CFTC Extends Collection for Interpretative, No-Action, and Exemptive Letters

Content

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“Commission” or “CFTC”) is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed
extension of a collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (“PRA”), Federal agencies
are required to publish notice in the
Federal Register
concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension of an existing collection of information,
and to allow 60 days for public comment. This notice solicits comments on requirements related to requests for, and the issuance
of, exemptive, no-action, and interpretative letters.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted on or before April 20, 2026.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments, identified by “OMB Control Number 3038-0049,” by any of the following methods:

• The CFTC's website, at https://comments.cftc.gov/. Follow the instructions for submitting comments through the website.

• Mail: Christopher Kirkpatrick, Secretary of the Commission, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Three Lafayette Centre, 1155 21st
Street NW, Washington, DC 20581.

• Hand Delivery/Courier: Same as Mail above.

Please submit your comments using only one method.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Eric Schmelzer, Special Counsel, (202) 836-0567, eschmelzer@cftc.gov, of the Division of Clearing and Risk; Dina Moussa, Special Counsel, (202) 418-5696, dmoussa@cftc.gov, or Catherine Brescia, Attorney Advisor, (202) 418-6236, cbrescia@cftc.gov, of the Market Participants Division; Owen Kopon, (202) 418-5360, okopon@cftc.gov, of the Division of Market Oversight, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Three Lafayette Centre, 1155 21st Street NW, Washington,
DC 20581; or Roger Smith, (202) 418-5344, rsmith@cftc.gov, of the Division of Market Oversight, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, 77 West Jackson Blvd., Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60604.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Under the PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq., Federal agencies must obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) for each collection of information
they conduct or sponsor. “Collection of Information” is defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 1320.3 and includes agency
requests or requirements that members of the public submit reports, keep records, or provide information to a third party.
Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A), requires a Federal agency to provide a 60-day notice in the
Federal Register
concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension of an existing collection of information
before submitting the collection to OMB for approval. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to

  respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB number. [(1)]() To comply with these requirements, the CFTC is publishing notice of the proposed extension of the currently approved collection
  of information listed below.

Title: Procedural Requirements for Requests for Interpretative, No-Action, and Exemptive Letters (OMB Control No. 3038-0049). This
is a request for an extension of a currently approved information collection.

Abstract: This collection covers the information requirements for voluntary requests for, and the issuance of, interpretative, no-action,
and exemptive letters submitted to Commission staff pursuant to the provisions of section 140.99 of the Commission's regulations, (2) and related requests for confidential treatment pursuant to section 140.98(b) (3) of the Commission's regulations.

The collection requirements described herein are voluntary. They apply to parties that choose to request a benefit from Commission
staff in the form of the regulatory action described in section 140.99. Such benefits may include, for example, staff action
related to some or all of the burdens associated with other collections of information, staff action related to regulatory
obligations that do not constitute collections of information, interpretations, or extensions of time for compliance with
certain Commission regulations. Any person requesting action under section 140.99 will likely have determined the staff action
sought substantially outweighs any associated information collection burden.

This information collection is necessary, and is used, to assist Commission staff in understanding the type of staff action
that is being requested and the basis for the request. It is also necessary, and is used, to provide staff with a sufficient
basis for determining whether: (1) granting the requested action would be necessary or appropriate under the facts and circumstances
presented by the requestor; (2) the requested action provided should be conditional and/or time-limited; and (3) granting
the requested action would be consistent with staff responses to requests that have been presented under similar facts and
circumstances. In some cases, Commission staff might grant the requested action with certain conditions it deems appropriate.
Once again, those complying with these conditions will likely have determined the staff action sought outweighs any associated
burden. This information collection also is necessary to provide a mechanism whereby persons requesting interpretative, no-action,
and exemptive letters may seek temporary confidential treatment of their request and the Commission staff response thereto
and the grounds upon which such confidential treatment is sought.

With respect to the collection of information, the CFTC invites comments on:

• Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information will have a practical use;
• The accuracy of the Commission's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
• Ways to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the information to be collected; and • Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated electronic, mechanical or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology; e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses.

All comments must be submitted in English, or if not, accompanied by an English translation. Comments will be posted as received
to https://www.cftc.gov. You should submit only information that you wish to make available publicly. If you wish the Commission to consider information
that you believe is exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, a petition for confidential treatment of
the exempt information may be submitted according to the procedures established in section 145.9 of the Commission's regulations. (4)

The Commission reserves the right, but shall have no obligation to, review, pre-screen, filter, redact, refuse or remove any
or all of your submission from https://www.cftc.gov that it may deem to be inappropriate for publication, such as obscene language. All submissions that have been redacted or
removed that contain comments on the merits of the Information Collection Request will be retained in the public comment file
and will be considered as required under the Administrative Procedure Act and other applicable laws, and may be accessible
under the Freedom of Information Act.

Burden Statement: The Commission is revising its burden estimate for this information collection. The Commission has based its estimate of the
annual number of respondents related to this information collection, in part, on the average number of interpretative, no-action,
and exemptive letters issued by Commission staff in 2023, 2024, and 2025. The Commission generally estimates that each request
was made by a unique respondent. To that number, the Commission is adding additional respondents that have incurred burden
hours preparing requests for staff action that did not generate a Commission staff letter in response.

This estimate includes the burden hours for preparing, filing, and updating such request letters as well as the burden of
complying with any conditions that may be contained in any interpretative, no-action, or exemptive letters granting staff
action. It also includes burden hours required to prepare and submit related requests for confidential treatment. The burden
hours associated with individual requests will vary widely, depending upon the type and complexity of staff action requested,
whether the request presents novel or complex issues, the relevant facts and circumstances, and the number of requestors or
other affected entities.

The respondent burden is estimated to be as follows:

Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 44.

Estimated Average Annual Burden Hours per Respondent: 40.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,760.

Frequency of Collection: Occasional.

Type of Respondents: Respondents include persons registered with the Commission (such as commodity pool operators, commodity trading advisors,
derivatives clearing organizations, designated contract markets, futures commission merchants, introducing brokers, swap dealers,
and swap execution facilities), persons seeking an exemption from registration, persons whose registration with the Commission
is pending, trade associations and their members, eligible contract participants, and other persons seeking staff action from
discrete regulatory requirements.

There are no capital costs or operating and maintenance costs associated with this collection.

(Authority 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.)

Dated: February 11, 2026. Robert Sidman, Deputy Secretary of the Commission. [FR Doc. 2026-02996 Filed 2-13-26; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6351-01-P

Footnotes

(1) 44 U.S.C. 3512, 5 CFR 1320.5(b)(2)(i) and 1320.8 (b)(3)(vi).

(2) 17 CFR 140.99. An archive containing CFTC staff letters may be found at https://www.cftc.gov/LawRegulation/CFTCStaffLetters/index.htm.

(3) 17 CFR 140.98(b).

(4) 17 CFR 145.9.

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