Proposed Rule Change to Address Brokers with a Significant History of Misconduct

Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) is filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC” or “Commission”) a proposed rule change to: (1) amend the FINRA Rule 9200 Series (Disciplinary Proceedings) and the 9300 Series (Review of Disciplinary Proceeding by National Adjudicatory Council and FINRA Board; Application for SEC Review) to allow a Hearing Officer to impose conditions or restrictions on the activities of a respondent member firm or respondent broker, and require a respondent broker’s member firm to adopt heightened supervisory procedures for such broker, when a disciplinary matter is appealed to the National Adjudicatory Council (“NAC”) or called for NAC review; (2) amend the FINRA Rule 9520 Series (Eligibility Proceedings) to require member firms to adopt heightened supervisory procedures for statutorily disqualified brokers during the period a statutory disqualification eligibility request is under review by FINRA; (3) amend FINRA Rule 8312 (FINRA BrokerCheck Disclosure) to allow the disclosure through FINRA BrokerCheck of the status of a member firm as a “taping firm” under FINRA Rule 3170 (Tape Recording of Registered Persons by Certain Firms); and (4) amend the FINRA Rule 1000 Series (Member Application and Associated Person Registration) to require a member firm to submit a written request to FINRA’s Department of Member Regulation (“Member Regulation”), through the Membership Application Group (“MAP Group”), seeking a materiality consultation and approval of a continuing membership application, if required, when a natural person that has, in the prior five years, one or more “final criminal matters” or two or more “specified risk events” seeks to become an owner, control person, principal or registered person of the member firm.