| HR 1109 IH
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1109
To establish a Financial
Markets Oversight Commission in order to combine the functions of the Commodity
Futures Trading Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission in
a single independent regulatory commission, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 6, 2003
Mr. DEFAZIO introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in
addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To establish a Financial
Markets Oversight Commission in order to combine the functions of the Commodity
Futures Trading Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission in
a single independent regulatory commission, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the
Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in
Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE
OF CONTENTS.
(a) SHORT TITLE- This Act
may be cited as the `Market Oversight Consolidation and OTC Derivatives
Regulation Act'.
Sec. 1. Short title; table
of contents.
Sec. 4. Effect on congressional
jurisdiction.
TITLE I--ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION
Sec. 102. Members: appointment;
terms.
Sec. 103. Organization of
commission.
Sec. 104. General Counsel.
TITLE II--TRANSFERS OF FUNCTIONS
Sec. 201. Commodity Futures
Trading Commission functions.
Sec. 202. Securities and
Exchange Commission.
Sec. 203. Jurisdiction of
margin authority.
TITLE III--FEDERAL FINANCIAL
MARKETS COORDINATING COUNCIL
Sec. 301. Establishment;
membership.
Sec. 302. Functions of the
Council.
Sec. 303. Staff; administrative
support; expenses.
TITLE IV--ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
Part A--Personnel Provisions
Sec. 401. Officers and employees.
Sec. 402. Experts and consultants.
Part B--General Administrative
Provisions
Sec. 411. General authority.
Sec. 413. Reorganization.
Sec. 416. Regional and field
offices.
Sec. 417. Use of facilities.
Sec. 418. Working capital
fund.
Sec. 419. Funds transfer.
Sec. 420. Seal of Commission.
TITLE V--TRANSITIONAL, SAVINGS,
AND CONFORMING PROVISIONS
Sec. 501. Transfer and allocation
of appropriations and personnel.
Sec. 502. Effect on personnel.
Sec. 503. Agency terminations.
Sec. 504. Incidental transfers.
Sec. 505. Savings provisions.
TITLE VI--REGULATION OF OTC
DERIVATIVES
Sec. 601. Regulation of
over-the-counter derivatives.
TITLE VII--EFFECTIVE DATE
Sec. 701. Effective date.
SEC. 2. PURPOSES.
The purposes of this Act
are--
(1) to establish a single
Federal regulatory body with jurisdiction over securities and derivatives,
including options, futures, swaps, and related markets and instruments
and including over-the-counter derivatives;
(2) to consolidate and revise
the authority for setting margin requirements on all such instruments;
(3) to coordinate the regulation
of all financial markets;
(4) to strengthen investor
confidence in United States financial markets; and
(5) to ensure the competitiveness
of those markets.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
(1) the term `Commission'
means the Financial Markets Oversight Commission established by section
101 of this Act; and
(2) the term `function'
includes any duty, obligation, power, authority, responsibility, right,
privilege, activity, or program.
SEC. 4. EFFECT ON CONGRESSIONAL
JURISDICTION.
It is the sense of Congress
that this Act shall not be construed to affect the jurisdiction of any
committee or subcommittee of the Congress with respect to any function
transferred to the Commission by this Act.
TITLE I--ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION
SEC. 101. ESTABLISHMENT.
There is established an
independent regulatory commission to be known as the Financial Markets
Oversight Commission.
SEC. 102. MEMBERS: APPOINTMENT;
TERMS.
(a) COMPOSITION OF COMMISSION-
The Commission shall be composed of five commissioners appointed by the
President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. One of the
commissioners shall be designated by the President as chairman. Not more
than three of such members shall be members of the same political party.
Each Commissioner shall be selected solely on the basis of integrity and
demonstrated knowledge of the operations of the markets subject to the
jurisdiction of the Commission.
(b) TERMS- Each commissioner
shall be appointed for a term of 5 years, except that--
(1) a commissioner may continue
to serve after the expiration of such term until a successor is appointed
and has qualified, but may not continue to so serve beyond the expiration
of the next session of Congress beginning after the expiration of such
term;
(2) the terms of office
of the commissioners first taking office after the enactment of this Act
shall expire, as designated by the President at the time of their appointment--
(A) 1 at the end of 1 year;
(B) 2 at the end of 3 years;
and
(C) 2 at the end of 5 years;
and
(3) any member appointed
to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which
the predecessor was appointed shall be appointed for the remainder of such
term.
(c) CONFLICTS OF INTEREST-
(1) IN GENERAL- No commissioner
shall engage in any other business, vocation, or employment than that of
serving as commissioner, nor shall any commissioner participate, directly
or indirectly, in any market operations or transactions of a character
subject to regulation by the Commission pursuant to this title.
(2) REIMBURSEMENT FOR TRAVEL-
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in accordance with regulations
which the Commission shall prescribe to prevent conflicts of interest,
the Commission may accept payment and reimbursement, in cash or in kind,
from non-Federal agencies, organizations, and individuals for travel, subsistence,
and other necessary expenses incurred by Commission members and employees
in attending meetings and conferences concerning the functions or activities
of the Commission. Any payment or reimbursement accepted shall be credited
to the appropriated funds of the Commission. The amount of travel, subsistence,
and other necessary expenses for members and employees paid or reimbursed
under this subsection may exceed per diem amounts established in official
travel regulations, but the Commission may include in its regulations under
this subsection a limitation on such amounts.
(3) PROFESSIONAL FELLOWS-
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, former employers of participants
in the Commission's professional fellows programs may pay such participants
their actual expenses for relocation to Washington, District of Columbia,
to facilitate their participation in such programs, and program participants
may accept such payments.
(d) FEES- Notwithstanding
any other provision of law, whenever any fee is required to be paid to
the Commission pursuant to any provision of the securities laws or any
other law, the Commission may provide by rule that such fee shall be paid
in a manner other than in cash.
SEC. 103. ORGANIZATION OF COMMISSION.
The Commission shall establish
the principal divisions and subdivisions of the Commission, except that
the Commission shall establish a separate division with responsibility
for functions relating to markets in physical commodities.
SEC. 104. GENERAL COUNSEL.
There shall be in the Commission
an Office of General Counsel, headed by a General Counsel appointed by
the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.
TITLE II--TRANSFERS OF FUNCTIONS
SEC. 201. COMMODITY FUTURES
TRADING COMMISSION FUNCTIONS.
There are transferred to
the Commission all functions of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission
and of any officer or component of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
SEC. 202. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION.
There are transferred to
the Commission all functions of the Security and Exchange Commission and
of any officer or component of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
SEC. 203. JURISDICTION OF MARGIN
AUTHORITY.
(a) MARGIN AUTHORITY WITH
RESPECT TO SECURITIES- There is transferred to the Commission the functions
of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System under section 7
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
(b) MARGIN AUTHORITY WITH
RESPECT TO FUTURES- Notwithstanding section 5a(12) of the Commodity Exchange
Act, the Commission may--
(1) by order, direct contract
markets to adjust the level of margin required on any contract; or
(2) by regulation, prescribe
limits on the level of margin that a contract market may require on any
class or category of contract;
as necessary to ensure the
financial integrity of such market.
TITLE III--FEDERAL FINANCIAL
MARKETS COORDINATING COUNCIL
SEC. 301. ESTABLISHMENT; MEMBERSHIP.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT- There
is established in the executive branch a council to be known as the Federal
Financial Markets Coordinating Council.
(b) MEMBERSHIP- The Council
shall be composed of the heads of the following agencies or their designees
for this purpose:
(1) The Board of Governors
of the Federal Reserve System.
(2) The Comptroller of the
Currency.
(3) The Department of the
Treasury.
(4) The Financial Markets
Oversight Commission.
(5) The National Credit
Union Administration.
(6) The Office of Thrift
Supervision.
(7) The Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation.
(c) CHAIRMAN- The Council
shall elect one of its members to serve as chairman.
SEC. 302. FUNCTIONS OF THE COUNCIL.
The Federal Financial Markets
Coordinating Council shall--
(1) serve as a facility
for the coordination of the regulatory operations of each of the agencies
represented on the Council;
(2) meet bimonthly and at
the call of the chair to discuss issues relating to the safety and effectiveness
of the financial services industry and other issues relating to those regulatory
operations;
(3) establish an advisory
committee of not more than 5 members representative of the futures, commodities,
options, and securities exchanges and the banking industry to meet no less
than 4 times annually; and
(4) report biennially to
the Congress on its functions and activities, including in the first such
report such recommendations for legislative action as it considers appropriate.
SEC. 303. STAFF; ADMINISTRATIVE
SUPPORT; EXPENSES.
(a) STAFF; ADMINISTRATIVE
SUPPORT- The Commission and each agency represented on the Council shall
provide to the Council such personnel and administrative support as the
Council may require to carry out its functions under this title.
(b) EXPENSES- There are
authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for the expenses
of the Commission in carrying out this title. Funds appropriated under
this subsection may be available to reimburse agencies for personnel detailed
to the Council and for administrative support provided under subsection
(a).
TITLE IV--ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
PART A--PERSONNEL PROVISIONS
SEC. 401. OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES.
(a) APPOINTMENT AND COMPENSATION-
The Commission is authorized to appoint and fix the compensation of such
officers and employees, including attorneys, as may be necessary to carry
out the functions of the Commission. Except as otherwise provided by law,
such officers and employees shall be appointed in accordance with the civil
service laws and their compensation fixed in accordance with title 5 of
the United States Code.
(1) CONTINUITY OF SUPERGRADE
POSITIONS- At the request of the Commission, the Director of the Office
of Personnel Management shall, under
section 5108 of title 5, United
States Code, provide for the establishment in each of the grade levels
GS-16, GS-17, and GS-18 of a number of positions in the Commission equal
to the number of positions in that grade level which were used primarily
for the performance of functions and offices transferred under this Act
and which were assigned and filled on the day before the effective date
of this Act.
(2) CONTINUITY OF PROFESSIONAL
AND TECHNICAL POSITIONS- At the request of the Commission, the Director
of the Office of Personnel Management shall, under section 3104 of title
5, United States Code, provide for the establishment in the Commission
of a number of professional and technical positions outside of the General
Schedule equal to the number of such positions which were used primarily
for the performance of functions and offices transferred under this Act
and which were assigned and filled on the day before the effective date
of this Act.
(3) APPOINTMENTS TO SPECIAL
POSITIONS- Appointments to positions provided for under this subsection
may be made without regard to the provisions of section 3324 of title 5
of the United States Code, if the individual appointed in such position
is an individual who is transferred in connection with the transfer of
functions and offices under this Act and, on the day preceding the effective
date of this Act, holds a position and has duties comparable to those of
the position to which appointed hereunder.
(4) TERMINATION OF SPECIAL
AUTHORITY- The authority under this subsection with respect to any position
shall terminate when the person first appointed to fill such position ceases
to hold such position.
(5) TECHNICAL PROVISION-
For purposes of section 414(a)(3)(A) of the Civil Service Reform Act of
1978, an individual appointed under this subsection shall be deemed to
occupy the same position as the individual occupied on the day preceding
the effective date of this Act.
(c) ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL
AND PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS- The Commission may appoint, without regard
to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointment
in the competitive service, up to 100 technical or professional employees
of the Commission and may compensate employees so appointed without regard
to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such
title relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates. The rate
of basic compensation for such employees shall not be equal to or in excess
of the minimum rate of pay currently paid for GS-16 of the General Schedule
under section 5332 of such title.
(d) LIMITED-TERM APPOINTEES-
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Director of the Office
of Personnel Management shall establish positions within the Senior Executive
Service for 10 limited-term appointees. The Commission shall appoint individuals
to such positions as provided by section 3394 of title 5, United States
Code. Such positions shall expire on the later of three years after the
effective date of this Act or three years after the initial appointment
to each position. Positions in effect under this subsection shall be taken
into account in applying the limitations on positions prescribed under
section 3134(e) and section 5108 of such title.
SEC. 402. EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS.
The Commission may as provided
in appropriation Acts obtain the services of experts and consultants in
accordance with the provisions of section 3109 of title 5, United States
Code, and may compensate such experts and consultants at rates not to exceed
the daily rate prescribed for GS-18 of the General Schedule under section
5332 of such title.
PART B--GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE
PROVISIONS
SEC. 411. GENERAL AUTHORITY.
In carrying out any function
transferred by this Act, the Commission, or any officer or employee of
the Commission, may exercise any authority available by law (including
appropriation Acts) with respect to such function to the official or agency
from which such function is transferred, and the actions of the Commission
in exercising such authority shall have the same force and effect as when
exercised by such official or agency.
SEC. 412. DELEGATION.
Exception as otherwise provided
in this Act, the Commission may delegate any function to such officers
and employees of the Commission as the Commission may designate, and may
authorize such successive redelegations of such functions within the Commission
as may be necessary or appropriate. No delegation of functions by the Commission
under this section or under any other provision of this Act shall relieve
the Commission of responsibility for the administration of such functions.
SEC. 413. REORGANIZATION.
The Commission is authorized
to allocate or reallocate functions among the officers of the Commission,
and to establish, consolidate, alter, or discontinue such organizational
entities within the Commission as may be necessary or appropriate.
SEC. 414. RULES.
The Commission is authorized
to prescribe such rules and regulations as the Commission determines necessary
or appropriate to administer and manage the functions of the Commission.
SEC. 415. CONTRACTS.
(a) IN GENERAL- Subject
to the provisions of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act
of 1949, the Commission is authorized to make, enter into, and perform
such contracts, grants, leases, cooperative agreements, or other similar
transactions with Federal or other public agencies (including State and
local governments) and private organizations and persons, and to make such
payments, by way of advance or reimbursement, as the Commission may determine
necessary or appropriate to carry out functions of the Commission.
(b) APPROPRIATIONS REQUIRED-
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, no authority to enter
into contracts or to make payments under this title shall be effective
except to such extent or in such amounts as are provided in advance under
appropriation Acts.
SEC. 416. REGIONAL AND FIELD
OFFICES.
The Commission is authorized
to establish, alter, discontinue, or maintain such regional or other field
offices as the Commission may find necessary or appropriate to perform
functions of the Commission.
SEC. 417. USE OF FACILITIES.
(a) USE BY COMMISSION- With
their consent, the Commission may, with or without reimbursement, use the
research, equipment, services, and facilities of any agency or instrumentality
of the United States, of any State or political subdivision thereof, or
of any foreign government, in carrying out any function of the Commission.
(b) USE BY OTHERS- The Commission
is authorized to permit public and private agencies, corporations, associations,
organizations, or individuals to use any real property, or any facilities,
structures, or other improvements thereon, under the custody and control
of the Commission for Commission purposes. The Commission shall permit
the use of such property, facilities, structures, or improvements under
such terms and rates and for such period as may be in the public interest,
except that the periods of such uses may not exceed five years. The Commission
may require permittees under this section to recondition and maintain,
at their own expense, the real property, facilities, structures, and improvements
used by such permittees to a standard satisfactory to the Commission. This
subsection shall not apply to excess property as defined in section 3(e)
of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949.
(c) PROCEEDS FROM REIMBURSEMENTS-
Proceeds from reimbursements under this section may be credited to the
appropriation of funds that bear or will bear all or part of the cost of
such equipment or facilities provided or to refund excess sums when necessary.
(d) TITLE TO PROPERTY- Any
interest in real property acquired pursuant to this Act shall be acquired
in the name of the United States Government.
SEC. 418. WORKING CAPITAL FUND.
(a) AUTHORITY AND USE- The
Commission, with the approval of the Director of the Office of Management
and Budget, is authorized to establish for the Commission a working capital
fund, to be available without fiscal year limitation, for expenses necessary
for the maintenance and operation of such common administrative services
as the Commission shall find to be desirable in the interests of economy
and efficiency, including such services as--
(1) a central supply service
for stationery and other supplies and equipment for which adequate stocks
may be maintained to meet in whole or in part the requirements of the Commission
and its components;
(2) central messenger, mail,
telephone, and other communications services;
(3) office space, central
services for document reproduction, and for graphics and visual aids; and
(4) a central library service.
(b) CONTENTS AND MANAGEMENT
OF FUND- The capital of the fund shall consist of any appropriations made
for the purpose of providing working capital and the fair and reasonable
value of such stocks of supplies, equipment, and other assets and inventories
on order as the Commission may transfer to the fund, less the related liabilities
and unpaid obligations. Such funds shall be reimbursed in advance from
available funds of agencies and offices in the Commission, or from other
sources, for supplies and services at rates that will approximate the expense
of operation, including the accrual of annual leave and the depreciation
of equipment. The fund shall also be credited with receipts from sale or
exchange of property and receipts in payment for loss or damage to property
owned by the fund. There shall be covered into the Treasury as miscellaneous
receipts any surplus of the fund (all assets, liabilities, and prior losses
considered) above the amounts transferred or appropriated to establish
and maintain such fund. There shall be transferred to the fund the stocks
of supplies, equipment, other assets, liabilities, and unpaid obligations
relating to the services which the Commission determines, with the approval
of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, will be performed.
SEC. 419. FUNDS TRANSFER.
The Commission may, when
authorized in an appropriation Act in any fiscal year, transfer funds from
one appropriation to another within the Commission, except that no appropriation
for any fiscal year shall be either increased or decreased pursuant to
this section by more than 5 percent and no such transfer shall result in
increasing any such appropriation above the amount authorized to be appropriated
therefor.
SEC. 420. SEAL OF COMMISSION.
The Commission shall cause
a seal of office to be made for the Commission of such design as the Commission
shall approve. Judicial notice shall be taken of such seal.
SEC. 421. ANNUAL REPORT.
(a) CONTENTS- The Commission
shall, as soon as practicable after the close of each fiscal year, make
a single, comprehensive report to the President for transmission to the
Congress on the activities of the Commission during such fiscal year. The
report shall include a statement of goals, priorities, and plans for the
Commission together with an assessment of the progress made toward--
(1) the attainment of such
goals, priorities, and plans; and
(2) the more effective and
efficient management of the Commission and the coordination of its functions;
accompanied where necessary
by recommendations for proposed legislation for the achievement of such
objectives.
(b) CONTRACTING-OUT ESTIMATE-
The report required by subsection (a) shall also include an estimate of
the extent of the non-Federal personnel employed pursuant to contracts
entered into by the Commission under section 415 or under any other authority
(including any subcontract thereunder), the number of such contracts and
subcontracts pursuant to which non-Federal personnel are employed, and
the total cost of those contracts and subcontracts.
TITLE V--TRANSITIONAL, SAVINGS,
AND CONFORMING PROVISIONS
SEC. 501. TRANSFER AND ALLOCATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS AND PERSONNEL.
(a) IN GENERAL- Except as
otherwise provided in this Act, the personnel employed in connection with,
and the assets, liabilities, contracts, property, records, and unexpended
balance of appropriations, authorizations, allocations, and other funds
employed, held, used, arising from, available to, or to be made available
in connection with the functions and offices, or portions thereof transferred
by this Act, subject to section 202 of the Budget and Accounting Procedures
Act of 1950, shall be transferred to the Commission for appropriate allocation.
Unexpended funds transferred pursuant to this subsection shall be used
only for the purposes for which the funds were originally authorized and
appropriated.
(b) EXCEPTION- Positions
expressly specified by statute or reorganization plan to carry out functions
or offices transferred by this Act, personnel occupying those positions
on the effective date of this Act, and personnel authorized to receive
compensation in such positions at the rate prescribed for offices and positions
at level IV or V of the Executive Schedule
(5 U.S.C. 5315-5316) on the
effective date of this Act, shall be subject to the provisions of section
503.
SEC. 502. EFFECT ON PERSONNEL.
(a) PROTECTION AGAINST REDUCTION
IN GRADE OR COMPENSATION- Except as otherwise provided in this Act, the
transfer pursuant to this title of full-time personnel (except special
Government employees) and part-time personnel holding permanent positions
shall not cause any such employee to be separated or reduced in grade or
compensation for one year after the date of transfer to the Commission.
(b) EXECUTIVE LEVEL APPOINTEES-
Any person who, on the day preceding the effective date of this Act, held
a position compensated in accordance with the Executive Schedule prescribed
in chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code, and who, without a break
in service, is appointed in the Commission to a position having duties
comparable to the duties performed immediately preceding such appointment
shall continue to be compensated in such new position at not less than
the rate provided for such previous position, for the duration of the service
of such person in such new position.
SEC. 503. AGENCY TERMINATIONS.
(a) TERMINATED AGENCIES-
On the effective date of this Act, the following entities shall terminate:
(A) The Commodity Futures
Trading Commission.
(B) The Securities and Exchange
Commission.
(b) TERMINATED POSITIONS-
Each position which was expressly authorized by law, or the incumbent of
which was authorized to receive compensation at the rate prescribed for
level III, IV, or V of the Executive Schedule (5 U.S.C. 5315-5316), in
an office terminated pursuant to this Act shall also terminate.
SEC. 504. INCIDENTAL TRANSFERS.
(a) GENERAL AUTHORITY OF
OMB- The Director of the Office of Management and Budget, at such time
or times as the Director shall provide, is authorized and directed to make
such determinations as may be necessary with regard to the functions, offices,
or portions thereof transferred by this Act, and to make such additional
incidental dispositions of personnel, assets, liabilities, grants, contracts,
property, records, and unexpended balances of appropriations, authorizations,
allocations, and other funds held, used, arising from, available to, or
to be made available in connection with such functions, offices, or portions
thereof, as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. The
Director shall provide for the termination of the affairs of all entities
terminated by this Act and for such further measures and dispositions as
may be necessary to effectuate the purposes of this Act.
(b) SES POSITIONS- After
consultation with the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, the
Director of the Office of Management and Budget is authorized, at such
time as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget provides, to
make such determinations as may be necessary with regard to the transfer
of positions within the Senior Executive Service in connection with functions
and offices transferred by this Act.
SEC. 505. SAVINGS PROVISIONS.
(a) CONTINUITY OF LEGAL
INSTRUMENTS- All orders, determinations, rules, regulations, permits, grants,
contracts, certificates, licenses, and privileges--
(1) which have been issued,
made, granted, or allowed to become effective by the President, any Federal
department or agency or official thereof, or by a court of competent jurisdiction,
in the performance of functions which are transferred under this Act to
the Commission, and
(2) which are in effect
at the time this Act takes effect,
shall continue in effect
according to their terms until modified, terminated, superseded, set aside,
or revoked in accordance with the law by the President, the Commission,
or other authorized official, a court of competent jurisdiction, or by
operation of law.
(b) CONTINUITY OF PROCEEDINGS-
(1) IN GENERAL- The provisions
of this Act shall not affect any proceedings, including notices of proposed
rulemaking, or any application for any license, permit, certificate, or
financial assistance pending on the effective date of this Act before any
department, agency, commission, or component thereof, functions of which
are transferred by this Act; but such proceedings and applications, to
the extent that they relate to functions so transferred, shall be continued.
Orders shall be issued in such proceedings, appeals shall be taken therefrom,
and payments shall be made pursuant to such orders, as if this Act had
not been enacted; and orders issued in any such proceedings shall continue
in effect until modified, terminated, superseded, or revoked by the Commission,
by a court of competent jurisdiction, or by operation of law. Nothing in
this subsection shall be deemed to prohibit the discontinuance or modification
of any such proceeding under the same terms and conditions and to the same
extent that such proceeding could have been discontinued or modified if
this Act had not been enacted.
(2) REGULATIONS CONCERNING
TRANSFERS- The Commission is authorized to promulgate regulations providing
for the orderly transfer of proceedings continued under paragraph (1) to
the Commission.
(c) PENDING LITIGATION-
Except as provided in subsection (e)--
(1) the provisions of this
Act shall not affect suits commenced prior to the effective date of this
Act, and
(2) in all such suits, proceedings
shall be had, appeals taken, and judgments rendered in the same manner
and effect as if this Act had not been enacted.
(d) NONABATEMENT- No suit,
action, or other proceeding commenced by or against any officer in the
official capacity of such individual as an officer of any department or
agency, functions of which are transferred by this Act, shall abate by
reason of the enactment of this Act. No cause of action by or against any
department or agency, functions of which are transferred by this Act, or
by or against any officer thereof in the official capacity of such officer
shall abate by reason of the enactment of this Act.
(e) SUBSTITUTION OF PARTIES-
If, before the date on which this Act takes effect, any department or agency,
or officer thereof in the official capacity of such officer, is a party
to a suit, and under this Act any function of such department, agency,
or officer is transferred to the Commission or any other official of the
Commission, then such suit shall be continued with the Commission or other
appropriate official of the Commission substituted or added as a party.
(f) JUDICIAL REVIEW AS REQUIRED
BY EXISTING LAW- Orders and actions of the Commission in the exercise of
functions transferred under this Act shall be subject to judicial review
to the same extent and in the same manner as if such orders and actions
had been by the agency or office, or part thereof, exercising such functions
immediately preceding their transfer. Any statutory requirements relating
to notice, hearings, action upon the record, or administrative review that
apply to any function transferred by this Act shall apply to the exercise
of such function by the Commission.
SEC. 506. SEPARABILITY.
If any provision of this
Act or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid,
neither the remainder of this Act nor the application of such provision
to other persons or circumstances shall be affected thereby.
SEC. 507. REFERENCE.
With respect to any function
transferred by this Act and exercised on or after the effective date of
this Act, reference in any other Federal law to any department, commission,
or agency or any officer or office the functions of which are so transferred
shall be deemed to refer to the Commission, other official, or component
of the Commission to which this Act transfers such functions.
SEC. 508. AMENDMENTS.
(a) EXECUTIVE SCHEDULE SALARIES-
(1) CHAIRMAN- Section 5314
of title 5, United States Code, is amended--
(A) by striking `Chairman,
Securities and Exchange Commission.' and inserting `Chairman, Markets and
Trading Commission.'; and
(B) by striking `Chairman,
Commodity Futures Trading Commission.'.
(2) MEMBERS- Section 5315
of title 5, United States Code, is amended--
(A) by striking `Members,
Securities and Exchange Commission' and inserting `Members, Markets and
Trading Commission'; and
(B) by striking `Members,
Commodity Futures Trading Commission.'.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS-
(1) SECURITIES EXCHANGE
ACT- Sections 4 and 35 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 are repealed.
(2) COMMODITY EXCHANGE ACT-
Section 2(a) of the Commodity Exchange Act is amended by striking paragraphs
(2), (3), and (4).
SEC. 509. TRANSITION.
With the consent of the
appropriate department or agency head concerned, the Commission is authorized
to utilize the services of such officers, employees, and other personnel
of the departments and agencies from which functions or offices have been
transferred to the Commission, and funds appropriated to such functions
or offices for such period of time as may reasonably be needed to facilitate
the orderly implementation of this Act.
TITLE VI--REGULATION OF OTC
DERIVATIVES
SEC. 601. REGULATION OF OVER-THE-COUNTER
DERIVATIVES.
(a) IN GENERAL- The Commission
shall prescribe such rules and regulations governing over-the-counter derivatives
dealers and over-the-counter derivatives transactions as may be necessary
and appropriate in the public interest and for the protection of investors
to ensure the safety and soundness of financial markets and the Nation's
economy as a whole, including rules and regulations with respect to--
(1) the eligibility of persons
to trade over-the-counter derivatives;
(2) registration requirements
for over-the-counter derivatives dealers, institutions employing over-the-counter
derivatives dealers, and facilities on which over-the-counter derivatives
transactions are executed, which shall be similar to the registration requirements
prescribed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 for securities dealers,
for institutions employing securities dealers, and for securities exchanges;
(3) adequate capital requirements
for over-the-counter derivatives dealers, that are similar to the net capital
requirements applicable to securities dealers under section 15(c)(3) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934;
(4) adequate collateral
or margin for over-the-counter derivatives transactions, which rules and
regulations shall be prescribed in consultation with the Board of Governors
of the Federal Reserve System;
(5) registration and approval
of facilities for the execution of over-the-counter derivatives transactions;
(6) sales practices, including
sales licensing and training;
(8) internal risk control;
(9) disciplinary procedures;
(10) violations and enforcement;
and
(11) standardized reporting
and recordkeeping requirements.
(b) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS-
(1) IN GENERAL- An over-the-counter
derivatives dealer shall submit to the Commission, in such form and manner
as the Commission may prescribe--
(A) a daily report on price,
volume of transactions, open interest, implied volatility of options contracts,
and the positions of large traders in the over-the-counter derivatives
market; and
(B) a quarterly report on
the over-the-counter derivatives in the dealer's own account, and for each
type of over-the-counter derivative, the currency, maturity, and the underlying
basis for pricing.
(2) DATA ELEMENTS- The Commission
shall prescribe how each feature of an over-the-counter derivatives transaction
is to be reported to the Commission pursuant to paragraph (1).
(3) RETROACTIVE APPLICABILITY-
On registration of an over-the-counter derivatives dealer under this section,
the dealer shall file with the Commission a report of the type described
in paragraph (1)(B) covering the calendar quarter most recently ending
before the registration date.
(c) DEFINITIONS- In this
section:
(1) OVER-THE-COUNTER DERIVATIVES
DEALER- The term `over-the-counter derivatives dealer' means--
(A) any person engaged in
the business of buying, selling, trading, and clearing over-the-counter
derivatives for the person's own account, as an intermediary for others,
through an intermediary, or otherwise; and
(B) any counter party to
the transaction whose exposure to over-the-counter derivatives exceeds
such threshold as the Commission shall prescribe by regulation.
(2) OVER-THE-COUNTER DERIVATIVE-
The term `over-the-counter derivative' means--
(A)(i) any agreement, contract,
or transaction that is not subject to regulation--
(I) under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 as a security (as defined in section 3(a)(10) of such
Act) or a security future product (as defined in section 3(a)(56) of such
Act); or
(II) as a financial instrument
traded on a board of trade which, before December 21, 2000, was designated
by the Commission as a contract market; or
(ii) any condition incorporated
by reference in any such agreement, contract, or transaction; and
(B) the value of which agreement,
contract, transaction, or condition depends on--
(i) an interest rate, exchange
rate, currency, security, security index, credit risk or measure, debt
or equity instrument, index or measure of inflation or other macroeconomic
index;
(ii) any other rate, differential,
index or measure of economic or commercial risk, return, or value;
(iii) any economic or commercial
index based on prices, rates, value or levels that are beyond the control
of any party to the relevant contract, agreement or transaction; or
(iv) an occurrence, extent
of an occurrence, or contingency that is beyond the control of the parties
to the relevant contract, agreement, or transaction.
(1) It shall be a felony
punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000,000 (or $500,000, in the case
of a person who is an individual), imprisonment for not more than 5 years,
or both, together with the costs of prosecution, for:
(A) Any person registered
or required to be registered under this section, or any employee or agent
thereof, to embezzle, steal, purloin, or with criminal intent convert to
the person's use or to the use of another, any money, securities, or property
having a value in excess of $100, which was received by the person or any
employee or agent thereof to margin, guarantee, or secure the trades or
contracts of any customer or accruing to the customer as a result of the
trades or contracts or which otherwise was received from any customer,
client, or pool participant in connection with the business of the person.
In this subparagraph, the term `value' means face, par, or market value,
or cost price, either wholesale or retail, whichever is greater.
(B) Any person to manipulate
or attempt to manipulate the price of any over-the-counter derivative in
interstate commerce, or for future delivery on or subject to the rules
of any entity registered under this section, or to corner or attempt to
corner any such derivative or knowingly to deliver or cause to be delivered
for transmission through the mails or interstate commerce by telegraph,
telephone, wireless, or other means of communication false or misleading
or knowingly inaccurate reports concerning market information or conditions
that affect or tend to affect the price of any derivative in interstate
commerce.
(C) Any person knowingly
to make, or cause to be made, any statement in any application, report,
or document required to be filed under this section or any rule or regulation
under this section or any undertaking contained in a registration statement
required under this section, which statement was false or misleading with
respect to any material fact, or knowingly to omit any material fact required
to be stated in the statement or necessary to make the statements in the
statement not misleading.
(D) Any person willfully
to falsify, conceal, or cover up by any trick, scheme, or artifice a material
fact, make any false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements or representations,
or make or use any false writing or document knowing the same to contain
any false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or entry to an entity registered
under this section acting in furtherance of its official duties under this
section.
(E) Any person willfully
to violate any other provision of this section, or any rule or regulation
under this section, the violation of which is made unlawful or the observance
of which is required under this section, but a person shall not be subject
to imprisonment under this subparagraph for the violation of any rule or
regulation if the person proves that the person had no knowledge of the
rule or regulation.
(2) Any person convicted
of a felony under this subsection shall be suspended from registration
under this section and shall be denied registration or reregistration for
5 years or such longer period as the Commission may determine, and barred
from using, or participating in any manner in, any market regulated by
the Commission for 5 years or such longer period as the Commission shall
determine, on such terms and conditions as the Commission may prescribe,
unless the Commission determines that the imposition of the suspension,
denial of registration or reregistration, or market bar is not required
to protect the public interest. The Commission may upon petition later
review the disqualification and market bar and for good cause shown reduce
the period of the disqualification.
(3) It shall be a felony
punishable by a fine of not more than $500,000, imprisonment for not more
than 5 years, or both, together with the costs of prosecution, for any
Commissioner of the Commission or any employee or agent of the Commission,
to participate, directly or indirectly, in any over-the-counter derivatives
transaction, or any transaction for the delivery of any over-the-counter
derivative under a standardized contract commonly known to the trade as
a margin account, margin contract, leverage account, or leverage contract,
or under any contract, account, arrangement, scheme, or device that the
Commission determines serves the same function or functions as such a standardized
contract, or is marketed or managed in substantially the same manner as
such a standardized contract, or for any such person to participate, directly
or indirectly, in any investment transaction in an over-the-counter derivative
if nonpublic information is used in the investment transaction, if the
investment transaction is prohibited by rule or regulation of the Commission,
or if the investment transaction is effected by means of any instrument
regulated by the Commission. The foregoing prohibitions shall not apply
to any transaction or class of transactions that the Commission, by rule
or regulation, has determined would not be contrary to the public interest
or otherwise inconsistent with the purposes of this paragraph.
(4) It shall be a felony
punishable by a fine of not more than $500,000, imprisonment for not more
than 5 years, or both, together with the costs of prosecution for:
(A) Any Commissioner of
the Commission or any employee or agent of the Commission who, by virtue
of his employment or position, acquires information which may affect or
tend to affect the price of any over-the-counter derivatives transaction
and which information has not been made public to impart such information
with intent to assist another person, directly or indirectly, to participate
in any over-the-counter derivatives transaction or in any transaction for
the delivery of any over-the-counter derivative under a standardized contract
commonly known to the trade as a margin account, margin contract, leverage
account, or leverage contract, or under any contract, account, arrangement,
scheme, or device that the Commission determines serves the same function
or functions as such a standardized contract, or is marketed or managed
in substantially the same manner as such a standardized contract.
(B) Any person to acquire
such information from any Commissioner of the Commission or any employee
or agent of the Commission and to use such information in any over-the-counter
derivatives transaction or in any transaction for the delivery of any over-the-counter
derivative under a standardized contract commonly known to the trade as
a margin account, margin contract, leverage account, or leverage contract,
or under any contract, account, arrangement, scheme, or device that the
Commission determines serves the same function or functions as such a standardized
contract, or is marketed or managed in substantially the same manner as
such a standardized contract.
(5)(A) It shall be a felony
for any person--
(i) who is an employee,
member of the governing board, or member of any entity registered under
this section, in violation of a regulation issued by the Commission, willfully
and knowingly to trade for the person's own account, or for or on behalf
of any other account, in over-the-counter derivatives transactions on the
basis of, or willfully and knowingly to disclose for any purpose inconsistent
with the performance of such person's official duties as an employee or
member, any material nonpublic information obtained through special access
related to the performance of such duties; or
(ii) willfully and knowingly
to trade for the person's own account, or for or on behalf of any other
account, in over-the-counter derivatives transactions on the basis of any
material nonpublic information that the person knows was obtained in violation
of clause (i) from an employee, member of the governing board, or member
of any committee of an entity registered under this section.
(B) The felony shall be
punishable by a fine of not more than $500,000, plus the amount of any
profits realized from the trading or disclosure made in violation of this
paragraph, or imprisonment for not more than 5 years, or both, together
with the costs of prosecution.
(e) PRIVATE RIGHTS OF ACTION-
(1)(A) Any person (other
than an entity registered under this section) who violates this section
or a regulation prescribed under this section or who willfully aids, abets,
counsels, induces, or procures the commission of a violation of this section
or of such a regulation shall be liable for actual damages caused by the
violation to any other person--
(i) who received trading
advice from such person for a fee;
(ii) who purchased or sold
an over-the-counter derivative if the violation constitutes a manipulation
of the price of any such derivative or of a rate, currency, index, measure,
value, or level on which such a derivative is based;
(iii) who made through the
person any contract of sale of any over-the-counter derivative for future
delivery (or option on such a contract or derivative), or who deposited
with or paid to the person money, securities, or property (or incurred
debt in lieu thereof) in connection with any order to make such a contract;
or
(iv) who purchased or sold
a contract referred to in clause (iii) if the violation constitutes a manipulation
of the price of any such contract or the price of any derivative underlying
the contract.
(B) Except as provided in
paragraph (2), the rights of action authorized by this paragraph shall
be the exclusive remedies under this section available to any person who
sustains loss as a result of any alleged violation of this section. This
paragraph shall not be construed to limit or abridge the rights of the
parties to agree in advance of a dispute on any forum for resolving claims
under this subsection, including arbitration.
(C) In an action arising
from a violation in the execution of an order on the floor of an entity
registered under this section, the person referred to in subparagraph (A)
shall be liable for--
(i) actual damages proximately
caused by the violation; and
(ii) if the violation is
willful and intentional, punitive or exemplary damages equal to no more
than twice the amount of the actual damages.
(2)(A)(i) An entity registered
under this section that fails to enforce any bylaw, rule, regulation, or
resolution that the entity is required under this section to enforce, or
that in enforcing any such bylaw, rule, regulation, or resolution violates
this section or any Commission rule, regulation, or order issued under
this section, shall be liable for actual damages sustained by a person
who engaged in any transaction on or subject to the rules of the entity
to the extent of the person's actual losses that resulted from the transaction
and were caused by the failure to enforce or by enforcement of the bylaws,
rules, regulations, or resolutions.
(B) An individual who, in
the capacity as an officer, director, governor, committee member, or employee
of an entity registered under this section willfully aids, abets, counsels,
induces, or procures any failure by any such entity to enforce (or any
violation of this section in enforcing) any bylaw, rule, regulation, or
resolution referred to in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, shall be
liable for actual damages sustained by a person who engaged in any transaction
specified in paragraph (1) of this subsection on, or subject to the rules
of, the entity, to the extent of the person's actual losses that resulted
from the transaction and were caused by the failure or violation.
(C) A person seeking to
enforce liability under this subsection must establish that the entity,
officer, director, governor, committee member, or employee acted in bad
faith in failing to take action or in taking the action as was taken, and
that the failure or action caused the loss.
(D) The rights of action
authorized by this paragraph shall be the exclusive remedy under this section
available to any person who sustains a loss as a result of--
(i) the alleged failure
by an entity registered under this section or by any officer, director,
governor, committee member, or employee to enforce any bylaw, rule, regulation,
or resolution referred to in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, or
(ii) the taking of action
in enforcing any bylaw, rule, regulation, or resolution referred to in
this paragraph that is alleged to have violated this section, or any Commission
rule, regulation, or order issued under this section.
(3) The United States district
courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction of actions brought under this
subsection. Any such action shall be brought not later than 2 years after
the date the cause of action arises. Any action brought under paragraph
(1) may be brought in any judicial district in which the defendant is found,
resides, or transacts business, or in the judicial district in which any
act or transaction constituting the violation occurs. Process in such action
may be served in any judicial district of which the defendant is an inhabitant
or wherever the defendant may be found.
(f) SUPERIORITY TO COMMODITY
EXCHANGE ACT AND THE COMMODITY FUTURES MODERNIZATION ACT OF 2000- In the
event of any conflict between any provision of, or regulation prescribed
under, this section and any provision of, or regulation prescribed under,
the Commodity Exchange Act or the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of
2000, the provison of, or regulation prescribed under, this section shall
control.
(g) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS-
The Commodity Exchange Act is amended--
(1) in section 1a (7 U.S.C.
1a)--
(A) by striking paragraph
(13); and
(B) in paragraph (14), by
striking `an excluded commodity or'; and
(2) in section 2 (7 U.S.C.
2)--
(A) in subsection (c)(1)--
(i) by adding `or' at the
end of subparagraph (E); and
(ii) by striking subparagraph
(F) and redesignating subparagraph (G) as subparagraph (F); and
(B) in subsection (i)(1)(A),
by striking `2(d),'.
TITLE VII--EFFECTIVE DATE
SEC. 701. EFFECTIVE DATE.
(a) IN GENERAL- The provisions
of this Act shall take effect 180 days after the first Commissioner takes
office, or on any later date on or before October 1, 2004, as the President
may prescribe and publish in the Federal Register, except that at any time
on or after the date of enactment of this Act--
(1) any of the officers
provided for in title II of this Act may be nominated and appointed, as
provided in such title; and
(2) the Commission may promulgate
regulations pursuant to section 505(b)(2) of this Act.
(b) TRANSITION EXPENSES-
Funds available to any department or agency (or any official department
or agency or any official or component thereof), the functions or offices
of which are transferred to the Commission by this Act, may, with the approval
of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, be used to pay
the compensation and expenses of any officer appointed pursuant to this
title and other transitional and planning expenses associated with the
establishment of the Commission or transfer of functions or offices thereto
until such time as funds for such purposes are otherwise available.
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