(a) This section applies to every broker or dealer registered pursuant to Section 15 of the Act, (15 U.S.C. 78o) that uses computers in the conduct of its business as a broker or dealer. If you have a material Year 2000 problem, then you do not have operational capability within the meaning of Section 15(b)(7) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78o(b)(7)).

(b)(1) You have a material Year 2000 problem under paragraph (a) of this section if, at any time on or after August 31, 1999:

(i) Any of your mission critical computer systems incorrectly identifies any date in the Year 1999 or the Year 2000; and

(ii) The error impairs or, if uncorrected, is likely to impair, any of your mission critical systems.

(2) You will be presumed to have a material Year 2000 problem if, at any time on or after August 31, 1999, you:

(i) Do not have written procedures reasonably designed to identify, assess, and remediate any Year 2000 problems in mission critical systems under your control;

(ii) Have not verified your Year 2000 remediation efforts through reasonable internal testing of mission critical systems under your control;

(iii) Have not verified your Year 2000 remediation efforts by satisfying Year 2000 testing requirements imposed by self-regulatory organizations to which you are subject; or

(iv) Have not remediated all exceptions related to your mission critical systems contained in any independent public accountant's report prepared on your behalf pursuant to § 240.17a-5(e)(5)(vi).

(c) If you have or are presumed to have a material Year 2000 problem, you must immediately notify the Commission and your designated examining authority of the problem. You must send this notice to the Commission by overnight delivery to the Division of Market Regulation, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street, NE., Washington, DC 20549-6628 Attention: Y2K Compliance.

(d)(1) If you are a broker or dealer that is not operationally capable because you have or are presumed to have a material Year 2000 problem, you may not, on or after August 31, 1999:

(i) Effect any transaction in, or induce the purchase or sale of, any security; or

(ii) Receive or hold customer funds or securities, or carry customer accounts.

(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (d)(1) of this section, you may continue to effect transactions in, or induce the purchase or sale of, a security, receive or hold customer funds or securities, or carry customer accounts:

(i) Until December 1, 1999, if you have submitted a certificate to the Commission in compliance with paragraph (e) of this section; or

(ii) Solely to the extent necessary to effect an orderly cessation or transfer of these functions.

(e)(1)(i) If you are a broker or dealer that is not operationally capable because you have or are presumed to have a material Year 2000 problem, you may, in addition to providing the Commission the notice required by paragraph (c) of this section, provide the Commission and your designated examining authority a certificate signed by your chief executive officer (or an individual with similar authority) stating:

(A) You are in the process of remediating your material Year 2000 problem;

(B) You have scheduled testing of your affected mission critical systems to verify that the material Year 2000 problem has been remediated, and specify the testing dates;

(C) The date by which you anticipate completing remediation of the material Year 2000 problem in your mission critical systems, and will therefore be operationally capable; and

(D) Based on inquiries and to the best of the chief executive officer's knowledge, you do not anticipate that the existence of the material Year 2000 problem in your mission critical systems will impair your ability, depending on the nature of your business, to ensure prompt and accurate processing of securities transactions, including order entry, execution, comparison, allocation, clearance and settlement of securities transactions, the maintenance of customer accounts, or the delivery of funds and securities; and you anticipate that the steps referred to in paragraphs (e)(1)(i)(A) through (C) of this section will result in remedying the material Year 2000 problem on or before November 15, 1999.

(ii) If the information contained in any certificate provided to the Commission pursuant to paragraph (e) of this section is or becomes misleading or inaccurate for any reason, you must promptly file an updated certificate correcting such information. In addition to the information contained in the certificate, you may provide the Commission with any other information necessary to establish that your mission critical systems will not have material Year 2000 problems on or after November 15, 1999.

(2) If you have submitted a certificate pursuant to paragraph (e)(1) of this section, you must submit a certificate to the Commission and your designated examining authority signed by your chief executive officer (or an individual with similar authority) on or before November 15, 1999, stating that, based on inquiries and to the best of the chief executive officer's knowledge, you have remediated your Year 2000 problem or that you will cease operations. This certificate must be sent to the Commission by overnight delivery to the Division of Market Regulation, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street, NE., Washington, DC 20549-6628 Attention: Y2K Compliance.

(f) Notwithstanding paragraph (d)(2) of this section, you must comply with the requirements of paragraph (d)(1) of this section if you have been so ordered by the Commission or by a court.

(g) For the purposes of this section:

(1) The term mission critical system means any system that is necessary, depending on the nature of your business, to ensure prompt and accurate processing of securities transactions, including order entry, execution, comparison, allocation, clearance and settlement of securities transactions, the maintenance of customer accounts, and the delivery of funds and securities; and

(2) The term customer includes a broker or dealer.

(h) This temporary section will expire on July 1, 2001.

[64 FR 42028, Aug. 3, 1999, as amended at 73 FR 32227, June 5, 2008]