Self-Regulatory Organizations; The Options Clearing Corporation; Order Approving Proposed Rule Change To Establish a Comprehensive Standard of Care and Limitation of Liability With Respect to Clearing Members

I. Introduction

On November 5, 2003, The Options Clearing Corporation (“OCC”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) and on August 18, 2004, amended proposed rule change SR-OCC-2003-13 pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Act”). Notice of the proposal was published in the Federal Register on November 23, 2005. No comment letters were received. For the reasons discussed below, the Commission is approving the proposed rule change.

II. Description

In its 1980 release setting forth standards for registration of clearing agencies, the Commission's Division of Market Regulation stated that it was “of the view that clearing agencies should undertake to perform their obligations with a high degree of care.” In its 1983 order registering nine clearing agencies, the Commission stated that it did “not believe sufficient justification exists at this time to require a unique federal standard of care for registered clearing agencies.” The Commission has left to user-governed clearing agencies the question of how to allocate losses associated with, among other things, clearing agency functions. Along this line, in its 1986 order approving a proposed rule change of the Midwest Securities Trust Company (“MSTC”) to clarify the rights and liabilities of MSTC and its participants with respect to certain services, the Commission stated:

The Act does not specify the standard of care that must be exercised by registered clearing agencies and the Commission has determined that imposition of a unique federal standard of care for registered clearing agencies is not appropriate at this time. [citing Securities Exchange Act Release No. 20221, supra note 6] For those reasons the Commission believes that the clearing agency standard of care and the allocation of rights and responsibilities between a clearing agency and its participants applicable to clearing agency services generally may be set by the clearing agency and its participants. The Commission believes it should review clearing agency proposed rule changes in this area on a case-by-case basis and balance the need for a high degree of clearing agency care with the effect resulting liabilities may have on clearing agency operations, costs, and safeguarding of securities and funds.

Because standards of care represent an allocation of rights and liabilities between a clearing agency and its users, which are generally sophisticated financial entities, the Commission has continued to refrain from establishing a unique federal standard of care and has allowed clearing agencies and other self-regulatory organizations and their users to establish their own standards of care.

With this rule change, OCC is establishing a comprehensive gross negligence standard of care and limitation of liability with respect to its clearing members. In connection with this filing, OCC has made the following representations. OCC states in its original filing that since its founding in 1973, it has performed its clearing services with an exemplary level of care. Its record of fulfilling its commitments to its clearing members for over 30 years reflects OCC's commitment to serving the best interests of its clearing members. It has comprehensive systems and operating procedures in place to ensure that its clearing functions are executed with the highest level of accuracy. In addition to its own concern for accuracy, it is subject to extensive regulatory oversight by the Commission. Furthermore, in its amendment to the filing, OCC states that (1) gross negligence is the standard of care generally used by other clearing agencies such as the Fixed Income Clearing Corporation, (2) the decision to apply a gross negligence standard of care to OCC is a conscious allocation of risk between OCC and its members, (3) the filing was unanimously approved by OCC's directors, a majority of whom are officers of clearing members, and (4) the proposed rule change in no way will affect the very high level of care to which OCC has always held itself and to which it is held through the regulatory oversight of the Commission. As such, OCC believes that a gross negligence standard of care is appropriate for OCC.

III. Discussion

Section 19(b) of the Act directs the Commission to approve a proposed rule change of a self-regulatory organization if it finds that such proposed rule change is consistent with the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations thereunder applicable to such organization. Section 17A(b)(3)(F) of the Act requires that the rules of a clearing agency be designed to assure the safeguarding of securities and funds which are in its custody or control. The Commission believes that OCC's rule change is consistent with this Section because it will permit the resources of OCC to be appropriately utilized to protect funds and assets.

IV. Conclusion

On the basis of the foregoing, the Commission finds that the proposed rule change is consistent with the requirements of the Act and in particular Section 17A of the Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.

It is therefore ordered, pursuant to Section 19(b)(2) of the Act, that the proposed rule change (File No. SR-OCC-2003-13) be and hereby is approved.