(a) Eligibility. A swap dealer or major swap participant shall verify that a counterparty meets the eligibility standards for an eligible contract participant, as defined in Section 1a(18) of the Act and § 1.3 of this chapter, before offering to enter into or entering into a swap with that counterparty.

(b) Special Entity. In verifying the eligibility of a counterparty pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section, a swap dealer or major swap participant shall also verify whether the counterparty is a Special Entity.

(c) Special Entity election. In verifying the eligibility of a counterparty pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section, a swap dealer or major swap participant shall verify whether a counterparty is eligible to elect to be a Special Entity under § 23.401(c)(6) and, if so, notify such counterparty of its right to make such an election.

(d) Safe harbor. A swap dealer or major swap participant may rely on written representations of a counterparty to satisfy the requirements of this section as provided in § 23.402(d). A swap dealer or major swap participant will have a reasonable basis to rely on such written representations for purposes of the requirements in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section if the counterparty specifies in such representations the provision(s) of Section 1a(18) of the Act or paragraph(s) of § 1.3 of this chapter that describe its status as an eligible contract participant and, in the case of a Special Entity, the paragraph(s) of the Special Entity definition in § 23.401(c) that define its status as a Special Entity.

(e) This section shall not apply with respect to:

(1) A transaction that is initiated on a designated contract market; or

(2) A transaction initiated on a swap execution facility, if the swap dealer or major swap participant does not know the identity of the counterparty to the transaction prior to execution.