The NYSE Arca proposed a change to their fee schedule, seeking to extend the waiver of certain fees for businesses unable to resume full operations due to COVID-19. These waivers apply to fixed fees related to Floor operations, benefiting firms that haven't reached pre-pandemic levels of activity. The goal of the waiver is to ease the financial burden on affected businesses as they adjust their operations. The Securities and Exchange Commission is inviting public comments on this proposed rule change, which went into effect on January 1, 2021, and may be suspended within 60 days if the Commission finds it necessary for investor protection or public interest.
Simple Explanation
NYSE Arca wants to help some businesses by not charging them certain fees because they are still recovering from COVID-19, but it's not clear how they pick these businesses to help and why. The government is asking people to say what they think about this change, and they might stop the changes if they don't think it's good for everyone.