replace requirement that market makers report orders 
with requirement that market makers report positions and eliminate 
required elements of report pertaining to orders); proposed 
revisions to CBOE Rule 8.9(b) and Interpretation and Policy .07 to 
CBOE Rule 8.9 (proposing to replace requirement that market makers 
report orders with requirement that market makers report positions 
and eliminate required elements of report pertaining to orders).
    \74\ See Amendment No. 1 to each of Bats BZX Notice, Bats EDGX 
Notice, C2 Notice, and CBOE Notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In addition, CBOE and EDGX currently require members to submit to 
the Exchange stock transaction information for each Qualified 
Contingent Cross order executed at the Exchange.\75\ CAT will require 
exchange members to report stock transaction information. Therefore, 
CBOE and EDGX intend to eliminate this reporting requirement in 
accordance with the proposed timeline and standards below.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \75\ See CBOE Notice, 82 FR at 25431; EDGX Notice, 82 FR at 
25360.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    These Exchanges proposed standards for when the proposed 
modifications to these reporting rules will be implemented that are 
similar to those for eliminating OATS-related rules set forth above. 
Accordingly, these Exchanges proposed that CAT would need to achieve a 
sustained error rate for a period of at least 180 days of 5% or lower 
measured on a pre-correction or as-submitted basis, and 2% or lower on 
a post-correction basis (measured at T+5).\76\ These Exchanges have 
proposed to measure the 5% pre-correction and 2% post-correction 
thresholds by averaging the error rate across the period, not requiring 
a 5% pre-correction and 2% post-correction maximum each day for 180 
consecutive days. In addition, each of these Exchanges stated that it 
can rely on CAT Data to replace information required to be reported 
under duplicative rules only after it has determined that its usage of 
the CAT Data over a 180-day period has not revealed material issues 
that have not been corrected, confirmed that the CAT includes all data 
necessary to allow it to continue to meet its surveillance obligations, 
and confirmed that the CAT Plan Processor is fulfilling its obligations 
under the CAT NMS Plan.\77\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \76\ The Plan requires the Plan Processor to ensure that 
regulators have access to corrected and linked order and Customer 
data by 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time on T+5. See CAT NMS Plan, at C-15.
    \77\ See Bats BZX Notice, 82 FR at 25376; Bats EDGX Notice, 82 
FR at 25360-61; BX Notice, 82 FR at 25876; BOX Notice, 82 FR at 
25494; C2 Notice, 82 FR at 25387; CBOE Notice, 82 FR at 25432; MIAX 
Notice, 82 FR at 25368; NASDAQ Notice, 82 FR at 25824; PEARL Notice, 
82 FR at 25438; Phlx Notice, 82 FR at 25867-68.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

B. Small Industry Member Data Availability

    As noted above, the CAT NMS Plan requires the SROs, in their 
Systems Retirement Proposals, to address ``whether the availability of 
certain data from Small Industry Members two years after the Effective 
Date would facilitate a more expeditious retirement of duplicative 
systems.'' \78\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \78\ CAT NMS Plan, Appendix C, Section C.9.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In its Systems Retirement Proposal, FINRA stated its view that 
there is no effective way to retire OATS until all current OATS 
reporters are reporting to the CAT and that having data from Small 
Industry Members currently reporting to OATS available two years after 
the Effective Date rather than three would ``substantially facilitate a 
more expeditious retirement of OATS.'' \79\ Therefore, FINRA supports 
an amendment to the Plan that would require current OATS reporters that 
are Small Industry Members to report to CAT two years after the 
Effective Date (instead of three) and stated that it intends to work 
with the other SROs to propose such an amendment to the Plan.\80\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \79\ FINRA Notice, 82 FR at 25425.
    \80\ FINRA notes that the 180-day timeframes discussed above 
with respect to usage of the data and calculation of error rates 
would apply to data reported to the CAT by Small Industry Members 
that are reporting to OATS. If an amendment to the Plan to 
accelerate the reporting requirement for those firms is not 
approved, the retirement of OATS could not be accomplished until at 
least 180 days after Small Industry Members begin reporting, which 
is currently scheduled to begin in November 2019. See FINRA Notice, 
82 FR at 25425.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    FINRA has identified approximately 300 member firms that currently 
report to OATS and meet the definition of ``Small Industry Member.'' 
According to FINRA, only ten of these firms submit information to OATS 
on their own behalf, and eight of those ten firms report very few 
records to OATS.\81\ The

[[Page 42175]]

vast majority of these 300 firms use third parties to fulfill their 
reporting obligations, and many of these third parties will begin 
reporting to CAT in November 2018. Consequently, FINRA believes that 
the burden on current OATS reporters that are Small Industry Members 
would not be significant if those firms are required to report to CAT 
beginning in November 2018 rather than November 2019. FINRA does not 
believe that it is necessary or appropriate to accelerate CAT reporting 
for Small Industry Members that are not currently reporting to 
OATS.\82\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \81\ See FINRA Notice, 82 FR at 25425 (noting that in one recent 
month eight of the ten firms submitted fewer than 100 reports during 
the month, with four firms submitting fewer than 50).
    \82\ See id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Systems Retirement Proposals of BX, IEX, NYSE, NYSE Arca, NYSE 
MKT, NASDAQ, and Phlx contain the same analysis as FINRA (or summarize 
FINRA's analysis) in connection with whether the earlier availability 
of data from Small Industry Members would facilitate the retirement of 
their own respective OATS rules, and these Exchanges expressed support 
for the Plan amendment described by FINRA.\83\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \83\ See BX Notice, 82 FR at 25874-75; IEX Notice, 82 FR at 
25402; NYSE Notice, 82 FR at 25636; NYSE Arca Notice 1, 82 FR at 
25364; NYSE MKT Notice 2, 82 FR at 25441; NASDAQ Notice, 82 FR at 
25822-23; Phlx Notice, 82 FR at 25866. See also FINRA Notice, 82 FR 
at 25427-28.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Some of the Systems Retirement Filings also discussed how earlier 
availability of data from Small Industry Members might affect the 
retirement of systems other than OATS. The COATS SROs expressed the 
view that COATS should not be retired until all Participants and 
Industry Members that report data to COATS are reporting comparable 
data to the CAT.\84\ They noted that, while the early submission of 
options data to the CAT by Small Industry Members could expedite the 
retirement of COATS, they believe it premature to consider such a 
change, and that additional analysis would be necessary to determine 
whether such early reporting by Small Industry Members would be 
feasible. Some of the EBS SROs made statements similar to the COATS 
SROs with respect to whether earlier availability of data from Small 
Industry Members would facilitate EBS retirement,\85\ while other EBS 
SROs stated that the submission of data to the CAT by Small Industry 
Members a year earlier than is required in the CAT NMS Plan, at the 
same time as the other Industry Members, would expedite the replacement 
of EBS data with CAT Data because CAT would then have all necessary 
data from Industry Members to enable these SROs to perform the 
regulatory surveillance that currently is performed via EBS.\86\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \84\ See Bats BZX Notice, 82 FR at 25375-76; Bats EDGX Notice, 
82 FR at 25360; BOX Notice, 82 FR at 25493; BX Notice, 82 FR at 
25877; C2 Notice at, 82 FR at 25387; CBOE Notice, 82 FR at 25431; 
NYSE Arca Notice 2, 82 FR at 25640; NYSE MKT Notice 1, 82 FR at 
25444; NASDAQ Notice, 82 FR at 25825; Phlx Notice, 82 FR at 25868.
    \85\ See MIAX Notice, 82 FR at 25368; PEARL Notice at 25437-38. 
MIAX and PEARL also make similar statements with respect to whether 
earlier availability of data from Small Industry Members would 
facilitate the retirement of MIAX Rule 607 and PEARL Rule 606, which 
require certain account and order information to be reported. See 
MIAX Notice, 82 FR at 25368; PEARL Notice at 25437-38.
    \86\ See BX Notice, 82 FR at 25876; ISE Notice, 82 FR at 25470; 
NASDAQ Notice, 82 FR at 25824; Phlx Notice, 82 FR at 25867.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

C. Individual Industry Member Exemptions

    As noted above, the CAT NMS Plan also requires the SROs, in their 
Systems Retirement Proposals, to address ``whether individual Industry 
Members can be exempted from reporting to duplicative systems once 
their CAT reporting meets specified accuracy and reliability standards, 
including, but not limited to, ways in which establishing cross-system 
regulatory functionality or integrating data from existing systems and 
the CAT would facilitate such Individual Industry Member exemptions.'' 
\87\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \87\ CAT NMS Plan, Appendix C, Section C.9.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    All of the SROs stated (or reiterated FINRA's statement) that a 
single ``cut-over'' from existing systems to CAT is preferable to 
elimination of OATS reporting requirements on a firm-by-firm basis.\88\ 
Some of the SROs stated that providing individual exemptions to 
Industry Members would be inefficient, more costly, and less reliable 
than the single cut-over.\89\ These SROs further stated that providing 
individual exemptions would require the temporary creation of a cross-
system regulatory function and the integration of data from existing 
systems and the CAT to avoid creating any regulatory gaps as a result 
of such exemptions. These SROs believed that such a function would be 
costly to create and would give rise to a greater likelihood of data 
errors or other issues. These SROs stated that, given the limited time 
in which such exemptions would be necessary, they did not believe that 
such exemptions would be an appropriate use of limited resources. Some 
of the SROs also noted that, if an amendment to require Small Industry 
Members who currently report to OATS to begin reporting to CAT in 
November of 2018 were approved by the Commission, there would be no 
need to exempt members from OATS requirements on a firm-by-firm 
basis.\90\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \88\ See Bats BZX Notice, 82 FR at 25376; Bats EDGX Notice, 82 
FR at 25360; BOX Notice, 82 FR at 25493; BX Notice, 82 FR at 25875-
77; C2 Notice, 82 FR at 25387; CBOE Notice, 82 FR at 25431-32; FINRA 
Notice, 82 FR at 25425; IEX Notice, 82 FR at 25402; ISE Notice, 82 
FR at 25470; MIAX Notice, 82 FR at 25368; NYSE Notice, 82 FR at 
25637; NYSE Arca Notice 1, 82 FR at 25364; NYSE Arca Notice 2, 82 FR 
at 25640; NYSE MKT Notice 1, 82 FR at 25445; NYSE MKT Notice 2, 82 
FR at 25441; NASDAQ Notice, 82 FR at 25823-25; PEARL Notice, 82 FR 
at 25438; Phlx Notice, 82 FR at 25866-68.
    \89\ See Bats BZX Notice, 82 FR at 25376; Bats EDGX Notice, 82 
FR at 25360; BOX Notice, 82 FR at 25493; BX Notice, 82 FR at 25876-
77; C2 Notice, 82 FR at 25387; CBOE Notice, 82 FR at 25431-32; ISE 
Notice, 82 FR at 25470; MIAX Notice, 82 FR at 25368; NYSE Arca 
Notice 2, 82 FR at 25640; NYSE MKT Notice 1, 82 FR at 25445; NASDAQ 
Notice, 82 FR at 25824-25; PEARL Notice, 82 FR at 25438; Phlx 
Notice, 82 FR at 25867-68.
    \90\ See BX Notice, 82 FR at 25875; FINRA Notice, 82 FR at 
25426; NYSE Notice, 82 FR at 25637; NYSE Arca Notice 1, 82 FR at 
25364; NYSE MKT Notice 2, 82 FR at 25441; NASDAQ Notice, 82 FR at 
25823; Phlx Notice, 82 FR at 25866.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    FINRA argued that the primary beneficiary of its proposed approach 
would be the investing public.\91\ FINRA noted that firm-by-firm 
retirement of OATS would require merging OATS and CAT data, and that 
such an approach would be ``technologically costly and difficult and 
could introduce errors into the data being surveilled that did not 
exist prior to integration.'' \92\ FINRA further stated that conducting 
its surveillance using a single source ``increases the efficiency and 
effectiveness of the process and improves the integrity of the 
markets.'' \93\ FINRA noted that the potential costs of this approach 
would be borne by those firms that would have met an individual 
threshold sooner and that the approach could disincentivize individual 
firms from meeting the minimum error rate thresholds, which could, at 
the margin, extend the period of duplicative reporting for all 
firms.\94\ However, FINRA noted this disincentive would be small for 
firms with significant reporting burdens, as they would want to end 
duplicative reporting quickly, and that firms that otherwise delay in 
meeting their error rates could incur higher costs through enforcement 
actions.\95\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \91\ See FINRA Notice, 82 FR at 25427.
    \92\ Id.
    \93\ Id.
    \94\ See id.
    \95\ See id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

III. Summary of Comments

    The Commission received four comments that were submitted to File 
Number SR-FINRA-2017-13.\96\ Two of the commenters noted that their 
comments applied to the similar

[[Page 42176]]

proposals made by the other SROs.\97\ While the commenters supported 
certain aspects of the Systems Retirement Proposals, there were 
others--noted below--where the commenters did not agree and believed 
that the SROs had not provided adequate justification.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \96\ See supra note 11.
    \97\ See FIF Letter at 1; Thomson Reuters Letter at 1.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

A. Possibility of Firm-by-Firm Retirement

    All four of the commenters disagreed with the SROs' proposed 
approach of applying a single cut-over from existing systems to CAT. 
Two of the commenters argued that individual firms that achieve the 
quality criteria--even if the industry as a whole has not--should be 
granted exemptions from reporting to existing systems until those 
systems can be retired. In the commenters' view, the SROs' proposed 
approach would penalize firms that quickly and consistently meet or 
exceed quality standards for CAT reporting.\98\ A third commenter 
argued that the single cut-over approach provides little incentive for 
an individual firm to reduce its error rate, because the retirement of 
OATS will be based on an industry-wide error rate that is beyond its 
control.\99\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \98\ See FIF Letter at 3; SIFMA Letter at 3-4 (noting that the 
inaccurate reporting of the ``slowest'' broker-dealers, in the 
absence of individual firm exemptions, could force the whole 
industry to engage in duplicative reporting for an extended period).
    \99\ See Fidelity Letter at 4. This commenter also suggested 
that FINRA could ``consider migrating firms in tranches, or phases, 
based on priority of those firms that first met the proposed error 
rates'' if FINRA does not agree that a firm-by-firm transition is 
appropriate. Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Two commenters took the view that FINRA had not provided sufficient 
cost/benefit analysis to justify its position and emphasized the 
significant costs of duplicative reporting to broker-dealers.\100\ One 
of these commenters noted that broker-dealers who do not outsource 
their regulatory reporting (approximately 126 firms) spend on average 
$725,615 per month on their regulatory reporting obligations (which 
include OATS, EBS, large trader reporting, and other reporting).\101\ 
This commenter estimated that duplicative OATS and EBS reporting for 
these 126 broker-dealer firms would cost more than $20 million per 
month and stated that this approach would severely penalize broker-
dealer firms that rapidly and consistently met reporting 
standards.\102\ Another commenter cited the same average monthly cost 
of $725,615 and argued that the benefits of individual Industry Member 
exemptions outweigh the ``generalized and unsubstantiated 
justifications against such an approach'' outlined by the SROs.\103\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \100\ See FIF Letter at 3; Thomson Reuters Letter at 3.
    \101\ See FIF Letter at 3.
    \102\ See id.
    \103\ SIFMA Letter at 3-4.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    One commenter stated that FINRA has not provided sufficient 
technological rationale to explain its opposition to individual firm 
exemptions, and disagreed with FINRA's conclusion that the technology 
to merge OATS and CAT would be costly and could introduce errors.\104\ 
The commenter argued that there are ``multiple possible approaches that 
could be used to integrate CAT and OATS data allowing FINRA to 
effectively surveil the market, especially if FINRA and the Plan 
Processor work jointly on a cooperative solution.'' \105\ In addition, 
the commenter noted that, because the EBS retirement plan proposes to 
extract any data available in CAT before requesting historical data or 
data for asset classes not covered by CAT, the SROs can effectively 
merge CAT data and existing EBS data to meet their surveillance 
obligations.\106\ Similarly, another commenter noted that the 
Participants have committed to include the relevant fields required for 
the decommissioning of OATS in the initial phase of CAT and recommended 
that FINRA utilize data from CAT to obtain what it would otherwise 
receive from OATS.\107\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \104\ See FIF Letter at 3.
    \105\ Id. (also stating that the Plan Processor could, for 
example, route all CAT reports and errors corrections from exempted 
firms to FINRA for conversion and input into OATS, and that more 
sophisticated data merge solutions are possible with a reasonable 
investment by FINRA and the Plan Processor).
    \106\ See id. at 4.
    \107\ See SIFMA Letter at 3-4 (``once a broker-dealer meets 
accuracy thresholds in CAT, and the surveillance logic is recreated 
with the Central Repository, FINRA should utilize a subset of data 
from the CAT, and format it so that it effectively mimics what it 
would have received from OATS'').
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Another commenter recommended that the SROs include a cost-benefit 
analysis of a ``CAT-to-OATS converter'' that would allow firms that 
meet the error rates to cease sending data to OATS directly.\108\ 
Instead, the Plan Processor would convert the CAT reports of the firm 
into an OATS-eligible format and report that firm's audit trail 
information to OATS. The commenter believed that this approach is 
technically possible based on comments made by the Plan Processor, and 
``that CAT Industry Member Specifications could incorporate this 
concept.'' \109\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \108\ See Thomson Reuters Letter at 3.
    \109\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

B. Assessment Criteria

    All four of the commenters generally maintained that only data 
required by OATS or EBS rules today should be included in the accuracy 
and reliability metrics for system retirement, and that CAT data 
elements or other aspects of CAT that are not required by existing 
systems should be outside the scope for assessment.\110\ One commenter 
argued, for example, that CAT error rates related to customer 
information and options activity should not have any bearing on the 
retirement of OATS, as FINRA does not rely on OATS for that 
information.\111\ Another commenter posed a number of clarifying 
questions regarding the standards, including whether the proposed 
accuracy and reliability metrics apply to Participants as well as 
Industry Members, whether the proposed accuracy and reliability metrics 
for the OATS retirement plan apply only to equities data, whether 
customer and account information accuracy standards are excluded from 
the OATS retirement plan, whether the inter-firm linkage quality metric 
is calculated as an aggregate measurement across all Industry Members, 
and whether the 2% post-correction error rate is an average error rate 
over the period calculated as the number of erroneous records, as 
measured on T+5 divided by the total number of records received.\112\ 
This commenter also recommended that FINRA consider that the average 
pre-correction error rate across the five categories (i.e., rejection 
rates, intra-firm linkages, inter-firm linkages, order linkage rates, 
exchange and TRF/ORF match rates) must achieve 5%, but no single 
category could exceed 7% for the pre-correction error rate.\113\ This 
commenter further recommended that corrections should be calculated 
under CAT in the same timeframes as under existing audit trail systems 
(i.e., T+6 for OATS and T+10 for EBS rather than T+5, as 
proposed).\114\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \110\ See FIF Letter at 4; SIFMA Letter at 2; Thomson Reuters 
Letter at 2-3; Fidelity Letter at 3.
    \111\ See SIFMA Letter at 2. See also Fidelity Letter at 3.
    \112\ See FIF Letter at 4-5.
    \113\ See id. Similarly, the commenter recommended that ``the 
average post-correction error rate across the five categories must 
achieve 2% but no single category could exceed a 3% post-correction 
error rate.'' Id. at 5.
    \114\ See id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Three commenters raised concerns about the broader, qualitative 
factors proposed by the SROs--that during the 180-day evaluation period 
material issues are not revealed, that the CAT includes all data 
necessary to allow FINRA to continue to meet its surveillance 
obligations, and that the

[[Page 42177]]

Plan Processor is sufficiently meeting all of its obligations under the 
Plan.\115\ Two commenters suggested that the Systems Retirement 
Proposals should require these conditions to be met before CAT goes 
live and acknowledge that evaluation of all of these issues will begin 
with CAT Participant reporting.\116\ Another commenter opined that 
these additional standards do not provide enough clarity regarding when 
FINRA will retire OATS and provide too much discretion to FINRA.\117\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \115\ See Fidelity Letter at 2-3; FIF Letter at 5; Thomson 
Reuters Letter at 4-5.
    \116\ See FIF Letter at 5; Thomson Reuters Letter at 4-5.
    \117\ See Fidelity Letter at 2-3.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

C. Assessment Length and Other Considerations Relating to the 
Assessment Period

    One commenter recommended that the SROs should consider shortening 
the trial period if all criteria have been met before the 180th 
day.\118\ This commenter also recommended that the 180-day trial period 
be a ``rolling metric''--i.e., if the industry does not meet the 
quality criteria by the end of the first 180 days, the most recent 180 
days should be recalculated each day thereafter.\119\ The same 
commenter urged FINRA to ``take a daily accounting of the 
measurements'' and to ``communicate both the aggregate measurements and 
the individual Industry Member measurements so that all parties are 
regularly updated'' regarding the status of the various error rates and 
can make necessary corrections.\120\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \118\ See FIF Letter at 2.
    \119\ See id.
    \120\ Id. at 2. See also Thomson Reuters Letter at 2 (noting 
that these daily metrics should be issued during the planned testing 
phase that begins no later than three months before CAT reporting 
and that the actual date of OATS and EBS retirement will remain 
uncertain without access to these metrics).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Two commenters argued that the early phases of CAT compliance 
should be viewed as a ``trial period'' and that there should be no CAT 
penalties or regulatory inquiries associated with CAT reporting before 
the end of the trial period.\121\ One of these commenters suggested 
``that CAT not go-live until the 95% uncorrected and 98% post-
correction thresholds have been met for two weeks during the testing 
period.'' \122\ Similarly, another commenter stated that the SROs 
``should establish a test period to gather information prior to 
production reporting'' to ``enable CAT to go into production at a 
confidence level that allows its reporting systems to serve as many 
existing regulatory requirements and accompanying surveillance programs 
as possible.'' \123\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \121\ See FIF Letter at 2; Thomson Reuters at 2.
    \122\ Thomson Reuters Letter at 2-3.
    \123\ SIFMA Letter at 2.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

D. Additional Plan Amendments

    All of the commenters supported requiring reporting for current 
OATS reporters 24 months after the CAT effective date. Of those, two 
commenters supported the proposal to amend the CAT NMS Plan to 
accelerate CAT reporting for Small Industry Members who currently 
report to OATS from 36 to 24 months after the CAT Effective Date.\124\ 
Two other commenters instead recommended that all current OATS 
reporters--regardless of size--should begin reporting to CAT in 
November of 2018 and all non-OATS reporters should be allowed to begin 
reporting to CAT in November of 2019.\125\ One of these commenters 
noted that many large broker-dealers do not report to OATS and argued 
that ``requiring such firms to implement the systems and reporting 
mechanisms for the CAT on a shortened timeframe simply due to their 
designation as a `Large Industry Member' may result in significant 
technological and operational challenges.'' \126\ Accordingly, the 
commenter urged some mechanism to allow such Large Industry Members to 
begin reporting 36 rather than 24 months after the CAT Effective 
Date.\127\ The other commenter noted that, if the first phase of 
Industry Member reporting were limited to current OATS reporting firms, 
FINRA would still have all of the data that it currently has from OATS 
today.\128\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \124\ See FIF Letter at 2; Thomson Reuters Letter at 2 
(commending the SROs for ``their willingness to move all OATS 
reporters to the same timeline''). One of these commenters noted 
that accelerating the compliance date might ``place additional 
burden on the Small Industry Members who are OATS reporters, even 
for those members that will likely use third party providers for 
their CAT reporting obligations, because these reporters ultimately 
bear supervisory responsibility for the OATS and CAT regulatory 
reporting.'' FIF Letter at 2. The commenter concluded, however, that 
``the economic trade-off of a significantly earlier date for OATS 
retirement for the entire industry'' justifies the proposal. Id.
    \125\ See SIFMA Letter at 2-3; Fidelity Letter at 3.
    \126\ SIFMA Letter at 2. See also Fidelity Letter at 3 (arguing 
that phasing in CAT reporting based on current OATS-reporting status 
would give non-OATS reporting firms additional time to comply with 
CAT requirements).
    \127\ See SIFMA Letter at 2-3.
    \128\ See Fidelity Letter at 3.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

E. Other Comments

    Three commenters requested that the CAT NMS Plan be clarified to 
specify that prime broker transactions are included in the CAT 
reporting requirements.\129\ One commenter stated that ``this will 
enable a more complete set of transactions in the CAT audit trail and 
allow CAT to replace EBS as a more complete reporting source for this 
data.'' \130\ Similarly, another commenter noted that prime broker 
transactions are missing from the CAT NMS Plan, which ``may prevent the 
regulators from utilizing CAT data as envisioned.'' \131\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \129\ See FIF Letter at 5; SIFMA Letter at 4; Thomson Reuters 
Letter at 4.
    \130\ FIF Letter at 5.
    \131\ SIFMA Letter at 4.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

IV. Proceedings To Determine Whether To Approve or Disapprove the 
Systems Retirement Proposals, as Modified by Amendments Thereto

    The Commission hereby institutes proceedings pursuant to Section 
19(b)(2) of the Act \132\ to determine whether the Systems Retirement 
Proposals of Bats BZX, Bats EDGX, BOX, BX, C2, CBOE, FINRA, IEX, ISE, 
MIAX, NASDAQ, PEARL, NYSE, NYSE Arca, NYSE MKT, and Phlx, as modified 
by their respective amendments, should be approved or disapproved. 
Further, pursuant to Section 19(b)(2)(B) of the Act,\133\ the 
Commission is hereby providing notice of the grounds for disapproval 
under consideration. The Commission believes that it is appropriate to 
institute proceedings at this time in view of the legal and policy 
issues raised by the proposals. Institution of proceedings does not 
indicate, however, that the Commission has reached any conclusions with 
respect to any of the issues involved.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \132\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).
    \133\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2)(B). Section 19(b)(2)(B) of the Act 
also provides that proceedings to determine whether to disapprove a 
proposed rule change must be concluded within 180 days of the date 
of publication of notice of the filing of the proposed rule change. 
See id. The time for conclusion of the proceedings may be extended 
for up to 60 days if the Commission finds good cause for such 
extension and publishes its reasons for so finding, or if the 
exchange consents to the longer period. See id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In particular, the Commission is instituting proceedings to allow 
for additional analysis for consistency with: (1) Section 6(b)(5) of 
the Act,\134\ with respect to the Exchanges' Systems Retirement 
Proposals, and Section 15A(b)(6) of the Act,\135\ with respect to 
FINRA's Systems Retirement Proposal, both of which sections require, 
among other things, that the rules of a national securities exchange or 
registered securities association be designed ``to prevent fraudulent 
and manipulative acts and practices, to promote just and equitable 
principles of trade, . . . to remove impediments to and perfect the

[[Page 42178]]

mechanism of a free and open market and a national market system, and, 
in general, to protect investors and the public interest;'' and (2) 
Section 6(b)(8) of the Act,\136\ with respect to the Exchanges' Systems 
Retirement Proposals, and Section 15A(b)(9) of the Act,\137\ with 
respect to FINRA's Systems Retirement Proposal, both of which sections 
require that the rules of a national securities exchange or registered 
securities association ``not impose any burden on competition not 
necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the purposes of [the Act].''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \134\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
    \135\ 15 U.S.C. 78o-3(b)(6).
    \136\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(8).
    \137\ 15 U.S.C. 78o-3(b)(9).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In addition, the Commission is instituting proceedings to allow for 
additional analysis of whether the Systems Retirement Proposals are 
consistent with Section 11A of the Act \138\ and Rules 608(c) and 613 
of Regulation NMS thereunder.\139\ Section 11A of the Act directs the 
Commission, with due regard for the public interest, the protection of 
investors, and the maintenance of fair and orderly markets, to use its 
authority to facilitate the establishment of a national market system 
for securities, including by authorizing or requiring SROs to act 
jointly to plan, develop, operate, or regulate a national market 
system. Rule 608(c) requires each SRO to comply with the terms of any 
effective NMS plan of which it is a sponsor or participant. Rule 613 
requires the CAT NMS Plan to include a ``plan to eliminate existing 
rules and systems . . . that will be rendered duplicative by the 
consolidated audit trail.'' \140\ The Plan, in turn, required the SROs 
to file proposed rule changes, within six months of the Commission's 
approval of the Plan, to eliminate or modify their duplicative 
rules.\141\ The Plan further stated that the rule change proposals to 
eliminate or modify duplicative rules and systems should be ``effective 
at such time as CAT Data meets minimum standards of accuracy and 
reliability.'' \142\ As discussed above, the Plan also requires these 
proposals to discuss the specific accuracy and reliability standards 
that would determine when duplicative systems would be retired, whether 
the availability of certain data from Small Industry Members in 
November 2018 would facilitate a more expeditious retirement of 
duplicative systems, and whether individual Industry Members could be 
exempted from reporting to duplicative systems once their CAT reporting 
meets specified accuracy and reliability standards.\143\ Accordingly, 
the SROs filed the Systems Retirement Proposals to indicate which 
duplicative rules and systems would be eliminated once CAT is 
sufficiently accurate and reliable and to explain how they intend to 
assess CAT's accuracy and reliability. The Commission is therefore 
considering whether the Systems Retirement Proposals are consistent 
with the SROs' regulatory obligations under Rule 608(c), Rule 613, and 
the Plan, and are otherwise consistent Section 11A of the Act and the 
rules and regulations thereunder.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \138\ 15 U.S.C. 78k-1.
    \139\ 17 CFR 242.608(c) and 242.613.
    \140\ 17 CFR 242.613(a)(9).
    \141\ See CAT NMS Plan, Appendix C, Section C.9.
    \142\ Id.
    \143\ See id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As noted above, the CAT NMS Plan required the SROs' proposals to 
retire duplicative audit trail systems to consider whether ``individual 
Industry Members can be exempted from reporting to duplicative systems 
once their CAT reporting meets specified accuracy and reliability 
standards, including, but not limited to, ways in which establishing 
cross-system regulatory functionality or integrating data from existing 
systems and the CAT would facilitate such Individual Industry Member 
exemptions.'' \144\ In addition, in the CAT Approval Order, the 
Commission noted ``that FINRA is considering whether it can integrate 
CAT Data with OATS data in such a way that `ensures no interruption in 
FINRA's surveillance capabilities,' and that FINRA will consider 
`exempting firms from the OATS Rules provided they report data to the 
Central Repository pursuant to the CAT NMS Plan and any implementing 
rules.' '' \145\ The Commission also ``encourage[d] the other 
Participants to consider similar measures to exempt firms from 
reporting to existing systems once they are accurately reporting 
comparable data to the CAT and to enable the usage of CAT Data to 
conduct their regulatory activities.'' \146\ As described above, the 
SROs considered individual firm exemptions but believe that a single 
cut-over from existing systems to CAT is preferable to a firm-by-firm 
approach. Several of the SROs assert that providing firm-by-firm 
exemptions would be inefficient, more costly, and less reliable than 
the single cut-over.\147\ However, commenters disagreed with this 
aspect of the SROs' proposals, and questioned whether FINRA had 
adequately analyzed the costs and benefits of allowing firms to 
discontinue OATS reporting on an individual basis. Commenters also 
noted the high costs of duplicative reporting. Accordingly, the 
Commission is considering whether the Systems Retirement Proposals 
impose any burden on competition not necessary or appropriate in 
furtherance of the purposes of the Act, including the potential 
competitive burdens that may be created by an extended period of 
duplicative reporting for certain firms.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \144\ See CAT NMS Plan, Appendix C, Section C.9.
    \145\ CAT Approval Order, 81 FR at 84771.
    \146\ Id.
    \147\ See Bats BZX Notice, 82 FR at 25376; Bats EDGX Notice, 82 
FR at 25360; BOX Notice, 82 FR at 25493; BX Notice, 82 FR at 25876-
77; C2 Notice, 82 FR at 25387; CBOE Notice, 82 FR at 25431-32; ISE 
Notice, 82 FR at 25470; MIAX Notice, 82 FR at 25368; NYSE Arca 
Notice 2, 82 FR at 25640; NYSE MKT Notice 1, 82 FR at 25445; NASDAQ 
Notice, 82 FR at 25824-25; PEARL Notice, 82 FR at 25438; Phlx 
Notice, 82 FR at 25867-68.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As discussed in more detail above, the SROs also proposed certain 
accuracy and reliability standards that CAT Data must meet before 
existing systems can be retired. These standards include both 
quantitative and qualitative metrics. Commenters raised questions about 
the scope of these metrics, in particular data elements and 
functionalities that were not included in current audit trail systems, 
and asked for clarification regarding a number of metrics. In addition, 
several commenters raised concerns about the broader, qualitative 
factors proposed by the SROs. Accordingly, the Commission is 
considering the accuracy and reliability standards set forth in the 
Systems Retirement Proposals.
    In addition, the Commission is considering whether the Systems 
Retirement Proposals are designed to prevent fraudulent and 
manipulative acts and practices and, in particular, whether the Systems 
Retirement Proposals would help to ensure that the SROs can effectively 
conduct their surveillance and oversight functions. The Commission is 
also considering whether the Systems Retirement Proposals remove 
impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and 
a national market system and whether they adequately balance the 
duplicative reporting costs incurred by broker-dealers and the risks to 
effective surveillance and oversight, which may impact investor 
protection.

V. Commission's Solicitation of Comments

    The Commission requests that interested persons provide written 
submissions of their views, data, and arguments with respect to the 
issues identified above, as well as any other concerns that they may 
have with any of the Systems Retirement Proposals. In particular, the 
Commission invites the

[[Page 42179]]

written views of interested persons concerning whether the Systems 
Retirement Proposals, as modified by the amendments thereto, are 
consistent with Sections 6(b)(5), 6(b)(8), 15A(b)(6), 15A(b)(9), or any 
other provision of the Act, and the rules and regulations thereunder. 
Although there do not appear to be any issues relevant to approval or 
disapproval that would be facilitated by an oral presentation of views, 
data, and arguments, the Commission will consider, pursuant to Rule 
19b-4, any request for an opportunity to make an oral 
presentation.\148\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \148\ Section 19(b)(2) of the Act, as amended by the Securities 
Act Amendments of 1975, Pub. L. 94-29 (June 4, 1975), grants the 
Commission flexibility to determine what type of proceeding--either 
oral or notice and opportunity for written comments--is appropriate 
for consideration of a particular proposal by a self-regulatory 
organization. See Securities Act Amendments of 1975, Senate Comm. on 
Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs, S. Rep. No. 75, 94th Cong., 1st 
Sess. 30 (1975).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Such comments should be submitted by September 27, 2017. Rebuttal 
comments should be submitted by October 11, 2017. The Commission asks 
that commenters address the sufficiency and merit of the SROs' 
statements in support of their respective Systems Retirement Proposals, 
in addition to any other comments that commenters may wish to submit 
about any of the proposed rule changes. The Commission also asks the 
SROs to respond to the issues raised in the four comment letters 
received to date, including the commenters' cost estimates. In 
addition, the Commission seeks comment, including, where relevant, any 
specific data, statistics, or studies, on the following:
    1. What would be the monetary costs of constructing a CAT-to-OATS 
``converter'' or developing an alternative mechanism for linking CAT 
Data to OATS that would provide continuity of the OATS SROs' 
surveillance capabilities? To the extent possible, please provide 
specific data, analyses, or studies for support for your answer.
    2. What technological challenges would have to be addressed to make 
a converter or other mechanism feasible? When could work begin on a 
converter or alternative mechanism? For example, could work begin 
before technical specifications for Industry Member reporting to CAT 
have been finalized? Could work begin before the Plan Processor had 
begun accepting CAT reports from Industry Members and making those 
reports available to regulators? How long would it take to construct a 
converter or other mechanism? To the extent possible, please provide 
specific data, analyses, or studies for support for your answer.
    3. Are there any entities that would be capable of constructing a 
converter? Please explain who they are and why you believe they have 
the ability to construct a converter. To the extent possible, please 
provide specific data, analyses, or studies for support for your 
answer.
    4. If the costs of the converter would be passed on to Industry 
Members, would the benefits of a converter be undermined? To the extent 
possible please provide specific data, analyses, or studies for support 
for your answer.
    5. Please estimate, to the extent possible, the percentage of 
Industry Members' CAT reports that would qualify for an individual 
exemption from OATS reporting for each month after Industry Members 
begin reporting in November 2018. Do you believe that the costs and/or 
benefits of a converter would be affected by the number of Industry 
Members that can be expected to meet the threshold error rates for CAT 
reporting (weighted by their percentage of total CAT reports submitted 
by OATS-reporting Industry Members) before full OATS retirement, thus 
qualifying for an individual exemption from OATS and to have their CAT 
reports converted to OATS? To the extent possible, please provide 
specific data, analyses, or studies for support for your answer.
    6. Do you believe that the Systems Retirement Proposals would 
result in any burden on competition and, if so, please analyze whether 
any such burden would be necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the 
purposes of the Act. If there are burdens, how would they compare to 
the burdens that would be imposed by the converter approach? To the 
extent possible, please provide specific data, analyses, or studies for 
support of your answer.
    7. What impact would a converter have on the SROs' ability to 
conduct their surveillance and oversight? Specifically, do you believe 
that there are risks that a converter might not be able to successfully 
integrate CAT reports into OATS? If so, what is the likelihood of 
failures and what would be the magnitude of the costs resulting from 
any such failures? What costs might be incurred by SROs to detect and 
address any regulatory gaps created by a converter? For example, would 
an OATS SRO have to design additional surveillances to address that 
possibility? If so, what sort of additional surveillances might be 
necessary and how would you estimate the cost for an SRO to develop 
them? To the extent possible, please provide specific data, analyses, 
or studies for support.
    8. How long do you believe it will take before CAT reaches the 
accuracy and reliability thresholds proposed by the SROs before 
retiring OATS and other systems for all firms? Also, how long do you 
think it would take to make an effective converter available and how 
long would the converter be used for those firms who individually have 
met the thresholds while CAT overall has not? Does the length of this 
period affect your cost/benefit analysis for the converter approach? If 
so, how?
    9. Regarding the converter approach and firm-by-firm exemptions 
from OATS reporting, what criteria should the OATS SROs consider for 
releasing a firm from its OATS requirements? To the extent possible 
please provide specific data, analyses, or studies for support. Would 
you still support a firm-by-firm approach if it also incorporated an 
assessment of whether the Plan Processor is sufficiently meeting all of 
its obligations under the Plan?
    10. Please describe any opportunity costs associated with the 
converter approach. For example, would the development of the converter 
and any new processes and procedures at the SRO level to accommodate 
the converter divert resources that otherwise would be devoted to CAT 
implementation? If so, please describe the nature and extent of such 
effects.
    11. Do you agree with the estimated costs of duplicative reporting 
described by two of the commenters? \149\ Are there any additional 
opportunity costs faced by Industry Members that would result from 
duplicative reporting? How would the length of the duplicative 
reporting period affect the opportunity costs? To the extent possible, 
please provide specific data, analyses, or studies for support.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \149\ See supra notes 101-103 and accompanying text.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    12. Do you agree with the proposed quantitative metrics for the 
pre- and post-correction error rates that would have to be attained by 
CAT before the SROs would retire duplicative systems? Do you agree with 
the proposed categories for the assessment? Why or why not? Are these 
categories sufficiently clear? If you believe that different thresholds 
or alternative areas for consideration would be more appropriate, 
please describe. What are the costs and benefits of the proposed 
approach versus any alternative approach that you would recommend?
    13. Do you agree with the SROs' proposed qualitative standards for 
retirement of duplicative systems, i.e.,

[[Page 42180]]

that retirement could not be permitted to occur until it is confirmed 
that (1) there are no material issues in CAT that have not been 
corrected, (2) the CAT includes all data necessary to allow the SROs to 
continue to meet their surveillance obligations, and (3) the Plan 
Processor is sufficiently meeting all of its obligations under the CAT 
NMS Plan? Why or why not? What are the costs and benefits of the 
proposed approach versus an alternative approach, which may include not 
having any additional qualitative considerations?
    14. To what extent should the SROs consider CAT performance 
regarding functions and data elements not present within existing audit 
trail systems when determining when to allow retirement of those 
existing systems? What are the costs and benefits of the proposed 
approach versus any alternative approach that you would recommend? Do 
you believe that the Systems Retirement Proposals will promote 
efficiency, competition, and capital formation? Please submit any data 
or information that would assist the Commission in considering these 
issues.
    15. Do you agree with the length of the assessment period proposed 
by the SROs? Why or why not? If not, what alternative do you believe 
would be more appropriate and why? What are the costs and benefits of 
the proposed approach versus any alternative approach that you would 
recommend? To the extent possible, please provide specific data, 
analyses, or studies for support.
    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 any 
of File Numbers SR-BatsBZX-2017-37, SR-BatsEDGX-2017-23, SR-BOX-2017-
17, SR-BX-2017-027, SR-C2-2017-018, SR-CBOE-2017-041, SR-FINRA-2017-
013, SR-IEX-2017-18, SR-ISE-2017-46, SR-MIAX-2017-20, SR-NASDAQ-2017-
055, SR-PEARL-2017-23, SR-NYSE-2017-23, SR-NYSEArca-2017-57, SR-
NYSEArca-2017-59, SR-NYSEMKT-2017-29, SR-NYSEMKT-2017-30, or SR-Phlx-
2017-43, as appropriate, on the subject line.

Paper Comments

     Send paper comments in triplicate to Secretary, Securities 
and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549-1090.
    All submissions should refer to any of: File Numbers SR-BatsBZX-
2017-37, SR-BatsEDGX-2017-23, SR-BOX-2017-17, SR-BX-2017-027, SR-C2-
2017-018, SR-CBOE-2017-041, SR-FINRA-2017-013, SR-IEX-2017-18, SR-ISE-
2017-46, SR-MIAX-2017-20, SR-NASDAQ-2017-055, SR-PEARL-2017-23, SR-
NYSE-2017-23, SR-NYSEArca-2017-57, SR-NYSEArca-2017-59, SR-NYSEMKT-
2017-29, SR-NYSEMKT-2017-30, or SR-Phlx-2017-43, as appropriate. The 
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 SRO. 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 any of File Numbers SR-BatsBZX-
2017-37, SR-BatsEDGX-2017-23, SR-BOX-2017-17, SR-BX-2017-027, SR-C2-
2017-018, SR-CBOE-2017-041, SR-FINRA-2017-013, SR-IEX-2017-18, SR-ISE-
2017-46, SR-MIAX-2017-20, SR-NASDAQ-2017-055, SR-PEARL-2017-23, SR-
NYSE-2017-23, SR-NYSEArca-2017-57, SR-NYSEArca-2017-59, SR-NYSEMKT-
2017-29, SR-NYSEMKT-2017-30, or SR-Phlx-2017-43, as appropriate, and 
should be submitted by September 27, 2017. Rebuttal comments should be 
submitted by October 11, 2017.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \150\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12); 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(57).

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\150\
Eduardo A. Aleman,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-18793 Filed 9-5-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 8011-01-P



                                                    42168                    Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 171 / Wednesday, September 6, 2017 / Notices

                                                      Dated: August 31, 2017.                  Regulatory Authority, Inc. (‘‘FINRA’’);                             ‘‘Exchanges,’’ and, together with FINRA,
                                                    Eduardo A. Aleman,                         International Securities Exchange, LLC                              are referred to as the ‘‘SROs.’’
                                                    Assistant Secretary.                       (‘‘ISE’’); Investors Exchange LLC                                      On June 1, 2017, the proposed rule
                                                    [FR Doc. 2017–18858 Filed 9–5–17; 8:45 am] (‘‘IEX’’); Miami International Securities                           changes submitted by Bats BZX, Bats
                                                    BILLING CODE 8011–01–P                     Exchange LLC (‘‘MIAX’’); MIAX PEARL,                                EDGX, BOX, C2, CBOE, FINRA, IEX,
                                                                                               LLC (‘‘PEARL’’); NYSE Arca, Inc.                                    ISE, MIAX, and PEARL; both proposed
                                                                                               (‘‘NYSE Arca’’); and NYSE MKT LLC                                   rule changes submitted by NYSE MKT;
                                                    SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE                    (‘‘NYSE MKT’’) (n/k/a NYSE American                                 and one of the proposed rule changes
                                                    COMMISSION                                 LLC) 1 filed with the Securities and                                submitted by NYSE Arca were
                                                    [Release No. 34–81499; File Nos. SR–       Exchange Commission (‘‘Commission’’),                               published for comment in the Federal
                                                    BatsBZX–2017–37; SR–BatsEDGX–2017–23; pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the                                      Register.8 On June 2, 2017, the proposed
                                                    SR–BOX–2017–17; SR–C2–2017–018; SR–        Securities Exchange Act of 1934                                     rule change submitted by NYSE and the
                                                    CBOE–2017–041; SR–FINRA–2017–013;          (‘‘Act’’) 2 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,3                             other proposed rule change submitted
                                                    SR–ISE–2017–46; SR–IEX–2017–18; SR–                                                                            by NYSE Arca were published for
                                                    MIAX–2017–20; SR–PEARL–2017–23; SR–        proposed rule changes to eliminate or
                                                                                                                                                                   comment in the Federal Register.9 On
                                                    NASDAQ–2017–055; SR–BX–2017–027; SR– modify certain rules that require the                                     June 5, 2017, the proposed rule changes
                                                    Phlx–2017–43; SR–NYSE–2017–23; SR–         collection or reporting of information
                                                    NYSEArca–2017–57; SR–NYSEArca–2017–                                                                            submitted by NASDAQ, BX, and Phlx
                                                                                               that is duplicative of the information
                                                    59; SR–NYSEMKT–2017–29; SR–NYSEMKT– that will be collected by the                                              were published for comment in the
                                                    2017–30]                                                                                                       Federal Register.10
                                                                                               Consolidated Audit Trail (‘‘CAT’’)
                                                                                                                                                                      Four comments were submitted to
                                                    Self-Regulatory Organizations; Bats        established pursuant to the National
                                                                                                                                                                   File Number SR–FINRA–2017–013.11
                                                    BZX Exchange, Inc.; Bats EDGX              Market System Plan contemplated by
                                                                                               Rule 613 of Regulation NMS.4 On May                                    On June 22, 2017, each of NASDAQ,
                                                    Exchange, Inc.; BOX Options                                                                                    BX, ISE, and Phlx filed an amendment
                                                    Exchange LLC; C2 Options Exchange,         22, 2017, the New York Stock Exchange
                                                    Incorporated; Chicago Board Options        LLC (‘‘NYSE’’) filed with the                                          8 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 80796
                                                    Exchange, Incorporated; Financial          Commission a proposed rule change for                               (May 26, 2017), 82 FR 25374 (SR–BatsBZX–2017–
                                                    Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.;       the same purpose, and each of NYSE                                  37) (‘‘Bats BZX Notice’’); Securities Exchange Act
                                                    International Securities Exchange,         Arca 5 and NYSE MKT filed an                                        Release No. 80795 (May 26, 2017), 82 FR 25358
                                                    LLC; Investors Exchange LLC; Miami         additional proposed rule change for the                             (SR–BatsEDGX–2017–23) (‘‘Bats EDGX Notice’’);
                                                                                                                                                                   Securities Exchange Act Release No. 80789 (May
                                                    International Securities Exchange LLC; same purpose. On May 26, 2017, the                                      26, 2017), 82 FR 25492 (SR–BOX–2017–17) (‘‘BOX
                                                    MIAX PEARL, LLC; The NASDAQ Stock NASDAQ Stock Market LLC                                                      Notice’’); Securities Exchange Act Release No.
                                                    Market LLC; NASDAQ BX, Inc.;               (‘‘NASDAQ’’) and NASDAQ PHLX LLC                                    80798 (May 26, 2017), 82 FR 25385 (SR–C2–2017–
                                                    NASDAQ PHLX LLC; New York Stock                                                                                018) (‘‘C2 Notice’’); Securities Exchange Act Release
                                                                                               (‘‘Phlx’’) filed with the Commission                                No. 80797 (May 26, 2017), 82 FR 25429 (SR–CBOE–
                                                    Exchange LLC; NYSE Arca, Inc.; NYSE proposed rule changes for the same                                         2017–041) (‘‘CBOE Notice’’); Securities Exchange
                                                    MKT LLC; Notice of Filing of               purpose.6 On May 30, 2017, NASDAQ                                   Act Release No. 80783 (May 26, 2017), 82 FR 25423
                                                    Amendment No. 1 by Bats BZX                BX, Inc. (‘‘BX’’) filed with the                                    (SR–FINRA–2017–013) (‘‘FINRA Notice’’);
                                                    Exchange, Inc.; Bats EDGX Exchange,                                                                            Securities Exchange Act Release No. 80788 (May
                                                                                               Commission a proposed rule change for                               26, 2017), 82 FR 25400 (SR–IEX–2017–18) (‘‘IEX
                                                    Inc.; BOX Options Exchange LLC; C2         the same purpose.7 In this notice and                               Notice’’); Securities Exchange Act Release No.
                                                    Options Exchange, Incorporated;            order, all of these proposed rule changes                           80787 (May 26, 2017), 82 FR 25469 (SR–ISE–2017–
                                                    Chicago Board Options Exchange,                                                                                46) (‘‘ISE Notice’’); Securities Exchange Act Release
                                                                                               are referred to collectively as the                                 No. 80790 (May 26, 2017), 82 FR 25366 (SR–MIAX–
                                                    Incorporated; Financial Industry
                                                                                               ‘‘Systems Retirement Proposals.’’ Bats                              2017–20) (‘‘MIAX Notice’’); Securities Exchange Act
                                                    Regulatory Authority, Inc.; Investors
                                                    Exchange LLC; New York Stock               BZX, Bats EDGX, BOX, BX, C2, CBOE,                                  Release No. 80792 (May 26, 2017), 82 FR 25436
                                                                                                                                                                   (SR–PEARL–2017–23) (‘‘PEARL Notice’’); Securities
                                                    Exchange LLC; NYSE Arca, Inc.; NYSE ISE, IEX, MIAX, PEARL, NASDAQ,                                             Exchange Act Release No. 80791 (May 26, 2017), 82
                                                    MKT LLC, of Amendment Nos. 1 and 2         NYSE, NYSE Arca, NYSE MKT, and                                      FR 25362 (SR–NYSEArca–2017–59) (‘‘NYSE Arca
                                                    by International Securities Exchange,      Phlx are collectively referred to as the                            Notice 1’’); Securities Exchange Act Release No.
                                                                                                                                                                   80793 (May 26, 2017), 82 FR 25443 (SR–
                                                    LLC; The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC;                                                                              NYSEMKT–2017–29) (‘‘NYSE MKT Notice 1’’);
                                                                                                  1 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 80283
                                                    NASDAQ BX, Inc.; and NASDAQ PHLX                                                                               Securities Exchange Act Release No. 80794 (May
                                                                                               (March 21, 2017), 82 FR 15244 (March 27, 2017)                      26, 2017), 82 FR 25439 (SR–NYSEMKT–2017–30)
                                                    LLC, of Amendment No. 2 by MIAX            (SR–NYSEMKT–2017–14). The name change was
                                                    PEARL, LLC, and of Amendment No. 3 not yet effective when NYSE MKT filed SR–                                   (‘‘NYSE MKT Notice 2’’).
                                                                                                                                                                      9 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 80799
                                                    by Miami International Securities          NYSEMKT–2017–29 and SR–NYSEMKT–2017–30.
                                                                                                                                                                   (May 26, 2017), 82 FR 25635 (SR–NYSE–2017–23)
                                                                                                  2 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
                                                    Exchange LLC; Order Instituting                                                                                (‘‘NYSE Notice’’); Securities Exchange Act Release
                                                                                                  3 17 CFR 240.19b–4.
                                                    Proceedings To Determine Whether To                                                                            No. 80800 (May 26, 2017), 82 FR 25639 (SR–
                                                                                                  4 17 CFR 242.613.
                                                    Approve or Disapprove the Proposed                                                                             NYSEArca–2017–57) (‘‘NYSE Arca Notice 2’’).
                                                                                                  5 Effective August 17, 2017, NYSE Arca amended,                     10 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 80813
                                                    Rule Changes, as Modified by               among other things, certain rules of the Exchange                   (May 30, 2017), 82 FR 25820 (SR–NASDAQ–2017–
                                                    Amendments Thereto, To Eliminate           to create a single rulebook. See Securities Exchange                055) (‘‘NASDAQ Notice’’); Securities Exchange Act
                                                    Requirements That Will Be Duplicative Act Release No. 81419 (August 17, 2017) (SR–                             Release No. 80814 (May 30, 2017), 82 FR 25872
                                                    of CAT                                     NYSEArca–2017–40) (the ‘‘Arca Merger Filing’’).                     (SR–BX–2017–027) (‘‘BX Notice’’); Securities
                                                                                                            NYSE Arca rule text references in this notice and      Exchange Act Release No. 80811 (May 30, 2017), 82
                                                    August 30, 2017.                                        order reflect rule numbering changes as a result of    FR 25863 (SR–Phlx–2017–43) (‘‘Phlx Notice’’).
                                                                                                            the Arca Merger Filing.
asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES




                                                                                                                                                                      11 See letters from William H. Herbert, Managing
                                                    I. Introduction                                           6 Nasdaq and Phlx initially filed proposed rule
                                                                                                                                                                   Director, Financial Information Forum, dated June
                                                                                                            changes on May 15, 2017 (SR–NASDAQ–2017–050            22, 2017 (‘‘FIF Letter’’); Manisha Kimmel, Chief
                                                       On May 15, 2017, Bats BZX Exchange,                  and SR–PHLX–2017–38). On May 26, 2017, Nasdaq          Regulatory Officer, Wealth Management, Thomson
                                                    Inc. (‘‘Bats BZX’’); Bats EDGX Exchange,                and Phlx withdrew these filings and submitted new      Reuters, dated June 22, 2017 (‘‘Thomson Reuters
                                                    Inc. (‘‘Bats EDGX’’); BOX Options                       proposed rule changes (SR–NASDAQ–2017–055              Letter’’); Marc R. Bryant, Senior Vice President,
                                                    Exchange LLC (‘‘BOX’’); C2 Options                      and SR–PHLX–2017–43).                                  Deputy General Counsel, Fidelity Investments,
                                                                                                              7 BX initially filed a proposed rule change on May   dated June 22, 2017 (‘‘Fidelity Letter’’); and Ellen
                                                    Exchange, Incorporated (‘‘C2’’); Chicago                15, 2017 (SR–BX–2017–025). On May 30, 2017, BX         Greene, Managing Director and Theodore R. Lazo,
                                                    Board Options Exchange, Incorporated                    withdrew that initial filing and submitted a new       Managing Director and Associate General Counsel,
                                                    (‘‘CBOE’’); Financial Industry                          proposed rule change (SR–BX–2017–027).                 SIFMA, dated June 23, 2017 (‘‘SIFMA Letter’’).



                                               VerDate Sep<11>2014   17:37 Sep 05, 2017   Jkt 241001   PO 00000   Frm 00113   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\06SEN1.SGM   06SEN1


                                                                             Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 171 / Wednesday, September 6, 2017 / Notices                                                        42169

                                                    to its proposed rule change.12 On July                  proposed rule filing.17 On August 25,                     1 to its proposed rule filing,21 CBOE
                                                    14, 2017, the Commission extended the                   2017, Bats BZX submitted Amendment                        submitted Amendment No. 1 to its
                                                    time period for Commission action on                    No. 1 to its proposed rule filing,18 Bats                 proposed rule filing,22 FINRA submitted
                                                    all of the Systems Retirement Proposals                 EDGX submitted Amendment No. 1 to                         Amendment No. 1 to its proposed rule
                                                    to August 30, 2017.13                                   its proposed rule filing,19 BX submitted                  filing,23 ISE submitted Amendment No.
                                                       On August 24, 2017, BOX submitted                    Amendment No. 1 to its proposed rule                      2 to its proposed rule filing,24 NASDAQ
                                                    Amendment No. 1 to its proposed rule                    filing,20 C2 submitted Amendment No.                      submitted Amendment No. 2 to its
                                                    filing,14 IEX submitted Amendment No.                                                                             proposed rule filing,25 NYSE submitted
                                                                                                               17 MIAX filed Amendment No. 1 to its proposed
                                                    1 to its proposed rule filing,15 PEARL
                                                                                                            rule change on August 22, 2017 and withdrew and              21 This amendment added introductory language
                                                    submitted Amendment No. 2 to its                        replaced it with Amendment No. 2 on the same day.         to C2’s rule regarding securities accounts and orders
                                                    proposed rule filing,16 and MIAX                        On August 24, 2017, MIAX withdrew Amendment               of market makers to clarify that the rule will be
                                                    submitted Amendment No. 3 to its                        No. 2 and replaced it with Amendment No. 3.               amended upon announcement by C2 that the CAT
                                                                                                            Amendment No. 3 modified the rule text for                has achieved a sufficient level of accuracy and
                                                                                                            MIAX’s EBS rule and its rule regarding market             reliability. When C2 filed Amendment No. 1 to its
                                                       12 These amendments modified Section 2 of the
                                                                                                            maker order and account information to clarify that       proposal with the Commission, it also submitted
                                                    Form 19b–4 submitted by each of NASDAQ, BX,             MIAX will not request trade data or information,          Amendment No. 1 to the public comment file for
                                                    ISE, and Phlx to state that on June 1, 2017, the        and members will not be required to provide trade         its proposal.
                                                    exchange obtained the necessary approval from its       data or information, pursuant to such rule for trades        22 This amendment: (1) Added introductory
                                                    Board of Directors for the proposed rule change.        reported to the CAT after MIAX announces that it
                                                    When NASDAQ, BX, ISE, and Phlx each filed                                                                         language to CBOE’s COATS-related rules and rule
                                                                                                            has determined that the accuracy and reliability of
                                                    Amendment No. 1 to their respective proposals                                                                     regarding securities accounts and orders of market
                                                                                                            the CAT are sufficient to replace requests pursuant
                                                    with the Commission, they also submitted the            to these rules. When MIAX filed Amendment No.             makers to clarify that the rules will be amended
                                                    Amendment No. 1 to the public comment file for          3 to its proposal with the Commission, it also            upon announcement by CBOE that the CAT has
                                                                                                            submitted Amendment No. 3 to the public comment           achieved a sufficient level of accuracy and
                                                    each of their respective proposals.
                                                       13 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 81145,    file for its proposal.                                    reliability; and (2) modified rule text language for
                                                                                                               18 This amendment: (1) Added introductory              CBOE’s EBS rule and the rule regarding complaints
                                                    82 FR 33533 (July 20, 2017).                                                                                      and investigations to clarify that CBOE will not
                                                       14 This amendment: (1) Added introductory            language to BZX’s rule regarding securities accounts
                                                                                                                                                                      request trade data or information, and members will
                                                    language to BOX’s COATS-related rules to clarify        and orders of market makers to clarify that the rules
                                                                                                                                                                      not be required to provide trade data or
                                                    that the rules will be amended upon announcement        will be amended upon announcement by BZX that
                                                                                                                                                                      information, pursuant to the rule for trades reported
                                                    by BOX that the CAT has achieved a sufficient level     the CAT has achieved a sufficient level of accuracy
                                                                                                                                                                      to the CAT after CBOE announces that it has
                                                    of accuracy and reliability; (2) modified rule text     and reliability; and (2) modified rule text language
                                                                                                            for BZX’s EBS rule and the rule regarding                 determined that the accuracy and reliability of the
                                                    language for BOX’s EBS rule and the rule regarding                                                                CAT are sufficient to replace requests pursuant to
                                                    securities accounts and orders of market makers to      furnishing of records to clarify that BZX will not
                                                                                                            request trade data or information, and members will       these rules. When CBOE filed Amendment No. 1 to
                                                    clarify that BOX will not request trade data or                                                                   its proposal with the Commission, it also submitted
                                                    information, and members will not be required to        not be required to provide trade data or
                                                                                                            information, pursuant to the rule for trades reported     Amendment No. 1 to the public comment file for
                                                    provide trade data or information, pursuant to the                                                                its proposal.
                                                    rule for trades reported to the CAT after BOX           to the CAT after BZX announces that it has
                                                                                                                                                                         23 This amendment: (1) Added introductory
                                                                                                            determined that the accuracy and reliability of the
                                                    announces that it has determined that the accuracy                                                                language to FINRA’s OATS rule series to clarify that
                                                                                                            CAT are sufficient to replace requests pursuant to
                                                    and reliability of the CAT are sufficient to replace                                                              the rules will be deleted upon announcement by
                                                                                                            these rules. When BZX filed Amendment No. 1 to
                                                    requests pursuant to these rules; and (3) clarified                                                               FINRA that the CAT has achieved a level of
                                                                                                            its proposal with the Commission, it also submitted
                                                    that the accuracy and reliability standards                                                                       accuracy and reliability sufficient to replace OATS;
                                                                                                            Amendment No. 1 to the public comment file for
                                                    discussed in its Systems Retirement Proposal apply                                                                and (2) modified FINRA’s EBS rule text to clarify
                                                                                                            its proposal.
                                                    to all of the rules discussed therein. When BOX            19 This amendment: (1) Added introductory              that FINRA will not request trade data or
                                                    filed Amendment No. 1 to its proposal with the                                                                    information, and members will not be required to
                                                    Commission, it also submitted Amendment No. 1 to        language to Bats EDGX’s rule regarding securities
                                                                                                            accounts and orders of market makers to clarify that      provide trade data or information, pursuant to its
                                                    the public comment file for its proposal.                                                                         EBS rules for trades reported to the CAT after
                                                       15 This amendment: (1) Added introductory
                                                                                                            the rule will be amended upon announcement by
                                                                                                            Bats EDGX that the CAT has achieved a sufficient          FINRA announces that it has determined that the
                                                    language to IEX’s OATS rule series to clarify that      level of accuracy and reliability; and (2) modified       accuracy and reliability of the CAT are sufficient to
                                                    the rules will be deleted upon announcement by          rule text language for Bats EDGX’s EBS rule and the       replace requests pursuant to these rules. When
                                                    IEX that the CAT has achieved a level of accuracy       rule regarding furnishing of records to clarify that      FINRA filed Amendment No. 1 to its proposal with
                                                    and reliability sufficient to replace OATS; (2)         Bats EDGX will not request trade data or                  the Commission, it also submitted Amendment No.
                                                    modified IEX’s EBS rule text language to clarify that   information, and members will not be required to          1 to the public comment file for its proposal.
                                                    IEX (or FINRA on behalf of IEX) will not request        provide trade data or information, pursuant to the
                                                                                                                                                                         24 This amendment modified ISE’s EBS rule text

                                                    trade data or information, and members will not be      rule for trades reported to the CAT after Bats EDGX       language to clarify that ISE will not request trade
                                                    required to provide trade data or information,          announces that it has determined that the accuracy        data or information, and members will not be
                                                    pursuant to the EBS rule for trades reported to the     and reliability of the CAT are sufficient to replace      required to provide trade data or information,
                                                    CAT after IEX announces that it has determined          requests pursuant to these rules. When Bats EDGX          pursuant to ISE’s Rule 1404 for trades reported to
                                                    that the accuracy and reliability of the CAT are        filed Amendment No. 1 to its proposal with the            the CAT after ISE announces that it has determined
                                                    sufficient to replace requests pursuant to the EBS      Commission, it also submitted Amendment No. 1 to          that the accuracy and reliability of the CAT are
                                                    rule; and (3) made two clarifying revisions to the      the public comment file for its proposal.                 sufficient to replace requests pursuant to the rule.
                                                    Purpose section of its proposal. When IEX filed            20 This amendment: (1) Added introductory              When ISE filed Amendment No. 2 to its proposal
                                                    Amendment No. 1 to its proposal with the                language to BX’s OATS rule series to clarify that the     with the Commission, it also submitted
                                                    Commission, it also submitted Amendment No. 1 to        rules will be deleted upon announcement by BX             Amendment No. 2 to the public comment file for
                                                    the public comment file for its proposal.               that the CAT has achieved a level of accuracy and         its proposal.
                                                       16 PEARL filed Amendment No. 1 to its proposed                                                                    25 This amendment: (1) Added introductory
                                                                                                            reliability sufficient to replace OATS; (2) added
                                                    rule change on August 22, 2017. On August 24,           introductory language to BX’s COATS-related rules         language to NASDAQ’s OATS rule series to clarify
                                                    2017, PEARL withdrew Amendment No. 1 and                to clarify that the rules will be amended upon            that the rules will be deleted upon announcement
                                                    replaced it with Amendment No. 2. Amendment             announcement by BX that the CAT has achieved a            by NASDAQ that the CAT has achieved a level of
                                                    No. 2 modified the rule text for PEARL’s EBS rule       level of accuracy and reliability sufficient to replace   accuracy and reliability sufficient to replace OATS;
                                                    (which is incorporated by reference from the MIAX       COATS; and (3) modified BX’s EBS rule text and            (2) added introductory language to NASDAQ’s
                                                    rulebook) and its rule regarding market maker order     the language of Chapter VII, Section 7, to clarify        COATS-related rules to clarify that these rules will
asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES




                                                    and account information to clarify that PEARL will      that BX will not request trade data or information,       be amended upon announcement by NASDAQ that
                                                    not request trade data or information, and members      and members will not be required to provide trade         the CAT has achieved a level of accuracy and
                                                    will not be required to provide trade data or           data or information, pursuant to EBS Rules or             reliability sufficient to replace COATS; and (3)
                                                    information, pursuant to such rule for trades           Chapter VII, Section 7, for trades reported to the        modified NASDAQ’s EBS rule text and the language
                                                    reported to the CAT after PEARL announces that it       CAT after BX announces that it has determined that        of Chapter VII, Section 7, to clarify that NASDAQ
                                                    has determined that the accuracy and reliability of     the accuracy and reliability of the CAT are               will not request trade data or information, and
                                                    the CAT are sufficient to replace requests pursuant     sufficient to replace requests pursuant to these          members will not be required to provide trade data
                                                    to these rules. When PEARL filed Amendment No.          rules. When BX filed Amendment No. 2 to its               or information, pursuant to the EBS Rules or
                                                    2 to its proposal with the Commission, it also          proposal with the Commission, it also submitted           Chapter VII, Section 7, for trades reported to the
                                                    submitted Amendment No. 2 to the public comment         Amendment No. 2 to the public comment file for            CAT after NASDAQ announces that it has
                                                    file for its proposal.                                  its proposal.                                                                                        Continued




                                               VerDate Sep<11>2014   17:37 Sep 05, 2017   Jkt 241001   PO 00000   Frm 00114   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\06SEN1.SGM      06SEN1


                                                    42170                    Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 171 / Wednesday, September 6, 2017 / Notices

                                                    Amendment No. 1 to its proposed rule                    submitted Amendment No. 2 to its                         system on a daily basis.32 Several other
                                                    filing,26 NYSE Arca submitted                           proposed rule filing.29                                  SROs have their own OATS rules that
                                                    Amendment No. 1 to each of its                             The Commission is publishing this                     mirror FINRA’s rule or incorporate it by
                                                    proposed rule filings,27 NYSE MKT                       notice and order to solicit comments on                  reference.33 FINRA and the other SROs
                                                    submitted Amendment No. 1 to each of                    the proposed rule changes, as modified                   with OATS rules (the ‘‘OATS SROs’’)
                                                    its proposed rule filings,28 and Phlx                   by the respective amendments thereto,                    have proposed to delete their OATS
                                                                                                            from interested persons and to institute                 rules from their respective rulebooks. As
                                                    determined that the accuracy and reliability of the     proceedings pursuant to Section                          described in more detail below, these
                                                    CAT are sufficient to replace requests pursuant to      19(b)(2)(B) of the Act 30 to determine                   deletions will be implemented once
                                                    these rules. When NASDAQ filed Amendment No.
                                                    2 to its proposal with the Commission, it also
                                                                                                            whether to approve or disapprove the                     CAT Data achieves certain pre- and
                                                    submitted Amendment No. 2 to the public comment         proposed rule changes, as modified by                    post-correction error rates and certain
                                                    file for its proposal.                                  the respective amendments thereto.31                     qualitative criteria have been met.
                                                       26 This amendment: (1) Added introductory
                                                                                                                                                                        In its Systems Retirement Proposal,
                                                    language to NYSE’s OATS rules to clarify that they      II. Description of the Proposals, as
                                                                                                                                                                     FINRA stated that it believes that
                                                    will be deleted upon announcement by FINRA that         Modified by Amendments Thereto
                                                    the CAT has achieved a level of accuracy and                                                                     relevant error rates are the primary, but
                                                    reliability sufficient to replace OATS; and (2)            As required by the CAT NMS Plan,                      not the sole, metric by which to
                                                    modified NYSE’s EBS rule text to clarify that NYSE      the Systems Retirement Proposals                         determine the CAT’s accuracy and
                                                    will not request trade data or information, and         discuss: (1) The specific standards that                 reliability and will serve as the baseline
                                                    member organizations will not be required to            will govern when SRO rules and related
                                                    provide trade data or information, pursuant to the                                                               requirement needed before OATS can be
                                                    rule for trades reported to the CAT after FINRA         systems that are duplicative of CAT—                     retired to account for information being
                                                    announces that it has determined that the accuracy      including the Order Audit Trail System                   available in the CAT.34
                                                    and reliability of the CAT are sufficient to replace    (‘‘OATS’’), the Consolidated Options                        FINRA noted that the Participants
                                                    requests pursuant to FINRA’s EBS rules. When            Audit Trail System (‘‘COATS’’), and the
                                                    NYSE filed Amendment No. 1 to its proposal with                                                                  established an initial Error Rate, as
                                                    the Commission, it also submitted Amendment No.         Electronic Blue Sheets system                            defined in the Plan, of 5% on initially
                                                    1 to the public comment file for its proposal.          (‘‘EBS’’)—will be modified or                            submitted data (i.e., data as submitted
                                                       27 Amendment No. 1 to SR–NYSEArca–2017–59:           eliminated; (2) whether the availability                 by a CAT Reporter before any required
                                                    (1) Added introductory language to NYSE Arca’s          of data from Small Industry Members in
                                                    OATS rules to clarify that the OATS rules will be
                                                                                                                                                                     corrections are performed).35 The
                                                    deleted upon announcement by FINRA that the
                                                                                                            November of 2018 would facilitate                        Participants noted in the Plan their
                                                    CAT has achieved a level of accuracy and reliability    duplicative systems retirement; and (3)                  expectation that ‘‘error rates after
                                                    sufficient to replace OATS; and (2) modified NYSE       the feasibility of granting exemptions                   reprocessing of error corrections will be
                                                    Arca’s EBS rule text to clarify that NYSE Arca will     from reporting to duplicative systems to
                                                    not request trade data or information, and ETP
                                                                                                                                                                     de minimis.’’ 36 The Participants based
                                                    Holders, OTP Holders, OTP Firms, and associated
                                                                                                            individual Industry Members whose                        this Error Rate on their consideration of
                                                    persons of ETP Holders and OTP Firms (as defined        CAT reporting meets certain accuracy                     ‘‘current and historical OATS Error
                                                    in NYSE Arca’s rulebook) will not be required to        and reliability thresholds.                              Rates, the magnitude of new reporting
                                                    provide trade data or information, pursuant to the
                                                    rule for trades reported to the CAT after FINRA         A. Specific Accuracy and Reliability                     requirements on the CAT Reporters and
                                                    announces that it has determined that the accuracy      Standards                                                the fact that many CAT Reporters may
                                                    and reliability of the CAT are sufficient to replace                                                             have never been obligated to report data
                                                    requests pursuant to FINRA’s EBS rules.                 1. OATS                                                  to an audit trail.’’ 37
                                                    Amendment No. 1 to SR–NYSEArca–2017–57
                                                    added introductory language to NYSE Arca’s                 FINRA’s OATS rules require certain                       In its Systems Retirement Proposal,
                                                    COATS-related rules to clarify that these rules will    FINRA members to report a variety of                     FINRA expressed agreement with the
                                                    be amended upon announcement by NYSE Arca, in           data regarding transactions in OTC                       Participants’ conclusion that a 5% pre-
                                                    conjunction with the other options exchanges, that                                                               correction threshold ‘‘strikes the balance
                                                    CAT has achieved a level of accuracy and reliability
                                                                                                            equity securities and NMS stocks to the
                                                    sufficient to replace COATS. When NYSE Arca filed
                                                                                                                                                                     of adapting to a new reporting regime,
                                                    Amendment No. 1 to each of its proposed rule               29 This amendment: (1) Added introductory             while ensuring that the data provided to
                                                    changes with the Commission, it also submitted          language to Phlx OATS rule series to clarify that the    regulators will be capable of being used
                                                    Amendment No. 1 to the public comment file for          rules will be deleted upon announcement by Phlx          to conduct surveillance and market
                                                    each respective proposed rule change.                   that the CAT has achieved a level of accuracy and
                                                       28 Amendment No. 1 to SR–NYSEMKT–2017–30:            reliability sufficient to replace OATS; (2) added        reconstruction, as well as having a
                                                    (1) Added introductory language to NYSE MKT’s           introductory language to Phlx’s COATS-related            sufficient level of accuracy to facilitate
                                                    OATS rules to clarify that they will be deleted upon    rules to clarify that the rules will be amended upon     the retirement of existing regulatory
                                                    announcement by FINRA that the CAT has                  announcement by Phlx that the CAT has achieved           reports and systems where possible.’’ 38
                                                    achieved a level of accuracy and reliability            a level of accuracy and reliability sufficient to
                                                                                                            replace COATS; (3) modified Phlx’s EBS rule text         However, FINRA believed that, when
                                                    sufficient to replace OATS; and (2) modified NYSE
                                                    MKT’s EBS rule text to clarify that NYSE MKT will       and language in Phlx Rule 1022 to clarify that Phlx      assessing the accuracy and reliability of
                                                    not request trade data or information, and member       will not request trade data or information, and          the data for the purposes of retiring
                                                    organizations and ATP Holders (as defined in NYSE       members will not be required to provide trade data       OATS, the error thresholds should be
                                                    MKT’s rulebook) will not be required to provide         or information, pursuant to the EBS Rule or Rule
                                                                                                            1022 for trades reported to the CAT after Phlx           measured in more granular ways and
                                                    trade data or information, pursuant to the rule for
                                                    trades reported to the CAT after FINRA announces        announces that is has determined that the accuracy       should also include minimum error
                                                    that it has determined that the accuracy and            and reliability of the CAT are sufficient to replace     rates of post-correction data, which
                                                    reliability of the CAT are sufficient to replace        requests pursuant to these rules; and (4) made a
                                                    requests pursuant to FINRA’s EBS rules.                 conforming change to Phlx Option Floor Procedure           32 See  FINRA Rule 7400.
                                                    Amendment No. 1 to SR–NYSEMKT–2017–29                   Advices and Order and Decorum Regulations C–2              33 See
                                                                                                            to delete rule text that corresponds to rule text that             BX Rule 6950, IEX Rule 11.420, NASDAQ
asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES




                                                    added introductory language to NYSE MKT’s                                                                        Rule 7000A Series, NYSE Rule 7400 Series, NYSE
                                                    COATS-related rules to clarify that the COATS-          Phlx previously proposed to delete in Rule 1063.
                                                                                                            When Phlx filed Amendment No. 2 to its proposal          Arca Rule 6–E, and NYSE MKT Rule 7400—
                                                    related rules will be amended upon announcement                                                                  Equities Series, Phlx Rule 3400 series.
                                                    by NYSE MKT, in conjunction with the other              with the Commission, it also submitted
                                                                                                                                                                       34 See FINRA Notice, 82 FR at 25424.
                                                    options exchanges, that CAT has achieved a level        Amendment No. 2 to the public comment file for
                                                                                                                                                                       35 See CAT NMS Plan, Appendix B, Section
                                                    of accuracy and reliability sufficient to replace       its proposal.
                                                    COATS. When NYSE MKT filed Amendment No. 1                 30 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2)(B).                            A.3(b).
                                                                                                               31 For purposes of this notice and order,               36 CAT NMS Plan, Appendix C, Section A.3(b), at
                                                    to each of its proposed rule changes with the
                                                    Commission, it also submitted Amendment No. 1 to        capitalized terms are defined as set forth in the        n. 102.
                                                                                                                                                                       37 CAT NMS Plan, Appendix C, Section A.3(b).
                                                    the public comment file for each respective             Notices or in the CAT NMS Plan unless otherwise
                                                    proposed rule change.                                   specified.                                                 38 Id. See also FINRA Notice, 82 FR at 25424.




                                               VerDate Sep<11>2014   17:37 Sep 05, 2017   Jkt 241001   PO 00000   Frm 00115   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\06SEN1.SGM        06SEN1


                                                                              Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 171 / Wednesday, September 6, 2017 / Notices                                                  42171

                                                    represents the data most likely to be                    rejection rates (measured separately for             same match rate for orders linked to
                                                    used by FINRA to conduct surveillance.                   equities and options) must be no more                trade reports.
                                                    Although FINRA is proposing to                           than 5% pre-correction or 2% post-                      FINRA believes that an error rate of
                                                    measure the appropriate error rates in                   correction across all CAT Reporters.                 5% or lower, measured on a pre-
                                                    the aggregate rather than firm-by-firm,                     • Intra-Firm Linkages. The Plan                   correction or as-submitted basis, and
                                                    FINRA expressed the belief that the                      requires that ‘‘the Plan Processor must              2% or lower on a post-correction basis
                                                    error rates for equity securities should                 be able to link all related order events
                                                    be measured separately from options                                                                           (measured at T+5),50 should be attained
                                                                                                             from all CAT Reporters involved in the               across a 180-day period before retiring
                                                    since options orders are not currently
                                                                                                             lifecycle of an order.’’ 44 At a minimum,            OATS. FINRA believes that this time
                                                    reported regularly or included in
                                                                                                             this requirement includes the creation               period is necessary to reveal any errors
                                                    OATS.39
                                                      FINRA has proposed that, before                        of an order lifecycle between ‘‘[a]ll order          that could manifest themselves only
                                                    OATS could be retired, the CAT would                     events handled within an individual                  after surveillance patterns and other
                                                    generally need to achieve a sustained                    CAT Reporter, including orders routed                queries have been run and to confirm
                                                    error rate for Industry Member reporting                 to internal desks or departments with                that the Plan Processor is meeting its
                                                    in each of the categories below:                         different functions (e.g., an internal               obligations and performing its functions
                                                      • Rejection Rates and Data                             ATS).’’ 45 FINRA is proposing that                   adequately. FINRA would not require a
                                                    Validations. Data validations for the                    aggregate intra-firm linkage rates across            maximum 5% pre-correction error rate
                                                    CAT, while not expected to be designed                   all Industry Member Reporters must be
                                                                                                                                                                  and 2% post-correction error rate each
                                                    the same as OATS, must be functionally                   at least 95% pre-correction and 98%
                                                                                                                                                                  day for 180 consecutive days. FINRA’s
                                                    equivalent to OATS in accordance with                    post-correction.
                                                                                                                                                                  Systems Retirement Proposal also
                                                    the CAT NMS Plan (i.e., the same types                      • Inter-Firm Linkages. The order                  provides that, during the 180-day period
                                                    of basic data validations must be                        linkage requirements in the Plan also                over which the thresholds are
                                                    performed by the Plan Processor to                       require that the Plan Processor be able              calculated, FINRA’s use of the data in
                                                    comply with the CAT NMS Plan                             to create the lifecycle between orders
                                                    requirements). Appendix D of the Plan,                                                                        the CAT must confirm that (i) usage
                                                                                                             routed between broker-dealers.46 FINRA               over that time period has not revealed
                                                    for example, requires that certain file                  is proposing that at least a 95% pre-
                                                    validations40 and syntax and context                                                                          material issues that have not been
                                                                                                             correction and 98% post-correction                   corrected, (ii) the CAT includes all data
                                                    checks be performed on all submitted                     aggregate match rate be achieved for
                                                    records.41 If a record does not pass these                                                                    necessary to allow FINRA to continue to
                                                                                                             orders routed between two Industry
                                                    basic data validations, it must be                                                                            meet its surveillance obligations, and
                                                                                                             Member Reporters.
                                                    rejected and returned to the CAT                                                                              (iii) the Plan Processor is sufficiently
                                                    Reporter to be corrected and                                • Order Linkage Rates. In addition to             meeting all of its obligations under the
                                                    resubmitted.42 The specific validations                  creating linkages within and between                 Plan.
                                                    can be determined only after the Plan                    broker-dealers, the Plan also includes
                                                                                                             requirements that the Plan Processor be                 Finally, FINRA notes that it will
                                                    Processor has finalized the Industry                                                                          implement the deletion of its OATS
                                                    Member Technical Specifications;                         able to create lifecycles to link various
                                                                                                             pieces of related orders.47 For example,             rules on a date to be announced in a
                                                    however, the Plan also requires the Plan
                                                                                                             the Plan requires linkages between                   Regulatory Notice once FINRA
                                                    Processor to provide daily statistics on
                                                                                                             customer orders and ‘‘representative’’               concludes the thresholds for accuracy
                                                    rejection rates after the data has been
                                                    processed, including the number of files                 orders created in firm accounts for the              and reliability described above have
                                                    rejected and accepted, the number of                     purpose of facilitating a customer order,            been met.51 In addition, FINRA added
                                                    order events accepted and rejected, and                  various legs of option/equity complex                proposed introductory language to its
                                                    the number of each type of report                        orders, riskless principal orders, and               OATS rules in its Amendment No. 1
                                                    rejected.43 FINRA is proposing that,                     orders worked through average price                  that clarified that, if approved, the
                                                    over the 180-day period, aggregate                       accounts.48 FINRA is proposing that                  OATS rules will be deleted from its
                                                                                                             there be at least a 95% pre-correction               rulebook upon announcement by FINRA
                                                      39 See   FINRA Notice, 82 FR at 25424.                 and 98% post-correction linkage rate for             that the CAT has achieved a level of
                                                      40 See   CAT NMS Plan, Appendix D, Section 7.2.        multi-legged orders (e.g., related equity/           accuracy and reliability sufficient to
                                                    The Plan requires the Plan Processor to confirm that     options orders, VWAP orders, riskless
                                                    file transmission and receipt are in the correct
                                                                                                                                                                  replace OATS.
                                                    formats, including validation of header and trailers     principal transactions).                                In their Systems Retirement
                                                    on the submitted report, confirmation of a valid            • Exchange and TRF/ORF Match                      Proposals, some of the OATS SROs 52
                                                    SRO-Assigned Market Participant Identifier, and
                                                    verification of the number of records in the file. See   Rates. The Plan requires that an order               proposed to assess when to eliminate
                                                    id.                                                      lifecycle be created to link ‘‘[o]rders              their respective OATS rules based on
                                                       41 See id. The Plan notes that syntax and context     routed from broker-dealers to                        the same accuracy and reliability
                                                    checks would include format checks (i.e., that data      exchanges’’ and ‘‘[e]xecuted orders and
                                                    is entered in the specified format); data type checks                                                         standards as proposed by FINRA, and to
                                                    (i.e., that the data type of each attribute conforms     trade reports.’’ 49 FINRA is proposing at            announce the implementation date of
                                                    to the specifications); consistency checks (i.e., that   least a 95% pre-correction and 98%                   the elimination of their OATS rules via
                                                    all attributes for a record of a specified type are      post-correction aggregate match rate to              regulatory notice once each has
                                                    consistent); range/logic checks (i.e., that each         each equity exchange for orders routed
                                                                                                                                                                  concluded that these standards have
asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES




                                                    attribute for every record has a value within
                                                    specified limits and the values provided are             from Industry Members to an exchange
                                                    associated with the event type they represent); data     and, for over-the-counter executions, the
                                                    validity checks (i.e., that each attribute for every                                                            50 The Plan requires the Plan Processor to ensure
                                                    record has an acceptable value); completeness             44 CAT                                              that regulators have access to corrected and linked
                                                                                                                       NMS Plan, Appendix D, Section 3.
                                                    checks (i.e., that each mandatory attribute for every
                                                                                                              45 Id.                                              order and Customer data by 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time
                                                    record is not null); and timeliness checks (i.e., that
                                                    the records were submitted within the submission          46 See id.                                          on T+5. See CAT NMS Plan, Appendix C, Section
                                                    timelines). See id.                                       47 See id.                                          A.2(a).
                                                       42 See id.                                             48 See id.                                            51 See FINRA Notice, 82 FR at 25426.

                                                       43 See id.                                             49 Id.                                                52 BX, IEX, NASDAQ, and Phlx.




                                               VerDate Sep<11>2014   17:37 Sep 05, 2017   Jkt 241001   PO 00000   Frm 00116   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\06SEN1.SGM   06SEN1


                                                    42172                    Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 171 / Wednesday, September 6, 2017 / Notices

                                                    been met.53 Other OATS SROs 54                          COATS. The COATS SROs also have                         2% error rates would be measured
                                                    proposed to implement the elimination                   proposed to eliminate certain provisions                across a 180-day period. For purposes of
                                                    of their OATS rules via regulatory                      of their rules that reference COATS or                  COATS retirement, the COATS SROs
                                                    notice once FINRA has determined that                   implement COATS requirements 58 and/                    have proposed to measure the error rates
                                                    the accuracy and reliability standards                  or to replace certain provisions that                   for CAT records relating only to listed
                                                    proposed by FINRA had been met, and                     implement COATS requirements with                       options and not to equities, as only
                                                    FINRA publishes a notice announcing                     others that provide for compliance with                 options orders and transactions are
                                                    the date it will retire its OATS rules.55               CAT requirements.59                                     currently subject to COATS reporting.
                                                                                                              Similar to the standards described in                 As with the proposals to retire OATS,
                                                    2. COATS                                                the Systems Retirement Proposals that                   the COATS SROs believe that, during
                                                       Bats BZX, Bats EDGX, BX, BOX,                        discuss eliminating OATS-related rules,                 the minimum 180-day period during
                                                    CBOE, C2, NASDAQ, NYSE Arca, NYSE                       the COATS SROs believe that, before                     which the error thresholds are
                                                    MKT, and Phlx (collectively, the                        COATS can be retired and the proposed                   calculated, their use of CAT Data must
                                                    ‘‘COATS SROs’’) utilize COATS to                        modifications to COATS-related rules                    confirm that (1) there are no material
                                                    collect and review data regarding                       can be implemented, the CAT would                       issues that have not been corrected, (2)
                                                    orders, quotes, and transactions in listed              need to achieve an aggregate average                    the CAT includes all data necessary to
                                                    options.56 In their Systems Retirement                  error rate of 5% or lower measured on                   allow the COATS SROs to continue to
                                                    Proposals, the COATS SROs noted that                    a pre-correction or as-submitted basis,                 meet their surveillance obligations, and
                                                    the Participants have provided COATS                    and 2% or lower on a post-correction                    (3) the Plan Processor is sufficiently
                                                    technical specifications to the CAT Plan                basis (measured at T+5).60 The 5% and                   meeting all of its obligations under the
                                                    Processor for use in developing the                                                                             CAT NMS Plan. Each COATS SRO also
                                                    Technical Specifications for the CAT,                      58 See CBOE Notice, 82 FR at 25430 (proposing
                                                                                                                                                                    noted that, if the Commission approves
                                                    and that the Participants are working                   to eliminate, from CBOE Rule 6.24, references to        its proposed rule change, it would
                                                    with the Plan Processor to include the                  and background on COATS as well as COATS
                                                                                                            requirements regarding the reporting of the time of     announce the date for modification or
                                                    necessary COATS data elements in the                    receipt of an execution report); NYSE Arca Notice       elimination, as applicable, of reporting
                                                    CAT Technical Specifications.57                         2, 82 FR at 25640 (proposing to eliminate the           requirements and the implementation
                                                    Accordingly, the COATS SROs have                        COATS-related clock synchronization requirements        date of the proposed rule changes via
                                                    proposed to eliminate COATS once CAT                    of NYSE Arca Rule 6.20–O).
                                                                                                               59 See BX Notice, 82 FR at 25876 (proposing to       regulatory notices or circulars that
                                                    is operational and CAT Data is                          eliminate the COATS-based information reporting         would be published once the thresholds
                                                    sufficiently accurate and reliable for the              requirements of BX Chapter V, Section 7, and to         for accuracy and reliability described
                                                    COATS SROs to perform the regulatory                    replace them with a requirement that BX members         above have been met and the Plan
                                                    functions that they now perform via                     maintain order records consisting of the elements
                                                                                                            required by BX’s CAT Compliance Rule);
                                                                                                                                                                    Processor is sufficiently meeting all of
                                                                                                            Amendment No. 1 to BOX Notice (proposing to             its obligations under the Plan.61 In
                                                       53 See BX Notice, 82 FR at 25873–74; IEX Notice,
                                                                                                            eliminate the COATS-based data requirements of          amendments to their respective filings,
                                                    82 FR at 25401–02; NASDAQ Notice, 82 FR at              BOX Rule 7120(b) and to replace them with a
                                                    25821–22; Phlx Notice, 82 FR at 25864. Similar to
                                                                                                                                                                    each COATS SRO also added
                                                                                                            requirement that order tickets consist of the
                                                    FINRA, each of these Exchanges also added               elements required by BOX’s CAT Compliance Rule);
                                                                                                                                                                    introductory language to each of the
                                                    proposed introductory language to its OATS rules        CBOE Notice, 82 FR at 25430 (proposing to amend         rules that it has proposed to modify in
                                                    to clarify that, if approved, the OATS rules will be    various interpretations and policies of CBOE Rule       connection with the retirement of
                                                    deleted from its rulebook upon announcement by
                                                    the Exchange that CAT has achieved a level of
                                                                                                            6.24 to require that certain systems and data reports   COATS specifying that the rule will be
                                                                                                            comply with the functionality and format                amended upon announcement by the
                                                    accuracy and reliability sufficient to replace OATS.    requirements of CAT rather than COATS); Nasdaq
                                                    See Amendment No. 1 to IEX Notice and                   Notice, 82 FR at 25824 (proposing to eliminate the      SRO that the CAT has achieved a
                                                    Amendment No. 2 to BX Notice, NASDAQ Notice,            COATS-based information reporting requirements          sufficient level of accuracy and
                                                    and Phlx Notice.
                                                       54 NYSE, NYSE Arca, and NYSE MKT.
                                                                                                            of Nasdaq Chapter V, Section 7, and to replace them     reliability.62
                                                                                                            with a requirement that Nasdaq members maintain
                                                       55 See NYSE Notice, 82 FR at 25636–37; NYSE
                                                                                                            order records consisting of the elements required by
                                                    Arca Notice 1, 82 FR at 25363–64; NYSE MKT                                                                      Notice, 82 FR at 25387–88; CBOE Notice, 82 FR at
                                                                                                            Nasdaq’s CAT Compliance Rule); NYSE Arca Notice
                                                    Notice 2, 82 FR at 25440. Similar to FINRA, each                                                                25432; NYSE Arca Notice 2, 82 FR at 25641; NYSE
                                                                                                            2, 82 FR at 25640 (proposing to amend NYSE Arca
                                                    of NYSE, NYSE Arca, and NYSE MKT also added                                                                     MKT Notice 1, 82 FR at 25445; NASDAQ Notice,
                                                                                                            Rule 6.68–O to require order records to include the
                                                    proposed introductory language to its OATS rules                                                                82 FR at 25825; Phlx Notice, 82 FR at 25869.
                                                                                                            elements required by NYSE Arca’s CAT Compliance            61 See Bats BZX Notice, 82 FR at 25376; Bats
                                                    to clarify that, if approved, the OATS rules will be    Rule rather than the elements required under
                                                    deleted from its rulebook upon announcement by                                                                  EDGX Notice, 82 at FR 25361; CBOE Notice, 82 FR
                                                                                                            COATS); NYSE MKT Notice 1, 82 FR at 25444
                                                    FINRA that the CAT has achieved a level of                                                                      at 25432; C2 Notice, 82 FR at 25388 (all stating that
                                                                                                            (proposing to amend NYSE MKT Rule 956NY to
                                                    accuracy and reliability sufficient to replace OATS.                                                            the proposed modifications will be implemented
                                                                                                            require order records to include the elements
                                                    See Amendment No. 1 to NYSE Notice, NYSE Arca                                                                   ‘‘once the Exchange (and other options exchanges
                                                                                                            required by NYSE MKT’s CAT Compliance Rule              with respect to COATS and EBS) determines that
                                                    Notice 1, and NYSE MKT Notice 2.                        rather than the elements required under COATS);
                                                       56 COATS was developed to comply with an order
                                                                                                                                                                    the thresholds for accuracy and reliability described
                                                                                                            Phlx Notice, 82 FR at 25868 and Amendment No.           above have been met and that the Plan Processor
                                                    of the Commission requiring CBOE, in coordination       2 to Phlx Notice (proposing to amend Phlx Rule          is sufficiently meeting all of its obligations under
                                                    with other exchanges, to design and implement a         1063, which implements certain reporting                the CAT NMS Plan’’); BX Notice, 82 FR at 25877,
                                                    consolidated audit trail to ‘‘enable the options        requirements related to COATS, and Option Floor         NASDAQ Notice, 82 FR at 25826, and Phlx Notice,
                                                    exchanges to reconstruct markets promptly,              Procedure Advices and Order and Decorum                 82 FR at 25869 (all stating that the proposed
                                                    effectively surveil them and enforce order handling,    Regulation C–2, which repeats these requirements        modifications will be implemented ‘‘once [the
                                                    firm quote, trade reporting and other rules.’’          and imposes a schedule of fines for violating them,     Exchange] concludes the thresholds for accuracy
                                                    Securities Exchange Act Release No. 43268, Section      by replacing the COATS requirements with                and reliability described above have been met and
                                                    IV.B.e.(v) (September 11, 2000) (Administrative         provisions stating that order records must include      that the Plan Processor is sufficiently meeting all of
asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES




                                                    Proceeding File No. 3–10282) (Order Instituting         the elements enumerated in Phlx’s CAT                   its obligations under the CAT NMS Plan’’); BOX
                                                    Public Administrative Proceedings Pursuant to           Compliance Rule). See also Bats EDGX Notice, 82         Notice, 82 FR at 25494, NYSE Arca Notice 2, 82 FR
                                                    Sections 19(h)(1) of the Act, Making Findings and       FR at 25359; BZX Notice, 82 FR at 25375; C2             at 25640, and NYSE MKT Notice 1, 82 FR at 25444
                                                    Imposing Remedial Sanctions).                           Notice, 82 FR at 25386 (noting that BZX, EDGX, and      (all stating that the proposed modifications will be
                                                       57 See Bats BZX Notice, 82 FR at 25375; Bats         C2 do not have any specific rules or requirements       implemented ‘‘once the options exchanges
                                                    EDGX Notice, 82 FR at 25359; BOX Notice, 82 FR          related to COATS but refer to the retirement of         determine that the thresholds for accuracy and
                                                    at 25492; BX Notice, 82 FR at 25876; C2 Notice, 82      COATS in their filings to be consistent with the        reliability described . . . have been met and that
                                                    FR at 25386; CBOE Notice, 82 FR at 25430; NYSE          other options exchanges).                               the Plan Processor is sufficiently meeting all of its
                                                    Arca Notice 2, 82 FR at 25640; NYSE MKT Notice             60 See Bats BZX Notice, 82 FR at 25376; Bats         obligations under the CAT NMS Plan’’).
                                                    1, 82 FR at 25444; NASDAQ Notice, 82 FR at 25824;       EDGX Notice, 82 FR at 25360–61; BOX Notice, 82             62 See Amendment No. 1 to Bats BZX Notice, Bats

                                                    Phlx Notice, 82 FR at 25868.                            FR at 25493–94; BX Notice, 82 FR at 25877; C2           EDGX Notice, BOX Notice, C2 Notice, CBOE Notice,



                                               VerDate Sep<11>2014   17:37 Sep 05, 2017   Jkt 241001   PO 00000   Frm 00117   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\06SEN1.SGM    06SEN1


                                                                             Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 171 / Wednesday, September 6, 2017 / Notices                                                   42173

                                                    3. EBS                                                  remain in effect with respect to those                addition, each of the EBS SROs states
                                                                                                            transactions.                                         that it (or, in some cases, FINRA) can
                                                       Each of Bats BZX, Bats EDGX, BX,                        Each of the EBS SROs proposed to                   rely on CAT Data to replace EBS
                                                    BOX, CBOE, C2, FINRA, IEX, ISE,                         add new language to its EBS rule to                   requests only after it has determined
                                                    MIAX, PEARL, Phlx, NASDAQ, NYSE,                        clarify how it will request data under                that its usage of the CAT Data over a
                                                    NYSE Arca, and NYSE MKT (each an                        these rules after members are reporting               180-day period has not revealed
                                                    ‘‘EBS SRO’’) has a rule requiring a                     to the CAT.66 Specifically, the proposed              material issues that have not been
                                                    member, upon request by the SRO, to                     new language notes that the SRO will                  corrected, confirmed that the CAT
                                                    provide trading information using the                   not request trade data or information                 includes all data necessary to allow it or
                                                    electronic blue sheets (‘‘EBS’’) system in              under the rule, and members will not be               FINRA to continue to meet its
                                                    such format as may be prescribed by the                 required to provide trade data or                     surveillance obligations, and confirmed
                                                    SRO.63                                                  information under the rule, for trades                that the Plan Processor is fulfilling its
                                                       According to the EBS SROs, after                     reported to the CAT after the SRO (or,                obligations under the Plan.69
                                                    broker-dealer reporting to the CAT                      in some cases, FINRA) announces that
                                                    begins, CAT will contain much of the                    it has determined that the accuracy and               4. Other Rules
                                                    data with respect to transactions in                    reliability of the CAT are sufficient to                 Certain Exchanges proposed to amend
                                                    CAT-Eligible Securities that an SRO                     replace requests pursuant to the EBS                  other reporting rules that they have
                                                    could otherwise have requested via the                  rule.67                                               determined are duplicative of CAT
                                                    EBS system.64 Consequently, the EBS                        As noted above, the EBS SROs believe               requirements. BatsBZX, BatsEDGX,
                                                    SROs would no longer need to request                    (or reiterate FINRA’s belief) that the                BOX, BX, C2, CBOE, MIAX, PEARL,
                                                    information pursuant to the EBS Rules                   CAT must meet certain minimum                         Phlx, and NASDAQ currently have rules
                                                    for transactions in CAT-Eligible                        accuracy and reliability standards before             requiring certain market participants
                                                    Securities after such time as appropriate               it, or FINRA, could rely on the CAT                   (e.g., specialists and market makers) to
                                                    thresholds for accuracy and reliability,                Data to replace existing regulatory tools,            report certain account or order
                                                    including for customer and account                      including EBS. Therefore, the EBS SROs                information for accounts over which the
                                                    information, are achieved. However, the                 propose to implement the new rule text                market participant engages in trading
                                                    EBS SROs do not believe that the EBS                    related to their EBS rules only after CAT             activities or exercises investment
                                                    rules can be completely removed from                    achieves certain accuracy thresholds.                 discretion.70 These Exchanges stated
                                                    their rulebooks and the EBS system                      The EBS SROs proposed similar
                                                    completely retired, because EBS                         standards to those for eliminating                    at 25359; BOX Notice, 82 FR at 25493; C2 Notice,
                                                    requests might have to be made to                       OATS-related rules set forth above, as                82 FR at 25386; CBOE Notice, 82 FR at 25431; IEX
                                                                                                                                                                  Notice, 82 FR at 25403; ISE Notice, 82 FR at 25470–
                                                    obtain information about transactions                   well as specific accuracy standards for               71; MIAX Notice, 82 FR at 25367–68; NASDAQ
                                                    occurring before CAT has attained an                    customer and account information.68 In                Notice, 82 FR at 25823–24; PEARL Notice, 82 FR
                                                    appropriate threshold for accuracy and                                                                        at 25437–38; and Phlx Notice, 82 FR at 25866–68,
                                                    reliability. Some of the EBS SROs 65 also                  66 See Amendment No. 1 to Bats BZX Notice, Bats    respectively (stating that each SRO will assess
                                                                                                            EDGX Notice, BOX Notice; C2 Notice, CBOE Notice,      whether ‘‘an acceptable accuracy rate for customer
                                                    noted that their EBS rules apply to                     FINRA Notice, IEX Notice, NYSE Notice, NYSE           and account information’’ has been reached);
                                                    transactions in non-CAT-Eligible                        Arca Notice 1, and NYSE MKT Notice 2;                 FINRA Notice, 82 FR at 25426; NYSE Notice, 82 FR
                                                    Securities, such as fixed-income                        Amendment No. 2 to BX Notice, ISE Notice,             at 25638; NYSE Arca Notice 1, 82 FR at 25365; and
                                                    securities. Thus, the rules would have to               NASDAQ Notice, PEARL Notice, and Phlx Notice;         NYSE MKT Notice 2, 82 FR at 25442, respectively
                                                                                                            and Amendment No. 3 to MIAX Notice.                   (stating that FINRA will assess whether ‘‘an
                                                                                                               67 See proposed revisions to Bats BZX Rule 24.4,   accuracy rate for customer and account information
                                                    NYSE Arca Notice 2, NYSE MKT Notice 1; and              as modified by Amendment No. 1; proposed              of 95% for pre-corrected data and 98% for post-
                                                    Amendment No. 2 to BX Notice, NASDAQ Notice,            revisions to Bats EDGX Rule 24.4, as modified by      correction data’’ has been reached).
                                                    and Phlx Notice.                                        Amendment No. 1; proposed Supplementary                  69 See Bats BZX Notice, 82 FR at 25376; Bats
                                                       63 See Bats BZX Rule 24.4; Bats EDGX Rule 24.4;      Material to BX Equity Rule 8211, as modified by       EDGX Notice, 82 FR at 25360–61; BOX Notice, 82
                                                    BOX Rule 10040; BX Equity Rule 8211; BX Options         Amendment No. 2; proposed Supplementary               FR at 25494; BX Notice, 82 FR at 25876; C2 Notice,
                                                    Rule Chapter IX, Section 4; C2 Chapter 15               Material to BX Options Rule Chapter IX, Section 4,    82 FR at 25387; CBOE Notice, 82 FR at 25432;
                                                    (incorporating CBOE Rule 15.7 by reference); CBOE       as modified by Amendment No. 2; proposed              FINRA Notice, 82 FR at 25426; IEX Notice, 82 FR
                                                    Rule 15.7; IEX Rule 8.220; ISE Rule 1404; FINRA         Interpretive Material to BOX Rule 10040, as           at 25403; ISE Notice, 82 FR at 25471; MIAX Notice,
                                                    Rules 8211 and 8213; MIAX Rule 804; Nasdaq              modified by Amendment No. 1; C2 Chapter 15            82 FR at 25368; NYSE Notice, 82 FR at 25636;
                                                    Equity Rule 8211; Nasdaq Options Rule Chapter IX,       (incorporating by reference the proposed revisions    NYSE Arca Notice 1, 82 FR at 25365; NYSE MKT
                                                    Section 4; NYSE Rule 8211; NYSE Arca Rule               to CBOE Rule 15.7); proposed revisions to CBOE        Notice 2, 82 FR at 25442; NASDAQ Notice, 82 FR
                                                    10.2(e); NYSE MKT Rule 8211; Phlx Rule 785;             Rule 15.7, as modified by Amendment No. 1;            at 25824; PEARL Notice, 82 FR at 25438; Phlx
                                                    PEARL Rule 804. PEARL notes that PEARL Rule             proposed Supplementary Material to FINRA Rules        Notice, 82 FR at 25868. NYSE, NYSE Arca, and
                                                    804 is incorporated by reference from the rules in      8211 and 8213, as modified by Amendment No. 1;
                                                                                                                                                                  NYSE MKT will implement this change by
                                                    MIAX rulebook Chapter VIII. See PEARL Notice, 82        proposed Supplementary Material .01 to IEX Rule
                                                                                                                                                                  regulatory notice once FINRA publishes a notice
                                                    FR at 25437, n. 14.                                     8.220, as modified by Amendment No. 1; proposed
                                                                                                                                                                  announcing a date that it will retire its EBS Rules
                                                       64 See Bats BZX Notice, 82 FR at 25375; Bats
                                                                                                            Supplementary Material to ISE Rule 1404, as
                                                                                                                                                                  and thus will rely on FINRA’s conclusion that the
                                                                                                            modified by Amendment No. 2; proposed
                                                    EDGX Notice, 82 FR at 25359; BOX Notice, 82 FR          Interpretation and Policy .01 to MIAX Rule 804, as    described accuracy and reliability thresholds have
                                                    at 25493; BX Notice, 82 FR at 25875; C2 Notice, 82      modified by Amendment No. 3; proposed                 been met and the CAT Plan Processor is sufficiently
                                                    FR at 25386; CBOE Notice, 82 FR at 25431; FINRA         Supplementary Material to Phlx Rule 785, as           meeting all of its obligations under the CAT NMS
                                                    Notice, 82 FR at 25426; IEX Notice, 82 FR at 25403;     modified by Amendment No. 2; proposed                 Plan. See NYSE Notice, 82 FR at 25636; NYSE Arca
                                                    ISE Notice, 82 FR at 25470; MIAX Notice, 82 FR at       Supplementary Material to Nasdaq Equity Rule          Notice 1, 82 FR at 25365; NYSE MKT Notice 2, 82
                                                    25367; NYSE Notice, 82 FR at 25637; NYSE Arca           8211, as modified by Amendment No. 2; proposed        FR at 25442.
                                                    Notice 1, 82 FR at 25364; NYSE MKT Notice 2, 82         Supplementary Material to Nasdaq Options Rule            70 See Bats BZX Rule 22.7 and Interpretation and
asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES




                                                    FR at 25442; NASDAQ Notice, 82 FR at 25823;             Chapter IX Section 4, as modified by Amendment        Policy .01 to Bats BZX Rule 22.7 (requiring market
                                                    PEARL Notice, 82 FR at 25437; Phlx Notice, 82 FR        No. 2; proposed Supplementary Material .01 to         makers to identify accounts and report orders, and
                                                    at 25866.                                               NYSE Rule 8211, as modified by Amendment No.          specifying requirements for joint accounts); Bats
                                                       65 See Bats BZX Notice, 82 FR at 25375; Bats         1; proposed Commentary .01(E) to NYSE Arca Rule       EDGX Rule 22.7 and Interpretation and Policy .01
                                                    EDGX Notice, 82 FR at 25359–60; BX Notice, 82 FR        10.2, as modified by Amendment No. 1; proposed        to Bats EDGX Rule 22.7 (requiring market makers
                                                    at 25875; CBOE Notice, 82 FR at 25431; C2 Notice,       Supplementary Material .01 to NYSE MKT Rule           to identify accounts and report orders, and
                                                    82 FR at 25386–87; FINRA Notice, 82 FR at 25426;        8211, as modified by Amendment No. 1; proposed        specifying requirements for joint accounts); BOX
                                                    Phlx Notice, 82 FR at 25867 ; NASDAQ Notice, 82         Interpretation and Policy .01 to PEARL Rule 804,      Rule 8060 (requiring market makers to identify
                                                    FR at 25823; NYSE Notice, 82 FR at 25637; NYSE          as modified by Amendment No. 2.                       accounts and report orders, and specifying
                                                    Arca Notice 1, 82 FR at 25365; and NYSE MKT                68 See BX Notice, 82 FR at 25876; Bats BZX         requirements for joint accounts); BX Options Rule
                                                    Notice 2, 82 FR at 25442.                               Notice, 82 FR at 25375; Bats EDGX Notice, 82 FR                                                 Continued




                                               VerDate Sep<11>2014   17:37 Sep 05, 2017   Jkt 241001   PO 00000   Frm 00118   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\06SEN1.SGM   06SEN1


                                                    42174                    Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 171 / Wednesday, September 6, 2017 / Notices

                                                    that, once broker-dealers are reporting to              duplicative of CAT while retaining their              Data to replace information required to
                                                    CAT, CAT will contain some of the data                  position reporting requirements, which                be reported under duplicative rules only
                                                    the Exchanges would otherwise have                      are not duplicative of CAT.73 In their                after it has determined that its usage of
                                                    requested under these rules.71 Similar to               respective amendments, these                          the CAT Data over a 180-day period has
                                                    the proposed revisions to the EBS rules,                Exchanges proposed to add introductory                not revealed material issues that have
                                                    some of the Exchanges have proposed to                  language to these rules to clarify that the           not been corrected, confirmed that the
                                                    add new text to these order and account                 rules will be amended upon                            CAT includes all data necessary to
                                                    identification rules stating that the                   announcement by the Exchange that the                 allow it to continue to meet its
                                                    Exchange will not request information                   CAT has achieved a sufficient level of                surveillance obligations, and confirmed
                                                    under the rule, and members will not be                 accuracy and reliability.74                           that the CAT Plan Processor is fulfilling
                                                    required to provide information under                     In addition, CBOE and EDGX                          its obligations under the CAT NMS
                                                    the rule, for trades reported to CAT after              currently require members to submit to                Plan.77
                                                    the Exchange announces that it has                      the Exchange stock transaction                        B. Small Industry Member Data
                                                    determined that the accuracy and                        information for each Qualified                        Availability
                                                    reliability of the CAT are sufficient to                Contingent Cross order executed at the
                                                    replace requests pursuant to the rule.72                Exchange.75 CAT will require exchange                    As noted above, the CAT NMS Plan
                                                    Other Exchanges have proposed to                        members to report stock transaction                   requires the SROs, in their Systems
                                                    revise these rules by deleting specific                 information. Therefore, CBOE and                      Retirement Proposals, to address
                                                    reporting requirements that are                         EDGX intend to eliminate this reporting               ‘‘whether the availability of certain data
                                                                                                            requirement in accordance with the                    from Small Industry Members two years
                                                    Chapter VII, Section 7 and Commentary .01 to BX         proposed timeline and standards below.                after the Effective Date would facilitate
                                                    Options Rule Chapter VII, Section 7 (requiring
                                                                                                              These Exchanges proposed standards                  a more expeditious retirement of
                                                    market makers to identify accounts and report                                                                 duplicative systems.’’ 78
                                                    orders, and specifying requirements for joint           for when the proposed modifications to
                                                                                                                                                                     In its Systems Retirement Proposal,
                                                    accounts); C2 Rule 8.7 (requiring market makers to      these reporting rules will be
                                                    identify accounts and report orders, and specifying                                                           FINRA stated its view that there is no
                                                                                                            implemented that are similar to those
                                                    requirements for joint accounts); CBOE Rule 8.9 and                                                           effective way to retire OATS until all
                                                                                                            for eliminating OATS-related rules set
                                                    Interpretation and Policy .07 to CBOE Rule 8.9                                                                current OATS reporters are reporting to
                                                    (requiring market makers to identify accounts and       forth above. Accordingly, these
                                                                                                                                                                  the CAT and that having data from
                                                    report orders, and specifying requirements for joint    Exchanges proposed that CAT would
                                                    accounts); MIAX Rule 607 (requiring market makers                                                             Small Industry Members currently
                                                                                                            need to achieve a sustained error rate for
                                                    to identify accounts and report orders, and                                                                   reporting to OATS available two years
                                                                                                            a period of at least 180 days of 5% or
                                                    specifying requirements for joint accounts); Nasdaq                                                           after the Effective Date rather than three
                                                    Options Rule Chapter VII, Section 7 and                 lower measured on a pre-correction or
                                                                                                                                                                  would ‘‘substantially facilitate a more
                                                    Commentary .01 to Nasdaq Options Rule Chapter           as-submitted basis, and 2% or lower on                expeditious retirement of OATS.’’ 79
                                                    VII, Section 7 (requiring market makers to identify     a post-correction basis (measured at
                                                    accounts and report orders, and specifying                                                                    Therefore, FINRA supports an
                                                    requirements for joint accounts); PEARL Rule 606
                                                                                                            T+5).76 These Exchanges have proposed                 amendment to the Plan that would
                                                    and Interpretation and Policy .01 to PEARL Rule         to measure the 5% pre-correction and                  require current OATS reporters that are
                                                    606 (requiring market makers to identify accounts       2% post-correction thresholds by                      Small Industry Members to report to
                                                    and report orders, and specifying requirements for      averaging the error rate across the
                                                    joint accounts); Phlx Options Rule 1022 and                                                                   CAT two years after the Effective Date
                                                    Commentary .01 and .02 to Phlx Options Rule 1022
                                                                                                            period, not requiring a 5% pre-                       (instead of three) and stated that it
                                                    (requiring specialists and market makers to identify    correction and 2% post-correction                     intends to work with the other SROs to
                                                    accounts and, with respect to options in a foreign      maximum each day for 180 consecutive                  propose such an amendment to the
                                                    currency, make available books and records              days. In addition, each of these
                                                    concerning transactions).                                                                                     Plan.80
                                                       71 See Bats BZX Notice, 82 FR at 25375; Bats
                                                                                                            Exchanges stated that it can rely on CAT                 FINRA has identified approximately
                                                    EDGX Notice, 82 FR at 25359; BOX Notice, 82 FR
                                                                                                              73 See proposed revisions to Bats BZX Rule
                                                                                                                                                                  300 member firms that currently report
                                                    at 25492; BX Notice at 25875; C2 Notice, 82 FR at                                                             to OATS and meet the definition of
                                                    25386; CBOE Notice, 82 FR at 25431; MIAX Notice,        22.7(b) and Interpretation and Policy .01 to Bats
                                                                                                            BZX Rule 22.7 (proposing to replace requirement       ‘‘Small Industry Member.’’ According to
                                                    82 FR at 25367; NASDAQ Notice, 82 FR at 25823;
                                                    PEARL Notice, 82 FR at 25437; Phlx Notice, 82 FR        that market makers report orders with requirement     FINRA, only ten of these firms submit
                                                    at 25866.                                               that market makers report positions and eliminate     information to OATS on their own
                                                       72 See proposed Interpretive Material 8060–1 to      required elements of report pertaining to orders);    behalf, and eight of those ten firms
                                                    BOX Rule 8060, as modified by Amendment No. 1;          proposed revisions to Bats EDGX Rule 22.7(b) and
                                                                                                            Interpretation and Policy .01 to Bats EDGX Rule       report very few records to OATS.81 The
                                                    proposed Commentary .02 to BX Options Rule
                                                    Chapter VII, Section 7, as modified by Amendment        22.7 (proposing to replace requirement that market
                                                    No. 2; proposed Interpretation and Policy .01 to        makers report orders with requirement that market        77 See Bats BZX Notice, 82 FR at 25376; Bats

                                                    MIAX Rule 607, as modified by Amendment No. 3;          makers report positions and eliminate required        EDGX Notice, 82 FR at 25360–61; BX Notice, 82 FR
                                                    proposed Commentary .02 to Nasdaq Options Rule          elements of report pertaining to orders); proposed    at 25876; BOX Notice, 82 FR at 25494; C2 Notice,
                                                    Chapter VII, Section 7, as modified by Amendment        revisions to C2 Rule 8.7(b) (proposing to replace     82 FR at 25387; CBOE Notice, 82 FR at 25432;
                                                    No. 2; proposed Interpretation and Policy .02 to        requirement that market makers report orders with     MIAX Notice, 82 FR at 25368; NASDAQ Notice, 82
                                                    PEARL Rule 606, as modified by Amendment No.            requirement that market makers report positions       FR at 25824; PEARL Notice, 82 FR at 25438; Phlx
                                                    2; proposed Commentary .03 to Phlx Options Rule         and eliminate required elements of report             Notice, 82 FR at 25867–68.
                                                    1022, as modified by Amendment No. 2. In                pertaining to orders); proposed revisions to CBOE        78 CAT NMS Plan, Appendix C, Section C.9.

                                                    addition, BZX, CBOE, and EDGX proposed language         Rule 8.9(b) and Interpretation and Policy .07 to         79 FINRA Notice, 82 FR at 25425.

                                                    for other rules that require the furnishing of data     CBOE Rule 8.9 (proposing to replace requirement          80 FINRA notes that the 180-day timeframes

                                                    similar to the proposed revisions to the EBS rules—     that market makers report orders with requirement     discussed above with respect to usage of the data
                                                                                                            that market makers report positions and eliminate
asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES




                                                    that is, that they will not request information for                                                           and calculation of error rates would apply to data
                                                    trades reported to the CAT after each has               required elements of report pertaining to orders).    reported to the CAT by Small Industry Members
                                                                                                              74 See Amendment No. 1 to each of Bats BZX
                                                    announced that it has determined that CAT is                                                                  that are reporting to OATS. If an amendment to the
                                                    sufficiently accurate and reliable. See Amendment       Notice, Bats EDGX Notice, C2 Notice, and CBOE         Plan to accelerate the reporting requirement for
                                                    No. 1 to BZX Notice (proposing to add such              Notice.                                               those firms is not approved, the retirement of OATS
                                                                                                              75 See CBOE Notice, 82 FR at 25431; EDGX            could not be accomplished until at least 180 days
                                                    language to Interpretation and Policy .02 to BZX
                                                    Rule 4.2); Amendment No. 1 to EDGX Notice               Notice, 82 FR at 25360.                               after Small Industry Members begin reporting,
                                                    (proposing to add such language to Interpretation         76 The Plan requires the Plan Processor to ensure   which is currently scheduled to begin in November
                                                    and Policy .02 to EDGX Rule 4.2); Amendment No.         that regulators have access to corrected and linked   2019. See FINRA Notice, 82 FR at 25425.
                                                    1 to CBOE Notice (proposing to add such language        order and Customer data by 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time        81 See FINRA Notice, 82 FR at 25425 (noting that

                                                    to Interpretation and Policy .04 to CBOE Rule 17.2).    on T+5. See CAT NMS Plan, at C–15.                    in one recent month eight of the ten firms submitted



                                               VerDate Sep<11>2014   17:37 Sep 05, 2017   Jkt 241001   PO 00000   Frm 00119   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\06SEN1.SGM   06SEN1


                                                                             Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 171 / Wednesday, September 6, 2017 / Notices                                                   42175

                                                    vast majority of these 300 firms use                    EBS SROs stated that the submission of                gaps as a result of such exemptions.
                                                    third parties to fulfill their reporting                data to the CAT by Small Industry                     These SROs believed that such a
                                                    obligations, and many of these third                    Members a year earlier than is required               function would be costly to create and
                                                    parties will begin reporting to CAT in                  in the CAT NMS Plan, at the same time                 would give rise to a greater likelihood
                                                    November 2018. Consequently, FINRA                      as the other Industry Members, would                  of data errors or other issues. These
                                                    believes that the burden on current                     expedite the replacement of EBS data                  SROs stated that, given the limited time
                                                    OATS reporters that are Small Industry                  with CAT Data because CAT would then                  in which such exemptions would be
                                                    Members would not be significant if                     have all necessary data from Industry                 necessary, they did not believe that such
                                                    those firms are required to report to                   Members to enable these SROs to                       exemptions would be an appropriate
                                                    CAT beginning in November 2018 rather                   perform the regulatory surveillance that              use of limited resources. Some of the
                                                    than November 2019. FINRA does not                      currently is performed via EBS.86                     SROs also noted that, if an amendment
                                                    believe that it is necessary or                         C. Individual Industry Member                         to require Small Industry Members who
                                                    appropriate to accelerate CAT reporting                 Exemptions                                            currently report to OATS to begin
                                                    for Small Industry Members that are not                                                                       reporting to CAT in November of 2018
                                                    currently reporting to OATS.82                             As noted above, the CAT NMS Plan                   were approved by the Commission,
                                                       The Systems Retirement Proposals of                  also requires the SROs, in their Systems              there would be no need to exempt
                                                    BX, IEX, NYSE, NYSE Arca, NYSE                          Retirement Proposals, to address                      members from OATS requirements on a
                                                    MKT, NASDAQ, and Phlx contain the                       ‘‘whether individual Industry Members                 firm-by-firm basis.90
                                                    same analysis as FINRA (or summarize                    can be exempted from reporting to
                                                                                                            duplicative systems once their CAT                       FINRA argued that the primary
                                                    FINRA’s analysis) in connection with                                                                          beneficiary of its proposed approach
                                                    whether the earlier availability of data                reporting meets specified accuracy and
                                                                                                            reliability standards, including, but not             would be the investing public.91 FINRA
                                                    from Small Industry Members would                                                                             noted that firm-by-firm retirement of
                                                    facilitate the retirement of their own                  limited to, ways in which establishing
                                                                                                            cross-system regulatory functionality or              OATS would require merging OATS
                                                    respective OATS rules, and these                                                                              and CAT data, and that such an
                                                    Exchanges expressed support for the                     integrating data from existing systems
                                                                                                            and the CAT would facilitate such                     approach would be ‘‘technologically
                                                    Plan amendment described by FINRA.83                                                                          costly and difficult and could introduce
                                                       Some of the Systems Retirement                       Individual Industry Member
                                                                                                            exemptions.’’ 87                                      errors into the data being surveilled that
                                                    Filings also discussed how earlier                                                                            did not exist prior to integration.’’ 92
                                                    availability of data from Small Industry                   All of the SROs stated (or reiterated
                                                                                                            FINRA’s statement) that a single ‘‘cut-               FINRA further stated that conducting its
                                                    Members might affect the retirement of                                                                        surveillance using a single source
                                                    systems other than OATS. The COATS                      over’’ from existing systems to CAT is
                                                                                                            preferable to elimination of OATS                     ‘‘increases the efficiency and
                                                    SROs expressed the view that COATS                                                                            effectiveness of the process and
                                                                                                            reporting requirements on a firm-by-
                                                    should not be retired until all                                                                               improves the integrity of the
                                                                                                            firm basis.88 Some of the SROs stated
                                                    Participants and Industry Members that                                                                        markets.’’ 93 FINRA noted that the
                                                    report data to COATS are reporting                      that providing individual exemptions to
                                                                                                            Industry Members would be inefficient,                potential costs of this approach would
                                                    comparable data to the CAT.84 They                                                                            be borne by those firms that would have
                                                                                                            more costly, and less reliable than the
                                                    noted that, while the early submission                                                                        met an individual threshold sooner and
                                                                                                            single cut-over.89 These SROs further
                                                    of options data to the CAT by Small                                                                           that the approach could disincentivize
                                                    Industry Members could expedite the                     stated that providing individual
                                                                                                            exemptions would require the                          individual firms from meeting the
                                                    retirement of COATS, they believe it                                                                          minimum error rate thresholds, which
                                                    premature to consider such a change,                    temporary creation of a cross-system
                                                                                                            regulatory function and the integration               could, at the margin, extend the period
                                                    and that additional analysis would be                                                                         of duplicative reporting for all firms.94
                                                    necessary to determine whether such                     of data from existing systems and the
                                                                                                            CAT to avoid creating any regulatory                  However, FINRA noted this disincentive
                                                    early reporting by Small Industry                                                                             would be small for firms with
                                                    Members would be feasible. Some of the                                                                        significant reporting burdens, as they
                                                                                                            and PEARL Rule 606, which require certain account
                                                    EBS SROs made statements similar to                     and order information to be reported. See MIAX        would want to end duplicative reporting
                                                    the COATS SROs with respect to                          Notice, 82 FR at 25368; PEARL Notice at 25437–38.     quickly, and that firms that otherwise
                                                    whether earlier availability of data from                  86 See BX Notice, 82 FR at 25876; ISE Notice, 82
                                                                                                                                                                  delay in meeting their error rates could
                                                    Small Industry Members would                            FR at 25470; NASDAQ Notice, 82 FR at 25824; Phlx
                                                                                                            Notice, 82 FR at 25867.                               incur higher costs through enforcement
                                                    facilitate EBS retirement,85 while other                   87 CAT NMS Plan, Appendix C, Section C.9.          actions.95
                                                                                                               88 See Bats BZX Notice, 82 FR at 25376; Bats
                                                    fewer than 100 reports during the month, with four      EDGX Notice, 82 FR at 25360; BOX Notice, 82 FR        III. Summary of Comments
                                                    firms submitting fewer than 50).                        at 25493; BX Notice, 82 FR at 25875–77; C2 Notice,
                                                       82 See id.
                                                                                                            82 FR at 25387; CBOE Notice, 82 FR at 25431–32;         The Commission received four
                                                       83 See BX Notice, 82 FR at 25874–75; IEX Notice,
                                                                                                            FINRA Notice, 82 FR at 25425; IEX Notice, 82 FR       comments that were submitted to File
                                                    82 FR at 25402; NYSE Notice, 82 FR at 25636;            at 25402; ISE Notice, 82 FR at 25470; MIAX Notice,    Number SR–FINRA–2017–13.96 Two of
                                                    NYSE Arca Notice 1, 82 FR at 25364; NYSE MKT            82 FR at 25368; NYSE Notice, 82 FR at 25637;
                                                    Notice 2, 82 FR at 25441; NASDAQ Notice, 82 FR          NYSE Arca Notice 1, 82 FR at 25364; NYSE Arca
                                                                                                                                                                  the commenters noted that their
                                                    at 25822–23; Phlx Notice, 82 FR at 25866. See also      Notice 2, 82 FR at 25640; NYSE MKT Notice 1, 82       comments applied to the similar
                                                    FINRA Notice, 82 FR at 25427–28.                        FR at 25445; NYSE MKT Notice 2, 82 FR at 25441;
                                                       84 See Bats BZX Notice, 82 FR at 25375–76; Bats      NASDAQ Notice, 82 FR at 25823–25; PEARL                  90 See BX Notice, 82 FR at 25875; FINRA Notice,
asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES




                                                    EDGX Notice, 82 FR at 25360; BOX Notice, 82 FR          Notice, 82 FR at 25438; Phlx Notice, 82 FR at         82 FR at 25426; NYSE Notice, 82 FR at 25637;
                                                    at 25493; BX Notice, 82 FR at 25877; C2 Notice at,      25866–68.                                             NYSE Arca Notice 1, 82 FR at 25364; NYSE MKT
                                                    82 FR at 25387; CBOE Notice, 82 FR at 25431;               89 See Bats BZX Notice, 82 FR at 25376; Bats
                                                                                                                                                                  Notice 2, 82 FR at 25441; NASDAQ Notice, 82 FR
                                                    NYSE Arca Notice 2, 82 FR at 25640; NYSE MKT            EDGX Notice, 82 FR at 25360; BOX Notice, 82 FR        at 25823; Phlx Notice, 82 FR at 25866.
                                                    Notice 1, 82 FR at 25444; NASDAQ Notice, 82 FR          at 25493; BX Notice, 82 FR at 25876–77; C2 Notice,       91 See FINRA Notice, 82 FR at 25427.
                                                    at 25825; Phlx Notice, 82 FR at 25868.                  82 FR at 25387; CBOE Notice, 82 FR at 25431–32;          92 Id.
                                                       85 See MIAX Notice, 82 FR at 25368; PEARL            ISE Notice, 82 FR at 25470; MIAX Notice, 82 FR at        93 Id.
                                                    Notice at 25437–38. MIAX and PEARL also make            25368; NYSE Arca Notice 2, 82 FR at 25640; NYSE
                                                                                                                                                                     94 See id.
                                                    similar statements with respect to whether earlier      MKT Notice 1, 82 FR at 25445; NASDAQ Notice,
                                                                                                                                                                     95 See id.
                                                    availability of data from Small Industry Members        82 FR at 25824–25; PEARL Notice, 82 FR at 25438;
                                                    would facilitate the retirement of MIAX Rule 607        Phlx Notice, 82 FR at 25867–68.                          96 See supra note 11.




                                               VerDate Sep<11>2014   17:37 Sep 05, 2017   Jkt 241001   PO 00000   Frm 00120   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\06SEN1.SGM   06SEN1


                                                    42176                          Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 171 / Wednesday, September 6, 2017 / Notices

                                                    proposals made by the other SROs.97                          $725,615 and argued that the benefits of                  B. Assessment Criteria
                                                    While the commenters supported                               individual Industry Member exemptions                        All four of the commenters generally
                                                    certain aspects of the Systems                               outweigh the ‘‘generalized and                            maintained that only data required by
                                                    Retirement Proposals, there were                             unsubstantiated justifications against                    OATS or EBS rules today should be
                                                    others—noted below—where the                                 such an approach’’ outlined by the                        included in the accuracy and reliability
                                                    commenters did not agree and believed                        SROs.103                                                  metrics for system retirement, and that
                                                    that the SROs had not provided                                  One commenter stated that FINRA has                    CAT data elements or other aspects of
                                                    adequate justification.                                                                                                CAT that are not required by existing
                                                                                                                 not provided sufficient technological
                                                    A. Possibility of Firm-by-Firm                               rationale to explain its opposition to                    systems should be outside the scope for
                                                    Retirement                                                   individual firm exemptions, and                           assessment.110 One commenter argued,
                                                                                                                 disagreed with FINRA’s conclusion that                    for example, that CAT error rates related
                                                      All four of the commenters disagreed
                                                                                                                 the technology to merge OATS and CAT                      to customer information and options
                                                    with the SROs’ proposed approach of
                                                                                                                 would be costly and could introduce                       activity should not have any bearing on
                                                    applying a single cut-over from existing
                                                                                                                 errors.104 The commenter argued that                      the retirement of OATS, as FINRA does
                                                    systems to CAT. Two of the commenters
                                                                                                                 there are ‘‘multiple possible approaches                  not rely on OATS for that
                                                    argued that individual firms that
                                                                                                                 that could be used to integrate CAT and                   information.111 Another commenter
                                                    achieve the quality criteria—even if the
                                                                                                                 OATS data allowing FINRA to                               posed a number of clarifying questions
                                                    industry as a whole has not—should be
                                                                                                                 effectively surveil the market, especially                regarding the standards, including
                                                    granted exemptions from reporting to
                                                                                                                 if FINRA and the Plan Processor work                      whether the proposed accuracy and
                                                    existing systems until those systems can
                                                                                                                 jointly on a cooperative solution.’’ 105 In               reliability metrics apply to Participants
                                                    be retired. In the commenters’ view, the
                                                                                                                 addition, the commenter noted that,                       as well as Industry Members, whether
                                                    SROs’ proposed approach would
                                                                                                                 because the EBS retirement plan                           the proposed accuracy and reliability
                                                    penalize firms that quickly and
                                                                                                                 proposes to extract any data available in                 metrics for the OATS retirement plan
                                                    consistently meet or exceed quality
                                                                                                                 CAT before requesting historical data or                  apply only to equities data, whether
                                                    standards for CAT reporting.98 A third
                                                                                                                                                                           customer and account information
                                                    commenter argued that the single cut-                        data for asset classes not covered by
                                                                                                                                                                           accuracy standards are excluded from
                                                    over approach provides little incentive                      CAT, the SROs can effectively merge
                                                                                                                                                                           the OATS retirement plan, whether the
                                                    for an individual firm to reduce its error                   CAT data and existing EBS data to meet
                                                                                                                                                                           inter-firm linkage quality metric is
                                                    rate, because the retirement of OATS                         their surveillance obligations.106
                                                                                                                                                                           calculated as an aggregate measurement
                                                    will be based on an industry-wide error                      Similarly, another commenter noted
                                                                                                                                                                           across all Industry Members, and
                                                    rate that is beyond its control.99                           that the Participants have committed to
                                                      Two commenters took the view that                                                                                    whether the 2% post-correction error
                                                                                                                 include the relevant fields required for                  rate is an average error rate over the
                                                    FINRA had not provided sufficient cost/                      the decommissioning of OATS in the
                                                    benefit analysis to justify its position                                                                               period calculated as the number of
                                                                                                                 initial phase of CAT and recommended                      erroneous records, as measured on T+5
                                                    and emphasized the significant costs of                      that FINRA utilize data from CAT to
                                                    duplicative reporting to broker-                                                                                       divided by the total number of records
                                                                                                                 obtain what it would otherwise receive                    received.112 This commenter also
                                                    dealers.100 One of these commenters                          from OATS.107
                                                    noted that broker-dealers who do not                                                                                   recommended that FINRA consider that
                                                                                                                    Another commenter recommended                          the average pre-correction error rate
                                                    outsource their regulatory reporting
                                                                                                                 that the SROs include a cost-benefit                      across the five categories (i.e., rejection
                                                    (approximately 126 firms) spend on
                                                                                                                 analysis of a ‘‘CAT-to-OATS converter’’                   rates, intra-firm linkages, inter-firm
                                                    average $725,615 per month on their
                                                                                                                 that would allow firms that meet the                      linkages, order linkage rates, exchange
                                                    regulatory reporting obligations (which
                                                    include OATS, EBS, large trader                              error rates to cease sending data to                      and TRF/ORF match rates) must achieve
                                                    reporting, and other reporting).101 This                     OATS directly.108 Instead, the Plan                       5%, but no single category could exceed
                                                    commenter estimated that duplicative                         Processor would convert the CAT                           7% for the pre-correction error rate.113
                                                    OATS and EBS reporting for these 126                         reports of the firm into an OATS-eligible                 This commenter further recommended
                                                    broker-dealer firms would cost more                          format and report that firm’s audit trail                 that corrections should be calculated
                                                    than $20 million per month and stated                        information to OATS. The commenter                        under CAT in the same timeframes as
                                                    that this approach would severely                            believed that this approach is                            under existing audit trail systems (i.e.,
                                                    penalize broker-dealer firms that rapidly                    technically possible based on comments                    T+6 for OATS and T+10 for EBS rather
                                                    and consistently met reporting                               made by the Plan Processor, and ‘‘that                    than T+5, as proposed).114
                                                    standards.102 Another commenter cited                        CAT Industry Member Specifications                           Three commenters raised concerns
                                                    the same average monthly cost of                             could incorporate this concept.’’ 109                     about the broader, qualitative factors
                                                                                                                                                                           proposed by the SROs—that during the
                                                         97 See   FIF Letter at 1; Thomson Reuters Letter at
                                                                                                                   103 SIFMA     Letter at 3–4.                            180-day evaluation period material
                                                    1.                                                             104 See   FIF Letter at 3.                              issues are not revealed, that the CAT
                                                       98 See FIF Letter at 3; SIFMA Letter at 3–4 (noting          105 Id. (also stating that the Plan Processor could,
                                                                                                                                                                           includes all data necessary to allow
                                                    that the inaccurate reporting of the ‘‘slowest’’             for example, route all CAT reports and errors             FINRA to continue to meet its
                                                    broker-dealers, in the absence of individual firm            corrections from exempted firms to FINRA for
                                                    exemptions, could force the whole industry to                conversion and input into OATS, and that more             surveillance obligations, and that the
                                                    engage in duplicative reporting for an extended              sophisticated data merge solutions are possible with
                                                    period).                                                     a reasonable investment by FINRA and the Plan                110 See FIF Letter at 4; SIFMA Letter at 2;
asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES




                                                       99 See Fidelity Letter at 4. This commenter also          Processor).                                               Thomson Reuters Letter at 2–3; Fidelity Letter at 3.
                                                    suggested that FINRA could ‘‘consider migrating                 106 See id. at 4.                                         111 See SIFMA Letter at 2. See also Fidelity Letter

                                                    firms in tranches, or phases, based on priority of              107 See SIFMA Letter at 3–4 (‘‘once a broker-          at 3.
                                                    those firms that first met the proposed error rates’’        dealer meets accuracy thresholds in CAT, and the             112 See FIF Letter at 4–5.
                                                    if FINRA does not agree that a firm-by-firm                  surveillance logic is recreated with the Central             113 See id. Similarly, the commenter
                                                    transition is appropriate. Id.                               Repository, FINRA should utilize a subset of data         recommended that ‘‘the average post-correction
                                                       100 See FIF Letter at 3; Thomson Reuters Letter at        from the CAT, and format it so that it effectively        error rate across the five categories must achieve
                                                    3.                                                           mimics what it would have received from OATS’’).          2% but no single category could exceed a 3% post-
                                                       101 See FIF Letter at 3.                                     108 See Thomson Reuters Letter at 3.                   correction error rate.’’ Id. at 5.
                                                       102 See id.                                                  109 Id.                                                   114 See id.




                                               VerDate Sep<11>2014        17:37 Sep 05, 2017   Jkt 241001   PO 00000   Frm 00121   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\06SEN1.SGM      06SEN1


                                                                              Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 171 / Wednesday, September 6, 2017 / Notices                                                      42177

                                                    Plan Processor is sufficiently meeting all              allows its reporting systems to serve as                 requirements.129 One commenter stated
                                                    of its obligations under the Plan.115 Two               many existing regulatory requirements                    that ‘‘this will enable a more complete
                                                    commenters suggested that the Systems                   and accompanying surveillance                            set of transactions in the CAT audit trail
                                                    Retirement Proposals should require                     programs as possible.’’ 123                              and allow CAT to replace EBS as a more
                                                    these conditions to be met before CAT                                                                            complete reporting source for this
                                                                                                            D. Additional Plan Amendments
                                                    goes live and acknowledge that                                                                                   data.’’ 130 Similarly, another commenter
                                                    evaluation of all of these issues will                     All of the commenters supported                       noted that prime broker transactions are
                                                    begin with CAT Participant reporting.116                requiring reporting for current OATS                     missing from the CAT NMS Plan, which
                                                    Another commenter opined that these                     reporters 24 months after the CAT                        ‘‘may prevent the regulators from
                                                    additional standards do not provide                     effective date. Of those, two commenters                 utilizing CAT data as envisioned.’’ 131
                                                    enough clarity regarding when FINRA                     supported the proposal to amend the
                                                                                                            CAT NMS Plan to accelerate CAT                           IV. Proceedings To Determine Whether
                                                    will retire OATS and provide too much
                                                                                                            reporting for Small Industry Members                     To Approve or Disapprove the Systems
                                                    discretion to FINRA.117
                                                                                                            who currently report to OATS from 36                     Retirement Proposals, as Modified by
                                                    C. Assessment Length and Other                          to 24 months after the CAT Effective                     Amendments Thereto
                                                    Considerations Relating to the                          Date.124 Two other commenters instead                       The Commission hereby institutes
                                                    Assessment Period                                       recommended that all current OATS                        proceedings pursuant to Section 19(b)(2)
                                                       One commenter recommended that                       reporters—regardless of size—should                      of the Act 132 to determine whether the
                                                    the SROs should consider shortening                     begin reporting to CAT in November of                    Systems Retirement Proposals of Bats
                                                    the trial period if all criteria have been              2018 and all non-OATS reporters                          BZX, Bats EDGX, BOX, BX, C2, CBOE,
                                                    met before the 180th day.118 This                       should be allowed to begin reporting to                  FINRA, IEX, ISE, MIAX, NASDAQ,
                                                    commenter also recommended that the                     CAT in November of 2019.125 One of                       PEARL, NYSE, NYSE Arca, NYSE MKT,
                                                    180-day trial period be a ‘‘rolling                     these commenters noted that many large                   and Phlx, as modified by their
                                                    metric’’—i.e., if the industry does not                 broker-dealers do not report to OATS                     respective amendments, should be
                                                    meet the quality criteria by the end of                 and argued that ‘‘requiring such firms to                approved or disapproved. Further,
                                                    the first 180 days, the most recent 180                 implement the systems and reporting                      pursuant to Section 19(b)(2)(B) of the
                                                    days should be recalculated each day                    mechanisms for the CAT on a shortened                    Act,133 the Commission is hereby
                                                    thereafter.119 The same commenter                       timeframe simply due to their                            providing notice of the grounds for
                                                    urged FINRA to ‘‘take a daily accounting                designation as a ‘Large Industry                         disapproval under consideration. The
                                                    of the measurements’’ and to                            Member’ may result in significant                        Commission believes that it is
                                                    ‘‘communicate both the aggregate                        technological and operational                            appropriate to institute proceedings at
                                                    measurements and the individual                         challenges.’’ 126 Accordingly, the                       this time in view of the legal and policy
                                                    Industry Member measurements so that                    commenter urged some mechanism to                        issues raised by the proposals.
                                                    all parties are regularly updated’’                     allow such Large Industry Members to                     Institution of proceedings does not
                                                    regarding the status of the various error               begin reporting 36 rather than 24                        indicate, however, that the Commission
                                                    rates and can make necessary                            months after the CAT Effective Date.127                  has reached any conclusions with
                                                    corrections.120                                         The other commenter noted that, if the                   respect to any of the issues involved.
                                                       Two commenters argued that the early                 first phase of Industry Member reporting                    In particular, the Commission is
                                                    phases of CAT compliance should be                      were limited to current OATS reporting                   instituting proceedings to allow for
                                                    viewed as a ‘‘trial period’’ and that there             firms, FINRA would still have all of the                 additional analysis for consistency with:
                                                    should be no CAT penalties or                           data that it currently has from OATS                     (1) Section 6(b)(5) of the Act,134 with
                                                    regulatory inquiries associated with                    today.128                                                respect to the Exchanges’ Systems
                                                    CAT reporting before the end of the trial                                                                        Retirement Proposals, and Section
                                                                                                            E. Other Comments                                        15A(b)(6) of the Act,135 with respect to
                                                    period.121 One of these commenters
                                                    suggested ‘‘that CAT not go-live until                    Three commenters requested that the                    FINRA’s Systems Retirement Proposal,
                                                    the 95% uncorrected and 98% post-                       CAT NMS Plan be clarified to specify                     both of which sections require, among
                                                    correction thresholds have been met for                 that prime broker transactions are                       other things, that the rules of a national
                                                    two weeks during the testing                            included in the CAT reporting                            securities exchange or registered
                                                    period.’’ 122 Similarly, another                                                                                 securities association be designed ‘‘to
                                                    commenter stated that the SROs                            123 SIFMA   Letter at 2.                               prevent fraudulent and manipulative
                                                    ‘‘should establish a test period to gather
                                                                                                              124 See  FIF Letter at 2; Thomson Reuters Letter at    acts and practices, to promote just and
                                                                                                            2 (commending the SROs for ‘‘their willingness to        equitable principles of trade, . . . to
                                                    information prior to production                         move all OATS reporters to the same timeline’’).
                                                    reporting’’ to ‘‘enable CAT to go into                  One of these commenters noted that accelerating
                                                                                                                                                                     remove impediments to and perfect the
                                                    production at a confidence level that                   the compliance date might ‘‘place additional
                                                                                                            burden on the Small Industry Members who are               129 See FIF Letter at 5; SIFMA Letter at 4;

                                                      115 See
                                                                                                            OATS reporters, even for those members that will         Thomson Reuters Letter at 4.
                                                                Fidelity Letter at 2–3; FIF Letter at 5;    likely use third party providers for their CAT             130 FIF Letter at 5.
                                                    Thomson Reuters Letter at 4–5.                          reporting obligations, because these reporters             131 SIFMA Letter at 4.
                                                       116 See FIF Letter at 5; Thomson Reuters Letter at
                                                                                                            ultimately bear supervisory responsibility for the         132 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).
                                                    4–5.                                                    OATS and CAT regulatory reporting.’’ FIF Letter at         133 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2)(B). Section 19(b)(2)(B) of
                                                       117 See Fidelity Letter at 2–3.
                                                                                                            2. The commenter concluded, however, that ‘‘the          the Act also provides that proceedings to determine
                                                       118 See FIF Letter at 2.                             economic trade-off of a significantly earlier date for
asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES




                                                                                                                                                                     whether to disapprove a proposed rule change must
                                                       119 See id.                                          OATS retirement for the entire industry’’ justifies      be concluded within 180 days of the date of
                                                       120 Id. at 2. See also Thomson Reuters Letter at     the proposal. Id.                                        publication of notice of the filing of the proposed
                                                                                                               125 See SIFMA Letter at 2–3; Fidelity Letter at 3.
                                                    2 (noting that these daily metrics should be issued                                                              rule change. See id. The time for conclusion of the
                                                    during the planned testing phase that begins no            126 SIFMA Letter at 2. See also Fidelity Letter at
                                                                                                                                                                     proceedings may be extended for up to 60 days if
                                                    later than three months before CAT reporting and        3 (arguing that phasing in CAT reporting based on        the Commission finds good cause for such
                                                    that the actual date of OATS and EBS retirement         current OATS-reporting status would give non-            extension and publishes its reasons for so finding,
                                                    will remain uncertain without access to these           OATS reporting firms additional time to comply           or if the exchange consents to the longer period. See
                                                    metrics).                                               with CAT requirements).                                  id.
                                                       121 See FIF Letter at 2; Thomson Reuters at 2.          127 See SIFMA Letter at 2–3.                            134 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
                                                       122 Thomson Reuters Letter at 2–3.                      128 See Fidelity Letter at 3.                           135 15 U.S.C. 78o–3(b)(6).




                                               VerDate Sep<11>2014   17:37 Sep 05, 2017   Jkt 241001   PO 00000   Frm 00122   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\06SEN1.SGM     06SEN1


                                                    42178                    Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 171 / Wednesday, September 6, 2017 / Notices

                                                    mechanism of a free and open market                     could be exempted from reporting to                   However, commenters disagreed with
                                                    and a national market system, and, in                   duplicative systems once their CAT                    this aspect of the SROs’ proposals, and
                                                    general, to protect investors and the                   reporting meets specified accuracy and                questioned whether FINRA had
                                                    public interest;’’ and (2) Section 6(b)(8)              reliability standards.143 Accordingly,                adequately analyzed the costs and
                                                    of the Act,136 with respect to the                      the SROs filed the Systems Retirement                 benefits of allowing firms to discontinue
                                                    Exchanges’ Systems Retirement                           Proposals to indicate which duplicative               OATS reporting on an individual basis.
                                                    Proposals, and Section 15A(b)(9) of the                 rules and systems would be eliminated                 Commenters also noted the high costs of
                                                    Act,137 with respect to FINRA’s Systems                 once CAT is sufficiently accurate and                 duplicative reporting. Accordingly, the
                                                    Retirement Proposal, both of which                      reliable and to explain how they intend               Commission is considering whether the
                                                    sections require that the rules of a                    to assess CAT’s accuracy and reliability.             Systems Retirement Proposals impose
                                                    national securities exchange or                         The Commission is therefore                           any burden on competition not
                                                    registered securities association ‘‘not                 considering whether the Systems                       necessary or appropriate in furtherance
                                                    impose any burden on competition not                    Retirement Proposals are consistent                   of the purposes of the Act, including the
                                                    necessary or appropriate in furtherance                 with the SROs’ regulatory obligations                 potential competitive burdens that may
                                                    of the purposes of [the Act].’’                         under Rule 608(c), Rule 613, and the                  be created by an extended period of
                                                       In addition, the Commission is                       Plan, and are otherwise consistent                    duplicative reporting for certain firms.
                                                    instituting proceedings to allow for                    Section 11A of the Act and the rules and                As discussed in more detail above, the
                                                    additional analysis of whether the                      regulations thereunder.                               SROs also proposed certain accuracy
                                                    Systems Retirement Proposals are                           As noted above, the CAT NMS Plan                   and reliability standards that CAT Data
                                                    consistent with Section 11A of the                      required the SROs’ proposals to retire                must meet before existing systems can
                                                    Act 138 and Rules 608(c) and 613 of                     duplicative audit trail systems to                    be retired. These standards include both
                                                    Regulation NMS thereunder.139 Section                   consider whether ‘‘individual Industry                quantitative and qualitative metrics.
                                                    11A of the Act directs the Commission,                  Members can be exempted from                          Commenters raised questions about the
                                                    with due regard for the public interest,                reporting to duplicative systems once                 scope of these metrics, in particular data
                                                    the protection of investors, and the                    their CAT reporting meets specified                   elements and functionalities that were
                                                    maintenance of fair and orderly markets,                accuracy and reliability standards,                   not included in current audit trail
                                                    to use its authority to facilitate the                  including, but not limited to, ways in                systems, and asked for clarification
                                                    establishment of a national market                      which establishing cross-system                       regarding a number of metrics. In
                                                    system for securities, including by                     regulatory functionality or integrating               addition, several commenters raised
                                                    authorizing or requiring SROs to act                    data from existing systems and the CAT                concerns about the broader, qualitative
                                                    jointly to plan, develop, operate, or                   would facilitate such Individual                      factors proposed by the SROs.
                                                    regulate a national market system. Rule                 Industry Member exemptions.’’ 144 In                  Accordingly, the Commission is
                                                    608(c) requires each SRO to comply                      addition, in the CAT Approval Order,                  considering the accuracy and reliability
                                                    with the terms of any effective NMS                     the Commission noted ‘‘that FINRA is                  standards set forth in the Systems
                                                    plan of which it is a sponsor or                        considering whether it can integrate                  Retirement Proposals.
                                                    participant. Rule 613 requires the CAT                  CAT Data with OATS data in such a                       In addition, the Commission is
                                                    NMS Plan to include a ‘‘plan to                         way that ‘ensures no interruption in                  considering whether the Systems
                                                    eliminate existing rules and systems                    FINRA’s surveillance capabilities,’ and               Retirement Proposals are designed to
                                                    . . . that will be rendered duplicative                 that FINRA will consider ‘exempting                   prevent fraudulent and manipulative
                                                    by the consolidated audit trail.’’ 140 The              firms from the OATS Rules provided                    acts and practices and, in particular,
                                                    Plan, in turn, required the SROs to file                they report data to the Central                       whether the Systems Retirement
                                                    proposed rule changes, within six                       Repository pursuant to the CAT NMS                    Proposals would help to ensure that the
                                                    months of the Commission’s approval of                  Plan and any implementing rules.’ ’’ 145              SROs can effectively conduct their
                                                    the Plan, to eliminate or modify their                  The Commission also ‘‘encourage[d] the                surveillance and oversight functions.
                                                    duplicative rules.141 The Plan further                  other Participants to consider similar                The Commission is also considering
                                                    stated that the rule change proposals to                measures to exempt firms from                         whether the Systems Retirement
                                                    eliminate or modify duplicative rules                   reporting to existing systems once they               Proposals remove impediments to and
                                                    and systems should be ‘‘effective at such               are accurately reporting comparable                   perfect the mechanism of a free and
                                                    time as CAT Data meets minimum                          data to the CAT and to enable the usage               open market and a national market
                                                    standards of accuracy and                               of CAT Data to conduct their regulatory               system and whether they adequately
                                                    reliability.’’ 142 As discussed above, the              activities.’’ 146 As described above, the             balance the duplicative reporting costs
                                                    Plan also requires these proposals to                   SROs considered individual firm                       incurred by broker-dealers and the risks
                                                    discuss the specific accuracy and                       exemptions but believe that a single cut-             to effective surveillance and oversight,
                                                    reliability standards that would                        over from existing systems to CAT is                  which may impact investor protection.
                                                    determine when duplicative systems                      preferable to a firm-by-firm approach.
                                                                                                            Several of the SROs assert that                       V. Commission’s Solicitation of
                                                    would be retired, whether the
                                                                                                            providing firm-by-firm exemptions                     Comments
                                                    availability of certain data from Small
                                                    Industry Members in November 2018                       would be inefficient, more costly, and                  The Commission requests that
                                                    would facilitate a more expeditious                     less reliable than the single cut-over.147            interested persons provide written
                                                    retirement of duplicative systems, and                                                                        submissions of their views, data, and
asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES




                                                    whether individual Industry Members                       143 See  id.                                        arguments with respect to the issues
                                                                                                              144 See  CAT NMS Plan, Appendix C, Section C.9.     identified above, as well as any other
                                                                                                               145 CAT Approval Order, 81 FR at 84771.
                                                      136 15  U.S.C. 78f(b)(8).                                                                                   concerns that they may have with any
                                                                                                               146 Id.
                                                      137 15  U.S.C. 78o–3(b)(9).                              147 See Bats BZX Notice, 82 FR at 25376; Bats
                                                                                                                                                                  of the Systems Retirement Proposals. In
                                                      138 15 U.S.C. 78k–1.
                                                                                                            EDGX Notice, 82 FR at 25360; BOX Notice, 82 FR        particular, the Commission invites the
                                                      139 17 CFR 242.608(c) and 242.613.
                                                                                                            at 25493; BX Notice, 82 FR at 25876–77; C2 Notice,
                                                      140 17 CFR 242.613(a)(9).
                                                                                                            82 FR at 25387; CBOE Notice, 82 FR at 25431–32;       MKT Notice 1, 82 FR at 25445; NASDAQ Notice,
                                                      141 See CAT NMS Plan, Appendix C, Section C.9.
                                                                                                            ISE Notice, 82 FR at 25470; MIAX Notice, 82 FR at     82 FR at 25824–25; PEARL Notice, 82 FR at 25438;
                                                      142 Id.                                               25368; NYSE Arca Notice 2, 82 FR at 25640; NYSE       Phlx Notice, 82 FR at 25867–68.



                                               VerDate Sep<11>2014   17:37 Sep 05, 2017   Jkt 241001   PO 00000   Frm 00123   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\06SEN1.SGM   06SEN1


                                                                              Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 171 / Wednesday, September 6, 2017 / Notices                                                 42179

                                                    written views of interested persons                     please provide specific data, analyses,               possible, please provide specific data,
                                                    concerning whether the Systems                          or studies for support for your answer.               analyses, or studies for support.
                                                    Retirement Proposals, as modified by                       3. Are there any entities that would be               8. How long do you believe it will
                                                    the amendments thereto, are consistent                  capable of constructing a converter?                  take before CAT reaches the accuracy
                                                    with Sections 6(b)(5), 6(b)(8), 15A(b)(6),              Please explain who they are and why                   and reliability thresholds proposed by
                                                    15A(b)(9), or any other provision of the                you believe they have the ability to                  the SROs before retiring OATS and
                                                    Act, and the rules and regulations                      construct a converter. To the extent                  other systems for all firms? Also, how
                                                    thereunder. Although there do not                       possible, please provide specific data,               long do you think it would take to make
                                                    appear to be any issues relevant to                     analyses, or studies for support for your             an effective converter available and how
                                                    approval or disapproval that would be                   answer.                                               long would the converter be used for
                                                    facilitated by an oral presentation of                     4. If the costs of the converter would             those firms who individually have met
                                                    views, data, and arguments, the                         be passed on to Industry Members,                     the thresholds while CAT overall has
                                                    Commission will consider, pursuant to                   would the benefits of a converter be                  not? Does the length of this period affect
                                                    Rule 19b–4, any request for an                          undermined? To the extent possible                    your cost/benefit analysis for the
                                                    opportunity to make an oral                             please provide specific data, analyses,               converter approach? If so, how?
                                                    presentation.148                                        or studies for support for your answer.                  9. Regarding the converter approach
                                                       Such comments should be submitted                       5. Please estimate, to the extent                  and firm-by-firm exemptions from
                                                    by September 27, 2017. Rebuttal                         possible, the percentage of Industry                  OATS reporting, what criteria should
                                                    comments should be submitted by                         Members’ CAT reports that would                       the OATS SROs consider for releasing a
                                                    October 11, 2017. The Commission asks                   qualify for an individual exemption                   firm from its OATS requirements? To
                                                    that commenters address the sufficiency                 from OATS reporting for each month                    the extent possible please provide
                                                    and merit of the SROs’ statements in                    after Industry Members begin reporting                specific data, analyses, or studies for
                                                    support of their respective Systems                     in November 2018. Do you believe that                 support. Would you still support a firm-
                                                    Retirement Proposals, in addition to any                the costs and/or benefits of a converter              by-firm approach if it also incorporated
                                                    other comments that commenters may                      would be affected by the number of                    an assessment of whether the Plan
                                                    wish to submit about any of the                         Industry Members that can be expected                 Processor is sufficiently meeting all of
                                                    proposed rule changes. The Commission                   to meet the threshold error rates for CAT             its obligations under the Plan?
                                                    also asks the SROs to respond to the                    reporting (weighted by their percentage                  10. Please describe any opportunity
                                                    issues raised in the four comment letters               of total CAT reports submitted by                     costs associated with the converter
                                                    received to date, including the                         OATS-reporting Industry Members)                      approach. For example, would the
                                                    commenters’ cost estimates. In addition,                before full OATS retirement, thus                     development of the converter and any
                                                    the Commission seeks comment,                           qualifying for an individual exemption                new processes and procedures at the
                                                    including, where relevant, any specific                 from OATS and to have their CAT                       SRO level to accommodate the converter
                                                    data, statistics, or studies, on the                    reports converted to OATS? To the                     divert resources that otherwise would
                                                    following:                                              extent possible, please provide specific              be devoted to CAT implementation? If
                                                       1. What would be the monetary costs                  data, analyses, or studies for support for            so, please describe the nature and extent
                                                    of constructing a CAT-to-OATS                           your answer.                                          of such effects.
                                                    ‘‘converter’’ or developing an alternative                                                                       11. Do you agree with the estimated
                                                                                                               6. Do you believe that the Systems                 costs of duplicative reporting described
                                                    mechanism for linking CAT Data to                       Retirement Proposals would result in
                                                    OATS that would provide continuity of                                                                         by two of the commenters? 149 Are there
                                                                                                            any burden on competition and, if so,
                                                    the OATS SROs’ surveillance                                                                                   any additional opportunity costs faced
                                                                                                            please analyze whether any such burden
                                                    capabilities? To the extent possible,                                                                         by Industry Members that would result
                                                                                                            would be necessary or appropriate in
                                                    please provide specific data, analyses,                                                                       from duplicative reporting? How would
                                                                                                            furtherance of the purposes of the Act.
                                                    or studies for support for your answer.                                                                       the length of the duplicative reporting
                                                                                                            If there are burdens, how would they
                                                       2. What technological challenges                                                                           period affect the opportunity costs? To
                                                                                                            compare to the burdens that would be
                                                    would have to be addressed to make a                                                                          the extent possible, please provide
                                                                                                            imposed by the converter approach? To
                                                    converter or other mechanism feasible?                                                                        specific data, analyses, or studies for
                                                                                                            the extent possible, please provide
                                                    When could work begin on a converter                                                                          support.
                                                                                                            specific data, analyses, or studies for                  12. Do you agree with the proposed
                                                    or alternative mechanism? For example,                  support of your answer.                               quantitative metrics for the pre- and
                                                    could work begin before technical                          7. What impact would a converter                   post-correction error rates that would
                                                    specifications for Industry Member                      have on the SROs’ ability to conduct                  have to be attained by CAT before the
                                                    reporting to CAT have been finalized?                   their surveillance and oversight?                     SROs would retire duplicative systems?
                                                    Could work begin before the Plan                        Specifically, do you believe that there               Do you agree with the proposed
                                                    Processor had begun accepting CAT                       are risks that a converter might not be               categories for the assessment? Why or
                                                    reports from Industry Members and                       able to successfully integrate CAT                    why not? Are these categories
                                                    making those reports available to                       reports into OATS? If so, what is the                 sufficiently clear? If you believe that
                                                    regulators? How long would it take to                   likelihood of failures and what would                 different thresholds or alternative areas
                                                    construct a converter or other                          be the magnitude of the costs resulting               for consideration would be more
                                                    mechanism? To the extent possible,                      from any such failures? What costs                    appropriate, please describe. What are
asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES




                                                                                                            might be incurred by SROs to detect and               the costs and benefits of the proposed
                                                       148 Section 19(b)(2) of the Act, as amended by the
                                                                                                            address any regulatory gaps created by                approach versus any alternative
                                                    Securities Act Amendments of 1975, Pub. L. 94–29
                                                    (June 4, 1975), grants the Commission flexibility to
                                                                                                            a converter? For example, would an                    approach that you would recommend?
                                                    determine what type of proceeding—either oral or        OATS SRO have to design additional                       13. Do you agree with the SROs’
                                                    notice and opportunity for written comments—is          surveillances to address that possibility?            proposed qualitative standards for
                                                    appropriate for consideration of a particular           If so, what sort of additional
                                                    proposal by a self-regulatory organization. See                                                               retirement of duplicative systems, i.e.,
                                                    Securities Act Amendments of 1975, Senate Comm.
                                                                                                            surveillances might be necessary and
                                                    on Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs, S. Rep. No.        how would you estimate the cost for an                  149 See   supra notes 101–103 and accompanying
                                                    75, 94th Cong., 1st Sess. 30 (1975).                    SRO to develop them? To the extent                    text.



                                               VerDate Sep<11>2014   17:37 Sep 05, 2017   Jkt 241001   PO 00000   Frm 00124   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\06SEN1.SGM   06SEN1


                                                    42180                    Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 171 / Wednesday, September 6, 2017 / Notices

                                                    that retirement could not be permitted                     All submissions should refer to any                  For the Commission, by the Division of
                                                    to occur until it is confirmed that (1)                 of: File Numbers SR–BatsBZX–2017–37,                  Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated
                                                    there are no material issues in CAT that                                                                      authority.150
                                                                                                            SR–BatsEDGX–2017–23, SR–BOX–
                                                    have not been corrected, (2) the CAT                    2017–17, SR–BX–2017–027, SR–C2–                       Eduardo A. Aleman,
                                                    includes all data necessary to allow the                2017–018, SR–CBOE–2017–041, SR–                       Assistant Secretary.
                                                    SROs to continue to meet their                          FINRA–2017–013, SR–IEX–2017–18,                       [FR Doc. 2017–18793 Filed 9–5–17; 8:45 am]
                                                    surveillance obligations, and (3) the                   SR–ISE–2017–46, SR–MIAX–2017–20,                      BILLING CODE 8011–01–P
                                                    Plan Processor is sufficiently meeting all              SR–NASDAQ–2017–055, SR–PEARL–
                                                    of its obligations under the CAT NMS                    2017–23, SR–NYSE–2017–23, SR–
                                                    Plan? Why or why not? What are the                                                                            SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
                                                                                                            NYSEArca–2017–57, SR–NYSEArca–                        COMMISSION
                                                    costs and benefits of the proposed                      2017–59, SR–NYSEMKT–2017–29, SR–
                                                    approach versus an alternative                          NYSEMKT–2017–30, or SR–Phlx–2017–
                                                    approach, which may include not                                                                               Proposed Collection; Comment
                                                                                                            43, as appropriate. The file number                   Request
                                                    having any additional qualitative
                                                                                                            should be included on the subject line
                                                    considerations?                                                                                               Upon Written Request, Copies Available
                                                                                                            if email is used. To help the
                                                       14. To what extent should the SROs                                                                          From: Securities and Exchange
                                                                                                            Commission process and review your
                                                    consider CAT performance regarding                                                                             Commission, Office of FOIA Services,
                                                    functions and data elements not present                 comments more efficiently, please use                  100 F Street NE., Washington, DC
                                                    within existing audit trail systems when                only one method. The Commission will                   20549–2736.
                                                    determining when to allow retirement of                 post all comments on the Commission’s
                                                                                                            Internet Web site (http://www.sec.gov/                Extension:
                                                    those existing systems? What are the                                                                            Form N–54C, SEC File No. 270–184, OMB
                                                    costs and benefits of the proposed                      rules/sro.shtml). Copies of the                           Control No. 3235–0236.
                                                    approach versus any alternative                         submission, all subsequent
                                                                                                            amendments, all written statements                       Notice is hereby given that, pursuant
                                                    approach that you would recommend?                                                                            to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
                                                    Do you believe that the Systems                         with respect to the proposed rule
                                                                                                            change that are filed with the                        (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), the Securities
                                                    Retirement Proposals will promote                                                                             and Exchange Commission (the
                                                    efficiency, competition, and capital                    Commission, and all written
                                                                                                                                                                  ‘‘Commission’’) is soliciting comments
                                                    formation? Please submit any data or                    communications relating to the
                                                                                                                                                                  on the collection of information
                                                    information that would assist the                       proposed rule change between the
                                                                                                                                                                  summarized below. The Commission
                                                    Commission in considering these issues.                 Commission and any person, other than                 plans to submit this existing collection
                                                       15. Do you agree with the length of                  those that may be withheld from the                   of information to the Office of
                                                    the assessment period proposed by the                   public in accordance with the                         Management and Budget for extension
                                                    SROs? Why or why not? If not, what                      provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be                   and approval.
                                                    alternative do you believe would be                     available for Web site viewing and                       Certain investment companies can
                                                    more appropriate and why? What are                      printing in the Commission’s Public                   elect to be regulated as business
                                                    the costs and benefits of the proposed                  Reference Room, 100 F Street NE.,                     development companies, as defined in
                                                    approach versus any alternative                         Washington, DC 20549, on official                     section 2(a)(48) of the Investment
                                                    approach that you would recommend?                      business days between the hours of                    Company Act of 1940 (‘‘Investment
                                                    To the extent possible, please provide                  10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Copies of the                Company Act’’), under sections 55
                                                    specific data, analyses, or studies for                 filing also will be available for                     through 65 of the Investment Company
                                                    support.                                                inspection and copying at the principal               Act. Under section 54(a) of the
                                                       Comments may be submitted by any                     office of the SRO. All comments                       Investment Company Act,1 any
                                                    of the following methods:                               received will be posted without change;               company defined in section 2(a)(48)(A)
                                                    Electronic Comments                                     the Commission does not edit personal                 and (B) of the Investment Company Act
                                                                                                            identifying information from                          may, if it meets certain enumerated
                                                      • Use the Commission’s Internet                       submissions. You should submit only                   eligibility requirements, elect to be
                                                    comment form (http://www.sec.gov/                       information that you wish to make                     subject to the provisions of Sections 55
                                                    rules/sro.shtml); or                                    available publicly.                                   through 65 of the Investment Company
                                                      • Send an email to rule-comments@                                                                           Act by filing with the Commission a
                                                    sec.gov. Please include any of File                        All submissions should refer to any of
                                                                                                                                                                  notification of election. Under section
                                                    Numbers SR–BatsBZX–2017–37, SR–                         File Numbers SR–BatsBZX–2017–37,
                                                                                                                                                                  54(c) of the Investment Company Act,2
                                                    BatsEDGX–2017–23, SR–BOX–2017–17,                       SR–BatsEDGX–2017–23, SR–BOX–
                                                                                                                                                                  any business development company
                                                    SR–BX–2017–027, SR–C2–2017–018,                         2017–17, SR–BX–2017–027, SR–C2–                       may voluntarily withdraw its election
                                                    SR–CBOE–2017–041, SR–FINRA–2017–                        2017–018, SR–CBOE–2017–041, SR–                       under section 54(a) of the Investment
                                                    013, SR–IEX–2017–18, SR–ISE–2017–                       FINRA–2017–013, SR–IEX–2017–18,                       Company Act by filing a notice of
                                                    46, SR–MIAX–2017–20, SR–NASDAQ–                         SR–ISE–2017–46, SR–MIAX–2017–20,                      withdrawal of election with the
                                                    2017–055, SR–PEARL–2017–23, SR–                         SR–NASDAQ–2017–055, SR–PEARL–                         Commission. The Commission has
                                                    NYSE–2017–23, SR–NYSEArca–2017–                         2017–23, SR–NYSE–2017–23, SR–                         adopted Form N–54C as the form for the
                                                    57, SR–NYSEArca–2017–59, SR–                            NYSEArca–2017–57, SR–NYSEArca–                        notification of withdrawal of election to
                                                                                                            2017–59, SR–NYSEMKT–2017–29, SR–
asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES




                                                    NYSEMKT–2017–29, SR–NYSEMKT–                                                                                  be subject to Sections 55 through 65 of
                                                    2017–30, or SR–Phlx–2017–43, as                         NYSEMKT–2017–30, or SR–Phlx–2017–                     the Investment Company Act. The
                                                    appropriate, on the subject line.                       43, as appropriate, and should be                     purpose of Form N–54C is to notify the
                                                                                                            submitted by September 27, 2017.                      Commission that the business
                                                    Paper Comments
                                                                                                            Rebuttal comments should be submitted                 development company withdraws its
                                                      • Send paper comments in triplicate                   by October 11, 2017.                                  election to be subject to Sections 55
                                                    to Secretary, Securities and Exchange
                                                    Commission, 100 F Street NE.,                             150 17 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12); 17 CFR 200.30–            1 15   U.S.C. 80a–53(a).
                                                    Washington, DC 20549–1090.                              3(a)(57).                                               2 15   U.S.C. 80a–53(c).



                                               VerDate Sep<11>2014   17:37 Sep 05, 2017   Jkt 241001   PO 00000   Frm 00125   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\06SEN1.SGM    06SEN1



Document Created: 2017-09-06 00:56:48
Document Modified: 2017-09-06 00:56:48
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionNotices
FR Citation82 FR 42168 

2024 Federal Register | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy
USC | CFR | eCFR