[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 151 (Tuesday, August 10, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43700-43701]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-16964]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-92559; File No. SR-NYSEAMER-2021-34]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE American LLC; Notice of 
Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of a Proposed Rule Change To Amend 
the NYSE American Options Fee Schedule

August 4, 2021.
    Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) \1\ of the Securities Exchange Act of 
1934 (the ``Act'') \2\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\3\ notice is hereby 
given that, on July 28, 2021, NYSE American LLC (``NYSE American'' or 
the ``Exchange'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission 
(the ``Commission'') the proposed rule change as described in Items I, 
II, and III below, which Items have been prepared by the self-
regulatory organization. The Commission is publishing this notice to 
solicit comments on the proposed rule change from interested persons.
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    \1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
    \2\ 15 U.S.C. 78a.
    \3\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
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I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance 
of the Proposed Rule Change

    The Exchange proposes to amend the NYSE American Options Fee 
Schedule (``Fee Schedule''). The Exchange proposes to implement the fee 
change effective July 28, 2021. The proposed rule change is available 
on the Exchange's website at www.nyse.com, at the principal office of 
the Exchange, and at the Commission's Public Reference Room.

II. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and 
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

    In its filing with the Commission, the self-regulatory organization 
included statements concerning the purpose of, and basis for, the 
proposed rule change and discussed any comments it received on the 
proposed rule change. The text of those statements may be examined at 
the places specified in Item IV below. The Exchange has prepared 
summaries, set forth in sections A, B, and C below, of the most 
significant parts of such statements.

A. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and the 
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

1. Purpose
    The purpose of this filing is to amend the Fee Schedule to remove 
language associated with fee waivers that expired at the close of 
business on June 30, 2021.
    On March 18, 2020, the Exchange announced that it would temporarily 
close the Trading Floor, effective Monday, March 23, 2020, as a 
precautionary measure to prevent the potential spread of COVID-19. 
Following the temporary closure of the Trading Floor, the Exchange 
waived certain Floor-based fixed fees for April, May, and June 2020.\4\ 
Although the Trading Floor partially reopened on May 26, 2020 and 
Floor-based open outcry activity was supported, certain participants 
were unable to resume pre-Floor closure levels of operations. As a 
result, the Exchange extended the fee waiver through June 2021, but 
only for Floor Broker firms that were unable to operate at more than 
50% of their March 2020 on-Floor staffing levels and for Market Maker 
firms that had vacant or ``unmanned'' Podia for the entire month

[[Page 43701]]

due to COVID-19 related considerations (the ``Qualifying Firms'').\5\
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    \4\ See Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 88595 (April 8, 
2020), 85 FR 20737 (April 14, 2020) (SR-NYSEAMER-2020-25) (waiving 
Floor-based fixed fees); 88840 (May 8, 2020), 85 FR 28992 (May 14, 
2020) (SR-NYSEAMER-2020-37) (extending April 2020 fee changes 
through May 2020); and 89049 (June 11, 2020), 85 FR 36649 (June 17, 
2020) (SR-NYSEAMER-2020-44) (extending April and May fee changes 
through June 2020).
    \5\ See Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 89241 (July 7, 
2020), 85 FR 42034 (July 13, 2020) (SR-NYSEAMER-2020-47); 89482 
(August 5, 2020), 85 FR 48577 (August 11, 2020) (SR-NYSEAMER-2020-
55); 89692 (August 27, 2020), 85 FR 54611 (September 2, 2020) (SR-
NYSEAMER-2020-65); 90193 (October 15, 2020), 85 FR 67069 (October 
21, 2020) (SR-NYSEAMER-2020-76); 90833 (December 30, 2020), 86 FR 
641 (January 6, 2021) (SR-NYSEAMER-2020-87), 91366 (March 19, 2021) 
86 FR 15987 (March 25, 2021) (SR-NYSEAMER-2021-14).
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    Because the Trading Floor continued to operate with reduced 
capacity, the Exchange extended the fee waivers for Qualifying Firms 
through ``the earlier of the first full month of a full reopening of 
the Trading Floor facilities to Floor personnel or June 2021''.
    As the Trading Floor re-opened without social distancing 
requirements for vaccinated personnel on June 25, 2021 and the 
expiration date has passed, the Exchange is submitting this proposed 
rule change to remove the language related to the fee waivers from the 
Fee Schedule.
2. Statutory Basis
    The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is consistent 
with Section 6(b) of the Act,\6\ in general, and furthers the 
objectives of Sections 6(b)(4) and (5) of the Act,\7\ in particular, 
because it provides for the equitable allocation of reasonable dues, 
fees, and other charges among its members, issuers and other persons 
using its facilities and does not unfairly discriminate between 
customers, issuers, brokers or dealers.
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    \6\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
    \7\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(4) and (5).
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    The Exchange believes that the proposed modifications to the Fee 
Schedule to remove expired fee waivers that the Exchange no longer 
offers are reasonable, equitable, and not unfairly discriminatory 
because the changes would provide clarity to the Fee Schedule, and do 
not affect any current activity by any ATP Holder.

B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

    In accordance with Section 6(b)(8) of the Act, the Exchange does 
not believe that the proposed rule change would impose any burden on 
competition that is not necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the 
purposes of the Act. Instead, the proposed change is meant to add 
clarity and transparency to the Fee Schedule to the benefit of all 
market participants that trade on the Exchange.

C. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Comments on the Proposed 
Rule Change Received From Members, Participants, or Others

    No written comments were solicited or received with respect to the 
proposed rule change.

III. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for 
Commission Action

    The foregoing rule change is effective upon filing pursuant to 
Section 19(b)(3)(A) \8\ of the Act and subparagraph (f)(2) of Rule 19b-
4 \9\ thereunder, because it establishes a due, fee, or other charge 
imposed by the Exchange.
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    \8\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \9\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(2).
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    At any time within 60 days of the filing of such proposed rule 
change, the Commission summarily may temporarily suspend such rule 
change if it appears to the Commission that such action is necessary or 
appropriate in the public interest, for the protection of investors, or 
otherwise in furtherance of the purposes of the Act. If the Commission 
takes such action, the Commission shall institute proceedings under 
Section 19(b)(2)(B) \10\ of the Act to determine whether the proposed 
rule change should be approved or disapproved.
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    \10\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2)(B).
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IV. Solicitation of Comments

    Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views, and 
arguments concerning the foregoing, including whether the proposed rule 
change is consistent with the Act. Comments may be submitted by any of 
the following methods:

Electronic Comments

     Use the Commission's internet comment form (http://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml); or
     Send an email to rule-comments@sec.gov. Please include 
File Number SR-NYSEAMER-2021-34 on the subject line.

Paper Comments

     Send paper comments in triplicate to Secretary, Securities 
and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 20549-1090.

All submissions should refer to File Number SR-NYSEAMER-2021-34. This 
file number should be included on the subject line if email is used. To 
help the Commission process and review your comments more efficiently, 
please use only one method. The Commission will post all comments on 
the Commission's internet website (http://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml). 
Copies of the submission, all subsequent amendments, all written 
statements with respect to the proposed rule change that are filed with 
the Commission, and all written communications relating to the proposed 
rule change between the Commission and any person, other than those 
that may be withheld from the public in accordance with the provisions 
of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be available for website viewing and printing in 
the Commission's Public Reference Room, 100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 
20549 on official business days between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 
3:00 p.m. Copies of the filing also will be available for inspection 
and copying at the principal office of the Exchange. All comments 
received will be posted without change. Persons submitting comments are 
cautioned that we do not redact or edit personal identifying 
information from comment submissions. You should submit only 
information that you wish to make available publicly. All submissions 
should refer to File Number SR-NYSEAMER-2021-34, and should be 
submitted on or before August 31, 2021.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\11\
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    \11\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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J. Matthew DeLesDernier,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-16964 Filed 8-9-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P


