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7 U.S. Code § 1a. Definitions
As used in this chapter:(1) Alternative trading systemThe term “alternative trading system” means an organization, association, or group of persons that—
(A)
is registered as a broker or dealer pursuant to section 15(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 [15 U.S.C. 78o(b)] (except paragraph (11) thereof);
(B)
performs the functions commonly performed by an exchange (as defined in section 3(a)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 [15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(1)]);
(C) does not—
(i)
set rules governing the conduct of subscribers other than the conduct of such subscribers’ trading on the alternative trading system; or
(ii)
discipline subscribers other than by exclusion from trading; and
(D)
is exempt from the definition of the term “exchange” under such section 3(a)(1) [15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(1)] by rule or regulation of the Securities and Exchange Commission on terms that require compliance with regulations of its trading functions.
(2) Appropriate Federal banking agencyThe term “appropriate Federal banking agency”—
(A)
has the meaning given the term in section 1813 of title 12;
(B)
means the Board in the case of a noninsured State bank; and
(C)
is the Farm Credit Administration for farm credit system institutions.
(3) Associated person of a security-based swap dealer or major security-based swap participant
The term “associated person of a security-based swap dealer or major security-based swap participant” has the meaning given the term in section 3(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78c(a)).
(4) Associated person of a swap dealer or major swap participant
(A) In generalThe term “associated person of a swap dealer or major swap participant” means a person who is associated with a swap dealer or major swap participant as a partner, officer, employee, or agent (or any person occupying a similar status or performing similar functions), in any capacity that involves—
(i)
the solicitation or acceptance of swaps; or
(ii)
the supervision of any person or persons so engaged.
(B) Exclusion
Other than for purposes of section 6s(b)(6) of this title, the term “associated person of a swap dealer or major swap participant” does not include any person associated with a swap dealer or major swap participant the functions of which are solely clerical or ministerial.
(5) Board
The term “Board” means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
(6) Board of trade
The term “board of trade” means any organized exchange or other trading facility.
(7) Cleared swap
The term “cleared swap” means any swap that is, directly or indirectly, submitted to and cleared by a derivatives clearing organization registered with the Commission.
(8) Commission
The term “Commission” means the Commodity Futures Trading Commission established under section 2(a)(2) of this title.
(9) Commodity
The term “commodity” means wheat, cotton, rice, corn, oats, barley, rye, flaxseed, grain sorghums, mill feeds, butter, eggs, Solanum tuberosum (Irish potatoes), wool, wool tops, fats and oils (including lard, tallow, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, soybean oil, and all other fats and oils), cottonseed meal, cottonseed, peanuts, soybeans, soybean meal, livestock, livestock products, and frozen concentrated orange juice, and all other goods and articles, except onions (as provided by section 13–1 of this title) and motion picture box office receipts (or any index, measure, value, or data related to such receipts), and all services, rights, and interests (except motion picture box office receipts, or any index, measure, value or data related to such receipts) in which contracts for future delivery are presently or in the future dealt in.
(10) Commodity pool
(A) In generalThe term “commodity pool” means any investment trust, syndicate, or similar form of enterprise operated for the purpose of trading in commodity interests, including any—
(i)
commodity for future delivery, security futures product, or swap;
(ii)
agreement, contract, or transaction described in section 2(c)(2)(C)(i) of this title or section 2(c)(2)(D)(i) of this title;
(iii)
commodity option authorized under section 6c of this title; or
(iv)
leverage transaction authorized under section 23 of this title.
(B) Further definition
The Commission, by rule or regulation, may include within, or exclude from, the term “commodity pool” any investment trust, syndicate, or similar form of enterprise if the Commission determines that the rule or regulation will effectuate the purposes of this chapter.
(11) Commodity pool operator
(A) In generalThe term “commodity pool operator” means any person—
(i) engaged in a business that is of the nature of a commodity pool, investment trust, syndicate, or similar form of enterprise, and who, in connection therewith, solicits, accepts, or receives from others, funds, securities, or property, either directly or through capital contributions, the sale of stock or other forms of securities, or otherwise, for the purpose of trading in commodity interests, including any—
(I)
commodity for future delivery, security futures product, or swap;
(II)
agreement, contract, or transaction described in section 2(c)(2)(C)(i) of this title or section 2(c)(2)(D)(i) of this title;
(III)
commodity option authorized under section 6c of this title; or
(IV)
leverage transaction authorized under section 23 of this title; or
(ii)
who is registered with the Commission as a commodity pool operator.
(B) Further definition
The Commission, by rule or regulation, may include within, or exclude from, the term “commodity pool operator” any person engaged in a business that is of the nature of a commodity pool, investment trust, syndicate, or similar form of enterprise if the Commission determines that the rule or regulation will effectuate the purposes of this chapter.
(12) Commodity trading advisor
(A) In generalExcept as otherwise provided in this paragraph, the term “commodity trading advisor” means any person who—
(i) for compensation or profit, engages in the business of advising others, either directly or through publications, writings, or electronic media, as to the value of or the advisability of trading in—
(I)
any contract of sale of a commodity for future delivery, security futures product, or swap;
(II)
any agreement, contract, or transaction described in section 2(c)(2)(C)(i) of this title or section 2(c)(2)(D)(i) of this title [1]
(III)
any commodity option authorized under section 6c of this title; or
(IV)
any leverage transaction authorized under section 23 of this title;
(ii)
for compensation or profit, and as part of a regular business, issues or promulgates analyses or reports concerning any of the activities referred to in clause (i);
(iii)
is registered with the Commission as a commodity trading advisor; or
(iv)
the Commission, by rule or regulation, may include if the Commission determines that the rule or regulation will effectuate the purposes of this chapter.
(B) ExclusionsSubject to subparagraph (C), the term “commodity trading advisor” does not include—
(i)
any bank or trust company or any person acting as an employee thereof;
(ii)
any news reporter, news columnist, or news editor of the print or electronic media, or any lawyer, accountant, or teacher;
(iii)
any floor broker or futures commission merchant;
(iv)
the publisher or producer of any print or electronic data of general and regular dissemination, including its employees;
(v)
the fiduciary of any defined benefit plan that is subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.);
(vi)
any contract market or derivatives transaction execution facility; and
(vii)
such other persons not within the intent of this paragraph as the Commission may specify by rule, regulation, or order.
(C) Incidental services
Subparagraph (B) shall apply only if the furnishing of such services by persons referred to in subparagraph (B) is solely incidental to the conduct of their business or profession.
(D) Advisors
The Commission, by rule or regulation, may include within the term “commodity trading advisor”, any person advising as to the value of commodities or issuing reports or analyses concerning commodities if the Commission determines that the rule or regulation will effectuate the purposes of this paragraph.
(13) Contract of sale
The term “contract of sale” includes sales, agreements of sale, and agreements to sell.
(14) Cooperative association of producers
The term “cooperative association of producers” means any cooperative association, corporate, or otherwise, not less than 75 percent in good faith owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by producers of agricultural products and otherwise complying with sections 291 and 292 of this title, including any organization acting for a group of such associations and owned or controlled by such associations, except that business done for or with the United States, or any agency thereof, shall not be considered either member or nonmember business in determining the compliance of any such association with this chapter.
(15) Derivatives clearing organization
(A) In generalThe term “derivatives clearing organization” means a clearinghouse, clearing association, clearing corporation, or similar entity, facility, system, or organization that, with respect to an agreement, contract, or transaction—
(i)
enables each party to the agreement, contract, or transaction to substitute, through novation or otherwise, the credit of the derivatives clearing organization for the credit of the parties;
(ii)
arranges or provides, on a multilateral basis, for the settlement or netting of obligations resulting from such agreements, contracts, or transactions executed by participants in the derivatives clearing organization; or
(iii)
otherwise provides clearing services or arrangements that mutualize or transfer among participants in the derivatives clearing organization the credit risk arising from such agreements, contracts, or transactions executed by the participants.
(B) ExclusionsThe term “derivatives clearing organization” does not include an entity, facility, system, or organization solely because it arranges or provides for—
(i)
settlement, netting, or novation of obligations resulting from agreements, contracts, or transactions, on a bilateral basis and without a central counterparty;
(ii)
settlement or netting of cash payments through an interbank payment system; or
(iii)
settlement, netting, or novation of obligations resulting from a sale of a commodity in a transaction in the spot market for the commodity.
(16) Electronic trading facilityThe term “electronic trading facility” means a trading facility that—
(A)
operates by means of an electronic or telecommunications network; and
(B)
maintains an automated audit trail of bids, offers, and the matching of orders or the execution of transactions on the facility.
(17) Eligible commercial entityThe term “eligible commercial entity” means, with respect to an agreement, contract or transaction in a commodity—
(A) an eligible contract participant described in clause (i), (ii), (v), (vii), (viii), or (ix) of paragraph (18)(A) that, in connection with its business—
(i)
has a demonstrable ability, directly or through separate contractual arrangements, to make or take delivery of the underlying commodity;
(ii)
incurs risks, in addition to price risk, related to the commodity; or
(iii)
is a dealer that regularly provides risk management or hedging services to, or engages in market-making activities with, the foregoing entities involving transactions to purchase or sell the commodity or derivative agreements, contracts, or transactions in the commodity;
(B) an eligible contract participant, other than a natural person or an instrumentality, department, or agency of a State or local governmental entity, that—
(i)
regularly enters into transactions to purchase or sell the commodity or derivative agreements, contracts, or transactions in the commodity; and
(ii) either—
(I) in the case of a collective investment vehicle whose participants include persons other than—
(aa)
qualified eligible persons, as defined in Commission rule 4.7(a) (17 CFR 4.7(a));
(bb)
accredited investors, as defined in Regulation D of the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933 [15 U.S.C. 77a et seq.] (17 CFR 230.501(a)), with total assets of $2,000,000; or
(cc)
qualified purchasers, as defined in section 2(a)(51)(A) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 [15 U.S.C. 80a–2(a)(51)(A)];
in each case as in effect on December 21, 2000, has, or is one of a group of vehicles under common control or management having in the aggregate, $1,000,000,000 in total assets; or
(II)
in the case of other persons, has, or is one of a group of persons under common control or management having in the aggregate, $100,000,000 in total assets; or
(C)
such other persons as the Commission shall determine appropriate and shall designate by rule, regulation, or order.