MIAX PEARL, LLC (“MIAX PEARL” or “Exchange”) has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) an application for an exemption under Section 36(a)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) ^[1] from the rule filing requirements of Section 19(b) of the ( printed page 17199) Exchange Act ^[2] with respect to certain rules of the Miami International Securities Exchange, LLC (“MIAX Options” ^[3] ) that the Exchange seeks to incorporate by reference. Section 36 of the Exchange Act authorizes the Commission to conditionally or unconditionally exempt any person, security, or transaction, or any class thereof, from any provision of the Exchange Act or rule thereunder, if necessary or appropriate in the public interest and consistent with the protection of investors.

On September 27, 2017, the Commission approved a proposed rule change by MIAX Options to adopt new Chapter XVIII comprising MIAX Options Rules 1801-1812 (“MIAX Options Index Options Rules”), to accommodate the trading of index options by MIAX Options members and establish generic listing standards and maintenance standards to permit MIAX Options to list “broad-based” and “narrow-based” index options pursuant to Rule 19b-4(e) under the Act.^[4] On February 8, 2018, MIAX PEARL filed a proposed rule change with the Commission to incorporate by reference, in new Chapter XVIII of the MIAX PEARL rulebook, the rules contained in MIAX Options Chapter XVIII.^[5]

MIAX PEARL has requested, pursuant to Rule 0-12 under the Exchange Act,^[6] that the Commission grant the Exchange an exemption from the rule filing requirements of Section 19(b) of the Exchange Act for changes to MIAX PEARL Chapter XVIII that are effected solely by virtue of a change to Chapter XVIII of the MIAX Options rules. Specifically, MIAX PEARL requests that it be permitted to incorporate by reference changes made to each MIAX Options Index Options Rule that is cross-referenced in the MIAX PEARL Chapter XVIII rules,^[7] without the need for the Exchange to file separately the same proposed rule changes pursuant to Section 19(b) of the Exchange Act.^[8] By virtue of these incorporations by reference, MIAX PEARL members will comply with the MIAX Options Index Options Rules by complying with the MIAX Options rules referenced in the MIAX PEARL Chapter XVIII rules.^[9] The Exchange states that the MIAX Options rules the Exchange seeks to incorporate by reference are categories of rules that are regulatory in nature. The Exchange has agreed to provide written notice to its members whenever MIAX Options proposes a change to Chapter XVIII of its Rules.^[10]

The Exchange believes this exemption is appropriate in the public interest and consistent with the protection of investors because it will promote more efficient use of the Exchange's and the Commission's resources by avoiding duplicative rule filings based on simultaneous changes to identical rules sought by more than one self-regulatory organization (“SRO”),^[11] and because it will result in the Exchange's rules being consistent with the relevant cross-referenced MIAX Options rules.

The Commission has issued exemptions similar to the Exchange's request.^[12] In granting one such exemption in 2010, the Commission repeated a prior, 2004 Commission statement that it would consider similar future exemption requests from other SROs, provided that:

• An SRO wishing to incorporate rules of another SRO by reference has submitted a written request for an order exempting it from the requirement in Section 19(b) of the Exchange Act to file proposed rule changes relating to the rules incorporated by reference, has identified the applicable originating SRO(s), together with the rules it wants to incorporate by reference, and otherwise has complied with the procedural requirements set forth in the Commission's release governing procedures for requesting exemptive orders pursuant to Rule 0-12 under the Exchange Act; ^[13]

• The incorporating SRO has requested incorporation of categories of rules (rather than individual rules within a category) that are not trading rules (e.g., the SRO has requested incorporation of rules such as margin, suitability, or arbitration); and
• The incorporating SRO has reasonable procedures in place to provide written notice to its members each time a change is proposed to the incorporated rules of another SRO.^[14]

The Commission believes that the Exchange has satisfied each of these conditions. The Commission also believes that granting the Exchange an exemption from the rule filing requirements under Section 19(b) of the Exchange Act will promote efficient use of Commission and Exchange resources by avoiding duplicative rule filings based on simultaneous changes to identical rule text sought by more than one SRO.^[15] The Commission therefore finds it appropriate in the public interest and consistent with the protection of investors to exempt the Exchange from the rule filing requirements under Section 19(b) of the Exchange Act with respect to the above-described rules it has incorporated by reference. This exemption is ( printed page 17200) conditioned upon the Exchange promptly providing written notice to its members whenever MIAX Options changes a rule that the Exchange has incorporated by reference.

Accordingly, It is ordered, pursuant to Section 36 of the Exchange Act,^[16] that the Exchange is exempt from the rule filing requirements of Section 19(b) of the Exchange Act solely with respect to changes to the rules identified in its request that incorporate by reference certain MIAX Options rules that are the result of changes to such MIAX Options' rules, provided that the Exchange promptly provides written notice to its members whenever MIAX Options proposes to change a rule that the Exchange has incorporated by reference.