(a) Statutory authority. The Commission has adopted the regulations in this part pursuant to its authority under sections 8a(5) and 20 of the Act. Section 8a(5) provides general rulemaking authority to effectuate the provisions and accomplish the purposes of the Act. Section 20 provides that the Commission may, notwithstanding title 11 of the United States Code, adopt certain rules or regulations governing a proceeding involving a commodity broker that is a debtor under subchapter IV of chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code. Specifically, the Commission is authorized to adopt rules or regulations specifying:

(1) That certain cash, securities, or other property, or commodity contracts, are to be included in or excluded from customer property or member property;

(2) That certain cash, securities, or other property, or commodity contracts, are to be specifically identifiable to a particular customer in a particular capacity;

(3) The method by which the business of the commodity broker is to be conducted or liquidated after the date of the filing of the petition under chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code, including the payment and allocation of margin with respect to commodity contracts not specifically identifiable to a particular customer pending their orderly liquidation;

(4) Any persons to which customer property and commodity contracts may be transferred under section 766 of the Bankruptcy Code; and

(5) How a customer's net equity is to be determined.

(b) Organization. This part is organized into three subparts. This subpart contains general provisions applicable in all cases. Subpart B of this part contains provisions that apply when the debtor is a futures commission merchant (as that term is defined in the Act or Commission regulations). This includes acting as a foreign futures commission merchant, as defined in section 761(12) of the Bankruptcy Code, but excludes a person that is “notice-registered” as a futures commission merchant pursuant to section 4f(a)(2) of the Act. Subpart C contains provisions that apply when the debtor is registered as a derivatives clearing organization under the Act.

(c) Core concepts. The regulations in this part reflect several core concepts. The descriptions of core concepts in paragraphs (c)(1) through (6) of this section are subject to the further specific requirements set forth in this part, and the specific requirements in this part should be interpreted and applied consistently with these core concepts.

(1) Commodity brokers. Subchapter IV of chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code applies to a debtor that is a commodity broker, against which a customer holds a “net equity” claim relating to a commodity contract. This part is limited to a commodity broker that is:

(i) A futures commission merchant; or

(ii) A derivatives clearing organization registered under the Act and § 39.3 of this chapter.

(2) Account classes. The Act and Commission regulations in parts 1, 22, and 30 of this chapter provide differing treatment and protections for different types of cleared commodity contracts. This part establishes three account classes that correspond to the different types of accounts that futures commission merchants and clearing organizations are required to maintain under the regulations in the preceding sentence, specifically, the futures account class (including options on futures), the foreign futures account class (including options on foreign futures), and the cleared swaps account class (including cleared options other than options on futures or foreign futures). This part also establishes a fourth account class, the delivery account class (which may be further subdivided as provided in this part), for property held in an account designated within the books and records of the debtor as a delivery account, for effecting delivery under commodity contracts whose terms require settlement via delivery when the commodity contract is held to expiration or, in the case of a cleared option, is exercised.

(3) Public customers and non-public customers; Commission segregation requirements; member property—(i) Public customers and non-public customers. This part prescribes separate treatment of “public customers” and “non-public customers” (as these terms are defined in § 190.01) within each account class in the event of a proceeding under this part in which the debtor is a futures commission merchant. Public customers of a debtor futures commission merchant are entitled to a priority in the distribution of cash, securities, or other customer property over non-public customers, and both have priority over all other claimants (except for claims relating to the administration of customer property) pursuant to section 766(h) of the Bankruptcy Code.

(A) The cash, securities, or other property held on behalf of the public customers of a futures commission merchant in the futures, foreign futures, or cleared swaps account classes are subject to special segregation requirements imposed under parts 1, 22, and 30 of this chapter for each account class. Although such segregation requirements generally are not applicable to cash, securities, or other property received from or reflected in the futures, foreign futures, or cleared swaps accounts of non-public customers of a futures commission merchant, such transactions and property are customer property within the scope of this part.

(B) While parts 1, 22, and 30 of this chapter do not impose special segregation requirements with respect to treatment of cash, securities, or other property of public customers carried in a delivery account, such property does constitute customer property. Thus, the distinction between public and non-public customers is, given the priority for public customers in section 766(h) of the Bankruptcy Code, relevant for the purpose of making distributions to delivery account class customers pursuant to this part.

(C) Where a provision in this part affords the trustee discretion, that discretion should be exercised in a manner that the trustee determines will best achieve the overarching goal of protecting public customers as a class by enhancing recoveries for, and mitigating disruptions to, public customers as a class. In seeking to achieve that overarching goal, the trustee has discretion to balance those two sub-goals when they are in tension. Where the trustee is directed to exercise “reasonable efforts” to meet a standard, those efforts should only be less than “best efforts” to the extent that the trustee determines that such an approach would support the foregoing goals.

(ii) Clearing organization bankruptcies: Member property and customer property other than member property. For a clearing organization, “customer property” is divided into “member property” and “customer property other than member property.” The term member property is used to identify the cash, securities, or property available to pay the net equity claims of clearing members based on their house account at the clearing organization. Thus, in the event of a proceeding under this part in which the debtor is a clearing organization, the classification of customers as public customers or non-public customers also is relevant, in that each member of the clearing organization will have separate claims against the clearing organization (by account class) with respect to:

(A) Commodity contract transactions cleared for its own account or on behalf of any of its non-public customers (which are cleared in a “house account” at the clearing organization); and

(B) Commodity contract transactions cleared on behalf of any public customers of the clearing member (which are cleared in accounts at the clearing organization that is separate and distinct from house accounts).

(iii) Preferential assignment among customer classes and account classes for clearing organization bankruptcies. Section 190.18 is designed to support the interests of public customers of members of a debtor that is a clearing organization.

(A) Certain customer property is preferentially assigned to “customer property other than member property” instead of “member property” to the extent that there is a shortfall in funded balances for members' public customer claims. Moreover, to the extent that there are excess funded balances for members' claims in any customer class/account class combination, that excess is also preferentially assigned to “customer property other than member property” to the extent of any shortfall in funded balances for members' public customer claims.

(B) Where property is assigned to a particular customer class with more than one account class, it is assigned to the account class for which the funded balance percentage is the lowest until there are two account classes with equal funded balance percentages, then to both such account classes, keeping the funded balance percentage the same, and so forth following the analogous approach if the debtor has more than two account classes within the relevant customer class.

(4) Porting of public customer commodity contract positions. In a proceeding in which the debtor is a futures commission merchant, this part sets out a policy preference for transferring to another futures commission merchant, or “porting,” open commodity contract positions of the debtor's public customers along with all or a portion of such customers' account equity. Porting mitigates risks to both the customers of the debtor futures commission merchant and to the markets. To facilitate porting, this part addresses the manner in which the debtor's business is to be conducted on and after the filing date, with specific provisions addressing the collection and payment of margin for open commodity contract positions prior to porting.

(5) Pro rata distribution. (i) The commodity broker provisions of the Bankruptcy Code, subchapter IV of chapter 7, in particular section 766(h), have long revolved around the principle of pro rata distribution. If there is a shortfall in the cash, securities or other property in a particular account class needed to satisfy the net equity claims of public customers in that account class, the customer property in that account class will be distributed pro rata to those public customers (subject to appendix B of this part). Any customer property not attributable to a specific account class, or that exceeds the amount needed to pay allowed customer net equity claims in a particular account class, will be distributed to public customers in other account classes so long as there is a shortfall in those other classes. Non-public customers will not receive any distribution of customer property so long as there is any shortfall, in any account class, of customer property needed to satisfy public customer net equity claims.

(ii) The pro rata distribution principle means that, if there is a shortfall of customer property in an account class, all customers within that account class will suffer the same proportional loss relative to their allowed net equity claims. The principle in this paragraph (c)(5)(ii) applies to all customers, including those who post as collateral specifically identifiable property or letters of credit. The pro rata distribution principle is subject to the special distribution provisions set forth in framework 1 in appendix B of this part for cross-margin accounts and framework 2 in appendix B of this part for funds held outside of the U.S. or held in non-U.S. currency.

(6) Deliveries. (i) Commodity contracts may have terms that require a customer owning the contract:

(A) To make or take delivery of the underlying commodity if the customer holds the contract to a delivery position; or

(B) In the case of an option on a commodity:

(1) To make delivery upon exercise (as the buyer of a put option or seller of a call option); or

(2) To take delivery upon exercise (as seller of a put option or buyer of a call option).

(ii) Depending upon the circumstances and relevant market, delivery may be effected via a delivery account, a futures account, a foreign futures account or a cleared swaps account, or, when the commodity subject to delivery is a security, in a securities account (in which case property associated with the delivery held in a securities account is not part of any customer account class for purposes of this part).

(iii) Although commodity contracts with delivery obligations are typically offset before reaching the delivery stage (i.e., prior to triggering bilateral delivery obligations), when delivery obligations do arise, a delivery default could have a disruptive effect on the cash market for the commodity and adversely impact the parties to the transaction. This part therefore sets out special provisions to address open commodity contracts that are settled by delivery, when those positions are nearing or have entered into a delivery position at the time of or after the filing date. The delivery provisions in this part are intended to allow deliveries to be completed in accordance with the rules and established practices for the relevant commodity contract market or clearing organization, as applicable and to the extent permitted under this part.

(iv) In a proceeding in which the debtor is a futures commission merchant, the delivery provisions in this part reflect policy preferences to:

(A) Liquidate commodity contracts that settle via delivery before they move into a delivery position; and

(B) When such contracts are in a delivery position, to allow delivery to occur, where practicable, outside administration of the debtor's estate.

(v) The delivery provisions in this part apply to any commodity that is subject to delivery under a commodity contract, as the term commodity is defined in section of 1a(9) of the Act, whether the commodity itself is tangible or intangible, including agricultural commodities as defined in § 1.3 of this chapter, other non-financial commodities (such as metals or energy commodities) covered by the definition of exempt commodity in section 1a(20) of the Act, and commodities that are financial in nature (such as foreign currencies) covered by the definition of excluded commodity in section 1a(19) of the Act. The delivery provisions also apply to virtual currencies that are subject to delivery under a commodity contract.

(d) Scope—(1) Proceedings—(i) Certain commodity broker proceedings under subchapter IV of chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code. (A) Section 101(6) of the Bankruptcy Code recognizes “futures commission merchants” and “foreign futures commission merchants,” as those terms are defined in section 761(12) of the Bankruptcy Code, as separate categories of commodity broker. The definition of commodity broker in § 190.01, as it applies to a commodity broker that is a futures commission merchant under the Act, also covers foreign futures commission merchants because a foreign futures commission merchant is required to register as a futures commission merchant under the Act.

(B) Section 101(6) of the Bankruptcy Code recognizes “commodity options dealers,” and “leverage transaction merchants” as defined in sections 761(6) and (13) of the Bankruptcy Code, as separate categories of commodity brokers. There are no commodity options dealers or leverage transaction merchants as of December 8, 2020.

(ii) Futures commission merchants subject to a SIPA proceeding. Pursuant to section 7(b) of SIPA, 15 U.S.C. 78fff-1(b), the trustee in a SIPA proceeding, where the debtor also is a commodity broker, has the same duties as a trustee in a proceeding under subchapter IV of chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code, to the extent consistent with the provisions of SIPA or as otherwise ordered by the court. This part therefore also applies to a proceeding commenced under SIPA with respect to a debtor that is registered as a broker or dealer under section 15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 when the debtor also is a futures commission merchant.

(iii) Commodity brokers subject to an FDIC proceeding. Section 5390(m)(1)(B) of title 12 of the United States Code provides that the FDIC must apply the provisions of subchapter IV of chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code in respect of the distribution of customer property and member property in connection with the liquidation of a covered financial company or a bridge financial company (as those terms are defined in section 5381(a) of title 12) that is a commodity broker as if such person were a debtor for purposes of subchapter IV, except as specifically provided in section 5390 of title 12. This part therefore shall serve as guidance as to such distribution of property in a proceeding in which the FDIC is acting as a receiver pursuant to title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act with respect to a covered financial company or bridge financial company that is a commodity broker whose liquidation otherwise would be administered by a trustee under subchapter IV of chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code.

(2) Account class and implied trust limitations. (i) The trustee may not recognize any account class that is not one of the account classes enumerated in § 190.01.

(ii) No property that would otherwise be included in customer property, as defined in § 190.01, shall be excluded from customer property because such property is considered to be held in a constructive, resulting, or other trust that is implied in equity.

(3) Commodity contract exclusions. For purposes of this part, the following are excluded from the term “commodity contract”:

(i) Options on commodities (including swaps subject to regulation under part 32 of this chapter) that are not centrally cleared by a clearing organization or foreign clearing organization.

(ii) Transactions, contracts or agreements that are classified as “forward contracts” under the Act pursuant to the exclusion from the term “future delivery” set out in section 1a(27) of the Act or the exclusion from the definition of a “swap” under section 1a(47)(B)(ii) of the Act, in each case that are not centrally cleared by a clearing organization or foreign clearing organization.

(iii) Security futures products as defined in section 1a(45) of the Act when such products are held in a securities account.

(iv) Any off-exchange retail foreign currency transaction, contract or agreement described in sections 2(c)(2)(B) or (C) of the Act.

(v) Any security-based swap or other security (as defined in section 3 of the Exchange Act), but a security futures product or a mixed swap (as defined in 1a(47)(D) of the Act) that is, in either case, carried in an account for which there is a corresponding account class under this part is not so excluded.

(vi) Any off-exchange retail commodity transaction, contract or agreement described in section 2(c)(2)(D) of the Act, unless such transaction, contract or agreement is traded on or subject to the rules of a designated contract market or foreign board of trade as, or as if, such transaction, contract, or agreement is a futures contract.

(e) Construction. (1) A reference in this part to a specific section of a Federal statute or specific regulation refers to such section or regulation as the same may be amended or superseded.

(2) Where they differ, the definitions set forth in § 190.01 shall be used instead of defined terms set forth in section 761 of the Bankruptcy Code. In many cases, these definitions are based on definitions in parts 1, 22, and 30 of this chapter. Notwithstanding the use of different defined terms, the regulations in this part are intended to be consistent with the provisions and objectives of subchapter IV of chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code.

(3) In the context of portfolio margining and cross margining programs, commodity contracts and associated collateral will be treated as part of the account class in which, consistent with part 1, 22, 30, or 39 of this chapter, or Commission Order, they are held.

(i) Thus, as noted in paragraph (2) of the definition of account class in § 190.01, where open commodity contracts (and associated collateral) that would be attributable to one account class are, instead, commingled with the commodity contracts (and associated collateral) in a second account class (the “home field”), then the trustee must treat all such commodity contracts and collateral as part of, and consistent with the regulations applicable to, the second account class.

(ii) The concept in paragraph (e)(3)(i) of this section, that the rules of the “home field” will apply, also pertains to securities positions that are, pursuant to an approved cross margining program, held in a commodities account class (in which case the rules of that commodities account class will apply) and to commodities positions that are, pursuant to an approved cross-margining program, held in a securities account (in which case, the rules of the securities account will apply, consistent with section 16(2)(b)(ii) of SIPA, 15 U.S.C. 78lll(2)(b)(ii)).