ITEM 1: Prohibition Against Fraud, Manipulation, or Deception in Connection with Security-Based Swaps; Prohibition against Undue Influence over Chief Compliance Officers

OFFICE: Division of Trading and Markets

STAFF: Haoxiang Zhu, Andrea Orr, David Saltiel, Carol McGee, Pamela Carmody, Rajal Patel.

The Commission will consider whether to adopt rules under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) that are designed to prevent fraud, manipulation, and deception in connection with transactions in security-based swaps as well as to prevent the personnel of a security-based swap dealer or major security-based swap participant from taking actions to coerce, mislead, or otherwise interfere with such entity’s chief compliance officer. 

For further information, please contact Pamela Carmody at (202) 551-5500 in the Division of Trading and Markets.

ITEM 2: Removal of References to Credit Ratings from Regulation M

OFFICE: Division of Trading and Markets

STAFF: Haoxiang Zhu, Andrea Orr, David Saltiel, Carol McGee, Josephine Tao, Laura Weber, Joan Collopy, and Jesse Kloss. 

The Commission will consider whether to adopt rule amendments to Regulation M under the Exchange Act that remove certain existing rule exceptions that reference credit ratings and substitute in their place new exceptions that are based on alternative standards of creditworthiness.

For further information, please contact Laura Weber at (202) 551-5500 in the Division of Trading and Markets.