Rule 17Ad-2

Turnaround, Processing, and Forwarding of Items

(a) Every registered transfer agent (except when acting as an outside registrar) shall turnaround within three business days of receipt at least 90 percent of all routine items received for transfer during a month. For the purposes of this paragraph, items received at or before noon on a business day shall be deemed to have been received at noon on that day, and items received after noon on a business day or received on a day not a business day shall be deemed to have been received at noon on the next business day.

(b) Every registered transfer agent acting as an outside registrar shall process at least 90 percent of all items received during a month (1) by the opening of business on the next business day, in the case of items received at or before noon on a business day, and (2) by noon of the next business day, in the case of items received after noon on a business day. For the purposes of paragraphs (b) and (d) of this section, ''items received'' shall not include any item enumerated in Sec. 240.17Ad-1(i) (5), (6), (7), or (8) or any item which is not accompanied by a debit or cancelled certificate. For the purposes of this paragraph, items received on a day not a business day shall be deemed to have been received before noon on the next business day.

(c) Any registered transfer agent which fails to comply with paragraph (a) of this section with respect to any month shall, within ten business days following the end of such month, file with the Commission and the transfer agent's appropriate regulatory agency, if it is not the Commission, a written notice in accordance with paragraph (h) of this section. Such notice shall state the number of routine items and the number of non-routine items received for transfer during the month, the number of routine items which the registered transfer agent failed to turnaround in accordance with the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section, the percentage that such routine items represent of all routine items received during the month, the reasons for such failure, the steps which have been taken, are being taken or will be taken to prevent a future failure and the number of routine items, aged in increments of one business day, which as of the close of business on the last business day of the month have been in its possession for more than four business days and have not been turned around.

(d) Any registered transfer agent which fails to comply with paragraph (b) of this section with respect to any month shall, within ten business days following the end of such month, file with the Commission and the transfer agent's appropriate regulatory agency, if it is not the Commission, a written notice in accordance with paragraph (h) of this section. Such notice shall state the number of items received for processing during the month, the number of items which the registered transfer agent failed to process in accordance with the requirements of paragraph (b) of this section, the percentage that such items represent of all items received during the month, the reasons for such failure and the steps which have been taken, are being taken or will be taken to prevent a future failure and the number of items which as of the close of business on the last business day of the month have been in the transfer agent's possession for more than the time allowed for processing and have not been processed.

(e)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (e)(2) of this section, all routine items not turned around within three business days of receipt as required by paragraph (a) of this section and all items not processed within the periods required by paragraph (b) of this section shall be turned around promptly, and all nonroutine items shall receive diligent and continuous attention and shall be turned around as soon as possible.

(2) A transfer agent that is exempt under Sec. 240.17Ad-4(b) and that has received 30 days notice of depository-eligibility of an issue for which it performs transfer agent functions shall turnaround ninety percent of all routine items received during a month within five business days of receipt. Such transfer agent shall devote diligent and continuous attention to the remaining ten percent of routine items and shall turnaround these items as soon as possible.

(f) A registered transfer agent which receives items at locations other than the premises at which it performs transfer agent functions shall have appropriate procedures to assure, and shall assure, that items are forwarded to such premises promptly.

(g) A registered transfer agent which receives processed items from an outside registrar shall have appropriate procedures to assure, and shall assure, that such items are made available promptly to the presentor.

(h) Any notice required by this section or Sec. 240.17Ad-4 shall be filed as follows:

(1) Any notice required to be filed with the Commission shall be filed in triplicate with the principal office of the Commission in Washington, DC 20549 and, in the case of a registered transfer agent for which the Commission is the appropriate regulatory agency, an additional copy shall be filed with the Regional or District Office of the Commission for the region or district in which the registered transfer agent has its principal office for transfer agent activities.

(2) Any notice required to be filed with the Comptroller of the Currency shall be filed with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Administrator of National Banks, Washington, DC 20219.

(3) Any notice required to be filed with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System shall be filed with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Washington, DC 20251 and with the Federal Reserve Bank of the district in which the registered transfer agent's principal banking operations are conducted.

(4) Any notice required to be filed with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation shall be filed with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Washington, DC 20429.