(a) Application. An application for registration of a security-based swap dealer or a major security-based swap participant that is filed pursuant to Section 15F(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78o-10(b)) shall be filed on Form SBSE (§249.1600 of this chapter) or Form SBSE-A (§249.1600a of this chapter) or Form SBSE-BD (§249.1600b of this chapter), as appropriate, in accordance with paragraph (c) and the instructions to the forms. Applicants shall also file as part of their application the required certifications on Form SBSE-C (§249.1600c of this chapter).

(b) Senior Officer Certification. A senior officer shall certify on Form SBSE-C (§249.1600c of this chapter) that;

(1) After due inquiry, he or she has reasonably determined that the security-based swap dealer or major security-based swap participant has developed and implemented written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent violation of federal securities laws and the rules thereunder, and

(2) He or she has documented the process by which he or she reached such determination.

(c) Filing—

(1) Electronic filing. Every application for registration of a security-based swap dealer or major security-based swap participant and any additional registration documents shall be filed electronically with the Commission through the Commission's EDGAR system.

(2) Filing date. An application of a security-based swap dealer or a major security-based swap participant submitted pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section shall be considered filed when an applicant has submitted a complete Form SBSE-C (§249.1600c of this chapter) and a complete Form SBSE (§249.1600 of this chapter), Form SBSE-A (§249.1600a of this chapter), or Form SBSE-BD (§249.1600b of this chapter), as appropriate, and all required additional documents electronically with the Commission.

(d) Conditional registration.

(1) An applicant that has submitted a complete Form SBSE-C (§249.1600c of this chapter) and a complete Form SBSE (§249.1600 of this chapter) or Form SBSE-A (§249.1600a of this chapter) or Form SBSE-BD (§249.1600b of this chapter), as applicable, in accordance with paragraph (c) within the time periods set forth in §240.3a67-8 (if the person is a major security-based swap participant) or §240.3a71-2(b) (if the person is a security-based swap dealer), and has not withdrawn its registration shall be conditionally registered.

(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (d)(1) of this section, an applicant that is a nonresident security-based swap dealer or nonresident major security-based swap participant (each as defined in §240.15Fb2-4(a)) that is unable to provide the certification and opinion of counsel required by §240.15Fb2-4(c)(1) shall instead provide a conditional certification and opinion of counsel as discussed in paragraph (d)(3) of this section, and upon the provision of such conditional certification and opinion of counsel, shall be conditionally registered, if the nonresident applicant submits a Form SBSE-C (§249.1600c of this chapter) and a Form SBSE (§249.1600 of this chapter), SBSE-A (§249.1600a of this chapter) or SBSE-BD (§249.1600b of this chapter), as applicable, in accordance with paragraph (c) of this section within the time periods set forth in §240.3a67-8 (if the person is a major security-based swap participant) or §240.3a71-2(b) (if the person is a security-based swap dealer), that is complete in all respects but for the failure to provide the certification and the opinion of counsel required by §240.15Fb2-4(c)(1), and has not withdrawn from registration.

(3) For purposes of this section, a conditional certification and opinion of counsel means a certification as required by §240.15Fb2-4(c)(1)(i) and an opinion of counsel as required by §240.15Fb2-4(c)(1)(ii) that identify, and are conditioned upon, the occurrence of a future action that would provide the Commission with adequate assurances of prompt access to the books and records of the nonresident security-based swap dealer or nonresident major security-based swap participant, and the ability of the nonresident security-based swap dealer or nonresident major security-based swap participant to submit to onsite inspection and examination by the Commission. Such future action could include:

(i) Entry by the Commission and the foreign financial regulatory authority of the jurisdiction(s) in which the nonresident security-based swap dealer or nonresident major security-based swap participant maintains the books and records that are addressed by the certification and opinion of counsel required by §240.15Fb2-4(c)(1) into a memorandum of understanding, agreement, protocol, or other regulatory arrangement providing the Commission with adequate assurances of:

(A) Prompt access to the books and records of the nonresident security-based swap dealer or nonresident major security-based swap participant; and

(B) The ability of the nonresident security-based swap dealer or nonresident major security-based swap participant to submit to onsite inspection or examination by the Commission; or

(ii) Issuance by the Commission of an order granting substituted compliance in accordance with §240.3a71-6 to the jurisdiction(s) in which the nonresident security-based swap dealer or nonresident major security-based swap participant maintains the books and records that are addressed by the certification and opinion of counsel required by §240.15Fb2-4(c)(1); or

(iii) Any other action that would provide the Commission with the assurances required by §240.15Fb2-4(c)(1)(i) and by §240.15Fb2-4(c)(1)(ii).

(e) Commission Decision.

(1) The Commission may deny or grant ongoing registration to a security-based swap dealer or major security-based swap participant based on a security-based swap dealer's or major security-based swap participant's application, filed pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section. The Commission will grant ongoing registration if it finds that the requirements of section 15F(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78o-10(b)) are satisfied. The Commission may institute proceedings to determine whether ongoing registration should be denied if it does not or cannot make such finding or if the applicant is subject to a statutory disqualification (as described in sections 3(a)(39)(A) through (F) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(39)(A)-(F)), or the Commission is aware of inaccurate statements in the application. Such proceedings shall include notice of the grounds for denial under consideration and opportunity for hearing. At the conclusion of such proceedings, the Commission shall grant or deny such registration.

(2) If an applicant that is a nonresident security-based swap dealer or nonresident major security-based swap participant has become conditionally registered in reliance on paragraph (d)(2) of this section, the applicant will remain conditionally registered until the Commission acts to grant or deny ongoing registration in accordance with (e)(1) of this section. If none of the future actions in paragraph (d)(3) that are included in an applicant's conditional certification and opinion of counsel occurs within 24 months of the compliance date for §240.15Fb2-1, and there is not otherwise a basis that would provide the Commission with the assurances required by §240.15Fb2-4(c)(1)(i) and by §240.15Fb2-4(c)(1)(ii), the Commission may institute proceedings thereafter to determine whether ongoing registration should be denied, in accordance with paragraph (e)(1) of this section.

[80 FR 49013, Aug. 14, 2015, as amended at 85 FR 6352, Feb. 4, 2020]