(a) Advance notice.
(1) A designated financial market utility
shall provide at least 60-days advance notice to the Board of any
proposed change to its rules, procedures, or operations that could
materially affect the nature or level of risks presented by the designated
financial market utility.
(2) The notice of the proposed change shall describe—
(i) The
nature of the change and expected effects on risks to the designated
financial market utility, its participants, or the market; and
(ii) How the designated
financial market utility plans to manage any identified risks.
(3) The
Board may require the designated financial market utility to provide
additional information necessary to assess the effect the proposed
change would have on the nature or level of risks associated with
the utility’s payment, clearing, or settlement activities and the
sufficiency of any proposed risk-management techniques.
(4) A designated financial
market utility shall not implement a change to which the Board has
an objection.
(5) The
Board will notify the designated financial market utility of any objection
before the end of 60 days after the later of—
(i) The
date the Board receives the notice of proposed change; or
(ii) The date the Board
receives any further information it requests for consideration of
the notice.
(6) A designated financial market utility may implement a change
if it has not received an objection to the proposed change before
the end of 60 days after the later of—
(i) The date the Board
receives the notice of proposed change; or
(ii) The date the Board receives any
further information it requests for consideration of the notice.
(7) With
respect to proposed changes that raise novel or complex issues, the
Board may, by written notice during the 60-day review period, extend
the review period for an additional 60 days. Any extension under this
paragraph will extend the time periods under paragraphs (a)(5) and
(a)(6) of this section to 120 days.
(8) A designated financial market utility
may implement a proposed change before the expiration of the applicable
review period if the Board notifies the designated financial market
utility in writing that the Board does not object to the proposed
change and authorizes the designated financial market utility to implement
the change on an earlier date, subject to any conditions imposed by
the Board.
(b) Emergency changes.
(1) A designated financial market utility
may implement a change that would otherwise require advance notice
under this section if it determines that—
(i) An emergency exists;
and
(ii) Immediate
implementation of the change is necessary for the designated financial
market utility to continue to provide its services in a safe and sound
manner.
(2) The designated financial market utility shall provide notice
of any such emergency change to the Board as soon as practicable and
no later than 24 hours after implementation of the change.
(3) In addition to the information
required for changes requiring advance notice in paragraph (a)(2)
of this section, the notice of an emergency change shall describe—
(i) The nature of the emergency; and
(ii) The reason the change was necessary
for the designated financial market utility to continue to provide
its services in a safe and sound manner.
(4) The Board may require
modification or rescission of the change if it finds that the change
is not consistent with the purposes of the Dodd-Frank Act or any applicable
rules, order, or standards prescribed under section 805(a) of the
Dodd-Frank Act.
(c) Materiality.
(1) The term “materially affect the nature
or level of risks presented” in paragraph (a)(1) of this section means
matters as to which there is a reasonable possibility that the change
would materially affect the overall nature or level of risk presented
by the designated financial market utility, including risk arising
in the performance of payment, clearing, or settlement functions.
(2) A change to rules,
procedures, or operations that would materially affect the nature
or level of risks presented includes, but is not limited to, changes
that materially affect any one or more of the following:
(i) Participant
eligibility or access criteria;
(ii) Product eligibility;
(iii) Risk management;
(iv) Settlement failure
or default procedures;
(v) Financial resources;
(vi) Business continuity and disaster
recovery plans;
(vii) Daily or intraday settlement procedures;
(viii) The scope of services, including
the addition of a new service or discontinuation of an existing service;
(ix) Technical design
or operating platform, which results in non-routine changes to the
underlying technological framework for payment, clearing, or settlement
functions; or
(x)
Governance.
(3) A change to rules, procedures, or operations that does not meet
the conditions of paragraph (c)(2) of this section and would not materially
affect the nature or level of risks presented includes, but is not
limited to the following:
(i) A routine technology systems upgrade;
(ii) A change in a
fee, price, or other charge for services provided by the designated
financial market utility;
(iii) A change related solely to the
administration of the designated financial market utility or related
to the routine, daily administration, direction, and control of employees;
or
(iv) A clerical
change and other non-substantive revisions to rules, procedures, or
other documentation.