An Electronic Access Member may be approved by the Exchange to transact business with the public only if such Member is also a Member of another registered national securities exchange or association with which the Exchange has entered into an agreement under Rule 17d-2 under the Exchange Act pursuant to which such other exchange or association shall be the designated examining authority for the Member. Approval to transact business with the public shall be based on a Member's meeting the general requirements set forth in this Options 10 and the net capital requirements set forth in Options 6D (Net Capital Requirements). Such approval may be withdrawn if any such requirements cease to be met.

[Adopted June 6, 2019 (SR-ISE-2019-17).]

(a) No Member shall be approved to transact options business with the public until those associated persons who are designated as Options Principals have been approved by and registered with the Exchange. Persons engaged in the supervision of options sales practices or a person to whom the designated general partner or executive officer (pursuant to Options 10, Section 7) or another Registered Options Principal delegates the authority to supervise options sales practices shall be designated as Options Principals.

(b) Individuals who are delegated responsibility pursuant to Options 10, Section 7 for the acceptance of discretionary accounts, for approving exceptions to a Member's criteria or standards for uncovered options accounts, and for approval of communications, shall be designated as Options Principals and are required to qualify as an Options Principal by passing the Registered Options Principal Qualification Examination (Series 4).

[Adopted June 6, 2019 (SR-ISE-2019-17).]

(a) No Member shall be approved to transact business with the public until those persons associated with it who are designated Representatives have been approved by and registered with the Exchange.

(b) Persons who perform duties for the Member which are customarily performed by sales representatives or branch office managers shall be designated as Representatives of the Member.

(d) A person accepting orders from non-Member customers (unless such customer is a broker-dealer registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission) is required to register with the Exchange and to be qualified by passing the General Securities Registered Representative Examination (Series 7).

[Adopted June 6, 2019 (SR-ISE-2019-17).]

The Exchange may discipline, suspend or terminate the registration of any registered person for violation of the By-Laws or Rules of the Exchange or the Rules of the Clearing Corporation.

[Adopted June 6, 2019 (SR-ISE-2019-17).]

(a) Every Member approved to do options business with the public under this Options 10 shall file with the Exchange and keep current a list of each of its branch offices showing the location of each such office and the name of the manager of each such office.

(b) No branch office of a Member shall transact options business with the public unless the manager of such branch office has been qualified as an Options Principal; provided, that this requirement shall not apply to branch offices in which not more than three (3) Representatives are located so long as the Member can demonstrate that the options activities of such branch offices are appropriately supervised by an Options Principal.

(c) Definition of Branch Office. — A "branch office" is any location where one or more associated persons of a Member regularly conduct the business of effecting any transactions in, or inducing or attempting to induce the purchase or sale of any security, or is held out as such, excluding:

(1) any location that is established solely for customer service and/or back office type functions where no sales activities are conducted and that is not held out to the public as a branch office;

(2) any location that is the associated person's primary residence; provided that: (i) only one associated person, or multiple associated persons, who reside at that location and are Members of the same immediate family, conduct business at the location; (ii) the location is not held out to the public as an office and the associated person does not meet with customers at the location; (iii) neither customer funds nor securities are handled at that location; (iv) the associated person is assigned to a designated branch office, and such branch office is reflected on all business cards, stationery, advertisements and other communications to the public by such associated person; (v) the associated person's correspondence and communications with the public are subject to all supervisory provisions of the Exchange's Rules; (vi) electronic communications (e.g., e-mail) are made through the Member's electronic system; (vii) all orders are entered through the designated branch office or an electronic system established by the Member that is reviewable at the branch office; (viii) written supervisory procedures pertaining to supervision of sales activities conducted at the residence are maintained by the Member; and (ix) a list of the locations is maintained by the Member;

(3) any location, other than a primary residence, that is used for securities business for less than 30 business days in any one calendar year, provided the Member complies with the provisions of (ii) through (viii) of paragraph (2) above;

(4) an office of convenience, where the associated person occasionally and exclusively by appointment meets with customers, which is not held out to the public as a branch office (where such location is on bank premises, however, only signage required by the Interagency Statement (Statement on Retail Sales of Nondeposit Investment Products required under Banking Regulations) may be displayed);

(5) any location that is used primarily to engage in non-securities activities and from which the associated person effects no more than 25 securities transactions in any one calendar year; provided that any advertisements or sales literature identifying such location also sets forth the address and telephone number of the location from which the associated person conducting business at the non-branch locations are directly supervised;

(6) the Floor of a registered national securities exchange where a Member conducts a direct access business with public customers; or

(7) a temporary location established in response to the implementation of a business continuity plan.

(d) Notwithstanding the exclusions in subparagraphs (c) (1) - (7) above, any location that is responsible for supervising the activities of persons associated with a Member at one or more non-branch locations of such Member is considered to be a branch office.

(e) For purposes of this Rule, the term "business day" shall not include any partial business day provided that the associated person spends at least four hours on such business day at his or her designated branch office during the hours that such office is normally open for business.

(f) For purposes of this Rule, the term "associated person of a Member" is defined as a Member or employee associated with a Member.

(g) For purposes of (c)(2)(viii) above, written supervisory procedures shall include criteria for on-site for cause reviews of an associated person's primary residence. Such reviews must utilize risk-based sampling or other techniques designed to assure compliance with applicable securities laws and regulations and with Exchange Rules.

(h) For purposes of (c)(2)(viii) and (3) above, written supervisory procedures for such residences and other remote locations must be designed to assure compliance with applicable securities laws and regulations and with Exchange Rules.

(i) Factors which should be considered when developing risk-based sampling techniques to determine the appropriateness of on-site for cause reviews of selected residences and other remote locations shall include, but not be limited to, the following: (i) the firm's size; (ii) the firm's organizational structure; (iii) the scope of business activities; (iv) the number and location of offices; (v) the number of associated persons assigned to a location; (vi) the nature and complexity of products and services offered; (vii) the volume of business done; (viii) whether the location has a Series 9/10-qualified person on-site; (ix) the disciplinary history of the registered persons or associated persons, including a review of such person's customer complaints and Forms U4 and U5; and (x) the nature and extent of a registered person's or associated person's outside business activities, whether or not related to the securities business.

[Adopted June 6, 2019 (SR-ISE-2019-17).]

(a) Approval Required. No Member shall accept an order from a customer to purchase or write an options contract unless the customer's account has been approved for options transactions in accordance with the provisions of this Rule.

(b) Diligence in Opening Account. In approving a customer's account for options transactions, a Member shall exercise due diligence to learn the essential facts as to the customer and his investment objectives and financial situation, and shall make a record of such information, which shall be retained in accordance with Options 10, Section 7. Based upon such information, the branch office manager or other Options Principal shall approve in writing the customer's account for options transactions; provided, that if the branch office manager is not an Options Principal, his approval shall within a reasonable time be confirmed by an Options Principal.

(1) In fulfilling its obligations under this paragraph with respect to options customers that are natural persons, a Member shall seek to obtain the following information at a minimum (information shall be obtained for all participants in a joint account):

(i) investment objectives (e.g., safety of principal, income, growth, trading profits, speculation);

(ii) employment status (name of employer, self-employed or retired);

(iii) estimated annual income from all sources;

(iv) estimated net worth (exclusive of family residence);

(v) estimated liquid net worth (cash, securities, other);

(vi) marital status;

(vii) number of dependents;

(viii) age; and

(ix) investment experience and knowledge (e.g., number of years, size, frequency and type of transactions for options, stocks and bonds, commodities, other).

(2) In addition to the information required in subparagraph (1) above, the customer's account records shall contain the following information, if applicable:

(i) source or sources of background and financial information (including estimates) concerning the customer;

(ii) discretionary trading authorization, including agreement on file, name, relationship to customer and experience of person holding trading authority;

(iii) date(s) options disclosure document(s) furnished to customer;

(iv) nature and types of transactions for which account is approved (e.g., buying, covered writing, uncovered writing, spreading, discretionary transactions);

(v) name of Representative;

(vi) name of Options Principal approving account;

(vii) date of approval; and

(viii) dates of verification of currency of account information.

(3) Refusal of a customer to provide any of the information called for in this paragraph shall be so noted on the customer's records at the time the account is opened. Information provided shall be considered together with other information available in determining whether and to what extent to approve the account for options transactions.

(c) Verification of Customer Background and Financial Information. The background and financial information upon which the account of every new customer that is a natural person has been approved for options trading, including all of the information required in paragraph (b)(2) of this Rule, unless the information is included in the customer's account agreement, shall be sent to the customer for verification or correction within fifteen (15) days after the customer's account has been approved for options transactions. A copy of the background and financial information on file with the Member shall also be sent to the customer for verification within fifteen (15) days after the Member becomes aware of any material change in the customer's financial situation. Absent advice from the customer to the contrary, the information will be deemed to be verified.

(d) Agreements to Be Obtained. Within fifteen (15) days after a customer's account has been approved for options transactions, a Member shall obtain from the customer a written agreement that the account shall be handled in accordance with the Rules of the Exchange and the Rules of the Clearing Corporation and that such customer, acting alone or in concert with others, will not violate the position or exercise limits set forth in Options 9, Sections 13 and 14.

(e) Options Disclosure Documents to Be Furnished. At or prior to the time a customer's account is approved for options transactions, a Member shall furnish the customer with one (1) or more current options disclosure documents in accordance with the requirements of Options 10, Section 13.

(f) Every Member transacting business with the public in uncovered options contracts shall develop, implement and maintain specific written procedures governing the conduct of such business that shall at least include the following:

(1) specific criteria and standards to be used in evaluating the suitability of uncovered short options transactions for a particular customer;

(2) specific procedures for approval of accounts engaged in writing uncovered short options contracts (which for the purposes of this Rule shall include combinations and any transactions that involve writing uncovered short options contracts), including written approval of such accounts by an Registered Options Principal;

(3) designation of a specific Registered Options Principal qualified individual(s) as the person(s) responsible for approving accounts that do not meet the specific criteria and standards for writing uncovered short options transactions and for maintaining written records of the reasons for every account so approved;

(4) establishment of specific minimum net equity requirements for initial approval and maintenance of accounts containing uncovered options; and

(5) requirements that customers approved for writing uncovered short options transactions be provided with a specific written description of the risks inherent in writing uncovered short options transactions, at or prior to the initial uncovered short options transaction pursuant to Options 10, Section 13(c).

[Adopted June 6, 2019 (SR-ISE-2019-17).]

The deadline to submit the annual supervision-related reports pursuant to Options 10, Section 7(g) and (h) will be extended from June 30, 2020 to July 31, 2020.

(a) Duty to Supervise—Non-Member Accounts. The general partners or directors of each Member that conducts a non-Member customer business shall provide for appropriate supervisory control and shall designate a general partner or executive officer, who shall be identified to the Exchange, to assume overall authority and responsibility for internal supervision and control of the organization and compliance with securities laws and regulations. This person, who may be the same individual designated pursuant to substantially similar New York Stock Exchange or National Association of Securities Dealers rules, shall:

1. Delegate to qualified employees responsibilities and authority for supervision and control of each office, department or business activity, and shall provide for appropriate written procedures of supervision and control.

2. Establish a separate system of follow-up and review to determine that the delegated authority and responsibility is being properly exercised.

3. Develop and implement written policies and procedures reasonably designed to independently supervise the activities of accounts serviced by branch office managers, sales managers, regional/district sales managers or any person performing a similar supervisory function. Such supervisory reviews must be performed by a qualified Registered Options Principal who:

i. Is either senior to, or otherwise independent of, the producing manager under review. For purposes of this Rule, an "otherwise independent" person: may not report either directly or indirectly to the producing manager under review; must be situated in an office other than the office of the producing manager; must not otherwise have supervisory responsibility over the activity being reviewed; and must alternate such review responsibility with another qualified person every two years or less. Further, if a person designated to review a producing manager receives an override or other income derived from that producing manager's customer activity that represents more than 10% of the designated person's gross income derived from the Member over the course of a rolling twelve-month period, the Member must establish alternative senior or otherwise independent supervision of that producing manager to be conducted by a qualified Registered Options Principal other than the designated person receiving the income.

ii. If a Member is so limited in size and resources that there is no qualified Registered Options Principal senior to, or otherwise independent of, the producing manager to conduct the reviews pursuant to paragraph (a)(3)(i) of this Rule (for instance, the Member has only one office, or an insufficient number of qualified personnel who can conduct reviews on a two-year rotation), the reviews may be conducted by a Registered Options Principal in compliance with paragraph (a)(3)(i) of this Rule to the extent practicable.

iii. A Member relying on paragraph (a)(3)(ii) of this Rule must document the factors used to determine that complete compliance with all of the provisions of paragraph (a)(3)(i) of this Rule is not possible, and that the required supervisory systems and procedures in place with respect to any producing manager comply with the provisions of paragraph (a)(3)(i) of this Rule to the extent practicable.

(b) Maintenance of Customer Records.

(1) Background and financial information of customers who have been approved for options transactions shall be maintained at both the branch office servicing the customer's account and the principal supervisory office having jurisdiction over that branch office. Copies of account statements of options customers shall be maintained at both the branch office supervising the accounts and the principal supervisory office having jurisdiction over that branch for the most recent six-month period. With respect to the record retention responsibility of principal supervisory offices, customer information and account statements may be maintained at a location off premises so long as the records are readily accessible and promptly retrievable. Other records necessary to the proper supervision of accounts shall be maintained at a place easily accessible both to the branch office servicing the customer's account and to the principal supervisory office having jurisdiction over that branch office.

(2) Upon the written instructions of a customer, a Member may hold mail for a customer who will not be at his or her usual address for the period of his or her absence, but (a) not to exceed two months if the Member is advised that such customer will be on vacation or traveling or (b) not to exceed three months if the customer is going abroad.

(3) Before any customer order is executed, there must be placed upon the memorandum for each transaction, the name or designation of the account (or accounts) for which such order is to be executed. No change in such account name(s) (including related accounts) or designation(s) (including error accounts) shall be made unless the change has been authorized by a Member or a person(s) designated by the designated general partner or executive officer (pursuant to Options 10, Section 7). Such person must, prior to giving his or her approval of the account designation change, be personally informed of the essential facts relative thereto and indicate his or her approval of such change in writing on the order or other similar record of the Member. The essential facts relied upon by the person approving the change must be documented in writing and preserved for a period of not less than three years, the first two years in an easily accessible place, as the term "easily accessible place" is used in SEC Rule 17a-4.

(4) For purposes of this paragraph (b)(3), a person(s) designated by the designated general partner or officer (pursuant to Options 10, Section 7) must be a Registered Options Principal.

(c) Internal Controls.

(1) Members must develop and maintain adequate controls over each of its business activities. Such controls must provide for the establishment of procedures for verification and testing of those business activities. An ongoing analysis, based upon appropriate criteria, may be employed to assess and prioritize those business activities requiring independent verification and testing. A review of each Member's efforts with respect to internal controls, including a summary of tests conducted and significant exceptions identified, must be included in the annual report required by paragraph (g) of this Rule.

(2) A Member that complies with requirements of the New York Stock Exchange or the National Association of Securities Dealers that are substantially similar to the requirements in paragraph (c)(1) of this Rule will be deemed to have met such requirements.

(d) Annual Branch Office Inspections.

1. Each branch office that supervises one or more non-branch locations must be inspected no less often than once each calendar year unless:

(i) it has been demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Exchange that because of proximity, special reporting or supervisory practice, other arrangements may satisfy this Rule's requirements for a particular branch office; or

(ii) based upon the written policies and procedures of such Member providing for a systematic risk-based surveillance system, the Member submits a proposal to the Exchange and receives, in writing, an exemption from this requirement pursuant to paragraph (e) of this Rule.

2. Every branch office, without exception, must be inspected at least once every three calendar-years. All required inspections must be conducted by a person who is independent of the direct supervision and control of the branch office in question ( i.e., not the branch office manager, or any person who directly or indirectly reports to such manager, or any person to whom such manager directly reports). Written reports reflecting the results of such inspections are to be maintained with the Member for the longer of three years or until the next branch office inspection.

3. A Member that complies with requirements of the New York Stock Exchange or the National Association of Securities Dealers that are substantially similar to the requirements in paragraph (d)(1) and (d)(2) of this Rule as well as to related requirements in paragraphs (e) and (f) of this Rule will be deemed to have met such requirements.

(e) Risk-Based Surveillance and Branch Office Identification.

1. Any Member seeking an exemption, pursuant to Options 10, Section 7(d)(1)(ii), from the annual branch office inspection requirement must submit to the Exchange written policies and procedures for systematic risk-based surveillance of its branch offices. Such policies and procedures should reflect, among other factors, the Member's business model and product mix. Such policies and procedures must also, at a minimum, provide for:

(i) The inspection of branches where developments during the year require a reconsideration of such branch's exemption;

(ii) A requirement that no less than half of the branch offices inspected each year on a cycle basis be done on an unannounced basis; and

(iii) A system to enable employees to report compliance issues on a confidential basis outside of the branch office chain of command.

2. For purposes of paragraph (e)(1) of this Rule, the risk-based factors to be considered should include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following:

(i) Number of Registered Representatives;

(ii) A significant increase in the number of Registered Representatives;

(iii) Number of customers and volume of transactions;

(iv) A significant increase in branch office revenues;

(v) Incidence of concentrated securities positions in customer's accounts;

(vi) Aggregate customer assets held;

(vii) Nature of the business conducted and the sales practice risk to investors associated with the products sold, and product mix (e.g. options, equities, mutual funds, annuities, etc.);

(viii) Numbers of accounts serviced on a discretionary basis;

(ix) Compliance and regulatory history of the branch, including:

(A) Registered Representatives subject to special supervision by the Member, self-regulatory authorities, state regulatory authorities or the Securities and Exchange Commission in years other than the previous or current year;

(B) Complaints, arbitrations, internal discipline, or prior inspection findings; and

(C) Persons subject to recent disciplinary actions by self-regulatory authorities, state regulatory authorities or the Securities and Exchange Commission.

(x) Operational factors, such as the number of errors and account designation changes per Registered Representative;

(xi) Incidence of accommodation mailing addresses (e.g., post office boxes and "care of" accounts);

(xii) Whether the branch office permits checks to be picked up by customers or hand delivery of checks to customers;

(xiii) Experience, function (producing or non-producing) and compensation structure of branch office manager;

(xiv) Branch offices recently opened or acquired; and

(xv) Changes in branch location, status or management personnel.

3. Notwithstanding any policies or procedures implemented pursuant to this Rule, branch offices that meet any of the following criteria must be inspected no less often than once each calendar year:

(i) Offices with one or more Registered Representatives subject to special supervision as required by a self-regulatory authority or state regulatory authority during the current or immediately preceding year.

(ii) Offices with 25 or more registered individuals;

(iii) Offices in the top 20% of production or customer assets for the Member organization;

(iv) Any branch office not inspected within the previous two calendar years; and

(v) Any branch office designated as exercising supervision over another branch office.

(f) Criteria for Inspection Programs. An annual branch office inspection program must include, but is not limited to, testing and independent verification of internal controls related to the following areas:

1. Safeguarding of customer funds and securities:

2. Maintaining books and records;

3. Supervision of customer accounts serviced by branch office managers;

4. Transmittal of funds between customers and Registered Representatives and between customers and third parties;

5. Validation of customer address changes; and

6. Validation of changes in customer account information.

(g) Written Report. By April 1 of each year, each Member that conducts a non-Member customer business shall submit to the Exchange a written report on the Member's supervision and compliance effort during the preceding year and on the adequacy of the Member's ongoing compliance processes and procedures. Each Member that conducts a public customer options business shall also specifically include its options compliance program in the report. The report shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

1. A tabulation of customer complaints (including arbitrations and civil actions) and internal investigations.

2. Identification and analysis of significant compliance problems, plans for future systems or procedures to prevent and detect violations and problems, and an assessment of the preceding year's efforts of this nature.

3. Discussion of the preceding year's compliance efforts, new procedures, educational programs, etc. in each of the following areas: (i) antifraud and trading practices; (ii) investment banking activities; (iii) sales practices; (iv) books and records; (v) finance and operations; (vi) supervision; (vii) internal controls, and (viii) anti-money laundering. If any of these areas do not apply to the Member organization, the report shall so state.

4. For each Member, the designation of a general partner or principal executive officer as Chief Compliance Officer (which designation shall be updated on Schedule A of Form BD).

5. A certification signed by the Member's Chief Executive Officer (or equivalent), that:

(i) The Member has in place processes to:

(A) establish and maintain policies and procedures reasonably designed to achieve compliance with applicable Exchange Rules and federal securities laws and regulations,

(B) modify such policies and procedures as business, regulatory and legislative changes and events dictate, and

(C) test the effectiveness of such policies and procedures on a regular basis, the timing and extent of which is reasonably designed to ensure continuing compliance with Exchange Rules and federal securities laws and regulations.

(ii) the Chief Executive Officer (or equivalent officer) conducted one or more meetings with the organization's Chief Compliance Officer during the preceding 12 months, and that they discussed and reviewed the matters described in this certification, including the organization's prior compliance efforts, and identified and addressed significant compliance problems and plans for emerging business areas.

(iii) the processes described in paragraph (g)(5)(i) of this Rule, are evidenced in a report reviewed by the Chief Executive Officer (or equivalent officer), Chief Compliance Officer and such other officers as the organization may deem necessary to make this certification, and submitted to the organization's board of directors and audit committee (if such committee exists) on or before April 1st of each year.

(iv) the Chief Executive Officer (or equivalent officer) has consulted with the Chief Compliance Officer and other officers referenced in paragraph (g)(5)(iii) of this Rule and such other employees, outside consultants, lawyers and accountants, to the extent they deem appropriate, in order to attest to the statements made in this certification.

6. A Member that specifically includes its options compliance program in a report that complies with substantially similar requirements of the New York Stock Exchange or the National Association of Securities Dealers will be deemed to have met the requirements of this Options 10, Section 7(g) and (h).

(h) Reports to Control Persons. By April 1 of each year, each Member shall submit a copy of the report that Options 10, Section 7 (g) requires the Member to prepare to its one or more control persons or, if the Member has no control person, to the audit committee of its board of directors or its equivalent committee or group. In the case of a control person that is an organization (a "controlling organization"), the Member shall submit the report to the general counsel of the controlling organization and to the audit committee of the controlling organization's board of directors or its equivalent committee or group. For the purpose of this paragraph, "control person" means a person who controls the Member within the meaning of Rule 1.1(k).

(i) Each Member that conducts a non-Member customer business shall establish, maintain, and enforce written procedures which detail the specific methods used to supervise all non-Member customer accounts, and all orders in such accounts. Such written procedures shall specifically identify the titles and positions of individuals who have been delegated authority and responsibility for an identified segment of the Member's business, including option compliance functions. The procedures shall also include the registration status and location of all such supervisory and compliance personnel. Each Member shall also develop and implement specific written procedures concerning the manner of supervision of customer accounts maintaining uncovered short option positions, and specifically providing for frequent supervisory review of such accounts.

(j) Each Member shall maintain at the principal supervisory office having jurisdiction over the office servicing the customer's account, or shall have readily accessible and promptly retrievable, information to permit review of each customer's options account on a timely basis to determine (i) the compatibility of options transactions with investment objectives and with the types of transactions for which the account was approved; (ii) the size and frequency of options transactions; (iii) commission activity in the account; (iv) profit or loss in the account; (v) undue concentration in any options class or classes and (vi) compliance with the provisions of Regulation T of the Federal Reserve Board.

(k) Documentation evidencing the annual written report required by paragraph (g) of this Rule, must be maintained in a place that is easily accessible and shall be provided to the Exchange upon request.

[Adopted June 6, 2019 (SR-ISE-2019-17); amended March 27, 2020 (SR-ISE-2020-14); amended June 1, 2020 (SR-ISE-2020-21); amended July 7, 2020 (SR-ISE-2020-28).]

(a) Every Member, Options Principal or Representative who recommends to a customer the purchase or sale (writing) of any options contract shall have reasonable grounds for believing that the recommendation is not unsuitable for such customer on the basis of the information furnished by such customer after reasonable inquiry as to his investment objectives, financial situation and needs, and any other information known by such Member, Options Principal or Representative.

(b) No Member, Options Principal or Representative shall recommend to a customer an opening transaction in any options contract unless the person making the recommendation has a reasonable basis for believing at the time of making the recommendation that the customer has such knowledge and experience in financial matters that he may reasonably be expected to be capable of evaluating the risks of the recommended transaction, and is financially able to bear the risks of the recommended position in the options contract.

[Adopted June 6, 2019 (SR-ISE-2019-17).]

(a) Authorization and Approval Required. No Member shall exercise any discretionary power with respect to trading in options contracts in a customer's account unless such customer has given prior written authorization and the account has been accepted in writing by a Registered Options Principal.

(1) Each firm shall designate specific Registered Options Principal qualified individuals pursuant to Options 10, Section 7 to review discretionary accounts. A Registered Options Principal qualified person specifically delegated such responsibilities under Options 10, Section 7 (who is an individual other than the Registered Options Principal who accepted the account) shall review the acceptance of each discretionary account to determine that the Registered Options Principal accepting the account had a reasonable basis for believing that the customer was able to understand and bear the risks of the strategies or transactions proposed, and the individual shall maintain a record of the basis for his determination.

(2) Every discretionary order shall be identified as discretionary on the order at the time of its entry into the System.

(3) Discretionary accounts shall receive frequent appropriate supervisory review by a Registered Options Principal qualified person specifically delegated such responsibilities under Options 10, Section 7 who is not exercising the discretionary authority.

(b) Record of Transactions. A record shall be made of every options transaction for an account with respect to which a Member is vested with any discretionary power, such record to include the name of the customer, options class and series, number of contracts, premium, and date and time when such transaction took place.

(c) Excessive Transactions Prohibited. No Member shall effect with or for any customer's account with respect to which such Member is vested with any discretionary power any transactions of purchase or sale of options contracts that are excessive in size or frequency in view of the financial resources and character of such account.

(d) Discretion as to Price or Time Excepted. This Rule shall not apply to discretion as to the price at which or the time when an order given by a customer for the purchase or sale of a definite number of option contracts in a specified security shall be executed, except that the authority to exercise time and price discretion will be considered to be in effect only until the end of the business day on which the customer granted such discretion, absent a specific, written contrary indication signed and dated by the customer. This limitation shall not apply to time and price discretion exercised in an institutional account, as defined below, pursuant to valid Good-Till-Cancelled instructions issued on a "not held" basis. Any exercise of time and price discretion must be reflected on the order ticket. As used in this paragraph (d) the term "institutional account" shall mean the account of: (i) a bank, savings and loan association, insurance company, or registered investment company; (ii) an investment adviser registered either with the Securities and Exchange Commission under Section 203 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 or with a state securities commission (or any agency or office performing like functions); or (iii) any other entity (whether a natural person, corporation, partnership, trust or otherwise) with total assets of at least $50 million.

(e) Options Programs. Where the discretionary account utilizes options programs involving the systematic use of one or more options strategies, the customer shall be furnished with a written explanation (meeting the requirements of Options 10, Section 20) of the nature and risks of such programs.

(f) Any Member that does not utilize computerized surveillance tools for the frequent and appropriate review of discretionary account activity must establish and implement procedures to require Registered Options Principal qualified individuals who have been designated to review discretionary accounts to approve and initial each discretionary order on the day entered.

[Adopted June 6, 2019 (SR-ISE-2019-17).]

(a) Every Member shall promptly furnish to each customer a written confirmation of each transaction in options contracts that shows the underlying security, type of options, expiration month, exercise price, number of options contracts, premium, commissions, date of transaction and settlement date, and shall indicate whether the transaction is a purchase or sale and whether a principal or agency transaction.

(b) The confirmation shall, by appropriate symbols, distinguish between exchange transactions and other transactions in options contracts though such confirmation does not need to specify the exchange or exchanges on which such option contracts were executed.

[Adopted June 6, 2019 (SR-ISE-2019-17).]

(a) Every Member shall send to its customers a statement of account showing security and money positions, entries, interest charges and any special charges that have been assessed against such account during the period covered by the statement; provided, however, that such charges need not be specifically delineated on the statement if they are otherwise accounted for on the statement and have been itemized on transaction confirmations.

(b) With respect to options customers having a general (margin) account, the customer statement shall also provide the mark-to-market price and market value of each options position and other security position in the general (margin) account, the total market value of all positions in the account, the outstanding debit or credit balance in the account, and the general (margin) account equity.

(1) For purposes of this paragraph, general (margin) account equity shall be computed by subtracting the total of the short security values and any debit balance from the total of the long security values and any credit balance.

(c) The customer statement shall bear a legend stating that further information with respect to commissions and other charges related to the execution of listed options transactions has been included in confirmations of such transactions previously furnished to the customer, and that such information will be made available to the customer promptly upon request.

(d) Customer statements shall bear a legend requesting that the customer promptly advise the Member of any material change in the customer's investment objectives or financial situation.

(e) Customer statements shall be sent at least quarterly to all accounts having a money or a security position during the preceding quarter and at least monthly to all accounts having an entry during the preceding month.

[Adopted June 6, 2019 (SR-ISE-2019-17).]

Every Member shall send to each of its customers statements of the Member's financial condition as required by Rule 17a-5 under the Exchange Act.

[Adopted June 6, 2019 (SR-ISE-2019-17).]

(a) Options Disclosure Documents. Every Member shall deliver a current options disclosure document to each customer at or prior to the time such customer's account is approved for options transactions. Where a customer is a broker or dealer, the Member shall take reasonable steps to assure that such broker or dealer is furnished reasonable quantities of current options disclosure documents, as requested by the broker or dealer, to enable it to comply with the requirements of this Rule.

(1) The term "current options disclosure document" means, as to any category of underlying security, the most recent edition of such document that meets the requirements of Rule 9b-1 under the Exchange Act.

(2) A copy of each amendment to an options disclosure document shall be furnished to each customer who was previously furnished the options disclosure document to which the amendment pertains, not later than the time a confirmation of a transaction in the category of options to which the amendment pertains is delivered to such customer. The Exchange will advise Members when an options disclosure document is amended.

(b) Prospectus. Every Member shall furnish a copy of the current prospectus of the Clearing Corporation to each customer who requests one. The Exchange will advise Members when a new prospectus is available. The term "current prospectus of Clearing Corporation" means the prospectus portion of the most recent Form S-20, which prospectus portion then meets the delivery requirements of Rule 153b under the Securities Act.

(c) The written description of risks required by Options 10, Section 6(f)(5) shall be in a format prescribed by the Exchange or in a format developed by the Member, provided it contains substantially similar information as the prescribed Exchange format and has received prior written approval of the Exchange.

(d) Sample risk description for use by Members to satisfy the requirements of paragraph (c) of this Rule.

Special Statement for Uncovered Options Writers

There are special risks associated with uncovered options writing which expose the investor to potentially significant loss. Therefore, this type of strategy may not be suitable for all customers approved for options transactions.

1. The potential loss of uncovered call writing is unlimited. The writer of an uncovered call is in an extremely risky position, and may incur large losses if the value of the underlying instrument increases above the exercise price.

2. As with writing uncovered calls, the risk of writing uncovered put options is substantial. The writer of an uncovered put option bears a risk of loss if the value of the underlying instrument declines below the exercise price. Such loss could be substantial if there is a significant decline in the value of the underlying instrument.

3. Uncovered options writing is thus suitable only for the knowledgeable investor who understands the risks, has the financial capacity and willingness to incur potentially substantial losses, and has sufficient liquid assets to meet applicable margin requirements. In this regard, if the value of the underlying instrument moves against an uncovered writer's options position, the investor's broker may request significant additional margin payments. If an investor does not make such margin payments, the broker may liquidate stock or options positions in the investor's account with little or no prior notice in accordance with the investor's margin agreement.

4. For combination writing, where the investor writes both a put and a call on the same underlying instrument, the potential risk is unlimited.

5. If a secondary market in options were to become unavailable, investors could not engage in closing transactions, and an options writer would remain obligated until expiration or assignment.

6. The writer of an American-style option is subject to being assigned an exercise at any time after he has written the option until the option expires. By contrast, the writer of a European-style option is subject to exercise assignment only during the exercise period.

NOTE: It is expected that you will read the booklet entitled CHARACTERISTICS AND RISKS OF STANDARDIZED OPTIONS available from your broker. In particular, your attention is directed to the chapter entitled Risks of Buying and Writing Options. This statement is not intended to enumerate all of the risks entailed in writing uncovered options.

[Adopted June 6, 2019 (SR-ISE-2019-17).]

(a) No Member shall lend, either to itself or to others, securities carried for the account of any customer, unless such Member shall first have obtained a separate written authorization from such customer permitting the lending of the securities.

(b) Regardless of any agreement between a Member and a customer authorizing the Member to lend or pledge such securities, no Member shall lend or pledge more of such securities than is fair and reasonable in view of the indebtedness of the customer to such Member, except such lending as may be specifically authorized under paragraph (c) of this Rule.

(c) No Member shall lend securities carried for the account of any customer that have been fully paid for, or that are in excess of the amount that may be loaned in view of the indebtedness of the customer, unless such Member first obtains from such customer a separate written authorization designating the particular securities to be loaned.

(d) No Member shall hold securities carried for the account of any customer that have been fully paid for, or that are in excess of the amount that may be pledged in view of the indebtedness of the customer, unless such securities are segregated and identified by a method that clearly indicates the interest of such customer in those securities.

[Adopted June 6, 2019 (SR-ISE-2019-17).]

(a) No Member shall execute any transaction in securities or carry a position in any security in which:

(1) an officer or employee of the Exchange, or any other national securities exchange that is a participant of the Clearing Corporation, or an officer or employee of a corporation in which the Exchange or such other exchange owns the majority of the capital stock, is directly or indirectly interested, without the prior written consent of the Exchange; or

(2) a partner, officer, director, principal shareholder or employee of another Member is directly or indirectly interested, without the consent of such other Member.

(b) Where the required consent has been granted, duplicate reports of the transaction and position shall promptly be sent to the Exchange or Member, as the case may be.

[Adopted June 6, 2019 (SR-ISE-2019-17).]

No Member shall guarantee a customer against loss in his account or in any transaction effected with or for such customer.

[Adopted June 6, 2019 (SR-ISE-2019-17).]

(a) No Member, Options Principal, Representative, officer, partner or branch office manager of the Member shall share directly or indirectly in the profits or losses in any customer's account, whether carried by such Member, or any other Member, without the prior written consent of the Member carrying the account.

(b) Where such consent is obtained, the Member, Options Principal, Representative, officer, partner or branch office manager shall share in the profits or losses in such account only in direct proportion to the financial contribution made to the account by such person.

[Adopted June 6, 2019 (SR-ISE-2019-17).]

No Member shall assume for its own account any position established for a customer in a security traded on the Exchange after a loss to the customer has been established or ascertained, unless the position was created by the Member's mistake or unless approval of the Exchange has first been obtained.

[Adopted June 6, 2019 (SR-ISE-2019-17).]

(a) When a customer whose securities account is carried by a Member (the "Carrying Member") wants to transfer the entire account to another Member (the "Receiving Member") and gives written notice of that fact to the Receiving Member, both Members must expedite and coordinate activities with respect to the transfer. For purposes of this Rule, the term "securities account" shall be deemed to include any and all of the account's money market fund positions or the redemption value thereof.

(b)

(1) Upon receipt from the customer of a signed broker-to-broker transfer instruction to receive such customer's securities account, the Receiving Member will immediately submit such instruction to the Carrying Member. The Carrying Member must, within one (1) business day following receipt of such instruction, (i) validate and return the transfer instruction (with an attachment reflecting all positions and money balances as shown on its books) to the Receiving Member, or (ii) take exception to the transfer instruction for reasons other than securities positions or money balance discrepancies and advise the Receiving Member of the exception taken. The time frame(s) set forth in this paragraph will change, as determined from time-to-time in any publication, relating to the ACATS facility, by the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC).

(2) The Carrying Member and the Receiving Member must promptly resolve any exceptions taken to the transfer instruction.

(3) Within five (5) business days following the validation of a transfer instruction, the Carrying Member must complete the transfer of the customer's securities account to the Receiving Member. The Carrying Member and the Receiving Member must establish fail to receive and fail to deliver contracts at then current market values upon their respective books of account against the long/short positions (including options) in the customer's securities account that have not been physically delivered/received and the Receiving/Carrying Member must debit/credit the related money account. The customer's securities account shall thereupon be deemed transferred.

(c) Any fail contracts resulting from this account transfer procedure must be closed out within ten (10) business days after their establishment.

(d) Any discrepancies relating to positions or money balances that exist or occur after transfer of a customer's securities account must be resolved promptly.

(e) When both the Carrying Member and the Receiving Member are participants in a clearing corporation having automated customer securities account transfer capabilities, the account transfer procedure, including the establishing and closing out of fail contracts, must be accomplished in accordance with the provisions of this Rule and pursuant to the Rules of and through the Clearing Corporation.

(f) The Exchange may exempt from the provisions of this Rule, either unconditionally or on specified terms and conditions, (i) any Member or type of Members, or (ii) any type of account, security or financial instrument.

(g) Unless an exemption has been granted pursuant to paragraph (f) of this Rule, the Exchange may impose upon a Member a fee of up to $100 per securities account for each day such Member fails to adhere to the time frames or procedures required by this Rule.

(h) Transfer instructions and reports required by this Rule shall be in such form as may be prescribed by the Exchange.

[Adopted June 6, 2019 (SR-ISE-2019-17).]

(a) Definitions. For purposes of this Rule and any interpretation thereof, "options communications" consist of:

(1) Correspondence. The term "correspondence" shall include any written (including electronic) communication distributed or made to: 25 or fewer retail customers within any 30 calendar-day period.

(2) Institutional Communication. The term "institutional communication" shall include any written (including electronic) communication concerning options that is distributed or made available only to institutional investors, but does not include a Member's internal communications. The term institutional investor shall mean any qualified investor as defined in Section 3(a)(54) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

(3) Retail Communication. The term "retail communication" means any written (including electronic) communication that is distributed or made available to more than 25 retail investors within any 30 calendar-day period.

(b) Approval by Registered Options Principal.

(1) All retail communications (except completed worksheets) issued by a Member pertaining to options shall be approved in advance by a Registered Options Principal designated by the Member's written supervisory procedures.

(2) Correspondence need not be approved by a Registered Options Principal prior to use. All correspondence is subject to the supervision and review requirements of Options 10, Section 7.

(3) Institutional communications. Each Member shall establish written procedures that are appropriate to its business, size, structure, and customers for review by a Registered Options Principal of institutional communications used by the Member.

(4) Copies of the options communications shall be retained by the Member in accordance with Rule 17a-4 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The names of the persons who prepared the options communications, the names of the persons who approved the options communications, and the source of any recommendations contained therein shall be retained by the Member and kept in the form and for the time periods required for options communications by Rule 17a-4.

(c) Exchange Approval Required. In addition to the approval required by paragraph (b) of this Rule, retail communications of a Member pertaining to standardized options that is not accompanied or preceded by the applicable current options disclosure document ("ODD") shall be submitted to the Exchange at least ten (10) calendar days prior to use (or such shorter period as the Exchange may allow in particular instances) for approval, and if changed or expressly disapproved by the Exchange, shall be withheld from circulation until any changes specified by the Exchange have been made or, in the event of disapproval, until the communication has been resubmitted for, and has received, Exchange approval. The requirements of this paragraph shall not be applicable to:

(1) options communications submitted to another self-regulatory organization having comparable standards pertaining to such communications, and

(2) communications in which the only reference to options is contained in a listing of the services of the Member;

(3) the ODD; and

(4) the prospectus.

(d) General Rule. No Member or associated person shall use any options communication which:

(1) Contains any untrue statement or omission of a material fact or is otherwise false or misleading.

(2) Contains promises of specific results, exaggerated or unwarranted claims, opinions for which there is no reasonable basis or forecasts of future events which are unwarranted or which are not clearly labeled as forecasts.

(3) Contains cautionary statements or caveats that are not legible, are misleading, or are inconsistent with the content of the materials.

(4) Contains statements suggesting the certain availability of secondary market for options.

(5) Fails to reflect the risks attendant to options transactions and the complexities of certain options investment strategies.

(6) Fails to include a warning to the effect that options are not suitable for all investors or contains suggestions to the contrary.

(7) Fails to include a statement that supporting documentation for any claims (including any claims made on behalf of options programs or the options expertise of sales persons), comparisons, recommendations, statistics, or other technical data, will be supplied upon request.

(8) would constitute a prospectus as that term is defined in the Securities Act of 1933, unless it meets the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933. Paragraphs (6) and (7) shall not apply to institutional communications as defined in this Options 10, Section 20. Any statement in any options communications referring to the potential opportunities or advantages presented by options shall be balanced by a statement of the corresponding risks. The risk statement shall reflect the same degree of specificity as the statement of opportunities, and broad generalities must be avoided.

(e) Standards Applicable to Options Communications

(1) Unless preceded or accompanied by the ODD, options communications shall:

(i) Be limited to general descriptions of the options being discussed.

(ii) Contain contact information for obtaining a copy of the ODD.

(iii) Not contain recommendations or past or projected performance figures including annualized rates of return, or names of specific securities.

(2) Options communications used prior to ODD delivery may:

(i) Contain a brief description of options, including a statement that identifies registered clearing agencies for options. The text may also contain a brief description of the general attributes and method of operation of the exchanges on which options are traded, including a discussion of how an option is priced.

(ii) Include any statement required by any state law or administrative authority.

(iii) Include advertising designs and devices, including borders, scrolls, arrows, pointers, multiple and combined logos and unusual type faces and lettering as well as attention-getting headlines and photographs and other graphics, provided such material is not misleading.

(f) The Options 10, Section 20(e)(1)(B) requirement to include contact information for obtaining a copy of the ODD may be satisfied by providing a name and address or one or more telephone numbers from which the current options disclosure document may be obtained; directing existing clients to contact their registered representative; or including a response card through which a current options disclosure document may be obtained. An internet address may also be used, however, such an address must be accompanied by either a telephone number or mailing address for use by those investors who do not have access to the internet.

(g) Projections

(1) Options communications may contain projected performance figures (including projected annualized rates of return), provided that:

(i) all such communications are accompanied or preceded by the ODD.

(ii) no suggestion of certainty of future performance is made;

(iii) parameters relating to such performance figures are clearly established (e.g., to indicate the exercise price of an options contract, the purchase price of the underlying stock and the options contract's market price, premium, anticipated dividends, etc.);

(iv) all relevant costs, including commissions, fees, and interest charges (if applicable with regard to margin transactions) are disclosed;

(v) such projections are plausible and intended as a source of reference or a comparative device to be used in the development of a recommendation;

(vi) all material assumptions made in such calculations are clearly identified (e.g., "assume option expires", "assume option unexercised," "assume option exercised," etc.);

(vii) the risks involved in the proposed transactions are also discussed;

(viii) in communications relating to annualized rates of return, that such returns are not based upon any less than a sixty (60) day experience, any formulas used in making calculations are clearly displayed; and a statement is included to the effect that the annualized returns cited might be achieved only if the parameters described can be duplicated and that there is no certainty of doing so.

(h) Historical Performances. Options communications may feature records and statistics that portray the performance of past recommendations or of actual transactions, provided that:

(i) All such communications are accompanied or preceded by the ODD.

(ii) any such portrayal is done in a balanced manner, and consists of records or statistics that are confined to a specific "universe" that can be fully isolated and circumscribed and that covers at least the most recent twelve (12) month period;

(iii) such communications include the date of each initial recommendation or transaction, the price of each such recommendation or transaction as of such date, and the date and price of each recommendation or transaction at the end of the period or when liquidation was suggested or effected, whichever was earlier; provided that if the communications are limited to summarized or averaged records or statistics in lieu of the complete record, there may be included in the number of items recommended or transacted, the number that advanced and the number that declined, together with an offer to provide the complete record upon request;

(iv) all relevant costs, including commissions, fees, and interest charges (as applicable) are disclosed;

(v) whenever such communications contain annualized rated of return, all material assumptions used in the process of annualization are disclosed;

(vi) an indication is provided of the general market conditions during the period(s) covered, and any comparison made between such records and statistics and the overall market (e.g., comparison to an index) is valid;

(vii) such communications state that the results presented should not and cannot be viewed as an indicator of future performance; and

(viii) a Registered Options Principal determines that the records or statistics fairly present the status of the recommendations or transactions reported upon and so initials the report.

(ix) Options Programs. In communications regarding an options program (i.e., an investment plan employing the systematic use of one or more options strategies), the cumulative history or unproven nature of the program and its underlying assumptions shall be disclosed.

[Adopted June 6, 2019 (SR-ISE-2019-17).]

(a) Every Electronic Access Member approved to transact business with the public under this Options 10 and every Clearing Member shall carry Brokers' Blanket Bonds covering officers and employees of the Member in such form and in such amounts as the Exchange may require.

(b) All Members subject to paragraph (a) of this Rule shall maintain Brokers' Blanket Bonds as follows:

(1) Maintain a Brokers' Blanket Bond similar to the standard form established by the Surety Association of America, covering officers and employees which provides against loss and has agreements covering at least the following:

(i) Fidelity;

(ii) On Premises;

(iii) In Transit;

(iv) Misplacement;

(v) Forgery and Alteration (including check forgery);

(vi) Securities Loss (including securities forgery);

(vii) Fraudulent Trading; and

(viii) A Cancellation Rider providing that the insurance carrier will promptly notify the Exchange of cancellation, termination or substantial modification of the Bond.

(2) In determining the initial minimum coverage, the Member is to use the highest required net capital during the twelve (12) month period immediately preceding the issuance of the Brokers' Blanket Bond. Thereafter, a review for adequacy of coverage shall be made at least annually as of the anniversary date of issuance of the subject Bond, and the minimum requirement for the next twelve (12) months shall be established by reference to the highest net capital in the preceding twelve (12) months. Any necessary adjustments shall be made not more than sixty (60) days following the anniversary.

(c) The minimum required coverage for fraudulent trading shall be the greater of $25,000 or fifty percent (50%) of the coverage required in paragraph (b)(2) up to a maximum of $500,000.

(d) The minimum required coverage for securities forgery shall be the greater of $25,000 or twenty-five percent (25%) of the coverage required in paragraph (b)(2) up to a maximum of $250,000.

(e) A deductible provision of up to $5,000 or ten percent (10%) of the minimum coverage requirement, whichever is greater, may be included in the Bond.

(1) A Member may choose to maintain coverage in excess of the minimum requirements as set forth above in paragraph (b)(2) of this Rule, and in such case, a deductible provision of up to $5,000 or ten percent (10%) of the amount of the Blanket Bond coverage, whichever is greater, may be included in the Bond purchased. However, the excess of this greater deductible amount over the maximum permissible deductible amounts as described in this paragraph must be subtracted from the Member's net worth in the calculation of the Member's net capital under SEC Rule 15c3-1.

(2) Each Member shall report the cancellation, termination or substantial modification of the Bond to the Exchange within ten (10) business days of such occurrences.

(f) Members with no employees shall be exempt from this Rule.

(g) Members subject to a bonding rule of another registered national securities exchange, the SEC, or a registered national securities association that imposes requirements that are equal to or greater than the requirements imposed by the Rule shall be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions of this Rule.

[Adopted June 6, 2019 (SR-ISE-2019-17).]

(a) Every Member conducting a non-Member customer business shall make and keep current a separate central log, index or other file for all options-related complaints, through which these complaints can easily be identified and retrieved.

(b) The term "options-related complaint" shall mean any written statement by a customer or person acting on behalf of a customer alleging a grievance arising out of or in connection with listed options.

(c) The central file shall be located at the principal place of business of the Member or such other principal office as shall be designated by the Member.

(1) Each options-related complaint received by a branch office of a Member shall be forwarded to the office in which the separate, central file is located not later than thirty (30) days after receipt by the branch office.

(2) A copy of every options-related complaint shall be maintained at the branch office that is the subject of a complaint.

(d) At a minimum, the central file shall include:

(1) identification of complainant;

(2) date complaint was received;

(3) identification of the Representative servicing the account, if applicable;

(4) a general description of the subject of the complaint; and

(5) a record of what action, if any, has been taken by the Member with respect to the complaint.

[Adopted June 6, 2019 (SR-ISE-2019-17).]

(a) Telemarketing Restrictions. No Member or associated person shall make an outbound telephone call to:

(1) any person's residence at any time other than between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. local time at the called person's location, unless;

(i) the Member has an established business relationship with the person pursuant to paragraph (n)(12)(i),

(ii) the Member has received that person's prior express invitation or permission, or

(iii) the person called is a broker or dealer.

(2) any person that previously has stated that he or she does not wish to receive any outbound telephone calls made by or on behalf of the Member firm; or

(3) any person who has registered his or her telephone number on the Federal Trade Commission's national do-not-call registry.

(b) Caller Disclosures. No Member or associated person shall make an outbound telephone call to any person without disclosing truthfully, promptly and in a clear and conspicuous manner to the called person the following information:

(1) the identity of the caller and the Member firm;

(2) the telephone number or address at which the caller may be contacted; and

(3) that the purpose of the call is to solicit the purchase of securities or related services.

The telephone number provided may not be a 900 number or any other number for which charges exceed local or long-distance transmission charges.

(c) Member's Firm-Specific Do-Not-Call List. Each Member shall make and maintain a centralized list of persons who have informed the Member, or any employee thereof, that they do not wish to receive outbound telephone calls. Prior to engaging in telemarketing, a Member must institute procedures to comply with paragraphs (a) and (b). Such procedures much meet the following minimum standards:

(1) Members much have a written policy for maintaining the do-not-call list described under paragraph (c).

(2) Personnel engaged in any aspect of telemarketing must be informed and trained in the existence and use of the do-not-call list.

(3) If a Member receives a request from a person not to receive calls from that Member, the Member must record the request and place the person's name, if provided, and telephone number on the firm's do-not-call list at the time the request is made. Members must honor a person's do-not-call request within a reasonable time from the date such request is made. This period may not exceed 30 days from the date of such request. If such requests are recorded or maintained by a party other than the Member on whose behalf the outbound telephone call is made, the Member on whose behalf the outbound telephone call is made will be liable for any failures to honor the do-not-call request.

(4) A Member or person associated with a Member making an outbound telephone call must provide the called party with the name of the individual caller, the name of the Member, an address or telephone number at which the Member may be contacted, and that the purpose of the call is to solicit the purchase of securities or related service. The telephone number provided may not be a 900 number or any other number for which charges exceed local or long distance transmission charges.

(5) In the absence of a specific request by the person to the contrary, a person's do-not-call request shall apply to the Member making the call, and will not apply to affiliated entities unless the consumer reasonably would expect them to be included given the identification of the caller and the product being advertised.

(6) A Member making outbound telephone calls must maintain a record of a person's request not to receive further calls.

(d) Do-Not-Call Safe Harbors.

(1) A Member or person associated with a Member making outbound telephone calls will not be liable for violating paragraph (a)(3) if:

(i) the Member has an established business relationship with the called person. A person's request to be placed on the Member's firm-specific do-not-call list terminates the established business relationship exception to the national do-not-call registry provision for that Member even if the person continues to do business with the Member;

(ii) the Member has obtained the person's prior express written consent. Such consent must be clearly evidenced by a signed, written agreement (which may be obtained electronically under the E-sign Act) between the person and the Member, which states that the person agrees to be contacted by the Member and includes the telephone number to which the calls may be placed;

(iii) the Member or associated person making the call has a personal relationship with the called person;

(2) A Member or associated person making outbound telephone calls will not be liable for violating paragraph (a)(3) if the Member or associated person demonstrates that the violation is the result of an error and that as part of the Member's routine business practice:

(i) The Member has established and implemented written procedures to comply with paragraphs (a) and (b);

(ii) The Member has trained its personnel, and any entity assisting in its compliance, in procedures established pursuant to paragraph (d)(2)(i);

(iii) The Member has maintained and recorded a list of telephone numbers that it may not contact in compliance with paragraph (c); and

(iv) The Member uses a process to prevent outbound telephone calls to any telephone number on the Member's firm-specific do-not-call list or the national do-not-call registry, employing a version of the national do-not-call registry obtained from the Federal Trade Commission no more than 31 days prior to the date any call is made, and maintains records documenting this process.

(e) Wireless Communications. The provisions set forth in this Rule are applicable to Members and persons associated with a Member making outbound telephone calls to wireless telephone numbers.

(f) Outsourcing Telemarketing. If a Member uses another appropriately registered or licensed entity or person to perform telemarketing services on its behalf, the Member remains responsible for ensuring compliance with all provisions contained in this Rule.

(g) Billing Information. For any telemarketing transaction, no Member or associated person shall cause billing information to be submitted for payment directly or indirectly, without the express informed consent of the consumer. Each Member or associated person must obtain the express informed consent of the person to be charged and to be charged using the identified account.

(1) In any telemarketing transaction involving preacquired account information and a free-to-pay conversion feature, the Member or person associated with a Member must:

(i) obtain from the customer, at a minimum, the last four digits of the account number to be charged;

(ii) obtain from the customer an express agreement to be charged and to be charged using the account number pursuant to paragraph (g)(1)(i); and

(iii) make and maintain an audio recording of the entire telemarketing transaction.

(2) In any other telemarketing transaction involving preacquired account information not described in paragraph (g)(1), the Member or person associated with a Member must:

(i) identify the account to be charged with sufficient specificity for the customer to understand what account will be charged; and

(ii) obtain from the customer an express agreement to be charged and to be charged using the account number identified pursuant to paragraph (h)(2)(i).

(h) Caller Identification Information.

(1) Any Member that engages in telemarketing, as defined in paragraph (n)(21) of this Rule, must transmit or cause to be transmitted the telephone number, and, when made available by the Member's telephone carrier, the name of the Member, to any caller identification service in use by a recipient of an outbound telephone call.

(2) The telephone number so provided must permit any person to make a do-not-call request during regular business hours.

(3) Any Member that engages in telemarketing, as defined in paragraph (n)(21) of this Rule, is prohibited from blocking the transmission of caller identification information.

(i) Unencrypted Consumer Account Numbers. No Member or person associated with a Member shall disclose or receive, for consideration, unencrypted consumer account numbers for use in telemarketing. The term "unencrypted" means not only complete, visible account numbers, whether provided in lists or singly, but also encrypted information with a key to its decryption. This paragraph shall not apply to the disclosure or receipt of a customer's billing information to process a payment pursuant to a telemarketing transaction.

(j) Abandoned Calls.

(1) No Member or person associated with a Member shall "abandon" any outbound telemarketing call. An outbound call is "abandoned" if a person answers it and the call is not connected to a person associated with a Member within two seconds of the person's completed greeting.

(2) A Member or person associated with a Member shall not be liable for violating paragraph (j)(1) if:

(i) the Member or person associated with a Member employs technology that ensures abandonment of no more than three percent of all telemarketing calls answered by a person, measured over the duration of a single calling campaign, if less than 30 days, or separately over each successive 30-day period or portion thereof that the campaign continues;

(ii) the Member or person associated with a Member, for each telemarketing call placed, allows the telephone to ring for at least 15 seconds or four rings before disconnecting an unanswered call;

(iii) whenever a Member or person associated with a Member is not available to speak with the person answering the outbound telephone call within two seconds after the person's completed greeting, the Member or person associated with a Member promptly plays a prerecorded message that states the name and telephone number of the Member or person associated with the Member on whose behalf the call was placed; and

(iv) the Member retains records establishing compliance with paragraph (j)(2).

(k) Prerecorded Messages.

(1) No Member or person associated with a Member shall initiate any outbound telephone call that delivers a prerecorded message other than a prerecorded message permitted for compliance with the call abandonment safe harbor in (j)(2)(iii) unless:

(i) the Member has obtained from the recipient of the call an express agreement, in writing, that:

(A) the Member obtained only after a clear and conspicuous disclosure that the purpose of the agreement is to authorize the Member to place prerecorded calls to such person;

(B) the Member obtained without requiring, directly or indirectly, that the agreement be executed as a condition of opening an account or purchasing any good or service;

(C) evidences the willingness of the recipient of the call to receive calls that deliver prerecorded messages by or on behalf of the Member; and

(D) includes such person's telephone number and signature (which may be obtained electronically under the E-Sign Act);

(ii) the Member or person associated with a Member allows the telephone to ring for at least 15 seconds or four rings before disconnecting an unanswered call; and within two seconds after the completed greeting of the person called, plays a prerecorded message that promptly provides the disclosures in paragraph (b), followed immediately by a disclosure of one or both of the following:

(A) in the case of a call that could be answered by a person, that the person called can use an automated interactive voice and/or keypress-activated opt-out mechanism to assert a firm-specific do-not-call request pursuant to the Member's procedures instituted under paragraph (c)(3) at any time during the message. The mechanism must automatically add the number called to the Member's firm-specific do-not-call list; once invoked, immediately disconnect the call; and be available for use at any time during the message; and

(B) in the case of a call that could be answered by an answering machine or voicemail service, that the person called can use a toll-free telephone number to assert a firm-specific do-not-call request pursuant to the Member's procedures instituted under paragraph (c)(3). The number provided must connect directly to an automated interactive voice or keypress-activated opt-out mechanism that automatically adds the number called to the Member's firm-specific do-not-call list; immediately thereafter disconnects the call; and is accessible at any time throughout the duration of the telemarketing campaign; and

(C) the Member complies with all other requirements of this Rule and other applicable federal and state laws.

(2) Any call that complies with all applicable requirements of paragraph (k) shall not be deemed to violate paragraph (j).

(l) Credit Card Laundering. Except as expressly permitted by the applicable credit card system, no Member or person associated with a Member shall:

(1) present to or deposit into, the credit card system for payment, a credit card sales draft generated by a telemarketing transaction that is not the result of a telemarketing credit card transaction between the cardholder and the Member;

(2) employ, solicit, or otherwise cause a merchant, or an employee, representative or agent of the merchant, to present to or to deposit into the credit card system for payment, a credit card sales draft generated by a telemarketing transaction that is not the result of a telemarketing credit card transaction between the cardholder and the merchant; or

(3) obtain access to the credit card system through the use of a business relationship or an affiliation with a merchant, when such access is not authorized by the merchant agreement or the applicable credit card system.

(m) Definitions. For purposes of this Rule:

(1) The term "account activity" includes, but not be limited to, purchases, sales, interest credits or debits, charges or credits, dividend payments, transfer activity, securities receipts or deliveries, and/or journal entries relating to securities or funds in the possession or control of the Member.

(2) The term "acquirer" means a business organization, financial institution, or an agent of a business organization or financial institution that has authority from an organization that operates or licenses a credit card system to authorize merchants to accept, transmit, or process payment by credit card through the credit card system for money, goods or services, or anything else of value.

(3) The term "billing information" means any data that enables any person to access a customer's or donor's account, for example a credit or debit card number, a brokerage, checking, or savings account number, or a mortgage loan account number.

(4) The term "broker-dealer of record" refers to the broker-dealer identified on a customer's account application for accounts held directly at a mutual fund or variable insurance product issuer.

(5) The term "caller identification service" means a service that allows a telephone subscriber to have the telephone number, and, where available, name of the calling party transmitted contemporaneously with the telephone call, and displayed on a device in or connected to the subscriber's telephone.

(6) The term "cardholder" means a person to whom a credit card is issued or who is authorized to use a credit card on behalf of or in addition to the person to whom the credit card is issued.

(7) The term "credit" means the right granted by a creditor to a debtor to defer payment of debt or to incur debt and defer its payment.

(8) The term "credit card" means any card, plate, coupon book, or other credit device existing for the purpose of obtaining money, property, labor, or services on credit.

(9) The term "credit card sales draft" means any record or evidence of a credit card transaction.

(10) The term "credit card system" means any method or procedure used to process credit card transactions involving credit cards issued or licensed by the operator of that system.

(11) The term "customer" means any person who is or may be required to pay for goods or services offered through telemarketing.

(12) The term "established business relationship" means a relationship between a Member and a person if:

(i) the person has made a financial transaction or has a security position, a money balance, or account activity with the Member or at a clearing firm that provides clearing services to such Member within the previous 18 months immediately preceding the date of the outbound telephone call;

(ii) the Member is the broker-dealer of record for an account of the person within the previous 18 months immediately preceding the date of the outbound telephone call; or

(iii) the person has contacted the Member to inquire about a product or service offered by the Member within the previous three months immediately preceding the date of the outbound telephone call.

A person's established business relationship with a Member does not extend to the Member's affiliated entities unless the person would reasonably expect them to be included. Similarly, a person's established business relationship with a Member's affiliate does not extend to the Member unless the person would reasonably expect the Member to be included.

(13) The term "free-to-pay conversion" means, in an offer or agreement to sell or provide any goods or services, a provision under which a customer receives a product or service for free for an initial period and will incur an obligation to pay for the product or service if he or she does not take affirmative action to cancel before the end of that period.

(14) The term "merchant" means a person who is authorized under a written contract with an acquirer to honor or accept credit cards, or to transmit or process for payment credit card payments, for the purchase of goods or services or a charitable contribution. A "charitable contribution" means any donation or gift of money or any other thing of value, for example a transfer to a pooled income fund.

(15) The term "merchant agreement" means a written contract between a merchant and an acquirer to honor or accept credit cards, or to transmit or process or payment credit card payments, for the purchase of goods or services or a charitable contribution.

(16) The term "outbound telephone call" means a telephone call initiated by a telemarketer to induce the purchase of goods or services or to solicit a charitable contribution from a donor. A "donor" means any person solicited to make a charitable contribution.

(17) The term "person" means any individual, group, unincorporated association, limited or general partnership, corporation, or other business entity.

(18) The term "personal relationship" means any family member, friend, or acquaintance of the person making an outbound telephone call.

(19) The term "preacquired account information" means any information that enables a seller or telemarketer to cause a charge to be placed against a customer's or donor's account without obtaining the account number directly from the customer or donor during the telemarketing transaction pursuant to which the account will be charged.

(20) The term "telemarketer" means any person who, in connection with telemarketing, initiates or receives telephone calls to or from a customer or donor.

(21) The term "telemarketing" means consisting of or relating to a plan, program, or campaign involving at least one outbound telephone call, for example cold-calling. The term does not include the solicitation of sales through the mailing of written marketing materials, when the person making the solicitation does not solicit customers by telephone but only receives calls initiated by customers in response to the marketing materials and during those calls takes orders only without further solicitation. For purposes of the previous sentence, the term "further solicitation" does not include providing the customer with information about, or attempting to sell, anything promoted in the same marketing materials that prompted the customer's call.

Supplementary Material to Options 10, Section 23

.01 Members and associated persons that engage in telemarketing also are subject to the requirements of relevant state and federal laws and rules, including but not limited to the Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act, as amended, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, and the rules of the Federal Communications Commission relating to telemarketing practices and the rights of telephone consumers.

[Adopted June 6, 2019 (SR-ISE-2019-17).]

 

Adopted June 6, 2019 (SR-ISE-2019-17).

 

Adopted June 6, 2019 (SR-ISE-2019-17).

(a) When a Member has actual notice that an ISE employee has a financial interest in, or controls trading in, an account, the Member shall promptly obtain and implement an instruction from the employee directing that duplicate account statements be provided by the member to ISE.

(b) No Member shall directly or indirectly make any loan of money or securities to any ISE employee. Provided, however, that this prohibition does not apply to loans made in the context of disclosed, routine banking and brokerage agreements, or loans that are clearly motivated by a personal or family relationship.

(c) Notwithstanding the annual dollar limitation set forth in Options 10, Section 27, no Member shall directly or indirectly give, or permit to be given, anything of more than nominal value to any ISE employee who has responsibility for a regulatory matter that involves the Member. For purposes of this subsection, the term “regulatory matter” includes, but is not limited to, examinations, disciplinary proceedings, membership applications, listing applications, delisting proceedings, and dispute-resolution proceedings that involve the Member.

Amended Aug. 18, 2022 (SR-ISE-2022-17), operative Sep. 17, 2022.

(a) No Member or person associated with a Member shall, directly or indirectly, give or permit to be given anything of value, including gratuities, in excess of one hundred dollars per individual per year to any person, principal, proprietor, employee, agent or representative of another person where such payment or gratuity is in relation to the business of the employer of the recipient of the payment or gratuity. A gift of any kind is considered a gratuity.

(b) This Rule shall not apply to contracts of employment with or to compensation for services rendered by persons enumerated in paragraph (a) provided that there is in existence prior to the time of employment or before the services are rendered, a written agreement between the Member and the person who is to be employed to perform such services. Such agreement shall include the nature of the proposed employment, the amount of the proposed compensation, and the written consent of such person's employer or principal.

(c) A separate record of all payments or gratuities in any amount known to the Member, the employment agreement referred to in paragraph (b) and any employment compensation paid as a result thereof shall be retained by the Member for the period specified by Rule 17a-4 of the Exchange Act.

Amended Aug. 18, 2022 (SR-ISE-2022-17), operative Sep. 17, 2022.