[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 80 (Tuesday, April 27, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 22588]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-10580]


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COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION

17 CFR Parts 1 and 30


Access to Automated Boards of Trade

AGENCY: Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

ACTION: Extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (``Commission'') 
published proposed rules concerning access to automated boards of trade 
on March 24, 1999 (64 FR 14159). Comments on the proposed rules were 
originally due on April 23, 1999. By letter dated April 11, 1999, David 
P. Brennan, Chairman of the Chicago Board of Trade, M. Scott Gordon, 
Chairman of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Daniel Rappaport, Chairman 
of the New York Mercantile Exchange, and John M. Damgard, President of 
the Futures Industry Association, jointly have requested (collectively 
the ``Brennan Request'') that the Commission extend the comment period 
on the proposed rules concerning Access to Automated Boards of Trade 
(``proposed rules'') for an additional seven days. Each of these 
organizations had earlier requested sixty-day extensions of the comment 
period, but the Brennan Request withdrew these requests. In addition, 
the Commission has received three written requests for an extension of 
the comment period on the proposed rules for an additional sixty 
days.\1\ The commenters generally cited the complexity of the proposed 
rules in support of their requests for additional time to finalize 
their views. In light of the fact that the Commission issued a concept 
release on this matter and provided a comment period of seventy-five 
days thereon, as well as the fact that the Commission held a Roundtable 
discussion on April 20, 1999, on the proposed rules, the Commission 
believes that a sixty-day extension of the comment period is 
unwarranted. However, the Commission has determined to grant a seven-
day extension of the deadline for comments on the proposed rules, so 
that comments must now be submitted by April 30, 1999.

    \1\ Written requests for an extension of the comment period were 
received from the Singapore International Monetary Exchange Limited, 
ABN-AMRO Incorporated and the Committee on Derivatives and Futures 
Law of the New York State Bar Association.
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DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 30, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Any person interested in submitting comments on the proposed 
rules should submit them by the specified date to Jean A. Webb, 
Secretary, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Three Lafayette 
Centre, 1155 21st Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20581. In addition, 
comments may be sent by facsimile transmission to facsimile number 
(202) 418-5521 or by electronic mail to [email protected]. Reference 
should be made to ``Access to Automated Boards of Trade.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please contact David M. Battan, Chief 
Counsel, Lawrence B. Patent, Associate Chief Counsel, or Charles T. 
O'Brien, Attorney Advisor, Division of Trading and Markets, Commodity 
Futures Trading Commission, Three Lafayette Centre, 21st Street, N.W., 
Washington, D.C. 20581. Telephone number (202) 418-5450.

    Issued in Washington, D.C., on this 22nd day of April, 1999, by 
the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Jean A. Webb,
Secretary of the Commission.
[FR Doc. 99-10580 Filed 4-26-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6351-01-M