[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 12, Volume 2]
[Revised as of January 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 12CFR208.32]

[Page 226-228]
 
                       TITLE 12--BANKS AND BANKING
 
                   CHAPTER II--FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM
 
PART 208--MEMBERSHIP OF STATE BANKING INSTITUTIONS IN THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM (REGULATION H)--Table of Contents
 
      Subpart C--Bank Securities and Securities-Related Activities
 
Sec. 208.32  Notice of disciplinary sanctions imposed by registered clearing agency.

    (a) Notice requirement. Any member bank or any of its subsidiaries 
that is a registered clearing agency pursuant to section 17A(b) of the 
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Act), and that:
    (1) Imposes any final disciplinary sanction on any participant 
therein;
    (2) Denies participation to any applicant; or
    (3) Prohibits or limits any person in respect to access to services 
offered by the clearing agency, shall file with the Board (and the 
appropriate regulatory agency, if other than the Board, for a 
participant or applicant) notice thereof in the manner prescribed in 
this section.
    (b) Notice of final disciplinary actions. (1) Any registered 
clearing agency for which the Board is the appropriate regulatory agency 
that takes any final disciplinary action with respect to any participant 
shall promptly file a notice thereof with the Board in accordance with 
paragraph (c) of this section. For the purposes of this paragraph (b), 
final disciplinary action means the imposition of any disciplinary 
sanction pursuant to section 17A(b)(3)(G) of the Act, or other action of 
a registered clearing agency which, after notice and opportunity for 
hearing, results in final disposition of charges of:
    (i) One or more violations of the rules of the registered clearing 
agency; or
    (ii) Acts or practices constituting a statutory disqualification of 
a type defined in paragraph (iv) or (v) (except prior convictions) of 
section 3(a)(39) of the Act.
    (2) However, if a registered clearing agency fee schedule specifies 
certain charges for errors made by its participants in giving 
instructions to the registered clearing agency which are de

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minimis on a per error basis, and whose purpose is, in part, to provide 
revenues to the clearing agency to compensate it for effort expended in 
beginning to process an erroneous instruction, such error charges shall 
not be considered a final disciplinary action for purposes of this 
paragraph (b).
    (c) Contents of final disciplinary action notice. Any notice filed 
pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section shall consist of the 
following, as appropriate:
    (1) The name of the respondent and the respondent's last known 
address, as reflected on the records of the clearing agency, and the 
name of the person, committee, or other organizational unit that brought 
the charges. However, identifying information as to any respondent found 
not to have violated a provision covered by a charge may be deleted 
insofar as the notice reports the disposition of that charge and, prior 
to the filing of the notice, the respondent does not request that 
identifying information be included in the notice;
    (2) A statement describing the investigative or other origin of the 
action;
    (3) As charged in the proceeding, the specific provision or 
provisions of the rules of the clearing agency violated by the 
respondent, or the statutory disqualification referred to in paragraph 
(b)(2) of this section, and a statement describing the answer of the 
respondent to the charges;
    (4) A statement setting forth findings of fact with respect to any 
act or practice in which the respondent was charged with having engaged 
in or omitted; the conclusion of the clearing agency as to whether the 
respondent violated any rule or was subject to a statutory 
disqualification as charged; and a statement of the clearing agency in 
support of its resolution of the principal issues raised in the 
proceedings;
    (5) A statement describing any sanction imposed, the reasons 
therefor, and the date upon which the sanction became or will become 
effective; and
    (6) Such other matters as the clearing agency may deem relevant.
    (d) Notice of final denial, prohibition, termination or limitation 
based on qualification or administrative rules. (1) Any registered 
clearing agency, for which the Board is the appropriate regulatory 
agency, that takes any final action that denies or conditions the 
participation of any person, or prohibits or limits access, to services 
offered by the clearing agency, shall promptly file notice thereof with 
the Board (and the appropriate regulatory agency, if other than the 
Board, for the affected person) in accordance with paragraph (e) of this 
section; but such action shall not be considered a final disciplinary 
action for purposes of paragraph (b) of this section where the action is 
based on an alleged failure of such person to:
    (i) Comply with the qualification standards prescribed by the rules 
of the registered clearing agency pursuant to section 17A(b)(4)(B) of 
the Act; or
    (ii) Comply with any administrative requirements of the registered 
clearing agency (including failure to pay entry or other dues or fees, 
or to file prescribed forms or reports) not involving charges of 
violations that may lead to a disciplinary sanction.
    (2) However, no such action shall be considered final pursuant to 
this paragraph (d) that results merely from a notice of such failure to 
comply to the person affected, if such person has not sought an 
adjudication of the matter, including a hearing, or otherwise exhausted 
the administrative remedies within the registered clearing agency with 
respect to such a matter.
    (e) Contents of notice required by paragraph (d) of this section. 
Any notice filed pursuant to paragraph (d) of this section shall consist 
of the following, as appropriate:
    (1) The name of each person concerned and each person's last known 
address, as reflected in the records of the clearing agency;
    (2) The specific grounds upon which the action of the clearing 
agency was based, and a statement describing the answer of the person 
concerned;
    (3) A statement setting forth findings of fact and conclusions as to 
each alleged failure of the person to comply with qualification 
standards or administrative obligations, and a statement of the clearing 
agency in support of its resolution of the principal issues raised in 
the proceeding;
    (4) The date upon which such action became or will become effective; 
and

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    (5) Such other matters as the clearing agency deems relevant.
    (f) Notice of final action based on prior adjudicated statutory 
disqualifications. Any registered clearing agency for which the Board is 
the appropriate regulatory agency that takes any final action shall 
promptly file notice thereof with the Board (and the appropriate 
regulatory agency, if other than the Board, for the affected person) in 
accordance with paragraph (g) of this section, where the final action:
    (1) Denies or conditions participation to any person, or prohibits 
or limits access to services offered by the clearing agency; and
    (2) Is based upon a statutory disqualification of a type defined in 
paragraph (A), (B) or (C) of section 3(a)(39) of the Act, consisting of 
a prior conviction, as described in subparagraph (E) of section 3(a)(39) 
of the Act. However, no such action shall be considered final pursuant 
to this paragraph (f) that results merely from a notice of such 
disqualification to the person affected, if such person has not sought 
an adjudication of the matter, including a hearing, or otherwise 
exhausted the administrative remedies within the clearing agency with 
respect to such a matter.
    (g) Contents of notice required by paragraph (f) of this section. 
Any notice filed pursuant to paragraph (f) of this section shall consist 
of the following, as appropriate:
    (1) The name of each person concerned and each person's last known 
address, as reflected in the records of the clearing agency;
    (2) A statement setting forth the principal issues raised, the 
answer of any person concerned, and a statement of the clearing agency 
in support of its resolution of the principal issues raised in the 
proceeding;
    (3) Any description furnished by or on behalf of the person 
concerned of the activities engaged in by the person since the 
adjudication upon which the disqualification is based;
    (4) A copy of the order or decision of the court, appropriate 
regulatory agency, or self-regulatory organization that adjudicated the 
matter giving rise to the statutory disqualification;
    (5) The nature of the action taken and the date upon which such 
action is to be made effective; and
    (6) Such other matters as the clearing agency deems relevant.
    (h) Notice of summary suspension of participation. Any registered 
clearing agency for which the Board is the appropriate regulatory agency 
that summarily suspends or closes the accounts of a participant pursuant 
to the provisions of section 17A(b)(5)(C) of the Act shall, within one 
business day after such action becomes effective, file notice thereof 
with the Board and the appropriate regulatory agency for the 
participant, if other than the Board, of such action in accordance with 
paragraph (i) of this section.
    (i) Contents of notice of summary suspension. Any notice pursuant to 
paragraph (h) of this section shall contain at least the following 
information, as appropriate:
    (1) The name of the participant concerned and the participant's last 
known address, as reflected in the records of the clearing agency;
    (2) The date upon which the summary action became or will become 
effective;
    (3) If the summary action is based upon the provisions of section 
17A(b)(5)(C)(i) of the Act, a copy of the relevant order or decision of 
the self-regulatory organization, if available to the clearing agency;
    (4) If the summary action is based upon the provisions of section 
17A(b)(5)(C)(ii) of the Act, a statement describing the default of any 
delivery of funds or securities to the clearing agency;
    (5) If the summary action is based upon the provisions of section 
17A(b)(5)(C)(iii) of the Act, a statement describing the financial or 
operating difficulty of the participant based upon which the clearing 
agency determined that the suspension and closing of accounts was 
necessary for the protection of the clearing agency, its participants, 
creditors, or investors;
    (6) The nature and effective date of the suspension; and
    (7) Such other matters as the clearing agency deems relevant.

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