On April 3, 2012, the Commission adopted Regulation 3.3 (Chief Compliance Officer) under sections 4d(d) and 4s(k) of the Commodity Exchange Act (âCEAâ). Commission Regulation 3.3 requires each futures commission merchant (âFCMâ), swap dealer (ââSDââ), and major swap participant (âMSPâ) to designate, by filing a Form 8âR, a chief compliance officer (âCCOâ) who is responsible for: (1) developing and administering each registrantâs policies and procedures that fulfill certainrelating to its business as a duties of the SD, MSP, or FCM and that are reasonably designed to ensure the registrantâs compliance withrequired to be established pursuant to the CEA and Commission regulations; (2) taking reasonable steps to resolve material conflicts of interest relating to the registrantâs business as a SD, MSP, or FCM; (3) taking reasonable steps to ensure compliance with the CEA and Commission regulations relating to the registrantâs business as a SD, MSP, or FCM; (4) taking reasonable steps to ensure the registrant establishes, maintains, and reviews written policies and procedures reasonably designed to remediate establishing procedures for the remediation of noncompliance issues identified by the chief compliance officerCCO; (5) taking reasonable steps to ensure the registrant establishing establishes procedures for the handling, management response, remediation, retesting, and closing of noncompliance issues; (6) preparing, signing, certifying, furnishing to the board of directors, senior officers, and (if applicable) audit committee, and filing with the Commission an annual compliance report that contains the information specified in the regulations Commission regulation 3.3(e; ). Commission regulation 3.3 also requires that SDs, MSPs, and FCMs: (1) amending the annual report if material errors or omissions are identified; and (2) request that the Commission grant an extension of time to furnish the annual report, if failure to timely furnish could not be eliminated without unreasonable effort or expense; and (3) maintaining records of the registrantâs compliance policies and procedures and records related to the annual report.
The information collection obligations imposed by Commission Regulation 3.3 are essential to ensuring that FCMs, SDs, and MSPs maintain comprehensive policies and procedures that promote compliance with the CEA and Commission regulations. In particular, the Commission believes that, among other things, these obligations (i) promote compliance behavior through periodic self-evaluation, (ii) inform the Commission of possible compliance weaknesses, (iii) assist the Commission in determining whether the registrant remains in compliance with the CEA and Commission regulations, and (iv) help the Commission to assess whether the registrant has mechanisms in place to adequately address compliance problems that could lead to a failure of the registrant.
There are no program changes. The total number of respondents (Commission-registered SDs, MSPs, and FCMs) has increased from 166 to 168 since the previous renewal. As a result of this increase, the overall burden estimate for this collection has increased from 166,996 to 169,008 annual burden hours.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.