Title 17

SECTION 1.63

1.63 Service on self-regulatory organization governing boards or committees by persons with disciplinary histories.

§ 1.63 Service on self-regulatory organization governing boards or committees by persons with disciplinary histories.

(a) Definitions. For purposes of this section:

(1) Self-regulatory organization means a “self-regulatory organization,” as defined in § 1.3, except as defined in paragraph (b)(6) of this section.

(2) Disciplinary committee means any person or committee of persons, or any subcommittee thereof, that is authorized by a self-regulatory organization to issue disciplinary charges, to conduct disciplinary proceedings, to settle disciplinary charges, to impose disciplinary sanctions or to hear appeals thereof.

(3) Arbitration panel means any person or panel empowered by a self-regulatory organization to arbitrate disputes involving such organization's members or their customers.

(4) Oversight panel means any panel authorized by a self-regulatory organization to review, recommend or establish policies or procedures with respect to the self-regulatory organization's surveillance, compliance, rule enforcement or disciplinary responsibilities.

(5) Final decision means:

(i) A decision of a self-regulatory organization which cannot be further appealed within the self-regulatory organization, is not subject to the stay of the Commission or a court of competent jurisdiction, and has not been reversed by the Commission or any court of competent jurisdiction; or,

(ii) Any decision by an administrative law judge, a court of competent jurisdiction or the Commission which has not been stayed or reversed.

(6) Disciplinary offense means:

(i) Any violation of the rules of a self-regulatory organization except those rules related to

(A) Decorum or attire,

(B) Financial requirements, or

(ii) Any rule violation described in subparagraphs (a)(6)(i) (A) through (C) of this regulation which involves fraud, deceit or conversion or results in a suspension or expulsion;

(iii) Any violation of the Act or the regulations promulgated thereunder; or,

(iv) Any failure to exercise supervisory responsibility with respect to acts described in paragraphs (a)(6) (i) through (iii) of this section when such failure is itself a violation of either the rules of a self-regulatory organization, the Act or the regulations promulgated thereunder.

(v) A disciplinary offense must arise out of a proceeding or action which is brought by a self-regulatory organization, the Commission, any federal or state agency, or other governmental body.

(7) Settlement agreement means any agreement consenting to the imposition of sanctions by a self-regulatory organization, a court of competent jurisdiction or the Commission.

(b) Each self-regulatory organization must maintain in effect rules which have been submitted to the Commission pursuant to section 5c(c) of the Act and part 40 of this chapter or, in the case of a registered futures association, pursuant to section 17(j) of the Act, that render a person ineligible to serve on its disciplinary committees, arbitration panels, oversight panels or governing board who:

(1) Was found within the prior three years by a final decision of a self-regulatory organization, an administrative law judge, a court of competent jurisdiction or the Commission to have committed a disciplinary offense;

(2) Entered into a settlement agreement within the prior three years in which any of the findings or, in the absence of such findings, any of the acts charged included a disciplinary offense;

(3) Currently is suspended from trading on any contract market, is suspended or expelled from membership with any self-regulatory organization, is serving any sentence of probation or owes any portion of a fine imposed pursuant to either:

(i) A finding by a final decision of a self-regulatory organization, an administrative law judge, a court of competent jurisdiction or the Commission that such person committed a disciplinary offense; or,

(ii) A settlement agreement in which any of the findings or, in the absence of such findings, any of the acts charged included a disciplinary offense.

(4) Currently is subject to an agreement with the Commission or any self-regulatory organization not to apply for registration with the Commission or membership in any self-regulatory organization;

(5) Currently is subject to or has had imposed on him within the prior three years a Commission registration revocation or suspension in any capacity for any reason, or has been convicted within the prior three years of any of the felonies listed in section 8a(2)(D) (ii) through (iv) of the Act;

(6) Currently is subject to a denial, suspension or disqualification from serving on the disciplinary committee, arbitration panel or governing board of any self-regulatory organization as that term is defined in section 3(a)(26) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

(c) No person may serve on a disciplinary committee, arbitration panel, oversight panel or governing board of a self-regulatory organization if such person is subject to any of the conditions listed in paragraphs (b) (1) through (6) of this section.

(d) Each self-regulatory organization shall submit to the Commission a schedule listing all those rule violations which constitute disciplinary offenses as defined in paragraph (a)(6)(i) of this section and to the extent necessary to reflect revisions shall submit an amended schedule within thirty days of the end of each calendar year. Each self-regulatory organization must maintain and keep current the schedule required by this section, and post the schedule on the self-regulatory organization's Web site so that it is in a public place designed to provide notice to members and otherwise ensure its availability to the general public.

(e) Each self-regulatory organization shall submit to the Commission within thirty days of the end of each calendar year a certified list of any persons who have been removed from its disciplinary committees, arbitration panels, oversight panels or governing board pursuant to the requirements of this regulation during the prior year.

(f) Whenever a self-regulatory organization finds by final decision that a person has committed a disciplinary offense and such finding makes such person ineligible to serve on that self-regulatory organization's disciplinary committees, arbitration panels, oversight panels or governing board, the self-regulatory organization shall inform the Commission of that finding and the length of the ineligibility in any notice it is required to provide to the Commission pursuant to either section 17(h)(1) of the Act or Commission regulation 9.11.

[55 FR 7890, Mar. 6, 1990, as amended at 58 FR 37653, July 13, 1993; 64 FR 23, Jan. 4, 1999; 77 FR 66331, Nov. 2, 2012; 83 FR 7995, Feb. 23, 2018; 85 FR 4850, Jan. 27, 2020]