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CUSIP Numbers and New Issue Requirements

 

 

Rule G-34. (a) New Issue Securities.

(i) Assignment of CUSIP Numbers.

(A) Except as otherwise provided in this section (a), each broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer who acquires, whether as principal or agent, a new issue of municipal securities from the issuer of such securities for the purpose of distributing such new issue (“underwriter”) shall apply in writing to the Board or its designee for assignment of a CUSIP number or numbers to such new issue. The underwriter shall make such application as promptly as possible, but in no event later than, in the case of negotiated sales, a time sufficient to ensure assignment of a CUSIP number or numbers prior to the time the contract to purchase the securities from the issuer is executed; or, in the case of competitive sales, the time of the first execution of a transaction in the new issue by the underwriter. A broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer acting as a financial advisor to an issuer in connection with a competitive sale of an issue shall ensure that application for a CUSIP number or numbers is made in sufficient time to permit assignment of CUSIP numbers prior to the time of award. In making an application for CUSIP number assignment, the following information shall be provided:

(1) complete name of issue and series designation, if any;

(2) interest rate(s) and maturity date(s) (provided, however, that, if the interest rate is not established at the time of application, it may be provided at such time as it becomes available);

(3) dated date;

(4) type of issue (e.g., general obligation, limited tax or revenue);

(5) type of revenue, if the issue is a revenue issue;

(6) details of all redemption provisions;

(7) the name of any company or other person in addition to the issuer obligated, directly or indirectly, with respect to the debt service on all or part of the issue (and, if part of the issue, an indication of which part); and

(8) any distinction(s) in the security or source of payment of the debt service on the issue, and an indication of the part(s) of the issue to which such distinction(s) relate.

(B) The information required by subparagraph (i)(A) of this section (a) shall be provided in accordance with the provisions of this subparagraph. The application shall include a copy of a notice of sale, official statement, legal opinion, or other similar documentation prepared by or on behalf of the issuer, or portions of such documentation, reflecting the information required by subparagraph (i)(A) of this section (a). Such documentation may be submitted in preliminary form if no final documentation is available at the time of application. In such event the final documentation, or the relevant portions of such documentation, reflecting any changes in the information required by subparagraph (i)(A) of this section (a) shall be submitted when such documentation becomes available. If no such documentation, whether in preliminary or final form, is available at the time application for CUSIP number assignment is made, such copy shall be provided promptly after the documentation becomes available.

(C) The provisions of paragraph (i) of this section (a) shall not apply with respect to any new issue of municipal securities on which the issuer or a person acting on behalf of the issuer has submitted an application for assignment of a CUSIP number or numbers.

(D) In the event that the proceeds of the new issue will be used, in whole or in part, to refund an outstanding issue or issues of municipal securities in such a way that part but not all of the outstanding issue or issues previously assigned a single CUSIP number is to be refunded to one or more redemption date(s) and price(s) (or all of an outstanding issue is to be refunded to more than one redemption date and price), the broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer shall apply in writing to the Board or its designee for a reassignment of a CUSIP number to each part of the outstanding issue refunded to a particular redemption date and price and shall provide to the Board or its designee the following information on the issue or issues to be refunded:

(1) the previously assigned CUSIP number of each such part or issue;

(2) for each such CUSIP number, the redemption dates and prices, to be established by the refunding;

(3) for each such redemption date and price, a designation of the portion of such part or issue (e.g., the designation of use of proceeds, series, or certificate numbers) to which such redemption date and price applies.

The underwriter also shall provide documentation supporting the information provided pursuant to the requirements of this subparagraph (D).

(ii) Application for Depository Eligibility, CUSIP Number Affixture and Initial Communications. Each underwriter shall carry out the following functions:

(A) Except as otherwise provided in this subparagraph (ii)(A), the underwriter shall apply to a securities depository registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, in accordance with the rules and procedures of such depository, to make such new issue depository-eligible. The application required by this subparagraph (ii)(A) shall be made as promptly as possible, but in no event later than one business day after award from the issuer (in the case of a competitive sale) or one business day after the execution of the contract to purchase the securities from the issuer (in the case of a negotiated sale). In the event that the full documentation and information required to establish depository eligibility is not available at the time the initial application is submitted to the depository, the underwriter shall forward such documentation as soon as it is available; provided, however, this subparagraph (ii)(A) of this rule shall not apply to:

(1) an issue of municipal securities that fails to meet the criteria for depository eligibility at all depositories that accept municipal securities for deposit; or

(2) any new issue maturing in 60 days or less.

(B) The underwriter, prior to the delivery of such securities to any other person, shall affix to, or arrange to have affixed to, the securities certificates of such new issue the CUSIP number assigned to such new issue. If more than one CUSIP number is assigned to the new issue, each such number shall be affixed to the securities certificates of that part of the issue to which such number relates.

(C) The underwriter shall as promptly as possible announce each item of information listed below in a manner reasonably designed to reach market participants that may trade the new issue. All information shall be announced no later than the time of the first execution of a transaction in the new issue by the underwriter.

(1) the CUSIP number or numbers assigned to the issue and descriptive information sufficient to identify the CUSIP number corresponding to each part of the issue assigned a specific CUSIP number; and

(2) the time of formal award.  For purposes of this subparagraph (a)(ii)(C), time of formal award shall mean, for competitive issues, the time the issuer announces the award, and, for negotiated issues, the time the contract to purchase the securities from the issuer is executed.

(D) For any new issue of municipal securities eligible for comparison through the automated comparison facilities of a registered clearing agency under section (f) of rule G-12, the underwriter shall provide the registered securities clearing agency responsible for comparing when, as and if issued transactions with:

(1) final interest rate and maturity information about the new issue as soon as it is available; and

(2) the settlement date of the new issue as soon as it is known and shall immediately inform the registered clearing agency of any changes in such settlement date.

(iii) Underwriting Syndicate. In the event a syndicate or similar account has been formed for the purchase of a new issue of municipal securities, the managing underwriter shall take the actions required of the underwriter under the provisions of this section (a).

(b) Secondary Market Securities.

(i) Each broker, dealer, or municipal securities dealer that, in connection with a sale or an offering for sale of part of a maturity of an issue of municipal securities, acquires or arranges for the acquisition of a transferable instrument applicable to such part which alters the security or source of payment of such part shall apply in writing to the Board or its designee for the assignment of a CUSIP number to designate the part of the maturity of the issue which is the subject of the instrument when traded with the instrument attached. Such instruments shall include (A) insurance with respect to the payment of debt service on such portion, (B) a put option or tender option, (C) a letter of credit or guarantee, or (D) any other similar device. This paragraph (i) shall not apply with respect to any part of an outstanding maturity of an issue of municipal securities with respect to which a CUSIP number that is applicable to such part when traded with an instrument which alters the security or source of payment of such part has already been assigned.

(ii) Each broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer, in connection with a sale or an offering for sale of part of a maturity of an issue of municipal securities which is assigned a CUSIP number that no longer designates securities identical with respect to all features of the issue listed in items (1) through (8) of subparagraph (a)(i)(A) of this rule, shall apply in writing to the Board or its designee for a new CUSIP number or numbers to designate the part or parts of the maturity which are identical with respect to items (1) through (8) of subparagraph (a)(i)(A).

(iii) The broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer shall make the application required under this section (b) as promptly as possible, and shall provide to the Board or its designee:

(A) the previously assigned CUSIP number;

(B) all information on the features of the maturity of the issue listed in items (1) through (8) of subparagraph (a)(i)(A) of this rule and documentation of the features of such maturity sufficient to evidence the basis for CUSIP number assignment; and,

(C) if the application is based on an instrument affecting the source of payment or security for a part of a maturity of an issue, information on the nature of the instrument, including the name of any party obligated with respect to debt service under the terms of such instrument and documentation sufficient to evidence the nature of the instrument.

(c) Exemptions. The provisions of this rule shall not apply to an issue of municipal securities (or for the purpose of section (b) any part of an outstanding maturity of an issue) which (i) does not meet the eligibility criteria for CUSIP number assignment or (ii) consists entirely of municipal fund securities.

(d) NIIDS Registration and Testing Requirements.  NIIDS is an automated, electronic system that receives comprehensive new issue information on a market-wide basis for the purposes of establishing depository eligibility and immediately re-disseminating such information to information vendors supplying formatted municipal securities information for use in automated trade processing systems.  It is operated by Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC), a securities clearing agency registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission providing depository services for municipal securities.

(i) NIIDS Registration.  Prior to acting as underwriter for a new issue of municipal securities with nine months or greater effective maturity, each broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer must register to use NIIDS with DTCC.

(ii) NIIDS Testing.

(A)  NIIDS Web Interface.  Prior to acting as underwriter for a new issue of municipal securities with nine months or greater effective maturity, each broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer shall test its capability to use NIIDS by successfully submitting two test new issues using the NIIDS Web Interface.

(B)  NIIDS Autofeed Interface.  Prior to acting as underwriter for a new issue of municipal securities with nine months or greater effective maturity, each broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer that plans to establish computer-to-computer connections with NIIDS (either directly or through a vendor) shall test its capability to use NIIDS by successfully submitting two test new issues using computer-to-computer connections.

(iii) NIIDS Start-Up.  Each broker, dealer or municipal security dealer that has acted at any time after September 30, 2007 and plans to continue to act as an underwriter for a new issue of municipal securities with nine months or greater effective maturity shall complete the requirements of this section (d) by no later than September 15, 2008.

 

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