Securities Lawyer's Deskbook                          published by The University of Cincinnati College of Law

Rule 17f-2 -- Fingerprinting of Securities Industry Personnel

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1. Exemptions for the fingerprinting requirement. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (a)(1) or (2) of this section, every member of a national securities exchange, broker, dealer, registered transfer agent and registered clearing agency shall require that each of its partners, directors, officers and employees be fingerprinted and shall submit, or cause to be submitted, the fingerprints of such persons to the Attorney General of the United States or its designee for identification and appropriate processing.
   
   

   1. Permissive exemptions. Every member of a national securities exchange, broker, dealer, registered transfer agent and registered clearing agency may claim one or more of the exemptions in paragraph (a)(1)(i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) of this section; Provided, That all the requirements of paragraph (e) of this section are also satisfied.
      
      
      1. Member of a national securities exchange, broker, dealer or registered clearing agency. Every person who is a partner, director, officer or employee of a member of a national securities exchange, broker, dealer, or registered clearing agency shall be exempt if that person:
         
         
         1. Is not engaged in the sale of securities;
            
            
         2. Does not regularly have access to the keeping, handling or processing of

            1. securities,

            2. monies, or

            3. the original books and records relating to the securities or the monies; and
               
               
         3. Does not have direct supervisory responsibility over persons engaged in the activities referred to in paragraphs (a)(1)(i)(A) and (B) of this section.
            
            

      2. Registered transfer agents. Every person who is a partner, director, officer or employee of a registered transfer agent shall be exempt if that person:
         
         
         1. Is not engaged in transfer agent functions (as defined in Section 3(a)(25) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) or activities incidental thereto; or

         2. Meets the conditions in paragraphs (a)(1)(i)(B) and (C) of this section.

      3. Registered broker-dealers engaged in sales of certain securities. Every partner, director, officer and employee of a registered broker or dealer who satisfies paragraph (a)(1)(i)(B) of this section shall be exempt if that broker or dealer:
         
         
         1. Is engaged exclusively in the sale of shares of registered open-end management investment companies, variable contracts, or interests in limited partnerships, unit investment trusts or real estate investment trusts; Provided, That those securities ordinarily are not evidenced by certificates;
            
            
         2. Is current in its continuing obligation under Rule 15b1-1 and 15b3-1(b) to update Item 10 of Form BD to disclose the existence of any statutory disqualification set forth in Sections 3(a)(39), 15(b)(4) and 15(b)(6) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934;
            
            
         3. Has insurance or bonding indemnifying it for losses to customers caused by the fraudulent or criminal acts of any of its partners, directors, officers or employees for whom an exemption is being claimed under paragraph (a)(1)(iii) of this section; and

         4. Is subject to the jurisdiction of a state insurance department with respect to its sale of variable contracts.
            
            
      4. Illegible fingerprint cards. Every person who is a partner, director, officer or employee shall be exempt if that member of a national securities exchange, broker, dealer, registered transfer agent or registered clearing agency, on at least three occasions:
         
         
         1. Attempts in good faith to obtain from such person a complete set of fingerprints acceptable to the Attorney General or its designee for identification and appropriate processing by requiring that person to be fingerprinted, by having that person's fingerprints rolled by a person competent to do so and by submitting the fingerprint cards for that person to the Attorney General of the United States or its designee in accordance with proper procedures;
            
            
         2. Has that person's fingerprint cards returned to it by the Attorney General of the United States or its designee without that person's fingerprints having been identified because the fingerprints were illegible; and
            
            
         3. Retains the returned fingerprint cards and any other required records in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section and Rule 17a-3(a)(13), 17a-4(e)(2) and Rule 17Ad-7(e)(1) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
            
            
   2. Other exemptions by application to the Commission. The Commission, upon specified terms, conditions and periods, may grant exemptions to any class of partners, directors, officers or employees of any member of a national securities exchange, broker, dealer, registered transfer agent or registered clearing agency, if the Commission finds that such action is not inconsistent with the public interest or the protection of investors.
      
      
2. Fingerprinting pursuant to other law. Every member of a national securities exchange, broker, dealer, registered transfer agent and registered clearing agency may satisfy the fingerprinting requirement of Section 17(f)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as to any partner, director, officer or employee, if:

   1. The person, in connection with his or her present employment with such organization, has been fingerprinted pursuant to any other law, statute, rule or regulation of any state or federal government or agency thereof;
      
      
   2. The fingerprint cards for that person are submitted, or are caused to be submitted, to the Attorney General of the United States or its designee for identification and appropriate processing, and the Attorney General or its designee has processed those fingerprint cards; and
      
      
   3. The processed fingerprint cards or any substitute records, together with any information received from the Attorney General or its designee, are maintained in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section.
      
      
3. Fingerprinting plans of self-regulatory organizations. The fingerprinting requirement of Section 17(f)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 may be satisfied by submitting appropriate and complete fingerprint cards to a registered national securities exchange or to a registered national securities association which, pursuant to a plan filed with, and declared effective by, the Commission, forwards such fingerprint cards to the Attorney General of the United States or its designee for identification and appropriate processing. Any plan filed by a registered national securities exchange or a registered national securities association shall not become effective, unless declared effective by the Commission as not inconsistent with the public interest or the protection of investors; and, in declaring any such plan effective, the Commission may impose any terms and conditions relating to the provisions of the plan and the period of its effectiveness as it may deem necessary or appropriate in the public interest, for the protection of investors, or otherwise in furtherance of the purposes of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

4. Record maintenance-

   1. Maintenance of processed fingerprint cards and other related information. Every member of a national securities exchange, broker, dealer, registered transfer agent and registered clearing agency shall maintain the processed fingerprint card or any substitute record when such card is not returned after processing, together with any information received from the Attorney General or its designee, for every person required to be fingerprinted under Section 17(f)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and for persons who have complied with this section pursuant to paragraph (b) or (c) of this section. Every substitute record shall state the name of the person whose fingerprint card was submitted to the Attorney General of the United States, the name of the member of a national securities exchange, broker, dealer, registered transfer agent or registered clearing agency that submitted the fingerprint card, the name of the person or organization that rolled the fingerprints, the date on which the fingerprints were rolled, and the date the fingerprint card was submitted to the Attorney General of the United States. The processed fingerprint card and every other substitute record containing the information required by this paragraph, together with any information received from the Attorney General of the United States, shall be kept in an easily accessible place at the organization's principal office and shall be made available upon request to the Commission, the appropriate regulatory agency (if not the Commission) or other designated examining authority. The organization's principal office must provide to the regional, branch or satellite office actually employing the person written evidence that the person's fingerprints have been processed by the FBI, and must provide to that office a copy of any criminal history record information received from the FBI. All fingerprint cards, records and information required to be maintained under this paragraph shall be retained for a period of not less than three years after termination of that person's employment or relationship with the organization.
      
      
   2. Record maintenance by designated examining authorities. The records required to be maintained and preserved by a member of a national securities exchange, broker, or dealer pursuant to the requirements of paragraph (d)(1) of this section may be maintained and preserved on behalf of that member, broker, or dealer by a self-regulatory organization that is also the designated examining authority for that member, broker or dealer, Provided That the self-regulatory organization has filed in accordance with Rule 17f-2(c) a fingerprinting plan or amendments to an existing plan concerning the storage and maintenance of records and that plan, as amended, has been declared effective by the Commission, and Provided Further That:
      
      
      1. Such records are subject at any time, or from time to time, to reasonable periodic, special or other examinations by representatives of the Commission; and
         
         
      2. The self-regulatory organization furnishes to the Commission, upon demand, at either the principal office or at the regional office complete, correct and current hard copies of any and all such records.
         
         
   3. Reproduction of records on microfilm. The records required to be maintained pursuant to paragraph (d)(1) of this section may be produced or reproduced on microfilm and preserved in that form. If such microfilm substitution for hard copy is made by a member of a national securities exchange, broker, dealer, registered transfer agent or registered clearing agency, or by a self-regulatory organization maintaining and storing records pursuant to paragraph (d)(2) of this section, it shall at all times:
      
      
      1. Have available for examination by the Commission, the appropriate regulatory agency (if not the Commission) or other designated examining authority, facilities for the immediate, easily readable projection of the microfilm and for the production of easily readable and legible facsimile enlargements;
         
         
      2. File and index the films in such a manner as to permit the immediate location and retrieval of any particular record;
         
         
      3. Be ready to provide, and immediately provide, any facsimile enlargement which the Commission, the appropriate regulatory agency (if not the Commission) or other designated examining authority by their examiners or other representatives may request; and
         
         
      4. For the period for which the microfilm records are required to be maintained, store separately from the original microfilm records a copy of the microfilm records.
         
         
5. Notice requirement. Every member of a national securities exchange, broker, dealer, registered transfer agent and registered clearing agency that claims one or more of the exemptions in paragraph (a) of this section shall make and keep current a statement entitled ``Notice Pursuant to Rule 17f-2'' containing the information specified in paragraph (e)(1) of this section.

   1. Contents of statement. The Notice required by paragraph (e) of this section shall:
      
      
      1. State the name of the organization and state whether it is a member of a national securities exchange, broker, dealer, registered transfer agent, or registered clearing agency;
         
         
      2. Identify by division, department, class, or name and position within the organization all persons who are claimed to have satisfied the fingerprinting requirement of Section 17(f)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section;
         
         
      3. Identify by division, department, class, title or position within the organization all persons claimed to be exempt under paragraphs (a)(1)(i)-(iii) of this section, and identify by name all persons claimed to be exempt under paragraph (a)(1)(iv). Persons identified under this paragraph (e)(1)(iii) shall be exempt from the requirement of Section 17(f)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 unless notified to the contrary by the Commission;
         
         
      4. Describe, in generic terms, the nature of the duties of the person or classes of persons, and the nature of the functions and operations of the divisions and departments, identified as exempt in paragraph (e)1 of this section; and
         
         
      5. Describe the security measures utilized to ensure that only those persons who have been fingerprinted in accordance with the fingerprinting requirement of Section 17(f)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or who are exempt under paragraph (a)(1)(iv) of this section have access to the keeping, handling or processing of securities or monies or the original books and records relating thereto.
         
         
   2. Record maintenance. A copy of the Notice required to be made and kept current under paragraph (e) of this section shall be kept in an easily accessible place at the organization's principal office and at the office employing the persons for whom exemptions are claimed and shall be made available upon request for inspection by the Commission, appropriate regulatory agency (if not the Commission) or other designated examining authority.
      
      
   3. Exemption from the notice requirement. A registered transfer agent that performs transfer agent functions only on behalf of itself as an issuer and that receives fewer than 500 items for transfer and fewer than 500 items for processing during any six consecutive months shall be exempt from the notice requirement of paragraph (c) of this section.
      
      

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