Pursuant to the provisions of Pub. L. 100-181, 101 Stat. 1254, 1255 (15 U.S.C. 78d-1, 78d-2), the Securities and Exchange Commission hereby delegates, until the Commission orders otherwise, the following functions to the Director of the Office of Municipal Securities to be performed by the Director or under the Director's direction by such person or persons as may be designated from time to time by the Chairman of the Commission:

(a) With respect to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78a et seq.):

(1) Pursuant to section 15B of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78o-4):

(i) To authorize the issuance of orders granting registration of municipal advisors within 45 days of the filing of an application for registration as a municipal advisor (or within such longer period as to which the applicant consents); and

(ii) To authorize the issuance of orders canceling the registration of a municipal advisor, if such municipal advisor is no longer in existence or has ceased to do business as a municipal advisor.

(2) Pursuant to section 19(b) of the Act, 15 U.S.C. 78s(b), and §240.19b-4 of this chapter (Rule 19b-4), to publish notices of proposed rule changes filed by the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board and to approve such proposed rule changes, and to find good cause to approve a proposed rule change earlier than 30 days after the date of publication of such proposed rule change and to publish the reasons for such finding. Pursuant to section 19(b) of the Act, 15 U.S.C. 78s(b), and Rule 19b-4 (§240.19b-4 of this chapter), to disapprove a proposed rule change, provided that, with respect to a particular proposed rule change, if two (2) or more Commissioners object in writing to the Director within five (5) business days of being notified by the Director that the Office intends to exercise its authority to disapprove that particular proposed rule change, then the delegation of authority to approve or disapprove that proposal is withdrawn, and the Director shall either present a recommendation to the Commission or institute pursuant to delegated authority proceedings to determine whether the proposed rule change should be disapproved. In addition, pursuant to section 19(b)(10) of the Act, 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(10), to notify the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board that a proposed rule change does not comply with the rules of the Commission relating to the required form of a proposed rule change, and to determine that a proposed rule change is unusually lengthy and complex or raises novel regulatory issues and to inform the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board of such determination.

(3) Pursuant to section 15B(a) of the Act [15 U.S.C. 78o-4(a)], to authorize the issuance of orders granting registration of municipal securities dealers within forty-five days of the filing of an application for registration as a municipal securities dealer (or within such longer period as to which the applicant consents).

(4)

(i) To grant and deny applications for confidential treatment filed pursuant to section 24(b) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78x(b)) and §240.24b-2 of this chapter (Rule 24b-2 thereunder);

(ii) To revoke a grant of confidential treatment for any such application.

(5) Pursuant to section 17(b) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78q(b)), prior to any examination of a registered municipal securities dealer whose appropriate regulatory agency is not the Commission, to notify and consult with the appropriate regulatory agency for such municipal securities dealer.

(6) Pursuant to section 17(c)(3) of the Act, 15 U.S.C. 78q(c)(3), in regard to municipal securities dealers for which the Commission is not the appropriate regulatory agency:

(i) To notify the appropriate regulatory agency of any examination conducted by the Commission of any such municipal securities dealer;

(ii) To request from the appropriate regulatory agency a copy of the report of any examination of any such municipal securities dealer conducted by such appropriate regulatory agency and any data supplied to it in connection with such examination; and

(iii) To furnish to the appropriate regulatory agency on request a copy of the report of any examination of any such municipal securities dealer conducted by the Commission and any data supplied to it in connection with such examination.

(7) Pursuant to section 19(b)(2)(A) of the Act, 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2)(A), to extend for a period not exceeding 90 days from the date of publication of notice of the filing of a proposed rule change by the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board pursuant to section 19(b)(1) of the Act, 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1), the period during which the Commission must by order approve or disapprove the proposed rule change or institute proceedings to determine whether the proposed rule change should be disapproved and to determine whether such longer period is appropriate and publish the reasons for such determination.

(8) Pursuant to 17 CFR 15c2-12(e) (Rule 15c2-12(e)), to grant or deny exemptions, either unconditionally or on specified terms and conditions, from Rule 15c2-12.

(9) To administer the provisions of §240.24c-1 of this chapter; provided that access to nonpublic information as defined in §240.24c-1 shall be provided only with the concurrence of the head of the Commission division or office responsible for such information or the files containing such information.

(10) To administer the provisions of section 24(d) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78x(d)).

(11) Pursuant to section 19(b)(2) of the Act, 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2), and section 19(b)(3) of the Act, 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3), to institute proceedings to determine whether a proposed rule change of the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board should be disapproved and to provide to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board notice of the grounds for disapproval under consideration. If the Commission has not taken action on a proposed rule change for which delegated authority has been withdrawn under paragraph (a)(12) of this section prior to the expiration of the applicable time period specified in section 19(b)(2) of the Act, 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2), then the Director shall institute pursuant to delegated authority proceedings to determine whether the proposed rule change should be disapproved. In addition, pursuant to section 19(b)(2)(B) of the Act, 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2)(B), to extend for a period not exceeding 240 days from the date of publication of notice of the filing of a proposed rule change pursuant to section 19(b)(1) of the Act, 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1), the period during which the Commission must issue an order approving or disapproving the proposed rule change and to determine whether such longer period is appropriate and publish the reasons for such determination.

(12) Pursuant to section 19(b)(3)(C) of the Act, 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(C), to temporarily suspend a change in the rules of the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board.

(13) Pursuant to §240.19b-4(f)(6)(iii) of this chapter (Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii)), to reduce the period before which a proposed rule change can become operative, and to reduce the period between an Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board submission of a filing and a pre-filing notification.

(14) Pursuant to section 36 of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78mm), to review and grant or deny exemptions from the rule filing requirements of section 19(b) (15 U.S.C. 78s(b)) of the Act, in a case where the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board elects to incorporate by reference one or more rules of another self-regulatory organization, provided that the following specified terms and conditions are met:

(i) The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, when electing to incorporate rules of another self-regulatory organization, has requested to incorporate rules other than trading rules (e.g., the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board has requested to incorporate rules such as margin, suitability, arbitration);

(ii) The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, when electing to incorporate rules of another self-regulatory organization has requested to incorporate by reference categories of rules (rather than to incorporate individual rules within a category); and

(iii) The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board has reasonable procedures in place to provide written notice to its members each time a change is proposed to the incorporated rules of another self-regulatory organization.

(b) To consult on behalf of the Commission pursuant to section 18(t)(1) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1828(t)(1)) with respect to matters described in §200.19a.

(c) Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing, in any case in which the Director of the Office of Municipal Securities believes it appropriate, he may submit the matter to the Commission.

[78 FR 67632, Nov. 12, 2013, as amended at 86 FR 9445, Feb. 16, 2021]