Title 15Commerce and TradeRelease 119-73

§78iii Functions of self-regulatory organizations

Title 15 › Chapter CHAPTER 2B–1— - SECURITIES INVESTOR PROTECTION › § 78iii

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Self-regulatory organizations must collect SIPC assessments from the members they examine, unless SIPC names a different organization to collect for a member who belongs to more than one group. If a member’s only group is a registered clearing agency that does not examine the member, SIPC can still name that agency to collect or can ask for payments directly. A collecting organization only sends SIPC the money it actually receives. Members who are not in any self-regulatory group must pay SIPC directly. The organizations are not liable to anyone for good-faith actions or omissions taken under sections 78eee(a)(1) and 78eee(a)(2). The group that is the examining authority must inspect members for compliance with financial responsibility rules, but the Commission can take over examinations if the group is a registered clearing agency or if a member belongs to multiple groups. Self-regulatory organizations must file inspection reports with SIPC as SIPC requires, work with SIPC to spot financial trouble, follow common exam standards, and get financial information from members. The Commission may make rules requiring these organizations to give SIPC reports and records about members’ financial condition.

Full Legal Text

Title 15, §78iii

Commerce and Trade — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Each self-regulatory organization shall act as collection agent for SIPC to collect the assessments payable by all members of SIPC for whom such self-regulatory organization is the examining authority, unless SIPC designates a self-regulatory organization other than the examining authority to act as collection agent for any member of SIPC who is a member of or participant in more than one self-regulatory organization. If the only self-regulatory organization of which a member of SIPC is a member or in which it is a participant is a registered clearing agency that is not the examining authority for the member, SIPC may, nevertheless, designate such registered clearing agency as collection agent for the member or may require that payments be made directly to SIPC. The collection agent shall be obligated to remit to SIPC assessments made under section 78ddd of this title only to the extent that payments of such assessment are received by such collection agent. Members of SIPC who are not members of or participants in a self-regulatory organization shall make payments directly to SIPC.
(b)No self-regulatory organization shall have any liability to any person for any action taken or omitted in good faith pursuant to section 78eee(a)(1) and section 78eee(a)(2) of this title.
(c)The self-regulatory organization of which a member of SIPC is a member or in which it is a participant shall inspect or examine such member for compliance with applicable financial responsibility rules, except that—
(1)if the self-regulatory organization is a registered clearing agency, the Commission may designate itself as responsible for the examination of such member for compliance with applicable financial responsibility rules; and
(2)if a member of SIPC is a member of or participant in more than one self-regulatory organization, the Commission, pursuant to section 78q(d) of this title, shall designate one of such self-regulatory organizations or itself as responsible for the examination of such member for compliance with applicable financial responsibility rules.
(d)There shall be filed with SIPC by the self-regulatory organizations such reports of inspections or examinations of the members of SIPC (or copies thereof) as may be designated by SIPC by bylaw or rule.
(e)SIPC shall consult and cooperate with the self-regulatory organizations toward the end:
(1)that there may be developed and carried into effect procedures reasonably designed to detect approaching financial difficulty upon the part of any member of SIPC;
(2)that, as nearly as may be practicable, examinations to ascertain whether members of SIPC are in compliance with applicable financial responsibility rules will be conducted by the self-regulatory organizations under appropriate standards (both as to method and scope) and reports of such examinations will, where appropriate, be standard in form; and
(3)that, as frequently as may be practicable under the circumstances, each member of SIPC will file financial information with, and be examined by, the self-regulatory organization which is the examining authority for such member.
(f)The Commission may, by such rules as it determines necessary or appropriate in the public interest and to carry out the purposes of this chapter, require any self-regulatory organization to furnish SIPC with reports and records (or copies thereof) relating to the financial condition of members of or participants in such self-regulatory organization.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsec. (f), was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 91–598, Dec. 30, 1970, 84 Stat. 1636. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables.

Amendments

1978—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 95–283, § 12(a), in heading substituted “Collection” for “Collecting”, and in text inserted provisions relating to designation of a self-regulatory organization other than the examining authority to act as collection agent and provisions relating to designation of a registered clearing agency as collection agent, and substituted provisions relating to remittances by the collection agent to SIPC, for provisions relating to remittances by an examining authority to SIPC. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 95–283, § 12(b), inserted reference to section 78eee(a)(2) of this title. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 95–283, § 12(c), revised existing format and provisions into introductory text and cl. (2) and, as so revised, in introductory text inserted provisions respecting participation by a member of SIPC in a self-regulatory organization and in cl. (2) inserted provisions respecting such participation and authorization for the Commission to designate itself as responsible for the statutory examination, and added cl. (1). Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 95–283, § 12(d), substituted provisions authorizing the Commission to set out rules requiring self-regulatory organizations to furnish SIPC with reports and records of members or participants in such self-regulatory organizations, for provisions authorizing the Commission to set out rules, and

Regulations

requiring self-regulatory organizations to adopt rules, practices, and procedures respecting inspections and examinations of members and examiners, to furnish SIPC and the Commission with reports and records of members, and to inspect or examine members. 1975—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 94–29 directed the Commission to designate the self-regulatory organization to be responsible for enforcing applicable rules with respect to any firm which is a member of more than one self-regulatory organization.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1975 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 94–29 effective June 4, 1975, see section 31(a) of Pub. L. 94–29, set out as a note under section 78b of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

15 U.S.C. § 78iii

Title 15Commerce and Trade

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73